Convict Guide - published 2006 - Manual / Resource - Page 407
Guide to New South Wales State archives relating to convicts and convict administration
Life
As a sentence it refers to the term of the convict's life
Lock-up
Gaol
Lunatic asylum
Psychiatric hospital
Lying-in
Pertaining to childbirth
Magistrate
Judge. The position could be honorary or paid (stipendiary)
Man robbery
Picking a man's pocket by a female
Marriage banns
The reading or publication of a couple's intention to marry on 3 consecutive
Sundays
Master
Captain of a vessel or the person to whom a convict is assigned
Memorial
A letter usually applying for land or other assistance
Mitigation of
sentence
A reduction of the length or severity of a sentence often by means of a ticket
of leave or pardon
Muster
Roll call similar to a census
Mutilated & torn up
Usually refers to a ticket of leave which is no longer required as the convict
has become free and was then destroyed to prevent its fraudulent use by
others
Night Watch
An early form of a police patrol composed of the best behaved convicts
Old Bailey
The main court for the London/Middlesex area
On or off the stores
When victualled by the government, on the stores; if self sufficient, off the
stores
On the roads
Working on the roads as part of a road party
On their own hands
Convict working away from their masters often without any official supervision
Overseer
Supervisor of a group or gang of convicts
Pass
Allowed a convict to travel or to be admitted to an area or institution where
he/she would not normally be permitted
Passport
See ticket of leave passport
Pardon
A remission of a part of a convict's sentence see also conditional, absolute and
Royal warrants
Pentonvillians
One who had served part of their sentence in Pentonville prison. See Exiles (in
Port Phillip)
Per
By, for example per Estramina: by the ship Estramina
Per Diem
Payment each day
Petition
Letter, generally requesting a mitigation of sentence
Pock pitted
Pock marked, scarred
Police Magistrate
A paid magistrate and official in charge of police constables
Precept
Order or direction requiring some act to be done such as the assembling of a
jury
Principal
Superintendent of
Convicts
Government official responsible for the day-to-day administration of the
convict system.
Printed Indent
A contemporary typescript copy of the convict indent, copies of which were
distributed to local magistrates and other government officials
Proclamation
An important notice concerning laws or policy matters which need to be widely
known
352
Nicholas Divine, who was formerly a superintendent on the hulks, served as
principal superintendent from June 1790 until the rebel administration under
Joseph Foveaux dismissed him in 1808. Macquarie, after enquiring into the
circumstances, 'pensioned off' Divine in 1810 and appointed Isaac Nichols who
was succeeded by William Hutchinson in 1814. Commissioner Bigge, who
believed that government posts should not be filled by emancipists, reported
unfavourably on him. He was replaced by F.A. Hely who died in September
1836. Then Captain J.L. McLean took over.
State Records Authority of New South Wales
