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Category Archives: Convicts
The thief up the chimney: Old Bailey Online 10th anniversary post
This is a tale of larceny and pubs – and a certain amount of naivety. The combination was disastrous for James Thomas Richards, a 20-year-old Thames waterman, and lucky for me, since he’s my great-great grandfather and met my 2x … Continue reading
Posted in Australia, Convicts, London, Trial
Tagged #OBO10, Central Criminal Court, Convict, Deptford, James Thomas Richards, London, New South Wales, Old Bailey, Old Bailey Online, Transportation, trial
7 Comments
My first Australian ancestor (Australia Day Challenge 2013)
This year’s challenge comes from Helen at From Helen V Smith’s Keyboard. She writes: “Your challenge… is to tell the story of your first Australian ancestor.” Now that does make it a challenge! Because the first-ever Australian in my family … Continue reading
Posted in Australia, Convicts, Genealogy, Nicholas Delaney
Tagged Australia Day, Bayly, Elizabeth Bayley, Elizabeth Bayly, Elizabeth Delaney, John Delaney, Samuel Marsden
11 Comments
Transports of delight – researching the book about Nicholas
I’m feeling thrilled and very honoured. The Irish genealogy online magazine, Irish Lives Remembered, has just (July 10th) published a two-page article about Nicholas Delaney, the great-great-great grandfather and transported convict whose life inspired this blog and its sister website. … Continue reading
Posted in 1798, A Rebel Hand, Convicts, Ireland, Nicholas Delaney
Tagged 1798, A Rebel Hand, Australia, Blogging, Convict, genealogy, Ireland, Irish Lives Remembered
4 Comments
Deep down in Deptford (and thumbs up for archives)
Deep into Deptford’s history, that is, looking for secrets in the streets. And possibly finding my great-great-great-great grandparents – how exciting! Today, June 9th, is International Archives Day and I’m hugely grateful to all the archivists and the archives, small … Continue reading
When John met Sarah – convict courtship
How did my 3x great grandparents, John and Sarah Simpson, meet? They were quick workers, we know that. John Simpson disembarked at Sydney Cove on January 16, 1818 and Sarah Marshall a week or so after. About a month later, … Continue reading
My ancestor was from London – where do I start?
I’ve concentrated mainly on Nicholas Delaney, Sarah Marshall and John Simpson in this blog so far. They are three of my earliest Australians, all convicts. And because convicts tend to be well-documented, they are easier to trace. And I’ve been … Continue reading
Posted in Convicts, Genealogy
Tagged Convict, family history, genealogy, James Thomas Richards, London, Londoner, waterman
23 Comments
Some happy finds
Sometimes I come across a batch of lucky A Rebel Hand-related discoveries on the net and it’s good to share them, so here’s a round-up. The Convict Maid Following on from my last one, about women convicts and the early … Continue reading
Posted in 1798, A Rebel Hand, Australia, Convicts
Tagged A Rebel Hand, Australia, Billy Byrne, Convict, Ireland, Irish Rebellion of 1798, Secret River
5 Comments
The Factory above the Gaol – women convicts in 1818
When my great-great-great grandmother Sarah Marshall stumbled off the convict transport Friendship on January 14, 1818, she emerged from a traumatic journey of confinement and scurvy which became notorious for ‘indecent and licentious intercourse’ to find herself in an … Continue reading
Posted in Australia, Convicts, Transportation
Tagged Australia, Convict, Female Factory, John Simpson, Macquarie, Sarah Marshall, Sarah Simpson, Sarah's grave, Transportation, women convicts
7 Comments
The cook, the thieves, the prostitute and the postillion – convicts transported to Australia
My convict ancestors were an unusual lot – but three of them were also really common. That’s the conclusion I came to after looking at a clever take on transportation statistics on one Australian website. Three out of four of … Continue reading
Posted in Convicts, Transportation
Tagged Convicts in Australia, crime, history, irish rebels, Murder, occupation, tailor, theft, United Irishman, waterman
9 Comments
Wealth for Toil – Australia Day challenge for 2012
I’ve been scratching my head over this blog post. Shelley from Twigs of Yore has challenged us to write about the work one of our ancestors did and I’ve decided to stick with Nicholas Delaney because I’ve got so much … Continue reading
Tombstone Tuesday: Sarah’s haunted grave
At last I’m posting a photograph of the grave of my great-great-great grandmother, Sarah Simpson, who arrived in New South Wales as a convict on the Friendship in 1818. Sarah Marshall, as she was then, was lucky to be sentenced … Continue reading
Posted in Convicts, Nicholas Delaney
Tagged Australia, Convict, convict ship, Friendship, genealogy, Sarah Marshall, Sarah Simpson, Sarah's grave
6 Comments
Was Sarah murdered? Is she a famous ghost?
For a change from thinking about Nicholas, I typed Sarah Marshall into Google. She’s my g-g-g grandmother, a convict who arrived in New South Wales on the Friendship in 1818. She married John Simpson (Ocean II, arr 1818) and later … Continue reading
Posted in Australia, Convicts
Tagged A Rebel Hand, family, genealogy, Heritage, history, Murder, New South Wales, Sarah Marshall, Sarah Simpson, Sarah's grave, Transportation
29 Comments
On board the convict ship (for Australian National Family History Week)
It’s National Family History Week in Australia (until August 10). So I’m going to leave the Irish history theme for now and pick up some of Nicholas Delaney’s story in New South Wales. Starting with his arrival. Human cargo On … Continue reading
Posted in Convicts, Transportation
Tagged Atlas II, Australia, Bridget Dolan, Convict, convict ship, family, genealogy, Major George Johnston, Nicholas Delaney, Thomas Musgrave, Transportation
3 Comments
