Convict Records: Abbreviations
Originally published in Susan Hood's Transcribing Tasmanian Convict Records, the abbreviations and commonly used terms published in that book are now available online here.
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.
| Abbreviation | Definition |
|---|---|
| &c | etc. |
| 0S or 0s | 0 [zero] sisters (in Remarks on Indent amongst relations names) |
| 1st / 2nd / 3rd class | 1st / 2nd /3rd class Probation Pass Holder |
| 7MC or SMC | Seven Mile Creek |
A |
|
| A | Aunt (usually seen in Remarks on indent) |
| abscd | absconded text yea |
| AC | Acting Constable/Assistant Constable (?) |
| AC | Australian Colonies (eg Conditional Pardon approved for the AC) |
| accg | according |
| acct | account |
| addd to pr | added to probation |
| addn | addition |
| admond | admonished |
| afse or afsble or afsle | assignable |
| agt | against |
| Ant Ponds | Antill Ponds |
| apartts | apartments (as in separate apartments) |
| APM | Assistant/Acting Police Magistrate (See note in Appendix 8) |
| appd | approved |
| appd or apprehd or apphd | apprehended |
| appg | appearing |
| arrd | arrived |
| Ass | Assizes |
| assd or afsd or assgd | assigned |
| assgt | assignment |
| Assignle Pty | Assignable Party |
| Asst | Assistant |
| asstg | assaulting |
| At hulk | (Refers to Hulk report) |
| Ava | Avoca |
B |
|
| B | Brother (usually seen in Remarks on indent) |
| b & w | bread and water |
| B L | Both a little (referring to literacy) |
| B Magistrate | Bench Magistrate |
| B Rr | Brown's River |
| Backwd | Backward (physical description) |
| beatg | beating |
| Bks | barracks |
| Blk | Black (physical description) |
| Bn or Brighn | Brighton |
| Both | Both [Read and write] |
| Br | Brown (physical description) |
| Burg | Burgess (near Port Sorell) |
| burglary | burglariously (not burglary) |
C |
|
| C Hat Hill | Cocked Hat Hill |
| C Head | Circular Head |
| C of E | Church of England |
| C. Street Quarters | Campbell Street Quarters (Prisoners’ Barracks, Hobart) |
| calr | calendar |
| Can R & W | Can read and write |
| Can R & W a little | Can read and write a little |
| Cas Fac | Cascades Factory |
| Casc | Cascades (if followed by a person’s name refers to Cascades Hobart, otherwise Tasmans Peninsula) |
| CC | Chief Constable |
| CC | Chief Clerk (time chiefly taken up with examination of convict applications for indulgences) |
| CC | Circuit Court |
| CC | Civil Commandant |
| CC | Clerk Council |
| CCC | Central Criminal Court (also known as Old Bailey) |
| CCP | Colonial Conditional Pardon |
| CDC | Chief District Constable |
| CE | Conditionally Emancipated |
| Cert | Certificate [of Freedom] |
| CG's Memo | Comptroller General's Memo (often preceded by 'vide') |
| CGM or CG Memo or CG’s Memo | Comptroller General’s Memorandum |
| ch | children |
| ch g or ch gang | chain gang |
| CH gang | Custom House gang |
| CH or C Hill | Constitution Hill |
| Charr or Character in gaol | Refers to Gaol report |
| chd | child |
| Chf | Chief |
| chs | chains |
| Chs report | [On] Chairman's report |
| Church Committee | (at Oatlands) |
| CJ or Ct of Justy | Court of Justiciary |
| Cl Cl Court | Central Criminal Court –see also CCC |
| Cl Ms | Coal Mines |
| Cl Plns | Clarence Plains |
| clk | clerk |
| CM | Court Martial |
| CO | Colonial Office |
| Co. servant | Country servant |
| COHB | Charles O'Hara Booth |
| Col | Colonial |
| Col Hosp | Colonial Hospital |
| Col Sec Letter | Colonial Secretary's Letter |
| Col Sec Memo | Colonial Secretary's Memo |
| commd | commended |
| Commt Stores | Commissariat Stores |
| complt | complaint |
| Compt Gens Office | Comptroller General's Office |
| Cond Pardon | Conditional Pardon |
| confd | confined/confirmed |
| conft | confinement |
| connexions [sic] or connexns | connections (pertaining to relations or friends) |
| constle | constable |
| Conv Mar Dept | Convict Marine Department |
| convd | convicted |
| CP or Cond Pardon | Conditional Pardon |
| CPM | Chief Police Magistrate |
| CS | Church of Scotland (under religion) |
| CS | Colonial Service/Servitude |
| CSCO | 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).) |
| Ct Ml | Court Martial |
D |
|
| D. of H. | District of Hobarton |
| D. River C. Compy | Douglas River Coal Company |
| DACG | Deputy Assistant Commissary General |
| Darln | Darlington (Maria Is) |
| DC | District Constable |
| DCG | Department of Comptroller General |
| DCG | Deputy Commissionary-General (?) Check this |
| decn | decision |
| Delne | Deloraine |
| detn | detention |
| dischd | discharged |
| disd or dismd | dismissed |
| disobce | disobedience |
| Disoy | disorderly |
| dist | disobedient |
| Dist [1st class or in relation to conduct on probation] | disobedient |
| distg | disturbing |
| Distt | District |
| Disy | disorderly |
| Dk | Dark (physical description) |
| dk & disy | drunk and disorderly |
| Dk Br or Dk Bro | Dark brown (physical description) |
| dks | drunkenness |
| DLn | Depot Launceston |
| do | ditto |
| Do | Ditto (in physical description, dittoing the previous entry) |
| Doug R Cl Cy | Douglas River Coal Company |
| drunkfs | drunkenness |
| Dunr | Dunrobin |
| durg | during |
| dw or dwg | dwelling |
E |
|
| E B Neck | East Bay Neck (Dunalley) |
| EHN | Eagle Hawk Neck |
| embd | embarked |
| entd | entered |
| EO | Ecclesiastical Objection (with regards to permission to marry applications) |
| eveg | evening |
| examn or examon | examination |
| exen | execution |
| exg | existing |
| expirn | expiration |
| Extd | extended |
F |
|
| F | Father (usually seen in Remarks on indent, but also on conduct record) |
| F& M | father and mother |
| F. Is | Flinders Island |
| f. order | further orders |
| Facty | [Female] Factory [Hobart] |
| Facty Ln | [Female] Factory Launceston |
| FB | Flinders Bay |
| FC or Free Cert | Free Certificate |
| fd secreted | found secereted |
| fely | feloniously (not felony) |
| Fl or Fingl | Fingal |
| flagellr | flagellator |
| FLbr or Fm Lbrr | Farm labourer |
| Fm | Farm |
| fm | from |
| Fm Svt | Farm Servant |
| fo | [until] further orders |
| FP | Field Police |
| FPNN | Field Police New Norfolk |
| fprisoner | fellow prisoner |
| Frankn | Franklin |
| Free P. for W&F allowed | Free passage for wife and family allowed. |
| FS or F by S | Free by servitude |
| fw pr | fellow prisoner |
G |
|
| G Dn | Governor's Decision |
| G or Gl | Gaol |
| G.F. | Gaol Fingal |
| Gaol Delivery | (See Glossary) |
| Gaoler’s report | (Refers to Gaol report) |
| GD | Gaol Delivery |
| gd | gained |
| General Sessions | (A court) |
| GG | Gaol gang |
| GIC | Governor in Council |
| Gleny | Glenorchy |
| GNN or GlNN | Gaol New Norfolk |
| GO or G Oats | Gaol Oatlands |
| Gor R | Gordon River |
| Govt | Government |
| GP or GPds | Green Ponds |
| GR | Gaol report aka Penitentiary Report |
| GR Stn | Gordon River Station |
| Great Sessions | (A court) |
| GS | General Sessions |
| GSP | Greater Swanport |
| GSPR | General Sessions Police Report |
| Gt | Great |
| GT or GeoT | George Town |
| GTH | Grass Tree Hill |
H |
|
| Hamn | Hamilton |
| handd | handcuffed (especially in Norfolk Is records) |
| Hbt or Hobt | Hobart |
| HC | House of Correction |
| HCHT | House of Correction Hobart Town |
| Her MG Launceston | Her Majesty’s Gaol, Launceston |
| hl | hard labour |
| hlc | hard labour chains |
| HM Col. Hospital | Her/His Majesty’s Colonial Hospital |
| Ho maid | House maid |
| hospl | hospital |
| hosplsn | hospitalisation |
| HR | Hulk report |
| Hse of Ass | House of Assembly |
| Hse of Correctn or HCn | House of Correction |
| HT or HTown | Hobart Town |
| HWH or HW Hill | Half Way Hill |
I |
|
| IB or I Bay or Imp Bay | Impression Bay |
| ID (NN) or IDNN | Invalid Depot (New Norfolk) |
| impertt | impertinent |
| impt | imprisonment |
| Impt | Imperfect (eg Imperfect shoemaker) |
| ins | inside (eg inside right arm seen in physical description) |
| instt | instant (relating to the day of the current month) |
| insubordn | insubordination |
| intoxn | intoxication |
J |
|
| J.R. | Judge’s report ( see also vide J.R.) |
| Jerm | Jerusalem |
| Jero | Jericho |
K |
|
| KGardr or K Gardener | Kitchen gardener |
| KPt | Kangaroo Point |
L |
|
| L | lashes (eg 50 L) |
| L. Point | Long Point |
| labr | labourer |
| Larceny and p.c. | Larceny and previous conviction |
| Ld or Longfd | Longford |
| LGDn or Lt Gov Decn | Lieutenant Governor's Decision (usually preceded by ‘vide’) |
| Ln or Launcn | Launceston |
| LOB | Little Oyster Bay |
| Lpool St | Liverpool St |
| lt | left, or light (check context) |
| Lt | Light (physical description eg Lt brown) |
| Lt Br or Lt Bro | Light brown (physical description) |
| Lt Gov | Lieutenant Governor |
| Lt Gov Memo | Lieutenant Governor’s Memo |
| Lun Asy | Lunatic Asylum |
| Ly Bks | Lovely Banks |
M |
|
| M | Mersey (probation station) |
| M | Mother (usually seen in Remarks on indent, but also on conduct record) |
| M or Marrd | Married |
| M or Med | Medium (physical description) |
| Macq St | Macquarie St |
| makg | making |
| Mals Huts | Malcolm's Huts |
| Mar Dt or Mar Dept or M Dept | Marine Department |
| Mc Hr | Macquarie Harbour |
| Med Dt or Med Dept | Medical Department |
| medm | medium |
| Memo | Memorandum |
| mer conduct | meritorious conduct |
| messr or mefsr | messenger |
| MH | Medium height (physical description) |
| Middx | Middlesex |
| MIs | Maria Island |
| misct or miscont | misconduct |
| ML | Medium length (physical description) |
| MM Office | Muster Master’s Office |
| morng | morning |
| Morven | (place in NW Tasmania) |
| mos or mths | months |
| MW | Medium width (physical description) |
N |
|
| N or N/N/ or Neither | Neither [read nor write] |
| N W Bay | North West Bay |
| N Wharf | New Wharf |
| na | not available |
| New On School | New Orphan School |
| NH | North Huon |
| NN | New Norfolk |
| North Hn | North Huon |
| NP or N Plns | Norfolk Plains |
| NR | Nicholl’s Rivulet |
| NT | New Town |
| NTB | New Town Bay |
| NTFm | New Town Farm |
| ntu | not taken up (associated with a freedom such as conditional pardon) |
O |
|
| O Beach | Old Beach |
| Oats | Oatlands |
| OBB | O’Brien’s Bridge |
| obtg | obtaining |
| OCG | Office [of the ] Comptroller General |
| OHD | Oatlands Hiring Depot |
| On board | (Refers to Surgeon’s report) |
| or | other |
| ORd | Oatlands Road [Party] |
| origl | original |
| orwise or orwise | otherwise |
| OW | Old Wharf |
| Oy Cove or O Cove | Oyster Cove |
| Oyer & Terminer | (See Glossary) |
P |
|
| P Cygnet or PC | Port Cygnet |
| P Gang or Pn Gang | Probation Gang |
| P or Pn | (May refer to Probation. See Police Number) |
| P Pass | Parson's Pass |
| P S sentence | Penal servitude sentence |
| PA or PtAr or Pt Arthur | Port Arthur |
| PB | Prisoners’ Barracks [Hobart] |
| PB Ln | Prison Barracks Launceston |
| PE | Penal Establishment |
| PE | Port Esperance (usually in LH column on probation conduct records) |
| PE Ln | Penal Establishment Launceston |
| Penquite | (place in Launceston) |
| Peny or Penitenty | Penitentiary |
| Pept Bay | Peppermint Bay |
| Perpr | Perpendicular (physical description) |
| petg | petitioning |
| petn | petition |
| PG PB | Probation Gang Prisoners’ Barracks |
| PGL | Probation Gang Labour |
| PH or P Holder | Pass Holder |
| Pl cook | Plain cook |
| Pleas of Crown Mote | (related to a court) |
| Plo’man | Ploughman |
| PM | Police Magistrate (may also be someone's initials) |
| pn | proper name |
| Pn | Petition (if followed by a freedom e.g. Pn TL) |
| PO | Police Office |
| Ponte | Pontville |
| Port E. | Port Esperance |
| poss-ion | possession |
| poss. or possy | Possibly (e.g. possibly absconded for good). Used in comments columns. |
| possn | possession |
| PP or PtPr | Point Puer |
| PPH | Probation Pass Holder |
| ppty | property |
| PR | Police Report |
| Presb | Presbyterian |
| princl | principal |
| Prison report | (Refers to Gaol report) |
| prisr | prisoner |
| probn | probation |
| propy | property |
| Pros Plns or P Plns | Prossers Plains |
| prosr or prr | prosecutor |
| prosx | prosecutrix |
| Prot | Protestant |
| PS | Police/Principal Superintendent (See note in Appendix 8) |
| PS or P Secy | Private Secretary |
| PSC | Principal Superintendent of Convicts |
| PTL or Pn TL | Petition for Ticket of Leave |
| Pty | Party |
| PW | Public Works |
Q |
|
| Q O School | Queen's Orphan School |
| QG | Quarry Gang |
| QS or Qtr Sessns | Quarter Sessions |
R |
|
| R & W or RW | read & write |
| R. large | Rather large (visage) |
| R. of S. | Remission of sentence |
| R/L | Read little |
| R/N | Read [not] write |
| RC | Roman Catholic |
| RC Bp | Roman Catholic Bishop |
| Rd | Road [party] |
| Rd Pty | Road Party |
| RE Dept | Royal Engineer’s Department |
| recd | received |
| recommd or recd | recommended |
| remd | removed |
| remr | remainder |
| repd or reptd | reported |
| reprimd or repd | reprimanded |
| resistg | resisting |
| retd | returned |
| Revd RK | Reverend Robert Knopwood |
| RHills | Rocky Hills |
| Richd | Richmond |
| rivt | rivulet |
| Rofs | Ross |
S |
|
| S | Single (marital status) |
| S | Sister (usually seen in Remarks on indent) |
| S Port | Southport or Swanport (sometimes hard to determine the correct one. If gang probation then Southport) |
| S. Arm | South Arm |
| satisfacty | satisfactorily (not satisfactory) |
| Saty | Saturday |
| SB | Snake Banks |
| SB or S Bay | Sandy Bay |
| SC or Sup Ct | Supreme Court |
| SCCJ | Supreme Court of Criminal Jurisdiction |
| Secy | Secretary |
| sentce | sentence |
| Sep treatment | Separate treatment |
| servt | servant |
| SH or S Hill | Spring Hill |
| SMC or 7MC | Seven Mile Creek |
| SMP or St MP | St Mary's Pass |
| SMV | St Mary's Vale |
| soly or soly conft | solitary or solitary confinement |
| SP | Sessions of Peace (a court) |
| Sp Bay | Spring Bay |
| SPP | St Peter's Pass |
| SR | Surgeon’s report |
| ss treatment | strict separate treatment |
| stg | stealing |
| Stipy Mag | Stipendiary Magistrate |
| Supt | Superintendent |
| surrd | surrendered |
| suspd | suspended or suspected |
| SWC | Salt Water Creek |
| SWR | Salt Water River |
T |
|
| T Box Bay | Tinder Box Bay |
| T work | task work |
| TB | Tunbridge |
| THP | Three Hut Point |
| threatg | threatening |
| TL or T Leave | Ticket of Leave |
| tobco | tobacco |
| TP | Tasmans Peninsula |
| TR | T Reiby (person) |
| transpd | transported |
| transpn | transportation |
| TSGang | Town Surveyors Gang |
| tu | taken up (with regards to Conditional Pardon) |
| Tunb | Tunbridge |
| TW or TWheel | tread wheel |
| twc | task work credits |
U |
|
| U | Uncle (usually seen in Remarks on indent) |
| U.S. | under sentence |
| ulto | ultimo (relating to the day of the previous month) |
| uptg | upturning |
V |
|
| v | value |
| vagt | vagrant |
| vagy | vagrancy |
| vide | (Latin for ‘see’) |
| Vide J.R. | Vide Judge’s report |
| Vide LGD | Vide Lieutenant Governor’s Decision |
| Vide Memo of Col Secy | Vide Memorandum of Colonial Secretary |
| VM | Visiting Magistrate |
| VV | Victoria Valley |
W |
|
| W | Wife |
| W | Widower/widowed |
| W Tiers | Western Tiers |
| W Tub | Wash Tub |
| WB | Wedge Bay |
| wh | with |
| wo or witht or wt | without |
Y |
|
| yesty | Yesterday |
| York NR QS | York North Riding Quarter Sessions |
| York WR QS | York West Riding Quarter Sessions |
