Source Information

Ancestry.com. New South Wales, Australia Convict Ship Muster Rolls and Related Records, 1790-1849 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2008.
Original data: New South Wales Government. Musters and other papers relating to convict ships. Series CGS 1155, Reels 2417-2428. State Records Authority of New South Wales. Kingswood, New South Wales, Australia.

© the Crown in right of the State of New South Wales and is used under licence with the permission of the State Records Authority. The State of New South Wales gives no warranty regarding the data's accuracy, completeness, currency or suitability for any particular purpose.

About New South Wales, Australia Convict Ship Muster Rolls and Related Records, 1790-1849

This database primarily consists of ship muster lists of convicts being transported from England to New South Wales, Australia between 1790 and 1849. However, some of the records are of convicts being transported from other places throughout the British Empire (such as Canada, India, South Africa, and other areas of Australia) and to other parts of Australia (such as Van Diemen’s Land, South Australia, or Western Australia).

Sometimes these musters were taken at the time of embarkation and sometimes at the time of disembarkation. Some of the muster lists are records of contract, showing that the owner of the ship had contracted to transport the listed individuals. Information generally available on these records includes:

  • Name of convict
  • Date of trial
  • Place of trial
  • Term of sentence

Other miscellaneous records relating to convict ships are also contained in this database. Some of these miscellaneous records include: lists of deaths during transport, lists of convicts to be employed in iron gangs, and lists of free settlers on board the ship.