Discover more about your criminal ancestor sent to Tasmania, or as it was originally called Van Diemen’s Land, between 1800 and 1893.
Discover more about your criminal ancestor sent to Tasmania, or as it was originally called Van Diemen’s Land, between 1800 and 1893.
This collection of convict records comprises several different record types; a full list is provided below under Discover more about these records. Depending on the type of record, transcripts may provide you with a combination of the following information:
Images may be able to provide you with additional information. Depending on the type of register or book your ancestor’s name is found in, you may learn details regarding their physical appearance and occupation. Description lists, for example, provide great detail into your ancestor’s physical description. Other records will include details about when and where your ancestor was convicted and the sentence given. Certain registers provide details about marital status, children, religion, and literacy.
In cases where multiple images related to your ancestor are found, we have included them in the image results. Use the next arrow on the right-hand side of the image viewer to browse all related images.
Tasmania, then part of New South Wales, was originally set up as a penal colony in 1803 by the British Empire. It was then called Van Diemen’s Land and it is estimated that some 75,000 convicts were shipped there up until 1853 when transportation ended. In 1856, following the passing of their constitution the year prior, the name was changed to Tasmania.
The influx of convicts created a very cheap labor pool, which was attractive to wealthy free settlers who came in droves during the 1820s. By 1830, Van Diemen’s Land was home to one-third of Australia’s total non-Indigenous population.
Tasmanian Archive and Heritage Office (TAHO) has provided this collection. The series included in this collection are as follows, with the start and end dates in parentheses:
John “Red” Kelly, sentenced to seven years on Van Diemen’s Land for stealing two pigs, can be found within this collection. Red is the father of Edward “Ned” Kelly, the infamous bushranger. A bushranger refers to armed robbers who used the Australian bush as their base-of-operations. Bushrangers thrived in the 1850s and 1860s, with numbers dropping as policing and technology advanced. It was Ned Kelly’s execution in 1880 that sounded the death knell for the bushranger way of life.
In the records, we read that Red sailed from Dublin on 7 August 1841 on the Prince Regent. He arrived in Tasmania on 2 January 1842. From the image of the original register, we see that Red was listed as being 5 feet 8.5 inches tall, with a large head and nose, reddish hair, and blue eyes.
Learn more about Red Kelly in our Ireland Roman Catholic parish registers.
William Smith O’Brien, the Irish revolutionary and founder of the Young Ireland movement, was convicted and found guilty of high treason after he led a rising in three counties of tenants and landlords, culminating in a battle in Tipperary against police. Initially sentenced to death, his sentence was commuted to transportation and he was sent to Van Diemen’s Land in 1849. From the records in the collection, we see that he arrived on 27 October 1849 on the ship Swift. By looking at the image of the original record, we learn some additional facts: he was married; his trade is listed as “gentleman”; he was aged 46; he’s recorded as having a dark complexion, round head, and dark brown hair and light brown whiskers; his height is noted as 5’11” and his eye color is recorded as being grey; his native place is recorded as County Clare. Furthermore, some dates are given regarding his work on the island.
After five years, he was released on the understanding that he never return to Ireland. However, two years later, in 1856, he was granted an unconditional pardon, allowing him to return to Ireland.
Findmypast has the William Smith O’Brien petition, signed by thousands, which resulted in his sentence being commuted to transportation. You can follow the link to this petition in the Useful links and resources section.