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273:. Many became prominent businesspeople and respected citizens, and some prominent families in present-day Australian society can trace their origins to convict ancestors who rose above their humble origins. However, during the transportation era and for many years after, previous convicts and their descendants tended to hide their former criminal background, sometimes resulting in distorted or completely missing family history. Extensive and comprehensive records kept on every individual are now able to fill in the gaps; and, in fact, many family historians can find out more about their convict ancestors than they can about those who arrived in Australia as free settlers.
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235:). Most of the punishments at this time were severe, with the death penalty (hanging) applied for fairly minor crimes. However, this ultimate sentence was often commuted to a lesser one, commonly for transportation (for 7 or 14 years, or for life) to the colonies. Thus, in the British context, the term "convict" has come to refer in particular to those criminals transported overseas.
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in 1787, arriving in Botany Bay, then Sydney Cove, in
January 1788. From the very start of European settlement convicts were used as indentured labourers in five out of the six colonies. Many were used on public works, but a significant number were "assigned" to private individuals as domestic
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in the 18th and early 19th century. Their crimes would today be regarded as petty misdemeanors (stealing small items or food), or are no longer in the criminal code (
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The particular use of the term "convict" in the
English-speaking world was to describe the huge numbers of criminals, both male and female, who clogged British
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The
British Government then looked to the newly discovered east coast of Australia to use as a penal colony. Convicts were transported to
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servants, rural workers, etc. Transportation was progressively abolished from 1853, eventually ceasing altogether in 1868.
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meant it was no longer possible for the United
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This article is about the term "convict" when applied to an individual. For other uses, see
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governments may limit the time for or before which a former convict may be employed.
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Webster's New World
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Webster's New World
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Initially many
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A Merciless Place. The Lost Story of
Britain's Convict Disaster in Africa
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for former convicts, especially those recently released from prison, is "
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The label of "ex-convict" usually has lifelong implications, such as
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In
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Person found guilty of a crime and sentenced by a court
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183:or reduced opportunities for employment. The
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176:tend not to be described as "convicts".
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385:. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
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308:See also
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