Recommendations: 0 Francis Hand(s) was a brickwall  for me , as although mentioned on a Wedding Cert of his son Michael , that I have , I could find nothing about Francis....not on any Census or BMDs . It hadn't occurred to me he might be a transported convict but through a fluke contact on another board I found a Francis Hand that may fit the bill .  It looks like Francis Hand (occ. Hawker) was born Liverpool in 1820 . Married a Sarah Spencer in 1838 . http://www.lan-opc.org.uk/Liverpool/Liverpool-Central/stnicholas/marriages_1838i.html   For some reason he was in  Leicestershire in early 1840s , where they had a child  named Michael Hand(s) in c1838. Francis then stole a purse in Leicester and got transported to TASMANIA for 10 years ....all before he was 21 !!!   According to his transportation record  Francis HAND born Liverpool  c1820, had a father Michael , mother Anne , brother Michael and sister Bridget . Maybe an Irish family ? .....on his record he is described as protestant . I was sent his full physical description including scars, tattoos and his terrible diciplinary record and punishments in Tasmania including being chained up and many solitary confinements ! (The tattoos are the initials FH and SH , presumably Francis and Sarah Hand ).  After his release in 1853 he seems to have dissappeared off the face of the earth no further records in Oz ,nothing here . Though with his poor record in Tasmania for drunkeness and gambling somehow doubt he had the money to buy his passage back . There are still a few niggles with me with regard to claiming it's "our" Francis Hand . I would appreciate any help finding Sarah Hand (nee Spencer ) born Liverpool , c.1820 with son Michael (b1840 Loughborough) on either the 1841 ,1851 or the 1861 Census' . Or indeed anything on this Spencer family which is a new line for me .    The first time that (son)  Michael Hands ( now with the "s") shows up , is on his wedding in Nottingham in 1868 to Marina MARSHALSEA . She was born in Dorset . The certificate says Michaels father , Francis' occupation was a "dyer" . Maybe Francis had come back from OZ and was working or maybe it was just a made-up occupation rather than putting down "convict" .Michael would have been just a tot when/if father  Francis was transported .  I can see son Michael Hand and wife Marina on the index of the 1871 Census but she has been transcribed as Mary Ann but has the right birthplace of Dorset . He says born Nottingham . On the 1881 Marina or Mary Ann has now become Selina . Michael is down as being born Loughboro' rather than Nottingham this time . Must all be the same couple, as Dorset is just too far from Notts/Leics , certainly in those times for 3 Dorset girls all married to chaps named Hands . The eldest childrens dates match too . They couldn't write so I put it down to the strong country Dorset accent being misheard ? Any help or suggestions welcomed .