John Burton - Transported

[Blacksmith75]

Following a long-remembered tale that my great aunts, now sadly long dead, told me, one of the brothers of an ancestor of mine was transported to Australia for taking part in the riots in Birmingham in the early 19th century.

I used to think this was just a story, but I recently came across the following information regarding John Burton:

John Burton Vessel: Aurora Convicted Date: 30 Mar 1833 Voyage Date: 3 Jul 1833
Colony: New South Wales Piece: HO 11/9 Place of Conviction: Warwick

It does not say what he was convicted for. I've tried various searches on line, but can find no way of finding out more details to ascertain if it is the correct ancestor.

Any help would be appreciated

Thanks

[Procat]

Hi,

You may be out of luck looking for the official U.K. records according to this (http://www.warwickshire.gov.uk/web/corporate/pages.nsf/Links/E550FB9A8076877380256C870034D48E) link.

The General Return of Convicts in New South Wales 1837 has this to say about him:

Burton John, Age 33, Ship Aurora, Where tried Warwick, Master Cooper Holt & Co, District Inverary

Have you tried the NSW records (http://www.records.nsw.gov.au/state-archives/indexes-online/indexes-to-convict-records/indexes-to-convict-records) for convicts (seem to be down at the moment).

If you know the names of his parents try the NSW BMD (http://www.bdm.nsw.gov.au/) indexes as they record the name of the mother and father.

[Procat]

The Society of Australian Genealogists has a record of him on the Convict Tickets of Leave. It can be purchased from them online for $11 AU.

They have this to say about the TOL:

NSW Tickets of Leave (TOL)

A Ticket of Leave was evidence that a convict was allowed to work outside the "assignment" system. Conditions applied - the convict was confined to a named area, had to report regularly to authorities, and was supposed to attend divine worship each Sunday.

Minor offences could see a TOL revoked by the magistrates and the holder returned to Government service. Penalties for greater offences were heavier than those for free persons. TOL holders were not allowed to own land, and until 1843 were allowed to neither own personal property, nor sue (e.g. for wages).

Such tickets are different from Tickets of Exemption from Government Labour.

The butts of TOL issued in NSW between 1810 and 1875 have survived. Potentially, each ticket butt gives the following information: prisoner's number, name, ship arrived on, master of ship, year of arrival, native place, trade or calling, offence, place of trial, date of trial, sentence, year of birth, complexion, height, colour of hair, colour of eyes, general remarks, the district prisoner was allocated to, the Bench that recommended him, and the date of issue of ticket. However, blank fields are frequent. The butts also often annotated with changes of district, conditional pardons, etc.

[Blacksmith75]

Thanks very much.

The information in your one link is very disappointing:

Unfortunately the records of trials on the Midland Circuit, which comprises the counties of Northampton, Rutland, Lincoln, Nottingham, Derby, Leicester and Warwick, were destroyed by a clerk in the 19th century and do not exist earlier than 1860.

I did try the NSW site, but without luck.

I think it may be worth my while to try for the Ticket of Leave and just hope that it gives the information I want.

The NSW BMD may also be a good idea, that is assuming that he married or died in NSW, of course.

[Procat]

He is recorded on the Australian Convict Transportation Registers on Ancestry. Unfortunately it is short of information about him and provides no more than you already have.

The convict Pardons on Ancestry record his sentence as being one of Life.

The convict arrivals records he arrived in NSW on 3rd November 1833 on the Aurora, Sentence Life and "How disposed of" Cooper & Levy, Sydney

[Hugh Thompson]

Hi Blacksmith, he was granted a pardon in 1st March 1848,
from NSW State Records Authority
Surname FirstName Alias Vessel Year Pardon No Pardon Type Date of Pardon Item Reel Remarks Page
BURTON John - Aurora 1833 48/644 CP 1 Mar 1848 [4/4456] 786-391-392

Web address,

http://www.records.nsw.gov.au/

[Procat]

Thanks very much.

The NSW BMD may also be a good idea, that is assuming that he married or died in NSW, of course.

Most convicts stayed after their sentence finished.

I would be looking for a Death Certificate and then work back. Australian certificates usually record the names of the parents, spouse and children if the informant knew that information.

I would also try the NSW web site again in say 24 hours - after the weekend.

[Hugh Thompson]

Do you have his parent's names?, I've had a look at the BDM's but there are too many there without knowing whohis parents were.
Hugh. Hi Doug.:)

[Procat]

Hi Hugh,

Looks like the NSW Record site is a bit iffy at the moment. Data bases may or may not work depending on how you get to it. Very strange.

[Hugh Thompson]

It's running very slow Doug.|snore|

[Blacksmith75]

Yes, I''ve been having some problems with the NSW site myself.

Hugh, if this is indeed the correct person, his parents were George and Ann Burton and he was born in Birmingham in 1808.

[Hugh Thompson]

I have one here Blacksmith.
Deaths.
2731/1880 BURTON JOHN parents, GEORGE & ANN SYDNEY

[Blacksmith75]

That might be him. I presume the 'Sydney' refers to the mother's maiden name. Hers was actually Savray/Savery or variation, so I suppose it could have been recorded incorrectly in the death register.

[Procat]

At the risk of jumping in on the information Hugh found, Sydney is the Registration District.

2731/1880 is the registration number 2731 in the year 1880.

[Blacksmith75]

Of course it is, sorry. I guess I'm not awake properly yet.

[Hugh Thompson]

Thanks Doug, I should have made that clearer, there are quite a few marriages for John Burton's after 1848, supposing that he would have to be pardoned before he could marry unless he had a ticket of leave before then, or a dispensation to allow it, 'tho the chances of working out which one he would have married is anyone's guess, also it would depend on his age whether he was getting beyond it by 1848:confused:

[Procat]

Death certificate should show the name of the spouse - assuming we have the correct death of course.

The certificate can be ordered online but will then be mailed out.

[Blacksmith75]

The Society of Australian Genealogists has a record of him on the Convict Tickets of Leave. It can be purchased from them online for $11 AU.

I must be doing something wrong because I've tried this site and it keeps coming up with 'No matching records found.'

I've tried putting more information in and I've also tried with just the name and surname, but with no luck.

By putting just the surname, Burton, I do get some names, but no John Burton.

Have you any idea what I'm doing wrong, because I think I'd like to send off for the ticket of leave to check if it really is him.

Again, many thanks for any help you can give.

[Hugh Thompson]

HI Blacksmith,
DO an advanced keyname search for john burton, (address below) Select a search scope, select "All"
then in the list that comes up you'll see five hits for
"Index to Convict Pardons"
Tick box on the right side of the entry for John Burton Aurora etc, and then click on the submit order button below.

http://srwww.records.nsw.gov.au/indexes/keyname_search.asp

[Blacksmith75]

Thanks, Hugh, that does the trick.