Dear list, I found a reference to one of my people on the Assisted immigrants to Port Phillip microfiche. When I accessed the actual passenger list, I was surprised to see that it was a ship full of 'exiles' from Pentonville prison. The ship, the Anna Maria, landed in Geelong on the 23 June 1848. Does anyone know if exiles is just another word for convict? Were these people taken from the ship and incarcerated for the duration of their sentence, or were they simply set free in Australia, on a sort of good behavior bond as implied by the term 'exile' ? The charges seemed very minor...they were not murderers or anything more than petty thieves in the list I read. I would be very interested to hear more about the system of transportation to Victoria, as hither to I had not realized that Victoria was a penal colony. Thank you Kay McCullough

Subject: Exiles to Victoria in 1840's Kay wrote: > > I found a reference to one of my people on the Assisted immigrants to Port Phillip microfiche. When I accessed the actual passenger list, I was surprised to see that it was a ship full of 'exiles' from Pentonville prison. > > The ship, the Anna Maria, landed in Geelong on the 23 June 1848. Does anyone know if exiles is just another word for convict? Were these people taken from the ship and incarcerated for the duration of their sentence, or were they simply set free in Australia, on a sort of good behavior bond as implied by the term 'exile' ? The charges seemed very minor...they were not murderers or anything more than petty thieves in the list I read. > > I would be very interested to hear more about the system of transportation to Victoria, as hither to I had not realized that Victoria was a penal colony. > A quick reply: The preamble & postscript may tell you most of what you want to know: ** "Whereas the following persons are under Sentence of Transportation, they having been convicted of felony at the times and places hereafter mentioned, viz Joseph Archer at Walsingham in March 1845.................." " We, in Consideration of some Circumstances humbly represented unto Us, are Graciously pleased to extend Our Grace and Mercy unto the several persons above named, and to grant them Our Pardon for the crimes of which they stand Convicted, on Condition that they be conveyed as soon as conveniently may be, to Port Phillip in Our Territory of Australia - that they do not return to Our United Kingdom during the remaining term of their respective Sentences of Transportation - and that they shall continue under the Said Sentences until they arrive at Port Phillip aforesaid, when this Our Pardon shall take effect - Given at Our Court of St James's the Twenty Ninth day of December 1846 in the Tenth Year of Our Reign" "To Our Trusty and Wellbeloved The Lieutenant Governor of Our Island of Van Dieman's Land; The Governor of Our Territory of New South Wales; The Superintendent of Port Phillip in Our Said Territory, and all others whom it may concern" "By Her Majesty's Command" (countersigned by Earl Grey) 1727 of these exiles went to Port Phillip, other ships went to VDL and a couple to NSW, one of which, I think was diverted to Moreton Bay. By my study of these men, 1 in 7 returned to crime (i.e. were caught!), so the experiment was not a total disaster. However I have seen police reports on several who should have been imprisoned, but managed to evade it. These men served time and learned a trade: mat maker, rug maker, basket maker, bootmaker, carpenter, tailor, and the idea was that they were being given the chance to start a new life without the stigma of their background. Regards, Ada