Description | Comprising: Q/AT/1/1-19 transportation to America
The files in Q/AR chiefly consist of "conviction certificates", contracts with exporters of convicts to America and exporters' bonds for the fulfilment of their contracts. Q/AT does not include any records relating directly to transportations to Australia. (Many of the people named in the Calendars of Prisoners were sentenced to transportation to Australia, however - see Q/SP.)
The term "conviction certificates" has been used on the 19th century file labels to denote orders for transportation, which normally also appointed Justices of the Peace to contract for the transportation. "Orders for transportation" has been used in this list. The convicts concerned were, unless otherwise said, convicted at the Assizes in Derby. They were usually said to be convicted of theft and/or larceny or felony and were transported for 7 or 14 years. The dates of the conviction certificates or orders for transportation are later than the dates of conviction. |
Administrative History | Quarter Sessions were responsible for organising the transportation to America of convicts ordered to be transported both by Assizes and by Quarter Sessions under Acts of 4 Geo I c11 and 6 Geo I cXXIII. Transportation to America was brought to an end by the American War of Independence. |