We are very lucky that some of the best records kept in history are in regards to people who broke the law. Many records survive today and give us a wealth of information about our lawless ancestor. Here are some websites that will help you to find them.
Australia
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- Australian Convict Sites - a listing of historic convict sites that still exist within Australia today.
- Founders and Survivors - this partnership between historians, genealogists, demographers, and health researchers to track the lives of convicts brought to Tasmania.
- Founders and Survivors Storylines - a collection of stories and mugshots of Tasmanian convicts.
- Fremantle Prison, Western Australia - this website contains a wealth of information about the main prison in the WA convict era.
- Convict Database - a searchable database of convicts sent to Western Australia.
- LINC - This Tasmanian Government site contains the Tasmanian Name Index to search for information regarding convicts sent to Tasmania.
- New South Wales State Archives - Convicts - guides and a searchable index to information pertaining to convicts including pardons, tickets of leave, deaths, and other relevant information.
- Public Records Office of Victoria - Justice, crime and law contains thousands of records to criminal trials and convictions.
- State Library of New South Wales
- Convicts: Life in the Colony - a collection of resources available to explore convict life in NSW.
- Trial and Court Records provides links and information pertaining to convicts sent to Australia including links to British sources.
- State Records Office of Western Australia - Convict Records as they pertain to the state of Western Australia (WA)
- Sydney Living Museums
- Hyde Park Barracks - a collection of records regarding the history of Hyde Park Barracks including information about the convict period.
- Justice and Police Museum - A Sydney based museum dedicated to the criminal and police history of Sydney. You can visit to see this history but have a look at their website for some great information.
Norfolk Island
- Convict Voyages - Norfolk Island
- Kingston and Arthurs Vale Historic Area - explore these photos and information about this site with such a rich convict history.
- New South Wales State Archives - Norfolk Island Guide explores the history, shipping, court, education, and land records of its settlers.
- Norfolk Island History - a general overview of the history of Norfolk Island
- Norfolk Island Settlement - an overview of the history of settlement on Norfolk Island.
- Norfolk Island Museum - this museum on Norfolk Island explores their rich history as a convict penal settlement.
United Kingdom
- London Lives 1690-1800 - Crime, Poverty, and Social Policy in the Metropolis - a great source of information pertaining to criminal cases for the 17th and 18th Centuries.
- National Records of Scotland - Crime and Criminals has guides and records pertaining to Scottish criminals.
- The National Archives - Crime and punishment - the archives holds records and documents pertaining to criminal court and trials.
- The Proceedings of the Old Bailey Online - a searchable collection of records in relation to criminal trials conducted in London.