Connect with the amazing lives of our convict founders.
Browse the convict records of seventy thousand men, women and children. Explore crimes, trials, transportation, and sentences. Discover secret stories, enemies and friends, lovers and partners in crime.
Browsing and searching • Show• Hide
To find a particular convict, enter their name in the search bar at the top of the page. If you're just browsing, there are several different ways to sort, search and filter convicts to find one that interests you. Select the convict's thumbnail to view his or her Mugsheet.
Searching • Show• Hide
Filtering • Show• Hide
Searching • Show• Hide
To search for a convict by name, police number, or Mugsheet ID, type the information into the search bar at the top of the screen, then select the magnifying glass icon. You may search or filter the results by gender, voyage, crime, trade and more.
Filtering • Show• Hide
Use filters to narrow your search results. Search results may be narrowed down by gender, description details, crime or trade.
By gender
By description detail
By crime
By trade
By gender
Convicts can be filtered to show only males or only females.
By description detail
Search results can be filtered to show the convicts with either substantial or minimal levels of detail in their physical descriptions.
By crime
To find convicts that committed a particular crime, enter it into the 'search by crime' searchbar.
By trade
To find convicts by their trade or occupation before they were transported to VDL (Tasmania), enter it into the 'search by trade' searchbar.
Faces • Show• Hide
In Mugsheets you can create an image of a convict's face. Recently created faces for each convict can be viewed by selecting the 'View recent faces' button on the convict's profile page.
Making Faces • Show• Hide
Description • Show• Hide
Making Faces • Show• Hide
To create an image for a convict, select 'make a face' on the convict's profile page. The 'make a face' screen will display a randomly-generated default image. You can change any of the features by selecting the tabs down the right hand side of the interface. Information about the convict's actual appearance from his or her record will be displayed on the left. When you have finished creating a face, select the 'Finish and save' button to save the face to the convict's gallery. The first time the gallery page opens you will be able to download a PDF file with the convict's description and the face you created.
Description • Show• Hide
The physical appearance of convicts were recorded upon their arrival. You can use this information to make faces. Many fields use abbreviations, such as 'ML' = 'Medium Length'. Ditto (") means 'as above'.
Height
Complexion
Head
Hair
Whiskers
Visage
Forehead
Eyebrows
Eyes
Nose
Mouth
Chin
Remarks
Height
The height of this convict upon arrival, in feet and inches.
Complexion
The skin tone of this convict.
Head
The size and shape of this convict's head.
Hair
The colour and style of this convict's hair.
Whiskers
The colour and style of this convict's facial hair, if any.
Visage
The size and shape of this convict's face.
Forehead
The height of this convict's forehead.
Eyebrows
The colour of this convict's eyebrows.
Eyes
The colour of this convict's eyes.
Nose
The shape and size of this convict's nose.
Mouth
The shape and size of this convict's mouth.
Chin
The length and width of this convict's jawline.
Remarks
Distinguishing features of this convict; scars, tattoos, moles, etc. Whether the convict is freckled or pockmarked.
Profile • Show• Hide
The profile page for each convict lists all the recorded events of a convict's life, in order from birth to death, their trial and transportation, children and marriages, offences after they arrived, places they were sent, and freedoms.
Information • Show• Hide
Reports • Show• Hide
Aliases • Show• Hide
Mugsheet IDs • Show• Hide
Police Numbers • Show• Hide
Unknown dates • Show• Hide
Missing records or details • Show• Hide
Conflicts • Show• Hide
Background • Show• Hide
Birth • Show• Hide
Trial • Show• Hide
Departure • Show• Hide
Arrival • Show• Hide
Musters • Show• Hide
Locations • Show• Hide
Offences • Show• Hide
Marriages • Show• Hide
Child born • Show• Hide
Freedom types • Show• Hide
Information • Show• Hide
Information about this convict's background, trial, and voyage to VDL.
Trade • Show• Hide
Religion
Native place
Transported for
Stated this offence
Sentence • Show• Hide
Prior convictions
On the town
Trade • Show• Hide
The trade or occupation that this convict was in before their trial.
Skills
Skills that this convict possessed, and could be used in employment.
Skills that this convict possessed, and could be used in employment.
Religion
The stated religion of this convict. Common religions among the convicts of the time were Roman Catholic (RC), Protestant (P), Church of England (CE), Church of Scotland (CS) and Presbyterian.
Native place
Where this convict lived, before they were transported.
Transported for
The offence for which this convict was tried and sentenced to transportation for.
Stated this offence
This convict's own statement of their offence, including previous convictions.
Sentence • Show• Hide
The period of time that this convict was sentenced to be imprisoned in VDL - either a number of years, or for life.
Sentence extensions
Any additional time this convict was sentenced to be imprisoned.
Any additional time this convict was sentenced to be imprisoned.
Prior convictions
Offences and sentences of this convict before their trial and transportation.
On the town
Usually meant prostitution
Reports • Show• Hide
Reports of this convict's history, behaviour, and status.
Gaol report
Hulk report
Surgeon's report • Show• Hide
Gaol report
A report of this convict's previous convictions, behaviour, and relations.
Hulk report
A report of this convict's behaviour while detained on a prison ship in the UK.
Surgeon's report • Show• Hide
A report by the ship's surgeon of this convict's behaviour and health during the voyage.
Surgeon's journal
Notes regarding this convict written by the surgeon during the voyage.
Notes regarding this convict written by the surgeon during the voyage.
Surgeon's report - How employed
A surgeon's report of this convict's employment on the voyage.
A surgeon's report of this convict's employment on the voyage.
Surgeon's report - Offences
A surgeon's report of this convict's offences on the voyage.
A surgeon's report of this convict's offences on the voyage.
Aliases • Show• Hide
Some convicts were known by more than one name, or had more than one spelling of their name.
Mugsheet IDs • Show• Hide
The unique ID of each Mugsheet. You can search for convicts by their Mugsheet ID.
Police Numbers • Show• Hide
Every convict was assigned a police number when they arrived in VDL, which was used in their records.
Unknown dates • Show• Hide
For some events, an precise date is not known. Instead it may be listed as an approximate date (c1831), within a year range (1831-1832), or before a certain year (before 1832).
Missing records or details • Show• Hide
There are missing records and details for many convicts. The Timeline displays information that is currently available in Tasmanian convict records.
Conflicts • Show• Hide
The information here is drawn from a range of sources. Convict records were kept in a number of different locations. Some dates and events appear mismatched or out of order, because of mistakes in the original records.
Background • Show• Hide
The history and status of this convict prior to their trial and transportation.
Birth • Show• Hide
When and where this convict was born, and any other convicts that have been found born in the same time and place.
Baptism
Baptism
When and where this convict was baptised.
Trial • Show• Hide
When and where this convict was tried, where they were tried, the crime they were tried for, and the sentence they were given. Convicts found tried in the same place and time will be displayed.
Departure • Show• Hide
When this convict's journey to VDL began, where the ship sailed from, and information about the ship, crew, route, and other passengers. Select the Voyage to see additional information.
Arrival • Show• Hide
When and where this convict arrived in VDL, information on the ship, crew, and other passengers on their voyage, and the convict's stated reason for transportation. Select the Voyage to see additional information.
Musters • Show• Hide
Musters were a census of the status and location of all convicts. Convicts found in the same place and time are displayed.
Locations • Show• Hide
Where this convict was at certain times, what he or she was doing, and who they were assigned to or working for. Other convicts found in the same place and time are also shown.
Offences • Show• Hide
Offences committed by this convict after they arrived in VDL. The type of offence, the sentence, where they were sentenced, and who sentenced them. Other convicts tried at the same time and place are also shown.
Marriages • Show• Hide
When and where this convict was married.
Application
Decision
Application
When this convict applied for permission to marry.
Decision
When this convict's marriage application was approved or denied.
Child born • Show• Hide
Children born to this convict, and children born to other convicts at the same time and place.
Freedom types • Show• Hide
Convicts could obtain different levels of freedom, either by good behaviour or by reaching the end of their sentence.
Conditional Pardon • Show• Hide
Free Certificate
Free by Servitude
Conditional Pardon • Show• Hide
When a convict was approved for a Conditional Pardon, they were made free under certain conditions such as not being allowed to return to England.
Recommended
When it was recommended that a Conditional Pardon be granted for this convict.
When it was recommended that a Conditional Pardon be granted for this convict.
Free Certificate
When the convict reached the end of their sentence, they were given a Free Certificate.
Free by Servitude
When the convict reached the end of their sentence, they were made free.
On a Voyage page you will find information about the ship, other convicts on the voyage, and other voyages for the same ship or crew.
What is Storylines? • Show• Hide
Founders & Survivors: Storylines is an interactive project, and an extraordinary story about the making of modern Australia. It springs from the world heritage-listed convict records of Tasmania. Go to Lifelines to explore a sample of the convict lives, told in film, song and image. Go to Mugsheets to search, connect and share with the 69,669 men, women and children transported to Van Diemen's Land.
What is Founders and Survivors? • Show• Hide
Founders & Survivors is a partnership between historians, genealogists, demographers and population health researchers. It seeks to record and study the founding population of 73,000 men women and children who were transported to Van Diemen's Land by examining and extracting data from the world heritage-listed convict records of Tasmania. Many survived their convict experience and went on to help build a new society.
Why can't I find a convict? • Show• Hide
Currently only the convicts transported to Van Dieman's land are contained in Mugsheets.
Why are some records missing? • Show• Hide
Records are continuing to be transcribed and added to Mugsheets. If you have any additional information about a convict, please post it to the Scrapbook.
Why do some records conflict? • Show• Hide
Sometimes you will find conflicts within convict records. The records used to create Mugsheets have been drawn from a number of different, very old sources, and errors may have occurred in the original records, in the transcription process, or in the matching of records. If you have information that may resolve or clarify a conflict, please post it to the Scrapbook.
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