Thanks Lisa Very good hint - some can also be searched on line before going to the Archives - not all but worth the time to check at home and go armed with the information you can readily obtain for the greatest effect on the day. Search this site http://www.archivessearch.qld.gov.au/Search/BasicSearch.aspx View results - Open the link that looks like your connection and down the list is "Microfilm" which gives you a great lead to search first and if there is no Microfilm, you have to request the file - if available. Also helps if you are requesting the Archives to do it for you. Thanks We were very 'unknowing' about mental illness in the past. Lorrae J Glenore Grove Qld 4342 http://worldconnect.rootsweb.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?db=helmrich -----Original Message----- From: Lisa Burton [mailto:burtonlisa61@hotmail.com] Sent: Friday, 18 February 2011 4:05 PM To: aus-german@rootsweb.com; aus-qld-se-germans@rootsweb.com Subject: [SEQ-Germans] Can't find a ship of arrival? Suggestion. For anyone who has had difficulty establishing a ship of arrival for a ancestor, can I suggest that you consider the following resource at Queensland State Archives? "Registers of Prisoners admitted HM Brisbane Goal 03 Jan 1850 - 03 Feb 1864" (QSA Ref. PRI 1/25 Film No. Z3993) Whilst doing research for my most recent article re. German immigrant ships from Bremen to Moreton Bay, I found this resource to be very helpful as, in most cases, it lists the prisoner's ship and year of arrival. (Of course, there is always the possibility that the information recorded at the time isn't accurate, but it could be a starting point for further research. Please note that there are also some variations in spelling of known ship names eg. "William Kersner" for "Wilhelm Kirchner", "Paffland" for "Parland", "Malps" for "Marbs" and "Caesa Godfrey" for "Caesar Godeffroy", for instance.) Prisoners admitted did not only reside in Brisbane - many were escorted from areas such as the Darling Downs, Rockhampton, Wide Bay etc. Prisoners also may have arrived/resided in another state/colony originally - not necessarily direct to a 'Queensland' port. Don't be put off by the thought that your ancestor may have been convicted of a criminal offence. In addition to serious crimes, the offences in these registers also include: absenting oneself from service, drunkenness and what we would consider petty theft. (Things could be very difficult financially for our forebears - many later 'pillars of the community' did it very tough in their first years here - you may be surprised). Sadly, in this era, you could also be jailed for being 'a lunatic' i.e. experiencing mental health issues. Good luck! Rgs Lisa Gladstone, Q. __________ Information from ESET NOD32 Antivirus, version of virus signature database 5888 (20110219) __________ The message was checked by ESET NOD32 Antivirus. http://www.eset.com