| Friends of the Orphan Schools St John's Park Precinct |
Or search by orphan's family name
Where do these records come from?The records made available through our website have been compiled by Joyce Purtscher who is an established local historian and a founding member of the Friends of the Orphan Schools and St John's Park Precinct. They are derived from a number of sources. The official registers of the King's/ Queen's Orphan Schools are the foundation for Joyce's research but over the years she has expanded her records to include information from other official records of the colonial period; information gleaned from newspapers of the day and the research findings and family anecdotes of others. Her endeavours have filled in gaps and expanded the records of some children, such that they emerge as people rather than just another colonial statistic. The official records of the Orphan Schools, which form the basis of this database, are found in the archives of the Social Welfare Department (SWD) which are located in the Archives Office of Tasmania, Tasmanian Archive and Heritage Office (TAHO), State Library of Tasmania, 91 Murray St, Hobart. The relevant records are:
The basic register record includes the child's name, age at admission and dates of admission and discharge; along with the name of the child's mother and father (if known) and the name of the ship on which they arrived in the colony. Records catalogued SWD 26 for the period 1859 - 1879 include applications for admission, along with supporting letters and subsequent correspondence about the child. In many cases details included in the official register are incomplete or incorrect. Sometimes the spelling of surnames for both parents and children varies within the register and between convict and marriage records. For example: the surname of the mother of Catherine Sharkett (Orphan 4879) is recorded as Shooket in the register index, Elizabeth Shukey inside the register, Eleanor Sharkett on the convict record and Ellen Sharkett on the Permission to Marry Form. Variations and discrepancies also occurred because mothers were convicted under their maiden name or because married women who arrived without their husbands re-married shortly after arrival. Children eligible for admission to the Orphan School were those:
Many children were admitted, discharged and later admitted again. In our web register multiple admissions and discharges are listed and separated by a comma (,). There is not always a matching discharge and admission record. Many of the children admitted to the Orphan Schools were the children of convicts. In many cases Joyce's research provides the only link between transported convicts and the children who accompanied them. While the Colonial Office kept meticulous and detailed records of convict arrivals, the given or surnames of accompanying children did not appear on the indent records of arriving ships; the usual practice was simply to record the number of children who arrived on a particular vessel. The records found at this website are copyright. Individual entries may be copied for personal use, provided that the source is acknowledged. Those wishing to copy and use multiple entries should seek permission in writing. Claiming an OrphanIf your search is successful, we offer the facility for you to register your interest in a particular orphan by following the "Claim this Orphan" link at the bottom of the page on which you find the orphan's details. Who can claim?You can claim an orphan whether you are a descendant of the orphan and/ or a researcher interested in a particular orphan or group of orphans. You are welcome to claim more than one orphan. Why claim?There are many reasons to claim an orphan:
How to claim?Follow the links as instructed above and add your information (up to a maximum of 2000 characters) in the text box provided. View already claimed orphansSo far in excess of 400 orphans have been claimed. Read their stories. Further ResearchWe welcome your enquiries and are happy to provide extra information if we have it to hand and have permission to share it, but we regret that we are unable to undertake any research beyond this. As a guide for further research we recommend Archives Office of Tasmania's (AOT) "Records Useful for Genealogical Research". Many colonial newspapers can also be searched via the National Library of Australia's TROVE site. At the our first general meeting on 5 June 2008 guest speaker Joyce Purtscher gave a fascinating and entertaining presentation, Suffer Little Children, on the life children lived at the Queen's Orphan Schools in the 19th century. You can read her account here. Joyce's research was originally published in the following publications:
Researchers wishing to view all admissions to the Orphan Schools may find it useful to consult these publications, however it should be noted that many of these records have been revised and a CD version of this research, which will include this updated information, is currently being prepared. We are not at this time able to advise when the CD will be available for purchase but are happy for you to register your interest and we will contact you when it becomes available. Tasmanian Family History Society Inc
The
Friends of the Orphan Schools has a close association with the Tasmanian Family History Society Inc, including many
common members. Members of the Hobart branch have free access to the Branch Library
(located at the Old Post Office building at 19 Cambridge Road, Bellerive)
and library assistants to assist with personal research. Non-members may
make use of the Library and access the assistants for a small fee per
visit. In addition, the Hobart Branch of THFS Inc has a Coordinator of
Research and a team of assistants who undertake paid research for family
historians and others seeking information about family connections in
Tasmania and beyond but are unable to visit the Library. The basic research fee is $20 per hour and non-members $25 per hour, plus costs related to printing documents and photographs, and postage. Access to this service may be made by contacting the Branch Secretary, PO Box 326, Rosny Park, Tasmania, 7018 or by email. Would you like to stay in touch?The Friends of the Orphan Schools and St John's Park Precinct was formed to highlight the importance of the Precinct as a significant heritage site and ensure its preservation and conservation. If you would like to keep in touch, support our group and learn more about the precinct and orphan children in colonial Tasmania why not consider becoming a member of our group. |
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Site last updated January 2012 |