Sentenced beyond the Seas: Australia's early convict records
Indents list the convicts transported to New South Wales - early indents provide name, date and place of trial and sentence while the later indents usually include physical description, native place, age and crime. This digitisation project is our gift to the people of Australia and marks the 225th anniversary in 2013 of the arrival of the First Fleet at Sydney Cove on 26 January 1788.
In our collection are Australia’s earliest convict records dating back to the First Fleet in 1788. These convicts were ‘Sentenced to be transported to parts beyond the Seas’ [NRS 1150, SZ115 p.1].
The Orders in Council for these early convicts appointed the ‘Eastern Coast of New South Wales, some one or other of the islands adjacent’ as the place they would serve out their sentences. Convict indents, or lists of convicts embarked on the convict transport ships, were sent out to the new Colony of New South Wales. Sentenced beyond the Seas includes many of these convict indents dated from 1786 to 1801.
List of the ships in the project
Also included is a list of alphabetical indents by convict. The ship column includes the name of the ship or Order in Council plus the date of the document.
First Fleet, 26 January 1788
Ship | Title / info | Item |
---|---|---|
Order in Council No. 1, dated 6 Dec 1786 [First Fleet] | “First pages” | |
Order in Council No. 1, dated 6 Dec 1786 [List of convicts] | List of Convicts sentenced to be Transported to parts beyond the Seas | |
Order in Council No. 2, dated 6 Dec 1786 [Friendship, Charlotte, Scarborough] | List of Convicts sentenced to be Transported to America and Africa | |
Order in Council No. 3, dated 6 Dec 1786 | Two lists of female convicts List of Female Convictssentenced to be Transportedto Africa & to America | |
Order in Council No. 1, dated 6 Dec 1786 [First Fleet] | “First pages” | |
Order in Council No. 4, dated 22 Dec 1786 [Lady Penrhyn] | List of Female Convicts sentenced to be Transported beyond the Sea | |
Order in Council No. 5, dated 12 Feb 1787 | One list of convicts, mainly female | |
Order in Council No. 6, dated 12 Feb 1787 | List of Convicts Sentenced to be Transported to Africa | |
Order in Council No. 7, dated 20 Apr 1787 | List of Convicts sentenced to be Transported to Africa and America | |
Order in Council No. 8, dated 20 Apr 1787 [includes Prince of Wales] | List of Convicts sentenced to be transported beyond the Seas |
Second Fleet, 1790
Note: The first ship listed below is the Lady Juliana - it was the first ship to set sail for Port Jackson after the First Fleet and arrived before the Second Fleet.
Date | Ship | Title / info | Item |
---|---|---|---|
3 Jun 1790 | Order in Council No. 9, dated 15 May 1789 [Lady Juliana] | Contains the only Official List of the Lady Juliana* * Lists only 3 of 250 convicts on theLady Juliana | |
26 Jun 1790 | Surprize (1) [9 Nov 1789] | Indenture | |
28 Jun 1790 | Neptune [4 Dec 1789] | Indenture [see also below] | |
28 Jun 1790 | Scarborough (2) [2 Nov 1789] | Indenture | |
28 Jun 1790 | Order in Council No. 10, dated 14 Oct 1789 | List of Convicts sentenced to be Transported to America and Africa | |
28 Jun 1790 | Order in Council No. 11, dated 14 Oct 1789 [convicts per Surprize (1), Neptune,Scarborough (2)] | List of Convicts sentenced to be Transported to parts beyond the Seas | Originally part of Link |
28 Jun 1790 | Order in Council No. 12, dated 18 Nov 1789 | List of Convicts sentenced to be Transported to parts beyond the Seas | |
28 Jun 1790 | Order in Council No. 13, dated 6 Jan 1790 | Names of Two Convicts sentenced to be Transported | |
28 Jun 1790 | Neptune, dated 9 Nov 1789 | Indenture for the Neptune [see also above] |
Third Fleet, 1791
Date | Ship | Title / info | Item |
---|---|---|---|
9 Jul 1791 | Mary Ann [24 Jan 1791] | Indenture | |
1 Aug 1791 | Matilda [24 Jan 1791] | Indenture | |
20 Aug 1791 | Atlantic [24 Jan 1791] | Indenture | |
21 Aug 1791 | Salamander [24 Jan 1791] | Indenture | |
28 Aug 1791 | William and Ann [24 Jan 1791] | Indenture | |
21 Sep 1791 | Gorgon [1791] | Attested Extract from the Indents | |
26 Sep 1791 | Active [24 Jan 1791] | Indenture | |
26 Sep 1791 | Queen [Apr 1791] | List of Convicts transported from Ireland to New South Wales by the Queen Transport | |
26 Sep 1791 | Queen [11 Apr 1791] | List of Prisoners under Sentence or Order of Transportation as received from the different parts or country and transported from Cork in the Queen Transport, Apr 1791 | |
13 Oct 1791 | Albemarle [24 Feb 1791] | Indenture | |
14 Oct 1791 | Britannia I [24 Jan 1791] | Indenture | |
16 Oct 1791 | Admiral Barrington [24 Jan 1791] | Indenture | |
1791 | Order in Council No. 14, dated 21 Jan 1791 | List of Convicts Sentenced to be Transported to parts beyond the seas | |
1791 | Order in Council No. 15, dated 21 Jan 1791 | Edward Smith a Convict sentenced to be Transported to Africa for Life | |
1791 | Order in Council No.16, dated 18 Feb 1791 | List of Convicts Sentenced to be Transported to Parts Beyond the Sea |
The convicts listed in the preceding Orders in Council, with some exceptions, also appear on the Third Fleet Indents.
Other convict ships
Ship | Title / Info | Item |
---|---|---|
Pitt [15 Jun 1791] | Indenture Orders in Council [3 & 8 Jun 1791] | 14 Feb 1792Link |
Royal Admiral[14 May 1791] | List of convicts embarked at Woolwich | 7 Oct 1792Link |
Order in Council, dated 25 Jan 1792 [Kitty] | List of convicts per the Kitty | 18 Nov 1792Link |
Bellona [Jan 1793] | An Attested List of the Convictions & Sentences from the Assignment of the Bellona’s Convicts | 16 Jan 1793Link |
Boddington [or Boddingtons] [Feb 1793] | List of Convicts transported from Ireland to New South Wales | 7 Aug 1793Link |
Sugar Cane [Apr 1793] | List of Convicts transported from Ireland to New South Wales | 17 Sep 1793Link |
Surprize (2) [or Surprise( 2)] [1794] | Attested Extract of the Indents | 25 Oct 1794Link |
Marquis Cornwallis [Aug 1795] | List of Convicts Transported from Ireland to New South Wales by the Marquis Cornwallis Transport | 11 Feb 1796Link |
Order in Council, dated 14 October 1795 [Indispensible] | List of Female Transports | 30 Apr 1796Link |
Britannia II [Dec 1796] | List of Convicts Transported to New South Wales per the Britannia Transport December 1796 | 27 May 1797Link |
Orders in Council, dated 29 Jul 1796 [Ganges] | List of Transports GangesList of Transports | 2 Jun 1797Link |
Orders in Council, dated 20 Sep 1797 [Barwell] | List of Male Transports Sent by the Barwellto New South WalesHis Majesty’s Order in Council Barwell | |
Britannia III | List of Female Convicts by the Britannia | |
Order in Council, dated 10 Jan 1798 [Britannia III] | 1st Order in Council for female convicts sent by the Britannia | |
Order in Council, dated 31 Jan 1798 [Britannia III] | 3d Order in Council for a female convict to be sent to New South Wales | |
Order in Council, dated 24Jan 1798 [Britannia III] | 2d Order in Council for Female Convicts to be Sent by the Britannia | |
Cape of Good Hope [21 May 1798] [Marquis Cornwallis] | Court martial, James Wall | |
Cape of Good Hope [2 Feb 1799] [Buffalo] | Court martial, James Cannon | |
Order in Council, dated 28 Sep 1798 [Hillsborough] | List of Male Transports (Note: 2nd list for Hillsborough not held) | |
Hillsborough | List of 299 convicts per the Hillsborough [cover only] | |
Friendship II | Return of men Embarked from New Geneva Barracks on board the Friendship Transport | |
Minerva [16 May 1799] | List of Prisoners Embarked on board the Minerva TransportProtestant convicts are indicated with a dot in the column headed 'character'. is indicated.This annotation may be incorrect in some instances. | |
Speedy [30 Oct 1799] | List of Female convicts sent by the Speedy to New South Wales | |
Earl Cornwallis | Assignment List | |
Royal Admiral (2) [14 & 8 Mar 1800] | Order in Council for the Royal Admiral [14 Mar 1800]Contract/Indenture for Royal Admiral (2) [8 May 1800] | |
Anne [20 Aug 1822] | List of convicts sent out from Ireland in 1800 in the ship AnneML MSS 509 2b | |
Minorca, Nile and Canada [Contract/Deed Poll] [18 Jun 1801] | List of convicts transported to New South Wales in the Minorca, Canada, Nile. Arrived Dec1801 |
Alphabetical Indents, 1788-1800
Series: NRS 12188, Alphabetical indents, 1788-1800 [4/4003] and [4/4003A].
Description | Names | Item |
---|---|---|
Abbott-Ayres | ||
Supplementary List | Abbott-Ayres | |
Babbage-Byron | ||
Supplementary List | Bailey-Byrne | |
Cabell-Cuss | ||
Supplementary List | Cadman-Curtis | |
Dagley-Dymond | ||
Supplementary List | Dabbs-Dyer | |
Eady-Eyres | ||
Supplementary List | Earle-Evans | |
Fagan-Fryer | ||
Supplementary List | Fahey-Fry | |
Gable-Gyatt | ||
Supplementary List | Galvin-Gunter | |
Hacher-Hyser | ||
Supplementary List | Hackett-Hutson | |
Ibbell-Istrad | ||
Supplementary List | Isles-Izzard | |
Jacobs-Justice | ||
Supplementary List | Jacobs-Juniper | |
Kappin-Knowles | ||
Supplementary List | Kane-Kreighan | |
Lacey-Lithgoe | ||
Supplementary List | Lake-Lynch | |
Mabery-Muskett | ||
Supplementary List | McCarthy-Myler | |
Nadham-Nursey | ||
Supplementary List | Nash-Nugent | |
Oakenbaker-Ozeland | ||
Supplementary List | O’Brien-Owens | |
Pace-Pye | ||
Supplementary List | Page-Pybus | |
Quarman-Quinton | ||
Supplementary List | Quigly-Quinn | |
Rabson-Ryder | ||
Supplementary List | Radford-Rymes | |
Sadler-Syney | ||
Supplementary List | Saltmarsh-Sweeney | |
Tabor-Twohy | ||
Supplementary List | Tallon-Tyso | |
Ulstone-Usher | ||
Supplementary List | Underwood-Vernon | |
Vail-Valence | ||
Supplementary List | Valentine-Vowell | |
Waddell-Wynn | ||
Supplementary List | Wade-Wylie | |
Yardley-Young | ||
Supplementary List | Yardley-Youngson |
List of books transferred, 1 June 1828
NRS 1186, List of books transferred, 1 June 1828
List of books transferred to the Principal Superintendent of Convicts - this item includes the Alphabetical Indents, 1788-1800 as other records (such as indents and registers of pardons, certificates of freedom and tickets of leave)
Frequently Asked Questions
Useful information about early convict arrivals and answers to frequently asked questions about the Index to Early Convicts.
Acknowledgements
Bibliography
Convict Records recognised by UNESCO
These significant original convict documents are irreplaceable. They were listed on the UNESCO Memory of the World Register in 2007.