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.
Worldwide
- Convict Voyages – a great collection of essays, maps, and statistics relating to convicts around the world. You can search using the interactive map to find where convicts were taken around the world as well as essays and timelines relative to that area. Below is just a small sample of what is available on this site.
