Convicts: Life in the colony

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Key to library resources

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Index to the Governor's Court: an early civil court in New South Wales; Part one, cases heard 1814-1824

How to use Index to the Governor's Court: an early civil court in New South Wales; Part one, cases heard 1814-1824

Only in the Library You can use Index to the Governor's Court: an early civil court in New South Wales; Part one, cases heard 1814-1824 when in the Library. Can't come to the Library? Contact us.

How to search the Governor's Court of New South Wales

STEP 1

Collect the Index to the Governor's Court: an early civil court in New South Wales; Part one, cases heard 1814-1824 from the 'New South Wales - Court Records' shelves in the Family history area of the Governor Marie Bashir Reading Room.

STEP 2

Look up the name of your convict in the index of litigants and record the details in the entry.

The 'Shelf location number' refers to the location of the record at State Archives & Records. The entry does not tell you the year of the case or the name of the other litigant.

Example of an entry in the index:

Name Shelf location number Case number
PERKINS, Catherine 4/7862 88

STEP 3

Order a copy of the Guide to the State Archives of New South Wales No. 20: Governor's Court 1814-24 from the catalogueUse the guide to find out the year of the case and the name of the other litigant.

STEP 4

Look up 'Appendix B' (page 25) for the 'Shelf List of Case Papers between 1814 and 1824' and find the case number in the appendix.

The records in the appendix are arranged by shelf location number at State Archives & Records NSW and then by the date.

Here is an example of an entry in the appendix:

Shelf location Date Number Case
4/7862 1819 88 Campbell v. Perkins

STEP 5

Find the entry for other litigant that has the same case number you recorded for your convict in the Index to the Governor's Court: an early civil court in New South Wales; Part one, cases heard 1814-1824.

STEP 6

Visit State Archives & Records NSW and use the information you have recorded to view the details of the case.

Governor's Court of NSW

Governor's Court of NSW generally heard cases about the recovery of debt. The Governor's Court replaced the Court of Civil Jurisdiction in 1814 and was itself replaced by the Supreme Court of NSW in 1824.