A convict record can open a rich research trail, but a matching name is only the beginning. Work backwards from known family evidence and distinguish the person from others with similar names.
Make a start
Start with what you know
Record the person’s names and variants, likely dates, places, family relationships and the evidence for each clue. Avoid assuming a convict with the same name is the right person.
Find an arrival
Search the Museums of History NSW convict indexes for likely names, ship and trial details. Follow a promising result to the digitised indent where available, and record the ship, trial, sentence and source reference.
Follow colonial records
Look for tickets of leave, certificates of freedom, pardons, musters and court or government correspondence. Indent annotations can lead to later records. Assignment records are incomplete.
Connect to family and place
Compare ages, occupations, spouses, children, locations and dates with church, civil, land and newspaper records. Keep separate possibilities open when details conflict.
Research the trial
Use the recorded court and date to locate relevant records in the jurisdiction where the person was convicted. Different places have different archives and coverage.
Read an indent carefully
The convict indent was a list associated with a transport ship. Later indents can include more personal detail than earlier ones, and annotations may refer to later tickets, pardons or certificates. Copy the reference and inspect the original image rather than relying only on the index.
A ticket of leave allowed a person to work for themselves under conditions, including remaining in a specified area; it was not the same as an unconditional pardon. Museums of History NSW describes gaps and limitations in surviving ticket records.
Avoid a simple success story
Transportation involved punishment, forced labour and separation from family. Records were created by authorities and reflect their purposes. Consider what they omit and seek other contemporary and family sources where available.
Use the Society’s offline holdings
The Society lists NSW convict indents and indexes to arrivals, tickets of leave, convict marriage banns and Colonial Secretary correspondence among its holdings. Take the name and variants, likely ship, dates and any official index references to the research centre. Ask which sources are available there and compare their entries with the original records where possible.
A local family file, church record, cemetery transcription or newspaper notice may help connect a convict record to later life in the district. Treat a matching name as a lead until dates, places and relationships fit together.
Useful resources
- FamilySearch Historical Records and Family Tree - Worldwide indexes, images and unindexed image collections.
- Trove - Notices, reports, advertisements, people and place context.
- Museums of History NSW / State Archives family-history guide - Convicts, assisted immigrants, probate, schools, land and NSW government records.
- NSW Registry of Births, Deaths & Marriages - NSW births, marriages, deaths and pre-1856 church records.
- Trace your family history
- Search the Society library
Explore the full research resource directory · Search the Society library catalogue · Browse Society newsletters
Let the Society help with your research
The Society can undertake professional research at $40 per hour. Tell us what you would like to discover, what you already know and any records you have checked. Contact the research centre to discuss your question and request a quote before work begins.
Email [email protected] or call (02) 4872 2169.
Common questions
Does a shared name prove this is my ancestor?
No. Compare multiple independent details and document competing candidates before drawing a conclusion.
Can I always find who a convict was assigned to?
No. Museums of History NSW notes that relatively few assignment records have survived.
Can I see an indent online?
The Museums of History NSW digitised indents index links some search results directly to record images. Coverage and access vary by record series.