Find your ancestors in Tasmania Reports of Crime 1876

The Tasmanian Police Gazettes (or Reports of Crime as they were initially called), are a wonderful resource of fascinating historical information that you will not find elsewhere. Packed with names, dates and events for historians, the Police Gazettes provided information and instructions to members of the police force.

You can expect the Tasmanian Police Gazettes to include the following type of information: warrants issued, apprehensions, prisoners released on tickets of leave, discharges, deserters from families and service, missing friends, inquests, changes in the police force (promotions, demotions, those that left the service etc.), property lost or stolen, licences issued for hawkers, carriers and tanners, details of paupers, and so much more ...

Example entry taken from the 17 November 1876 issue:

Absconded
On the morning of the 19th July, 1876, at 8 o'clock, dressed in grey prison clothing, from the gang employed at the New Ston Shed, Campbel-street. James Mullins, or Conway, or Leary, undergoing a sentence of 3 years passed on him a S.C. Hobart, on 13th July, 1875, for housebreaking and larceny, F.S. per Neptune 2, aged 45, 5 feet 7 1/2 inches high, fresh complexion, medium head, brown hair, no whiskers, round visage, high forehead, light brown eyebrows, light blue eyes, long thing nose, medium mouth and chin, native place Cork, Ireland, a labourer; single, small mole on left cheek, face sun-freckled, scar on forehead above left eye, red mole and scar on right cheek.

Gazettes are published by governments and their agencies as a means of communication to officials and the general public. As such they are useful, not only to monitor the actions of the government, but also as far as family historians are concerned, they are valuable primary source documents.