Any convicts in the family?
I searched and searched for convicts in my family, and finally came across Thomas BATES , my step-3rd great-grandfather's wife's granddaughter's husband! Rather a tenuous relative - but no matter, I'm claiming him!!
So, I decided to do the Convict Ancestors module at the Uni of Tasmania. Great course so far, with lots of information and links to convict records. For example, did you know that convicts were kept on ships (working) before they were transported? These were 'The Hulks", and if you go to Ancestry and search the catalogue with the keyword Hulk you will find the records.
A great site to understand the convict life is Hyde Park Barracks.
But one thing I have found really useful is the Facebook page for this course, where everyone helps each other. One of the people there posted a link to a fantastic worksheet, it is from the NSW Archives, and helps with the types of records available and when.
Just follow the link to the PDF and download it for yourself.
Actually, this is where you start when researching convicts, understand the process they went through and find out where to begin researching.
My Pinterest page for Convicts has lots of links and tips on it, so why not give it a go?
More about Thomas Bates once the course is finished, I am writing and referencing (maticulously!) his story, for the course assignment, on a site called Our Family Past. I had never heard of it before doing the course, and it is excellent if you want to begin writing up the family history. It's not just another site for your family tree.
Tip! Create a Sources, or Bibliography page, and number your sources (citing to the number) so you can reference your information.
Thomas was a Constable in Parramatta, who captured the bushranger, John Fitzgerald. Fitzgerald was a prisoner who had the ability to escape - often! He died (drowned) in terrible circumstances in Hobart.
So, I decided to do the Convict Ancestors module at the Uni of Tasmania. Great course so far, with lots of information and links to convict records. For example, did you know that convicts were kept on ships (working) before they were transported? These were 'The Hulks", and if you go to Ancestry and search the catalogue with the keyword Hulk you will find the records.
A great site to understand the convict life is Hyde Park Barracks.
But one thing I have found really useful is the Facebook page for this course, where everyone helps each other. One of the people there posted a link to a fantastic worksheet, it is from the NSW Archives, and helps with the types of records available and when.
Actually, this is where you start when researching convicts, understand the process they went through and find out where to begin researching.
My Pinterest page for Convicts has lots of links and tips on it, so why not give it a go?
More about Thomas Bates once the course is finished, I am writing and referencing (maticulously!) his story, for the course assignment, on a site called Our Family Past. I had never heard of it before doing the course, and it is excellent if you want to begin writing up the family history. It's not just another site for your family tree.
Tip! Create a Sources, or Bibliography page, and number your sources (citing to the number) so you can reference your information.
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Barb