Land records copied from original documents at the State Library show numerous, but unnamed convicts were employed on properties here.
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The first reference we have is in an 1839 Census - a year after the first white settlers arrived.
Boyd's Plains, originally quoted as stretching ... 'from the source of Beardy Waters to where the Furracabad Creek joins Beardy Waters', now considerably reduced in size and known as Stonehenge Station was the first land to be taken up, and the Census cites Archibald Boyd as the licensee of that property with Thomas Hewitt as his superintendent.
Living there then were eight free males, and six male convicts.
Who were these and later convicts? Where are their descendants? Hopefully the Armidale District Family History Convict project to collect data on New England convicts will bring some names to light.
I'll mention just two of our local families, already thoroughly researched, whose extensive details and documents are now stored in our archives.
Firstly, James Benjamin Winstanley who was sentenced to transportation for burglary and arrived in Australia on board the 'Malabar' in 1819.
He married convict Priscilla Woodford - transported for burning a haystack.
For a family re-union to commemorate the 200th anniversary of his arrival Lyn Greacen compiled the fascinating illustrated story 'Rich man, Poor man, Beggar man, Thief: The Trials and Tribulations of James Winstanley 1804-1882'.
He is probably best known as the builder of the original Church of England vicarage and later, with his son John Thomas, erected the roof and timber ceiling of Holy Trinity Church.
Dublin housemaid Bridget Molloy born in 1819 was convicted of robbery in 1835, and arrived on the Roslyn Castle in 1836, and firstly married Robert Hilton at Port Macquarie.
She was an ancestor of actress Paula Duncan, and we were asked to delve into her local history for the Who Do You Think You Are programme - the local segment was filmed at the Tent Hill Hall as Bridget had been a midwife living in that area.
Useful research resources include Tasmanian index of convicts, Old Bailey Court Records, Australian National Maritime Museum, National Archives of Australia, National Library of Australia, Indexed online State Archives Records New South Wales Convict Index and https://femaleconvicts.org.au/
Search Ancestry tm but be aware people often quote unverified information. Rely on documents and keep verifying sources!
