Hello, Lesley and Listers, I will have a try at adding something useful to the discussion initiated by Ken Thompson`s opening question posted under the heading "Origin of the term indent" on 7th October. Ken asked -- "Can someone please tell me the derivation of the word indent as it applies to convicts arriving in Australia?" I will point out a piece of contemporary documentary material seeming to indicate that it was customary in the home jurisdiction during the New South Wales convict era to use the word indent to denote a record relating to cheques. Perhaps the use of the word indent in this case conveys an idea of why the word came into use as it did in records to do with Port Jackson convicts. I have found an 1801 act of the British parliament cited as 42 Geo. III c. 1 entitled -- "An Act for continuing and granting to his Majesty certain Duties upon Malt, Rum, Cyder, and Sherry, for the Service of the Year One thousand eight hundred and two". That seems to have been the latest in a succession of annual acts whereby some temporary supply legislation of 1761 was kept going. The 1801 act provided for the raising of loans by a procedure involving "Exchequer Bills" having a connection with duties deemed collectable under the act. Section 30 of the act provided as follows in relation to exchequer bills -- "XXX. And it is hereby further enacted, That all the said Bills shall be prepared and made with such Cheques, Indents, or Counterfoils, as shall be directed by the Commissioners of the Treasury, or any Three or more of them now being, or by the High Treasurer, or any Three or more of the Commissioners of the Treasury for the Time being; and that the Person or Persons appointed, or who shall be appointed to pay off the said Bills in course, shall from Time to Time have the Use and Custody of One Part of all the Cheques, Indents, or Counterfoils of the said Exchequer Bills, to be prepared and made by virtue of this Act, from which the said Bills shall have been cut, to prevent his or their being imposed upon by counterfeit or forged Bills, and that the Undertakers or Contractors for exchanging or circulating the said Bills, or such of them as shall be current, shall, from Time to Time, have the Use and Custody of one other Part of all the said Cheques, Indents, or Counterfoils, of the said Exchequer Bills, from which the same shall have been cut off, as aforesaid, in order to prevent their being imposed upon by any counterfeit or forged Bills; and that all the said Parts of the said Cheques, Indents, or Counterfoils, shall be delivered back into the Exchequer, when the said Bills to be made forth by virtue of this Act shall be paid off, cancelled, and discharged." We seem to have here some wording which must be taken to have meant that "Indents, or Counterfoils" were to be produced in duplicate, one set to be available to the "Person or Persons appointed, or who shall be appointed" to pay off the exchequer bills, and the other to be available to "Undertakers or Contractors". Before looking at any other legislation, it seemed to me that the words "Indents" and "Counterfoils" in the 1801 act were not meant to denote separate things, but should be read as two ways of referring to one thing, which seemed to be an appropriate reading in the case of "counterfeit or forged". I was reminded of the butts of tickets of leave which are searched by people investigating convicts and of the cheque butts of modern times kept by the operators of personal cheque accounts. I thought "Indent" must have meant that kind of record. But then I found a New South Wales act of 1871 cited as 34 Vic. No. 18 entitled "An Act to authorize the issue of Treasury Bills". That act said that all treasury bills were to be "made out at the Treasury in such method and form and with such cheques indents and counterfoils as the Colonial Treasurer shall deem most safe and convenient". That seemed to mean that indents were not the same thing as counterfoils. Perhaps "indent" meant a LIST of cheques. The act contained other mention of "cheques indents and counterfoils". I have looked at the Treasury Bills Redemption Act 1904 ( N.S.W. ), cited as Act No. 8, 1904, which said all treasury bills issued thereunder were to be "made out at the Treasury in such method and form and with such cheques, indents, coupons, and counterfoils as the Treasurer may deem most safe and convenient". Regards, Andrew Fogarty Casino N.S.W.