ABBREVIATIONS and COMMONLY USED TERMS
Use capitals at the beginning of proper nouns. i.e. peoples names e.g. John Smith, place names e.g. Snake
Banks, positions of authority e.g. Lieutenant Governor.
*
Write St. not Saint, e.g. the ship St. Vincent
*
Write Mt. not Mount, e.g. the ship Mt. Stewart Elphinstone
*
Write No. not Number, in the case of No. 3 Chain Gang.
*
Write the number that comes after a ship name in brackets e.g. Arab (1).
*
Write Port Arthur in full, especially if in the tried/approved column as it could be
mistaken
for initials of a Magistrate. Write h.l.c. in full.
Note: "fs" is often ss, eg afsigned = assigned
1st / 2nd / 3rd class
7MC or SMC
1st / 2nd /3rd class Probation Pass Holder
Seven Mile Creek
&c
etc.
A
appd or apprehd or apphd
appg
arrd
Ass
assd or afsd or assgd
assgt
Assignle Pty
Asst
asstg
At hulk
Ava
Aunt (usually seen in Remarks on indent)
absconded
Australian Colonies (eg Conditional Pardon approved for the AC)
according
account
addition
added to probation
admonished
assignable
against
Antill Ponds
apartments (as in separate apartments)
Assistant/Acting Police Magistrate (See note in Appendix 8)
approved
apprehended
appearing
arrived
Assizes
assigned
assignment
Assignable Party
Assistant
assaulting
(Refers to Hulk report)
Avoca
B
b&w
BL
Backwd
beatg
Bks
Brother (usually seen in Remarks on indent)
bread and water
Both a little (referring to literacy)
Backward (physical description)
beating
barracks
abscd
AC
accg
acct
addn
addd to pr
admond
afse or afsble or afsle
agt
Ant Ponds
apartts
APM
appd
Blk
B Magistrate
Bn or Brighn
Both
Br
B Rr
Burg
burglary
Black (physical description)
Bench Magistrate
Brighton
Both [Read and write]
Brown (physical description)
Brown's River
Burgess (near Port Sorell)
burglariously (not burglary)
calr
Can R & W
Can R & W a little
Cas Fac
Casc
calendar
CC
CC
CC
CCC
CCP
CDC
CE
Cert
CGM or CG Memo or CG’s
Memo
CG's Memo
ch
CH gang
CH or C Hill
Charr or Character in gaol
C Hat Hill
chd
C Head
Chf
Can read and write
Can read and write a little
Cascades Factory
Cascades (if followed by a person’s name refers to Cascades Hobart,
otherwise Tasmans Peninsula)
Chief Constable
Chief Clerk (time chiefly taken up with examination of convict
applications for indulgences)
Circuit Court
Civil Commandant
Clerk Council
Central Criminal Court (also known as Old Bailey)
Colonial Conditional Pardon
Chief District Constable
Conditionally Emancipated
Certificate [of Freedom]
Comptroller General’s Memorandum
Comptroller General's Memo (often preceded by 'vide')
children
Custom House gang
Constitution Hill
Refers to Gaol report
Cocked Hat Hill
child
Circular Head
Chief
ch g or ch gang
chs
Chs report
chain gang
chains
[On] Chairman's report
Church Committee
CJ or Ct of Justy
Cl Cl Court
Cl M s
(at Oatlands)
Court of Justiciary
Central Criminal Court –see also CCC
Coal Mines
Cl Plns
clk
CM
CO
C of E
COHB
Col
Clarence Plains
clerk
Court Martial
Colonial Office
Church of England
Charles O'Hara Booth
Colonial
CC
CC
Col Sec Letter
Col Hosp
Col Sec Memo
commd
Colonial Secretary's Letter
Colonial Hospital
Colonial Secretary's Memo
commended
Commt Stores
complt
Commissariat Stores
Compt Gens Office
Cond Pardon
confd
Comptroller General's Office
Conditional Pardon
confined/confirmed
conft
connexions [sic] or connexns
constle
confinement
Conv Mar Dept
convd
CP or Cond Pardon
CPM
CS
CS
CSCO
Ct M l
Convict Marine Department
convicted
Conditional Pardon
Chief Police Magistrate
Church of Scotland (under religion)
Colonial Service/Servitude
Colonial Service. Colonial Office (usually followed by a date and
preceded by a period of time e.g. 12 months C.S. C.O. 18/4/1846).)
Court Martial
DACG
Darln
Deputy Assistant Commissary General
Darlington (Maria Is)
DC
DCG
DCG
decn
Delne
District Constable
Department of Comptroller General
Deputy Commissionary-General (?) Check this
decision
Deloraine
detn
detention
discharged
dischd
complaint
connections (pertaining to relations or friends)
constable
disd or dismd
disobce
dismissed
Dis [1 class or in relation to
conduct on probation]
dist
distg
Distt
Dk
dk & disy
Disobedient
Dk Br or Dk Bro
dks
DLn
Dark brown (physical description)
drunkenness
Depot Launceston
do
Do
D. of H.
Doug R Cl Cy
D. River C. Compy
drunkfs
ditto
Ditto (in physical description, dittoing the previous entry)
District of Hobarton
Douglas River Coal Company
Douglas River Coal Company
drunkenness
t
st
disobedience
disobedient
disturbing
District
Dark (physical description)
drunk and disorderly
Dunr
durg
Dunrobin
dw or dwg
dwelling
E B Neck
EHN
embd
entd
East Bay Neck (Dunalley)
Eagle Hawk Neck
embarked
entered
EO
Ecclesiastical Objection (with regards to permission to marry
applications)
evening
eveg
during
examn or examon
exg
examination
exe
execution
expiration
n
expirn
Extd
existing
extended
F
F& M
Facty
Father (usually seen in Remarks on indent, but also on conduct record)
father and mother
[Female] Factory [Hobart]
Facty Ln
FB
FC or Free Cert
fd secreted
fely
Fl or Fingl
[Female] Factory Launceston
Flinders Bay
Free Certificate
found secereted
feloniously (not felony)
Fingal
F. Is
flagellr
Flinders Island
flagellator
FLbr or Fm Lbrr
Fm
Farm labourer
Farm
fm
Fm Svt
fo
f. order
FP
FPNN
fprisoner
Frankn
from
Farm Servant
[until] further orders
further orders
Field Police
Field Police New Norfolk
fellow prisoner
Franklin
Free passage for W&F allowed
FS or F by S
f w pr
Free passage for wife and family allowed.
Free by servitude
fellow prisoner
G or Gl
Gaol Delivery
Gaoler’s report
GD
gd
Gaol
G Dn
Governor's Decision
(See Glossary)
(Refers to Gaol report)
Gaol Delivery
gained
General Sessions
G.F.
GG
GIC
Gleny
(A court)
Gaol Fingal
Gaol gang
Governor in Council
Glenorchy
GNN or GlNN
GO or G Oats
Gor R
Govt
Gaol New Norfolk
GP or GPds
GR
GR Stn
Great Sessions
GS
GSP
GSPR
Gt
Green Ponds
GT or GeoT
GTH
George Town
Grass Tree Hill
Hamn
handd
Hamilton
Hbt or Hobt
HC
HCHT
Her MG Launceston
hl
hlc
HM Col. Hospital
Ho maid
hospl
Hobart
hosplsn
HR
Hse of Ass
hospitalisation
Hulk report
House of Assembly
Hse of Correctn or HCn
HT or HTown
HWH or HW Hill
IB or I Bay or Imp Bay
ID (NN) or IDNN
House of Correction
impertt
impt
impertinent
Impt
ins
instt
Imperfect (eg Imperfect shoemaker)
inside (eg inside right arm seen in physical description)
instant (relating to the day of the current month)
insubordn
intoxn
insubordination
Gaol Oatlands
Gordon River
Government
Gaol report aka Penitentiary Report
Gordon River Station
(A court)
General Sessions
Greater Swanport
General Sessions Police Report
Great
handcuffed (especially in Norfolk Is records)
House of Correction
House of Correction Hobart Town
Her Majesty’s Gaol, Launceston
hard labour
hard labour chains
Her/His Majesty’s Colonial Hospital
House maid
hospital
Hobart Town
Half Way Hill
Impression Bay
Invalid Depot (New Norfolk)
imprisonment
intoxication
Jerm
Jero
Jerusalem
J.R.
Judge’s report ( see also vide J.R.)
KGardr or K Gardener
KPt
Kitchen gardener
Kangaroo Point
L
lashes (eg 50 L)
labourer
labr
Larceny and p.c.
Ld or Longfd
Jericho
Larceny and previous conviction
Longford
LGDn or Lt Gov Decn
Ln or Launcn
Lieutenant Governor's Decision (usually preceded by ‘vide’)
LOB
Lpool St
L. Point
lt
Little Oyster Bay
Liverpool St
Long Point
left, or light (check context)
Lt
Lt Br or Lt Bro
Lt Gov
Lt Gov Memo
Lun Asy
Ly Bks
Light (physical description eg Lt brown)
Light brown (physical description)
Lieutenant Governor
Lieutenant Governor’s Memo
Lunatic Asylum
Lovely Banks
M
M
M or Marrd
M or Med
Macq St
makg
Mersey (probation station)
Mother (usually seen in Remarks on indent, but also on conduct record)
Married
Medium (physical description)
Macquarie St
making
Mals Huts
Mar Dt or Mar Dept or M Dept
Malcolm's Huts
Mc Hr
Macquarie Harbour
Med Dt or Med Dept
medm
Medical Department
Memo
mer conduct
messr or mefsr
Memorandum
meritorious conduct
messenger
MH
Medium height (physical description)
Middlesex
Middx
MIs
misct or miscont
ML
MM Office
morng
Morven
mos or mths
Launceston
Marine Department
medium
Maria Island
misconduct
Medium length (physical description)
Muster Master’s Office
morning
(place in NW Tasmania)
months
MW
Medium width (physical description)
N or N/N/ or Neither
na
New On School
Neither [read nor write]
not available
New Orphan School
NH
NN
North Huon
New Norfolk
North Huon
North Hn
NP or N Plns
NR
NT
NTB
NTFm
Norfolk Plains
Nicholl’s Rivulet
New Town
New Town Bay
New Town Farm
ntu
N W Bay
N Wharf
not taken up (associated with a freedom such as conditional pardon)
North West Bay
New Wharf
Oats
OBB
O Beach
obtg
Oatlands
OHD
On board
or
Oatlands Hiring Depot
(Refers to Surgeon’s report)
other
ORd
origl
Oatlands Road [Party]
orwise or orwise
OW
Oy Cove or O Cove
Oyer & Terminer
otherwise
Old Wharf
Oyster Cove
(See Glossary)
P or Pn
(May refer to Probation. See Police Number)
Port Arthur
PA or PtAr or Pt Arthur
PB
PB Ln
O’Brien’s Bridge
Old Beach
obtaining
original
Prisoners’ Barracks *Hobart+
Prison Barracks Launceston
P Cygnet or PC
PE
PE
PE Ln
Port Cygnet
Penal Establishment
Port Esperance (usually in LH column on probation conduct records)
Penal Establishment Launceston
Penquite
Peny or Penitenty
(place in Launceston)
Penitentiary
Pept Bay
Perpr
petg
Peppermint Bay
petn
P Gang or Pn Gang
PGL
PG PB
petition
Perpendicular (physical description)
petitioning
Probation Gang
Probation Gang Labour
Probation Gang Prisoners’ Barracks
PH or P Holder
Pl cook
Pleas of Crown Mote
Plo’man
PM
pn
Pn
PO
Ponte
Pass Holder
Plain cook
(related to a court)
Ploughman
Police Magistrate (may also be someone's initials)
proper name
Petition (if followed by a freedom e.g. Pn TL)
Police Office
Pontville
Port E.
possn
Port Esperance
possession
Poss. or Possy
Possibly (e.g. possibly absconded for good). Used in comments
columns.
Point Puer
PP or PtPr
P Pass
PPH
ppty
PR
Presb
princl
Parson's Pass
Probation Pass Holder
property
Police Report
Presbyterian
principal
Prison report
prisr
(Refers to Gaol report)
prisoner
probn
propy
probation
Pros Plns or P Plns
prosr or prr
prosx
Prot
PS
PS or P Secy
Prossers Plains
prosecutor
prosecutrix
Protestant
Police/Principal Superintendent (See note in Appendix 8)
Private Secretary
PSC
P S sentence
PTL or Pn TL
Pty
PW
Principal Superintendent of Convicts
Penal servitude sentence
Petition for Ticket of Leave
Party
Public Works
QG
Q O School
QS or Qtr Sessns
Quarry Gang
Queen's Orphan School
Quarter Sessions
R & W or RW
RC
RC Bp
read & write
Roman Catholic
Rd
Rd Pty
recd
Road [party]
recommd or recd
RE Dept
remd
recommended
property
Roman Catholic Bishop
Road Party
received
Royal Engineer’s Department
removed
remr
repd or reptd
reprimd or repd
remainder
resistg
retd
Revd RK
RHills
Richd
resisting
returned
Reverend Robert Knopwood
Rocky Hills
rivt
R/L
R/N
Rofs
R. of S.
rivulet
S
S
satisfacty
Saty
Single (marital status)
Sister (usually seen in Remarks on indent)
satisfactorily (not satisfactory)
S. Arm
SB
SB or S Bay
SC or Sup Ct
SCCJ
Secy
South Arm
Snake Banks
Sandy Bay
Supreme Court
Supreme Court of Criminal Jurisdiction
sentce
Sep treatment
servt
sentence
SH or S Hill
SMC or 7MC
SMP or St MP
SMV
soly or soly conft
SP
Sp Bay
S Port
SPP
SR
ss treatment
stg
Spring Hill
Seven Mile Creek
St Mary's Pass
St Mary's Vale
solitary or solitary confinement
Sessions of Peace (a court)
Spring Bay
Southport or Swanport (sometimes hard to determine the correct one)
St Peter's Pass
Surgeon’s report
strict separate treatment
Stipy Mag
Supt
Stipendiary Magistrate
suspd
SWC
SWR
suspended or suspected
TB
T Box Bay
THP
threatg
Tunbridge
Tinder Box Bay
Three Hut Point
threatening
reported
reprimanded
Richmond
Read little
Read [not] write
Ross
Remission of sentence
Saturday
Secretary
Separate treatment
servant
stealing
Superintendent
Salt Water Creek
Salt Water River
TL or T Leave
tobco
TP
TR
transpd
transpn
TSGang
tu
Tunb
TW or TWheel
twc
T work
Ticket of Leave
tobacco
Tasmans Peninsula
T Reiby (person)
transported
transportation
Town Surveyors Gang
taken up (with regards to Conditional Pardon)
Tunbridge
tread wheel
task work credits
task work
U
ulto
uptg
U.S.
Uncle (usually seen in Remarks on indent)
ultimo (relating to the day of the previous month)
upturning
under sentence
v
vagt
vagy
vide
Vide J.R.
Vide LGD
Vide Memo of Col Secy
VM
VV
value
vagrant
vagrancy
(Latin for ‘see’)
Vide Judge’s report
Vide Lieutenant Governor’s Decision
Vide Memorandum of Colonial Secretary
Visiting Magistrate
Victoria Valley
W
W
WB
wh
wo or witht or wt
W Tiers
W Tub
Wife
Widower/widowed
Wedge Bay
with
without
Western Tiers
Wash Tub
yesty
York NR QS
York WR QS
Yesterday
York North Riding Quarter Sessions
York West Riding Quarter Sessions
EXAMPLES OF MISCELLANEOUS TERMS AND ABBREVIATIONS
[33] days gd by task work
12 mths CS CO 12/12/56
14 days tw
2 days hlc
48 hrs sc on b & w
Abt w/out leave
CP appd for AC
Confessed this offence
D & disy
F & M at NP
Found in a disy ho’
James Smith (1st)
On New Book
S or M not stated
Stlg in a dw ho’
TL restored, absence actd for
TL revoked, absent from muster
Tried with Smith 1103/7 and
Jones 1180/Life
US to BW
[33] days gained by task work
12 months Colonial ServiceColonial Office 12/12/1856
14 days tread wheel
2 days hard labour in chains
48 hours solitary confinement on bread and water
Absent without leave
Conditional Pardon approved for Australian Colonies
(Same as stated this offence)
Drunk and disorderly
Father and mother at native place
Found in a disorderly house
(One of a number of convicts with the same name on the same ship)
(Refers to another record at the AOT)
Single or married not stated
Stealing in a dwelling house
Ticket of leave restored, absence accounted for
Ticket of leave revoked absent from muster
Tried with Smith, [Police No] 1103 [and sentenced to] 7 years, and Jones
[Police No] 1180 [and sentenced to] Life
Under sentence to Bridgewater
SOME ABBREVIATED NAMES
Males
Females
Abrm
Abraham
Care
Caroline
Alexr
Alexander
Cathe
Catherine
Alfd
Alfred
Elizth
Elizabeth
Anthy
Anthony
M.A.
Mary Ann[e]
Archd
Archibald
Margt
Margaret
Barthw
Bartholomew
Reba
Rebecca
Benjn
Benjamin
Sush
Susannah
Chas
Chris
Charles
r
Christopher
Corns
Cornelius
Danl
Daniel
Dd
David
Edd
Edward
Fredk
Frederick
Geo
George
H
Henry
y
Is
Isaac
Jas
James
Jno
John
Jonn
Jonathan
Jos or Josh
Joseph
Josha of Josa
Joshua
Matw
Matthew
Michl
Michael
Nathl
Nathaniel
Nichs
Nicholas
Patk
Patrick
Rd
Richard
Robt
Robert
Saml
Samuel
Stephn
Stephen
Tho
Thomas
Wm
s
William