Indexes to the Chronological Register of Prisoners, 1824-1839
These Indexes and their transcriptions were completed by the State Library of Queensland and Queensland State Archives volunteers.
Background
These Indexes have been compiled from Series ID 5653, Chronological Register of Convicts at Moreton Bay, 1824-1839.
The register consists of a chronological and alphabetical record of convicts (Crown prisoners) at Moreton Bay penal settlement. It includes convicts' personal details, details of their convictions, as well as their departure from Moreton Bay (return to Sydney or Norfolk Island), discharge, or death.
The register is divided into three main sections: a (Part 1) Chronological Register of Convicts by ship's arrival date, with an alphabetical index by convict name in the front of the register. Details in the chronological register are arranged under two main headings on facing pages which have the same page number: Original Conviction and Colonial Conviction. Details of Original Convictions are entered under the sub-headings: No., Name, Ship, Where, When, Offence, Sentence, and Trade (that is, occupation). Details of Colonial Convictions are entered under the sub-headings: By whom, Where, When, Offence, Sentence and Remarks (usually entries such as To Sydney, died, absconded).
Please note that pages 101 onwards are not numbered, and are headed: (Part 2) List of Prisoners in the Ordinary Service of the Crown at Moreton Bay October 21st, 1839. Details are entered under the sub-headings: No., Name, Ship, Trade, Sentence and Remarks.
Starting from the back of the register, upside down, there is (Part 3) an Alphabetical listing by surname of the convicts' personal details including height, complexion, eye and hair colour, age, religion and native place.
The image below (click for larger image) is an example of page 2 from the Chronological Register, Part 1.
Search the Indexes
- Chronological Register of Convicts, Part 1 [PDF 223 Kb]
- List of Prisoners, Part 2 [PDF 11 Kb]
- Alphabetical Index of Prisoners, Part 3 [PDF 148 Kb]
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Explanatory Notes
- "?" indicates there is doubt about the entry due to difficulty in interpreting handwriting
- More than one entry may be found for a person
- Check all possible spelling variants
- Some given names are abbreviated as they appear in the original record
- Mc and Mac names are interfiled - or a blank cell indicates that there is no information in the original
- names are not indexed with an apostrophe e.g. O DWYER
- Ship name is the vessel on which the convict first arrived from England
- The number beside the ship name would seem to indicate the voyage number e.g. Minerva 4
- Date is the original date of conviction
- Spring (or Summer) Ass means Spring Assizes, the yearly quarter when and where the conviction took place in Britain
Costs and Ordering
The cost for each reference or page required is $6.00.
Please quote the Name of the person, number or page number where relevant and date, include which section of the Index the reference is located e.g. Part 1 and QSA Reference.
To order copies of an item, click here for an order form.
Other Records
Other records relating to early convicts include:
- Series ID 5651, Book of Manifests of Cargo and Passengers, 1833-1837
- Series ID 5645, Book of Public Labour Performed by Crown Prisoners, 1828-1829
- Series ID 5652, Book of Monthly Returns of Prisoners Maintained, 1829-1837
- Series ID 5646, Book of Trials, 1835-1842
