Month: May 2016

Why was Martha sent to VDL?

Miss W. Convict Ancestors course, Hearn, Virco

So I have now used records to prove Martha was a convict sent to VDL in 1839. I also know what she looks like and that she was 23 when she arrived here. But what could a young 23 year old woman have done to be transported to VDL?

Looks like the Indent list might give me some answers. Back to the Tasmanian Names index, put in Vircoe, Martha, click on the image in front of convicts and now click on indent list remembering to jot down that reference for the source.

TAHO, CON15/1/9, indent list for Martha Vircoe

Time again for my readers to give me some help: Can you transcribe her indent list record? I have included the link further up the post if you want to go to the record online to get more help.

vico15 vico16

What does Martha look like?

Miss W. Convict Ancestors course, Hearn, Virco

My next question in my research plan is:

  1. What did Martha look like?

So where can I find the answer to this question?

Looking back at my previous post, I noticed when using the Tasmanian Names Index there was a result with her name and the word convicts – maybe these are her convict records I can look at.  I also know from previous reading that there are three main records:

  1. Conduct record – shows information about the offence and trial date as well as offences she did while here in VDL and shows who she worked for during her convict sentence.
  2. Description list – just as it says a description of the convict including scars and tattoos, often mentions native place.
  3. Indent list – the basics of where tried, the sentence but often includes parents and siblings.

OK so looks like I need to look up the description list to find the answer to my question.

I go back to the Tasmanian Names Index – type in Vircoe, Martha then click on the image in front of the one labelled convicts.

vircoe1

I now have the following appear on the screen.

vico12

So what information can I find by looking at just this part of the screen?

Martha’s surname is spelled two different ways – remember to use variants when checking birth, death, children births etc.

She departed London, UK on 9 May 1839 and arrived in Hobart (assumed as in Tasmanian records) on 12 September 1839. The ship was called the Hindostan and it was its first voyage. Not sure what the other numbers relate to. Maybe it was the 160th voyage of a convict ship to VDL. I reckon the last two must relate to numbering in the archives setup.

I also have this on the screen.

vico13

All right – now I am getting somewhere.

Let’s click on the photo for the description list – but first jot down those reference numbers underneath. Maybe when I save the image I find I could add them as a tag so it is there for future reference.

TAHO, CON19/1/13 p301 description list Martha Vircoe

wrongimageOh dear something is wrong, my Martha is not on this page – I checked image 301 but notice other numbers in the top right corner of the images. Maybe those are the pages I need to go to rather than an image number. Are the lists alphabetical by name so Vircoe would be near the end or are the names in groups by ship?

Go to the first couple of images by using the dropdown arrow near image and find a list for this convict book.

wrongimage2

Right so this book is grouped by ship and my Hindostan is 4th out of 8 in the list so would be somewhere near the middle of all the images. There are 570 images so let’s start at 250 and go back or forward by groups of 10 until I find a page saying which ship these records are for.

Image 250 surname beginning D, 240 beginning B, 230 beginning A, getting close go back by 5 this time, 225 beginning W so this must be the previous ship. Go forward now 1 at a time till I find the name of the ship. There on image 229 I can see the name Hindostan so I have now found the right ship records. Now I need to keep moving forward till I find Martha in the V section.

Image 290 are M, 310 is S, 320 is W, so going back now 1 at a time.

I found her on image 319. But I needed to change the size so it would fit the screen otherwise it was too small to read.

vico14

Now I need my readers help: Can you please transcribe this record and leave your answers in the comments? I wonder which words will be hardest to read?

Is she a convict?

Miss W. Boyd, Convict Ancestors course, General info, Hearn, Virco

For this very long post I am going to you walk you through how I researched one of my convict women. I will look at certain documents and if she is a convict will write further posts about her convict records.

I am going to try finding out information about Martha VIRCOE who married John BOYD in 1842. I have already proven this in my family history research. They are my great great great grandparents.

Why do I think Martha is a convict? She has signed her marriage certificate with an x – her mark meaning she was not a very literate person and could not sign her own name.

UPDATE – Having spoken to Dianne Snowden while at the female factory Open Day last Sunday, she mentioned that many people in VDL would have been illiterate and used a mark so it is not necessarily a sign of a convict. Finding a marriage permission record definitely is though.

Source: TAHO RGD37/1/2 no 1739/1842 District of Avoca, marriage Boyd, Vircoe

boyd vico marr 1842

My next step is to use the Tasmanian names index to find out more records about Martha.

So I put in the surname only of Vircoe and up come the following possibilities

vircoe1

 

I can see the first three relate to my Martha – Virgoe for the next three – could this be a different spelling? – maybe a brother also out as a convict? Don’t check it out now but put it on the to do list for later on.

I can see she was a convict from the second result on the image. I know if a person married while still serving a sentence as a convict, they needed permission to do this. So where is the marriage permission page? Maybe it is a spelling variation – maybe look up Boyd instead and see if I can find it there.

As you can see from the image I started by using just Boyd within all the results of the Tasmanian name index, then I used the filters on the left to find just marriage permissions then I filtered again to the years 1840-1843. There she is with the surname Vico.

vico7

By clicking on the image to the left of her name, the following appears. I have used the snipping tool to make the two separate images. One is the header of the page, the other is the actual marriage permission for Martha.

vico6

vico5

So reading the information on these two snips, the marriage permission for Martha Virco (new spelling), police number 18 on the ship Hindostan was sent to the Muster Master on June 15 1842, then sent on to the Secretary on 15 August 1842. The decision made was approved provided the clergyman is satisfied with evidence added??

Her husband-to-be John Boyd was a free man with no police number. Maybe he was also a convict but had served his sentence and now considered free. But that will be something to follow up on later.

Source: TAHO, CON52/1/2 p16 marriage permission Martha Virco

So question 1 of my research plan is now answered – Yes Martha VIRCOE (VIRCO) (VICO) was a convict.

Next step to look at her convict records to fill out more information about her life as a convict.

How will I record all this information?

I have created a convict profile from looking at Susan Hood’s book about transcribing Tasmanian convict records. I will be able to use this profile for each separate convict in my tree.