Hilary’s research into her Allender family started when trying to link the informant on a death certificate to the person who had died- her 3x Great grandmother.
This led her to a Uriah Allender, at which point she realised this was a common family name. He died in Hobart, and Hilary found transportation records for Uriah, a record of his conviction at Maidstone Archives and his transportation to Australia on board “The Calcutta”.
Early research involved writing to the library at Queensland, finding Convict Records online and using the Australia Joint Copying Project (now available on Trove, a free resource on the Australian Archive site).
However, Hilary was not totally convinced with her connection to this Allender line until a DNA test came up with a match with one of his descendants. This meant a tree could be linked together and pieces of the jigsaw began to fit.
From evidence in The National Maritime Museum, it appears Uriah had tried to re-join the navy, but his involvement with a theft meant he was transported for 14 years. There is evidence that he was part of a handpicked group for the voyage, and was actually used as part of the crew, other convicts having the skills required to start a new colony, but the site was not suitable and Uriah volunteered to sail round a treacherous coast to reach Port Jackson (later Sydney). The bravery of the six men on this voyage resulted in a conditional pardon for them.
Uriah was one of the first ferrymen licensed to cross the river Derwent, based at Kangaroo Point and Hilary was able to find records of land grants made to both Uriah and his son Uriah.
Records of The Old Bailey came up with other Allenders on trial, and with the help of a descendent of a James Allender, contacted via Ancestry, Hilary was able to put together the complex story of several Allenders, including a mother and daughter who were both transported. It seems likely that women were described as widows, even if their husbands were very much alive when they left. One suggestion at the end of the meeting was that this brought them back into the marriage market on arrival in Australia.
Hilary made reference to the many and varied sources she had used, over about 10 years, to unpack the story of this side of her family. If you have a similar story in your ancestry, it would be worth checking whether you have accessed all of these.
Report by Viv Carter
Handout
https://trove.nla.gov.au/ Free source for newspapers and more
https://www.nla.gov.au/using-library/research-tools-and-resources/australian-joint-copying-project Australia Joint Copying Project provides access to copies of documents from around the world that refer to Australia
https://www.oldbaileyonline.org/ Trials at the Old Bailey.
https://www.femaleconvicts.org.au/ Female convicts' records for Australia and Tasmania.
https://www.findmypast.co.uk/
Essex Assizes records on FindmyPast
Newgate prison records on FindmyPast - at the time of this presentation
Royal Navy Records on FindmyPast but also see
https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/help-with-your-research/research-guides/royal-navy-ratings-further-research/ Plus other RN guides on TNA's site.
https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/
Report by Viv Carter