A Treasure Trove Of Information

 I recently found a "Treasure Trove" of information that is available for those researching their ancestors in Australia. This website is user friendly with a search box on the home page. This site allows you to research in digitized newspaper, journals, diaries, and photographs to name a few. Please note the site also provides links to other sites that may have information regarding your query; some of them require payment and others are free to use. From the home page you can select the collection you would like to research within to narrow your search. Thus far, I have noted researching the newspaper collection is free. If you would like to research your Australian ancestors in the newspaper collection, click Trove digitized newspapers. If you prefer to perform a general search click Trove National Libary of Australia Home.

FamilySearch Courses

FamilySearch announced today that the number of genealogy courses that are available for learning is now over 140 courses. The courses include Beginning and Advance courses covering areas such as Australia, England, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Mexico, New Zealand, Poland, Russia, and the United States. There are lessons on Basic Dutch, English, French, German, Italian, Latin, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Scandinavian, and Spanish Handwriting. Courses are also available for learning research tricks, how to use the Genealogy library, and Genealogy Boot-camp. I would urge you all to check out the classes that are available to help you with your research. If you don't find a class that is of interest to you this month, check back frequently as new classes are being added every month. To learn more click FamilySearch Research Courses

Do you have a Ticket to leave?

When I first saw the phrase "Ticket to Leave" it made me think of the Beatles song "Ticket to Ride". The only similarity that the two phrases have is the word Ticket. A ticket by definition is a slip of paper that allows one admission or entitlement to a service. So you may be wondering what a Ticket has to do with genealogical research. Could it be a ticket for boarding a ship to emigrate?

A "Ticket of Leave" was a document given to convicts in Australia to work and live in a given area of the colony prior to their sentence was completed or if they were pardoned. Those convicts that were given a "ticket of leave" (TOL) could own property and be self-employed, but they were required to attend church and appear before the judge when it was required. As previously discussed in an earlier post regarding convicts to the Fremantle Prison, the convicts were expected to work off their sentences. Ticket of Leave male convicts were allowed to marry or to bring their families over from England. The Ticket of Leave provides the genealogist with valuable information including birth year, previous occupation, their native country, year and place the person was tried and convicted, and also information regarding the transportation ship they were on to Australia. Another piece of information which is included on the document is a physical description of the person convicted.

This Ticket of Leave information was discovered on a website called Convicts to Australia - A Guide to Researching your Convict Ancestors. This website allows you to search the name of the ship, convict, pensioner guards, convict tales and also by the woman's name. The easiest way to these databases is through the link on the top that is titled "Search These Lists Online". Once you click on the the Convict Ships to Australia link you will need to look to the left of the page that loads to broswe the names of the ship. The other databases have a drop down list for the ships located on the upper right hand side of the page to assist in browsing. All of the links provide a search box on the upper right hand of each page where you can type in your search terms.

Now if you do not have a convict in your family tree, don't feel left out. The "Convicts to Australia" website will allow you create your own personal convict under the link "Claytons Convicts". This just for fun, but it will even create a fun story to go along with the name you choose. Another great feature of the site is the Convict tales. This link provides a brief biography of various individuals. Please note that not all of the convicts in the databases are included in the Convict Tales section. The biographies that are presently at the site are ones that have been contributed by researchers to the site.

If you would like to learn more about Convicts to Australia or the Guards, click Convicts to Australia. Have fun!

Fremantle Prison Experience in Western Australia

Freemantle, named after it's founder, Charles Fremantle an English officer, is a seaport located in SW Australia, near Perth. This small community began as Swan River Colony in the 1830's. By 1849, the fledgling community population had dwindled to approximately 4500 from 4600 the previous year. The colonists sent a petition to the British government requesting that some of the convicts be sent to the colony to provide a boost to the small labor force. Arriving in Fremantle in June of 1850, the first seventy five convicts were all male, who had almost completed their sentence. Over the next 150 years, the Fremantle prison's shows a wide variety of uses including housing of British convicts both male and female, local convicts, prisoners of war, military prisoners, and became was also a maximum security prison as well.

This website includes a searchable convict database and a few biographies of some of the notorious convicts including: "Moondyne Joe". Enoch Pearson Barrett, members of the Fenian Movement and others. The crimes committed were various including larceny, "housebreaking", murder, and treason. If you would like to learn more click Fremantle Prison. To research in the convict database, click here or go to the history section located at the top of the website and click on the convict database link.

Have fun!

New South Wales Genweb Project

As most of my readers know, I am a huge fan of the World GenWeb Project. I came across the New South Wales Genweb Project and thought that I would share it with you. For those that are not aware, New South Wales is located in Australia and it is the most populated state.

This GenWeb site offers a great deal of information for those researching in this area. The following is just a small example of what is available for research.

A-Z NSW Shires - This includes information regarding the Shires - Volunteers are needed
Online Databases - Include extracted B/M/D records, census records. Some of the databases are free and others require a fee
Transcript Depot - Include burial records, electoral rolls, and periodicals to name a few
Convict Heritage - Extracted information from various places in England and Australia
General History

As with all GenWeb sites, they are generally maintained by individuals donating their time and talents to assist others in their personal family history quest. Click New South Wales GenWeb Project, if you would like to research further. Have fun!

Budawang Aborigines

Cathy Dunn, a professional Historian and noted author specializes in Aboriginal Culture and Research. Located in New South Wales (NSW), Ms. Dunn has access to many records and has provided indices regarding convicts and residents in NSW as noted in my previous post.

Cathy Dunn states on her website "The Budawang tribe were the Aboriginals to be sighted by Captain Cook in 1770, on Koorbrua beach at Murramarang. The tribal area of Budawang is from Conjola in the north, Lake George in the West and the Moruya (Deua) River in the south." The area is located on the coast of New South Wales, Australia.

Ms. Dunn has indexed Roman Catholic and Church Of Engalnd Baptisms, Marriages and Death for the Milton Ulladulla, Aboriginal Households on the 1902, 1903 and 1922 Electoral Rolls and a list of aboriginal men that served in World War I. The images are not availble to view on the website, but the information from these records have been indexed and are placed in alphabetical order for ease of searching. The indexed information includes names, dates, place of the event and parents are listed with the birth information of a child.

If you would like to research in these databases, click Budawang Aborigines. Have Fun1

Early Colonial History of NSW Australia

Early Colonial History Of New South Wales (NSW) Australia is a website designed by Author and Historian Cathy Dunn. As one might expect, she has tremendous experience in researching historical facts.

Cathy has designed a site that is user friendly and provides a wealth of information regarding New South Wales Australia. Providing information on the easiest way to research aboriginal roots, conservation advice, Heritage tours, and several extracted indexes.

The indexes included on this site are:
Deaths 1788 NSW & Norfolk Island
Deaths 1789 NSW & Norfolk Island
Deaths 1790 NSW & Norfolk Island
Deaths 1791 NSW & Norfolk Island
Complete list of Convicts and passengers
of the Royal Admiral 1792 pdf
Old Sydney Burial Ground 1792 - 1820
1792: there are over 500 deaths
A - C 1792 NSW & Norfolk Island
D - J 1792 NSW & Norfolk Island
K - P 1792 NSW & Norfolk Island
R - Z 1792 NSW & Norfolk Island
Deaths 1793 NSW & Norfolk Island
Deaths 1794 NSW & Norfolk Island
Deaths 1795 NSW & Norfolk Island
Deaths 1796 NSW & Norfolk Island
Deaths 1797 NSW & Norfolk Island
Deaths 1798 NSW & Norfolk Island
1798 Governor Hunter Assignment Report - Women Convicts
Deaths 1799 NSW & Norfolk Island
Deaths 1800 NSW & Norfolk Island
Deaths 1801 NSW & Norfolk Island
Deaths 1802 NSW & Norfolk Island
Deaths 1803 NSW & Norfolk Island
Deaths 1804 NSW & Norfolk Island
Deaths 1805 NSW & Norfolk Island
Deaths 1806 NSW & Norfolk Island
Deaths 1807 NSW & Norfolk Island
Deaths 1808 NSW & Norfolk Island
Deaths 1809 NSW & Norfolk Island
Deaths 1810 NSW & Norfolk Island
Headstones 1788 - 1810
Death year unknown (but still in the 1788 - 1810 period)

I also found out from Cathy this evening the following: "Soon to be added will be executions, Norfolk Island 1st Settlement deaths 1788 – 1814

Includes references to the primary records such as the Sydney Gazette, Inquest details and shipping records and others."

Information included in the indices are the location, first and last name, burial and death dates, some also include the name of the parents if the person that died was a child. If the decedent was a convict, often there is information regarding the crime with which they were charged. If you have ancestors from New South Wales and/or Norfolk Island in Australia, this site may be able to provide you with information regarding ancestors. The Early Colonial History site of NSW click the New South Wales and Norfolk Island Indices. Even if you do not have Australian ancestry, it is interesting to read through the various indices. Have fun!

Ireland-Australian Transportation Records

The Ireland-Australian Transportation Records are a collection of records that document the transportation of convicts covering the period 1788 to 1868. In some cases these records include members of convicts' families transported as free settlers. The records include the date and place of the conviction, the length of the conviction and the crime committed. Some of the records indicate the ship that the person was transported on from Ireland to Autralia. There is also a comment field in each of the records. Some of the records that I viewed had information about additional family members which could prove helpful in completing a family group record. This website includes the following:

* Transportation Registers, 1836-1857
* Prisoners' Petitions and Cases, 1788-1836
* State Prisoners' Petitions, 1798-179
* Convict Reference Files, 1836-1856: 1865-1868
* Free Settlers' Papers, 1828-1852
* Male Convict Register, 1842-1847
* Register of Convicts on Convict Ships, 1851-1853

Click here or look at the side toolbar of this webpage to locate the link to this website.