Genealogy Chat

looking for james mcquillan who was incarcerated there in the 1840s from Ireland. Are there prison documents available to search?

I think you mean Van Diemen's Land - have you tried googling? nell

If you go to google advanced search and put van demons land in exact phrase box you will get 213 hits. Scroll down to search within results and put in records. There are a few hits, but it does seem that the early records are obsolete.

On the other hand, if you put 'van diemens land' you get 6,740 and if you put 'van diemen's land' you get 54,400 I think it's the old name for Tasmania? Christine

And I doubt if he was actually incarcerated - he would have been deported and unless his crime was absolutely beyond the pale, he would have been put into a work-placement for perhaps seven years or so. It would probably be of more use if you could find his trial records, though as it is Ireland, I wouldn't have a clue where you would look. Good luck anyway Marjorie

Look for Anthony (TONY) Hull's Australian Sites thread, and there will probably be a few possibilities for convict sites - if you're lucky, your ancestor may be on one of the lists. There is also a Tasmanian Archive service - maybe try Googling. They have access to records and can do lookups for you. Mine took about a month, I think, but they even came up with a physical description of the transported convict. Here's a taste of what you can find about the transportation experience: http://inyomind(.)net/Bookshelf/Songs/Van%20Dieman's%20Land Van Dieman's Land traditional (as sung by Ewan MacColl) Now come all you wild and wicked youths, wheresoever you may be I pray now pay attention and listen unto me the fateful awful transports as you shall understand and the hardships they do undergo upon Van Diemon's Land. My parents reared me tenderly, good learning they give to me 'til all my bad companions beguiled my home from me I was brought up in Worcestershire, near to the Tunbridge wells my name is Henry Abbott, and many knows me well. Me and three more went out one night to squire Daniel's farm to get some game was our intent as the night come falling down but to our sad misfortune, they took us there with speed they sent us off to Warrick jail which made our hearts to bleed. It was at the magistrates, at the bar we did appear like Job we stood with patience to hear our sentence there and being some old offenders, it made our case go hard our sentence were for fourteen years, and we were sent on board. The ship that bore us from the land, the Speedwell was her name and for four months and a half we plowed across the raging main no land or harbor could we see, and believe it is no lie all around us one black water and above us one blue sky. I ofttimes look behind me towards my native shore and that cottage of contentment that I shall see no more likewise my aged father, who tore his hoary hair also my tender mother whose arms once did me bear. It was on the fourth of July, the day we made the land at four o'clock we went on shore, all chain and hand in hand and to see my fellow sufferers, I feel I can't tell how some chained onto a harrow, and some onto a plow. So we were marched into the town without no more delay and there a gentleman took me, a beekeeper for to be I took my occupation, my master likes me well my joys are out of measure; I'm sure no one can tell. He kept a female servant, Rosanna was her name for 14 years a convict, from Worcestershire she came we ofttimes tell our love tales there where we are so far from home for now we're rattling over chains in foreign lands to rome. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- SURNAME: ABBOTT GIVEN NAME: HENRY OTHER NAMES: N AGE: 0 SEX: M ALIAS: PLACE OF TRIAL: Queens County TRIAL DATE: 00/00/1835 PLACE OF IMPRISONMENT: DOCUMENT DATE: CRIME DESCRIPTION: Murder SENTENCE: SHIP: PETITIONER: RELATIONSHIP: DOCUMENT REFERENCES: CRF 1836 misc94 MICROFILM REFERENCES: COMMENTS: Correspondance in connection with the murder of a Mr. Carters in Queens Co. in which the convict was believed to be implicated. Good luck. But do spell Van Dieman's/ Diemen's Land with the i to get access to what you are after. Sue (in NZ)