Georgetown Law
Georgetown Law Library

Legal History: Crime and Punishment Research Guide

This guide details primary English and American resources on the history of crime and punishment.

Crime & Punishment ‹ Transportation

The transportation of convicts and felons to far-flung penal colonies was a popular method of punishment in the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, and occurred in Australia, New South Wales, North America, New Guinea, Borneo and other foreign lands. England was not the only country to send its convicts away: France and Holland also transported their felons to their colonies for forced labor. There are many first hand accounts of such transportation available on microfiche in the 19th century legal treatises collection. Some are listed here. You can find others listed under women in this finding aid.

MEDIA
K150.N45 Mfiche 53572-53576
Colin A. Browning, Colin A. The Convict Ship and England's Exiles. 5th ed. London: Hamilton, Adams, 1851. Reprint microfiche, 19th Century Legal Treatises: Woodbridge, Ct.: Research Publications, 1990.

Includes an account of the convict ship Hashemy, and notices of prisoners by former ships.

CS61.C62 1988
Coldham, Peter W. The Complete Book of Emigrants in Bondage, 1614-1775. Baltimore: Genealogical Pub. Co.,1988. Rev. ed. of Bonded Passengers to America (1983).

HV8950.U6 C65 1992
Coldham, Peter W. Emigrants in Chains: A Social History of Forced Emigration to the Americas of Felons, Destitute Children, Political and Religious Non-conformists, Vagabonds, Beggars and Other Undesirables, 1607-1776. Baltimore: Genealogical Pub. Co., 1992.

HV8950.N6 F67 1996
Forster, Colin. France and Botany Bay: The Lure of a Penal Colony. Carlton South, Victoria, Australia: Melbourne University Press, 1996.

DU115.H78 1987
Hughes, Robert. The Fatal Shore: A History of the Transportation of Convicts to Australia, 1787-1868. London: Collins Harvill, 1987.

INTL
KK7882.A25 1968
Irish University Press Series of British Parliamentary Papers. Crime and Punishment: Transportation.16 vols. Shannon: Irish University Press, 1968-1971.

Covers the period 1850-1869. Library has an incomplete collection.

MEDIA
K150.N45 Mfiche 54092-54094
Lang, John D. Transportation and Colonization, or the Causes of the Comparative Failure of the Transportation System in the Australian Colonies. With Suggestions for Ensuring Its Future Efficiency in Subserviency to Extensive Colonization. London: A.J. Valpy; Edinburgh: Bell & Bradfute, 1837. Reprint microfiche, 19th Century Legal Treatises: Woodbridge, Ct.: Research Publications, 1990.

INTL
KU3420.N37 1994
A Nation of Rogues? Crime, Law and Punishment in Colonial Australia. Carlton, Victoria, Australia: Melbourne University Press, 1994.

Includes essays on convict women, on the police in Australia, and more.

HVC8950.A8 R55 1997
Representing Convicts: New Perspectives on Convict Forced Labour Migration. London; Washington: Leicester University Press 1997.

Includes essays on convict women, Indian convicts, and others.

MEDIA
K150.N45 Mfiche 54797
Transportation and Penal Servitude. London: W. Clowes & sons, 1863. Reprint microfiche, 19th Century Legal Treatises: Woodbridge, Ct.: Research Publications, 1990.

,A review of the report of the commissioners appointed to inquire into the operations of the acts (16 & 17 Vict. c. 99, and 20 & 21 Vict. c.3) relating to transportation and penal servitude.

MEDIA
K150.N45 Mfiche 54152-54154
Whately, Richard. Thoughts on Secondary Punishment, in a Letter to Earl Grey. London: For B. Fellows, 1832. Reprint microfiche, 19th Century Legal Treatises: Woodbridge, Ct.: Research Publications, 1990.

Includes two articles on transportation to new South Wales,Š and ,some observations on colonization.