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Archiver > GENANZ > 1997-05 > 0862788200


From: Clive Luckman <>
Subject: Re: Tasmanian Genealogy 101
Date: Sun, 04 May 1997 16:23:20 -0700


MUSTERS

I show below my “memory aids” for musters in VDL. Bear in mind that I
made this list mainly for my convict research purposes. Also that I have
not had occasion to look at most of these musters.

I have not checked musters except at the AOT (the best place to go for
such research concerning VDL) and in the US (where I spent two years)
where the LDS Family History Centres can get the relevent films (note
that these LDS films are not allowed to be distributed in Australia). The
State Library in Melbourne will have those films done by the AJCP.

Those musters that I have examined were not, as I recollect it, indexed.
But in 1821 in VDL there were not that many folk there. They were also
quite hard to read (surprise surprise).

It is true that the musters were by district, and not every muster
covered every district. In your case, Oatlands being 85 km north of
Hobart would mean that you should not expect to find your Oatlands lot in
the Hobart musters or directories. Also bear in mind that VDL was
administratively part of NSW until 1825.

See also Nick Vine Hall’s “Tracing Your Family History in Australia”
under the Census heading.

MUSTERS

1806 alphabetic list of convicts and emancipists in ML (Mitchel Library)
and SAONSW.

1810 - 1820 alphabetical return of convicts, not wholly complete, made
up of several
musters

1811 NSW, Hobart Town, Port Dalrymple and Norfolk Isl, convicts,
emancipists and free
men and women. Alphabetic within groups Card index at SAONSW.

Convicts and their children at Hobart 1820, 1821. Card index at SAONSW.

28. Free persons and convicts at Port Dalrymple 1820, 1821. Card index at
SAONSW.

1822 alphabetic returns of males and females. PRO Reel 65.

1823 alphabetic muster of male and female convicts in VDL

1825 as for 1823

1830 Alphabetic muster of convicts in VDL. PRO reel 78

1832 Alphabetic muster of convicts in VDL. PRO reels 78 & 79.

1833 Alphabetic muster of convicts in VDL. PRO reel 79.

1835 Alphabetic muster of convicts in VDL. PRO reel 79.

1837 alphabetic general muster of convicts in NSW and Norfolk Isl. Some
parts missing.
PRO reel 71)

DIRECTORIES AND ALMANACS

See Vine Halls book also for a list of directories and almanacs. Bear in
mind that some directories do not provide any listings of households,
and that when they do it is the head of the household who is listed.

A COUPLE OF OTHER COMMENTS

Since you are reseaching Tasmanian material I presume that you have a
copy of Anne M Bartlett’s book “Local and Family History Sources in
Tasmania”.

I have got value from time spent wading through City Assessment
Rolls/Valuation Rolls which list all properties with their occupiers’
names, owners’ names. annual value, and desription (eg. House, or House
and shop). They were published over several days in the Hobart Town
Gazette (HTG) and/or the Hobart Town Advertiser (and perhaps other
papers). These are in a sort of geographic order - not indexed. I regard
them as more accurate than Directories and Almanacs. The 1862 Valuation
Roll in the HTG certainly covered all of Tasmania, but I do not have the
HTG dates. The AOT has many of them extracted in hard copy on the open
shelves.

The surname RUDD rings a bell. Perhaps it was previous postings on
soc.genealogyaustralia+nz. There are several entries for RUDD in the
latest GRD, and a one name RUDD listing. Nevertheless I suggest you check
the relevant bio books for the esteemed Tasmanian folks.

This has got rather longer than I first thought. Enough.

Cheers and good luck
Clive Luckman

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