Peter Gainsborough wrote: > Hi Garry, Many thanks for your reply to my posting on the > Tasmanian Convicts' list. It would appear your reply on > the list has drawn some comments from fellow listers!! > That aside, I am grateful to you for pointing out the error I made > regarding the 'certificate' and the information you have provided of > John Mellows. I acquired John's burial register entry > because he is the only Mellows on the Australian Vital Records set of > CDs that isn't one of mine. >From what you have told me, it would > appear that John is an ancestor of a Mike Mellows who lives in Manley, > NSW, whose ancestors come from Northampton. I intend forwarding the > information you have given me to him. A few questions; > what are Victualling Lists and Musters? I have heard of them but have > no idea what they are and how they help with family history research. > Similarly, where do get John's the information of John's conviction in > 1802 at Northampton? Looking forward to hearing from > you. Peter Gainsborough (Croydon, > Surrey, England) > --- > Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free. > Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com). > Version: 6.0.406 / Virus Database: 229 - Release Date: 21/10/2002 Peter Thanks for your comments The reason you have the burial entry is interesting. Maybe there is a connection way back - but then the name is not that uncommon of course. I'm sure your co-researcher will appreciate the information if he doesn't already have it. It is pretty easily available as I said, unless having got to one point he assumed the guy was free etc and didn't look elsewhere. As for the conviction info that's an area I don't know much about. My interests have centred in Australia although I have a couple of loose ends to do on that question. Most of mine in fact weren't convicts. Suggest you might join a local list for the county of Northampton and ask some questions there. As for Musters and Victualling Lists - where do I start. May I suggest that you join the Tasmania list and have a look at the archives as I have put up quite a bit of material/discussion about the General Musters. Basically the whole population was mustered every year up to 1825 (altho not all exist). It consisted of three parts - muster of free people, of convicts , and a "land & stock" part for those free people who also had land & stock. Suggest you get a hold of Carol Baxter's books on the NSW musters (published by ABGR) to get some idea of what they are about. Victualling lists were less organised but the one for 1803/4 in Tasmania was a beauty - it covered everybody from the Governor down including the military who were exempt from the general musters. I'm working on a project to publish all the available musters (and related population lists) for Tasmania (VDL) up to 1825. One book has also already been done on some of this material for VDL called "Land Musters, Stock Returns and Lists" by Irene Schaffer. It covers primarily the land and stock muster material and some other related lists and includes some other portions of some of the general musters. Since then more material has "come to light", making a new look at the project worthwhile.. Hope that helps for the minute. By the way there is a list published on the net of the "known" musters but I hasten to add that it is incomplete. The compiler of this is Graham Lewis http://www.zeta.org.au/~feraltek/genealogy/oz/ozcensus.htm It has some useful background. Regards Garry