The Ratbag Encyclopedia

Tag: convictPage 1 of 2

One who has been “convicted” of a crime, but in this context, one who had been convicted of a crime and then sent to the Colonies of Australia to serve out their sentence. To have a convict in the family is either the deepest shame or a badge of honour.

Bio: Edward Hales Taylor

[CONTENT WARNING: This biography contains mentions of clowns]

I’m sure this is all completely normal

There was nothing particularly unusual about the citizens of Perth suing each other in the civil courts during the 19th Century. It was more out of the ordinary not to be embroiled in some sort of legal action at any given moment.

The One that Got Away

Much as I would dearly love to visit Tasmania again and wallow amongst the microfilm, that’s not going to be possible any time soon. Then, thanks to a lead not affiliated with any of the “official” sources of knowledge, I learnt that a certain religious sect have in their possession the documents I seek

Four days with the VDL Establishment

Convict James Dyson was assigned to work for the Van Diemen’s Land Establishment for all of four days between 2 and 5 October 1837. What happened next will not surprise you in the slightest.

Bio: Samuel McKee

A Vandemonian Maverick (but weren’t they all?)

Bio: Lt Pearson Foote (RN)

Apart from being an inspiration to future Libyan dictator Colonel Gaddafi, there must be a whole lot more to the man than is currently understood.

Bio: Henry Nickolls

The Master of Corra Linn On, or just before 7 December 1837, Henry Nickolls, master of the Corra Linn estate on the Patterson Plains, was punched in the…

Tales of the Moffatt

The voyage of the Moffatt, transporting 400 convicts to Van Diemen’s Land in the year 1834, might be unique in that there are no less than two narrative accounts of the same passage, written with considerably more detail than the usual bald official accounts of departure and arrival, and the invariably incomplete manifests of passengers and crew.

Researching a Convict Ship

Researching a particular convict ship I find more that I expected. This will turn out to be a damn good chapter when everything has been assimilated.

What has been left unsaid..

There is a particular family in Australia who trace their lineage back to a William Murrells who arrived in the colonies of Australia as a young man. He married a very young lady called Emily Buffin and they proceeded to breed like rabbits. This is not their story.