Australia, Convict Tickets of Leave - FamilySearch Historical Records

Australia

Why Should I Look at This Collection?
Tickets of Leave were documents issued to persons in Australian penal colonies who had served part of their sentence with good behavior between 1824 and 1874. These documents were issued to prisoners granting them permission to travel with limited freedom throughout the colony. Prisoners holding these tickets were allowed to seek private employment, lease land, and move freely in the police district where the ticket was issued.

What is in This Collection?
This collection contains records from the following collections in the New South Wales State Archives catalog record
 * NRS-12200, Registers of tickets of leave, 29 July 1824-1 October 1833
 * NRS-12202, Ticket of leave butts, 31/3/1827 to 13/12/1875
 * NRS-12204, Butts of ticket of leave passports, 7-10-1835 to 8/5/1869

The butts are stubs of the original document which was recorded on a two-part form. One part was was completed and given to the convict, and the other part containing similar information was retained in the book. These butts are the source of these data.

Not included in this collection are the following related records from the New South Wales State Archives
 * NRS-12201, Index to ticket of leave registers, 1/1/1827 to 31/12/1850
 * NRS-12203, Registers of fees received on tickets of leave, 1/8/1828 to 3/8/1860
 * NRS-12206, Ticket of leave muster rolls, 1/1/1838 to year only 31/12/1841
 * NRS-12207, Butts of Colonial tickets of leave, 1/1/1849 to 31/12/1875

What Can These Records Tell Me?
The following information may be found in these records:


 * Prisoner's name
 * Convict number
 * Ship and date of arrival
 * Place of conviction
 * Term of sentence


 * Birth or native place
 * Physical description
 * Restrictions on travel

How Do I Analyze the Results?
Compare each result from your search with what you know to determine if there is a match. This may require viewing multiple records or images. Keep track of your research in a research log.

I Found the Person I Was Looking For, What Now?

 * Use the information about his transportation to identify his place of origin

I Can’t Find the Person I’m Looking For, What Now?

 * The person may be recorded under an alias
 * Try variations of the given and surname

Research Helps
The following articles will help you in your research for your family in Australia
 * Australia Guided Research
 * Australia Record Finder
 * Australia Research Tips and Strategies

Related Family History Library Holdings

 * New South Wales. Colonial Secretary, Certificates of application for tickets of leave, 1822-1825
 * New South Wales. Colonial Secretary, Convict records of Australia, 1811-1813
 * New South Wales. Colonial Secretary, Convict returns, 1880-1883
 * New South Wales. Colonial Secretary, Certificates of freedom, tickets of leave, and pardons, 1810-1867
 * New South Wales. Principal Superintendent of Convicts, Muster of persons holding tickets of leave, Parramatta, 1828
 * New South Wales. Benches of Magistrates, Applications for, and register of, ticket of leave holders, passports and conditional pardons, 1840-1859, Queanbeyan
 * Perry McIntyre Convict pardons, tickets of leave issued in the colony of New South Wales, 1810-1875

Citing This Collection
Citations help you keep track of places you have searched and sources you have found. Identifying your sources helps others find the records you used.