Transported Convicts – Discovering the Lives Behind the Sentences

Old British News is a free, volunteer-run historical newspaper archive offering genuine British news articles from 1750 to 1950. Every story is drawn directly from the newspapers of the day – unedited, authentic, and freely available to anyone, anywhere in the world.

Among the most powerful and personal discoveries made through this archive are the stories of transported convicts — men, women and even children sentenced to leave Britain, many forever. These articles do more than record the facts of crime and punishment. They capture emotion, context, and consequence — how the news was reported, how families responded, and how lives changed forever.

Uncovering Family Stories

Many descendants today live in Australia, New Zealand, Canada and other former colonies without realising their ancestors were transported there. Using my database here at the Convict Section of Old British News, people are often able to identify relatives, trial locations, or newspaper reports describing their ancestors’ offences and sentences. These first-hand accounts are among the most revealing records of all — they humanise those who were once reduced to case numbers and shipping lists.

Each newspaper story adds a layer of truth: a name shouted in a courtroom, a farewell at the dock, a magistrate’s remark, or a final letter before departure. Such details illuminate the real lives behind the headlines, helping you build a deeper, more personal understanding of your family’s past.

What I Can Provide

I supply good-quality, fully legible PDF scans of original newspaper reports relating to British convicts and transportation cases. These files are researched and prepared personally by me, Ian Waugh, historian and founder of Old British News. Every request is handled with care and respect — there are no fees at all and no adverts. If a match is found, you’ll receive the article by email in clear, publication-ready format. If nothing is found, I’ll still write back promptly to confirm.

To request an article: simply complete the secure form below with as much information as you have — name, approximate date and location if known. I’ll search the archive and respond directly.

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Why These Records Matter

Historical newspapers are living records of how people lived, worked, loved and lost. They reveal public mood and private consequence — the voices of victims, witnesses and families otherwise lost to time. For family historians, they offer far more than a date or a name: they bring back tone, setting, and human emotion.

What You Can Discover

• Criminal and trial reports: verbatim accounts, court remarks and witness statements.
• Transportation notices: ship names, ports of departure and lists of convicts.
• Family and local responses: how communities reacted to convictions or departures.
• Contextual history: social conditions, political debate, and reform movements shaping the justice system.

By piecing together these stories, we reconnect names on a family tree to real lives once lived. Old British News exists to make those stories visible again — freely, for everyone.