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In the Library (or anywhere with a Library card for NSW residents) |
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Only in the Library |
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Publicly available |
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You can use Criminal entry books, 1850-1871 (HO 25) when in the Library. Can't come to the Library? Contact us. |
STEP 1
Collect the Guide to the New South Wales State Archives relating to convicts and convict administration from the Special Collections desk in the Mitchell Library.
STEP 2
Use the guide (pages 311-14) to find the microfilm reel that covers the time period when your convict was tried. Sometimes the guide also lists the page number of the index on the reel.
Example of the information found in the guide:
| Reel 3123 | ||
|---|---|---|
| HO25/1 | 1 Jan 1850-9 Dec 1850 | Index pp.487-536 |
STEP 3
Request the microfilm reel by completing a stack request slip. Remember to add PRO in front of the of the reel number. For example, under 'Call/Location Number', write PRO 3123 and under 'Title of item', write ‘HO25: Criminal Entry Books 1850-71’.
STEP 4
Search for your convict's name in the index and then find the relevant records. The index is usually located at the end of a volume and is arranged alphabetically by name under various headings, for example, Free Pardons A-Z, Respites A-Z.
| Criminal entry books are arranged in date order and there isn't always an index. |
References
The National Archives of the United Kingdom, viewed 5 December 2012 <http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk>
This link opens in a new windowCriminal entry books include copies of out-letters, warrants and pardons from the Secretary of State for the Home Office.
You will find the letters are mainly about free pardons, conditional pardons, remissions, respites, movements of prisoners and convict ships. These are useful for determining the outcome of a petition for a reduction in sentence or against transportation.
