Data from 'Convict Maids'

Convict Maids

(Convict Indents, Archives Office of NSW)

Data collected by Deborah Oxley and Alison Tucker, University of New South Wales.

The following tables are based on information recorded in the Convict Indents, Archives Office of NSW. Information was collected for all 9,492 female convicts arriving in NSW between 1814 and 1840 inclusive.

'Percent' expresses the proportion of the total of all convict women.

'Valid percent' expresses the proportion of the total of convict women for whom information is known.

'Cumulative percent' is the running total (valid percent) at that point in the table.

Internal links to tables:

1. Female convict arrivals by year, 1814-40

2. Sentence of transportation

3. Categories of crime

4. Previous convictions

5. Country of trial

6. Age distribution

7. Level of literacy

8. Religion

9. Marital status

1. FEMALE CONVICT ARRIVALS IN N.S.W. BY YEAR, 1814-40 (top)

Year	Number of convict women	Percent
1814	339	3.6
1815	181	1.9
1816	185	1.9
1817	190	2.0
1818	327	3.4
1820	343	3.6
1821	80	0.8
1822	208	2.2
1823	322	3.4
1824	197	2.1
1825	244	2.6
1826	101	1.1
1827	511	5.4
1828	374	3.9
1829	498	5.2
1830	449	4.7
1831	515	5.4
1832	384	4.0
1833	649	6.8
1834	462	4.9
1835	181	1.9
1836	676	7.1
1837	541	5.7
1838	335	3.5
1839	736	7.8
1849	463	4.9
1842	1	0.0
Total	9492	100.0

2. SENTENCE OF TRANSPORTATION (top)

Length sentenced to transportation	Number of convict women	Percent	Valid Percent	Cumulative Percent
4 years	1	0.0	0.0	0.0
5 years	1	0.0	0.0	0.0
7 years	7140	75.2	75.8	75.9
10 years	180	1.9	1.9	77.8
14 years	1062	11.2	11.3	89.0
15 years	46	0.5	0.5	89.5
Life	985	10.4	10.5	100.0
Valid Total	9415	99.2	100.0	-
Missing	77	0.8	-	-
Total	9492	100.0	-	-

3. CATEGORIES OF CRIME (top)

-	Number of convict women	Percent	Valid Percent	Cumulative Percent
Breaking	169	1.8	2.5	2.5
Picking pockets	271	2.9	4.1	6.6
Receiving	258	2.7	3.9	10.5
Robbery	1300	13.7	19.6	30.1
Shoplifting	309	3.3	4.7	34.7
Stealing	3909	41.2	58.9	93.6
Vagrancy	154	1.6	2.3	95.9
Violent crimes	121	1.3	1.8	97.7
Other	150	1.6	2.3	100.0
Valid total	6641	70.0	100.0	-
Missing	2851	30.0	-	-
Total	9492	100.0	-	-

4. PREVIOUS CONVICTIONS (top)

Number of previous convictions	Number of convict women	Percent	Valid Percent	Cumulative Percent
0	4288	45.2	63.5	63.5
1	1896	20.0	28.1	91.6
2	386	4.1	5.7	97.3
3	105	1.1	1.6	98.8
4	19	0.2	0.3	99.1
5	11	0.1	0.2	99.3
6	6	0.1	0.1	99.4
7	6	0.1	0.1	99.5
8	3	0.0	0.0	99.5
9	2	0.0	0.0	99.5
11	1	0.0	0.0	99.6
12	1	0.0	0.0	99.6
15	2	0.0	0.0	99.6
More than 15	27	0.3	0.4	100.0
Valid total	6753	71.1	100.0	-
Missing	2739	28.9	-	-
Total	9492	100.0	-	-

5. COUNTRY OF TRIAL (top)

-	Number of convict women	Percent	Valid Percent	Cumulative Percent
England	4579	48.2	48.7	48.7
Ireland	4313	45.4	45.9	94.7
Scotland	424	4.5	4.5	99.2
Wales	57	0.6	0.6	99.8
Other	21	0.2	0.2	100.0
Valid Total	9394	99.0	100.0	-
Missing	98	1.0	-	-
Total	9492	100.0	-	-

6. AGE DISTRIBUTION (top)

Years of age	Number of convict women	Percent	Valid Percent	Cumulative Percent
9	1	0.0	0.0	0.0
10	1	0.0	0.0	0.0
11	1	0.0	0.0	0.0
12	6	0.1	0.1	0.1
13	8	0.1	0 1	0.2
14	29	0.3	0.3	0.5
15	61	0.6	0.7	1.2
16	125	1.3	1.4	2.6
17	249	2.6	2.8	5.4
18	419	4.4	4.7	10.0
19	530	5.6	5.9	15.9
20	762	8.0	8.5	24.4
21	503	5.3	5.6	30.0
22	608	6.4	6.8	36.8
23	489	5.2	5.4	42.4
24	446	4.7	5.0	47.2
25	495	5.2	5.5	52.7
26	450	4.7	5.0	57.7
27	324	3.4	3.6	61.3
28	384	4.0	4.3	65.6
29	246	2.6	2.7	68.3
30	560	5.9	6.2	74.6
31	115	1.2	1.3	75.8
32	162	1.7	1.7	77.7
33	130	1.4	1.4	79.1
34	158	1.7	1.8	80.9
35	191	2.0	2.1	83.0
36	136	1.4	1.5	84.5
37	99	1.0	1.1	85.6
38	112	1.2	1.2	86.9
39	85	0.9	0.9	87.8
40	323	3.4	3.6	91.4
41	43	0.5	0.5	91.9
42	67	0.7	0.7	92.6
43	48	0.5	0.5	93.2
44	50	0.5	0.6	93.7
45	79	0.8	0.9	94.6
46	58	0.6	0.6	95.2
47	36	0.4	0.4	95.6
48	41	0.4	0.5	96.1
49	24	0.3	0.3	96.4
50	109	1.1	1.2	97.6
51	22	0.2	0.2	97.8
52	23	0.2	0.3	98.1
53	17	0.2	0.2	98.3
54	11	0.1	0.1	98.4
55	26	0.3	0.3	98.7
56	11	0.1	0.1	98.8
57	15	0.2	0.2	99.0
58	10	0.1	0.1	99.1
59	7	0.1	0.1	99.2
60	38	0.4	0.4	99.6
61	5	0.1	0.1	99.7
62	4	0.0	0.0	99.7
63	3	0.0	0.0	99.7
64	2	0.0	0.0	99.7
65	5	0.1	0.1	99.8
66	3	0.0	0.0	99.8
67	4	0.0	0.0	99.9
68	1	0.0	0.0	99.9
69	1	0.0	0.0	99.9
70	4	0.0	0.0	99.9
72	1	0.0	0.0	99.9
74	1	0.0	0.0	100.0
76	1	0.0	0.0	100.0
78	1	0.0	0.0	100.0
80	1	0.0	0.0	100.0
84	1	0.0	0.0	100.0
Valid total	8981	94.6	100.0	-
Missing	511	5.4	-	-
Total	9492	100.0	-	-

7. LEVEL OF LITERACY (top)

Neither read nor write	2443	25.7	36.1	36.1
Reads	2833	29.8	41.9	78.0
Reads and writes	1489	15.7	22.0	100.0
Valid total	6765	71.3	100.0	-
Missing	2727	28.7	-	-
TOTAL	9492	100.0	-	-

8. RELIGION (top)

-	Number of convict women	Percent	Valid Percent	Cumulative Percent
Catholic	3594	37.9	53.1	53.1
Protestant	3029	31.9	44.8	97.9
Jewish	6	0.1	0.1	98.0
Gipsy	1	0.0	0.0	98.0
Presbyterian	106	1.1	1.6	99.6
Methodist	13	0.1	0.2	99.8
Heathen	1	0.0	0.0	99.8
Baptist	9	0.1	0.1	100.0
Dissenter	3	0.0	0.0	100.0
Valid total	6762	71.2	100.0	-
Missing	2730	28.8	-	-
Total	9492	100.0	-	-

9. MARITAL STATUS (top)

-	Number of convict women	Percent	Valid Percent	Cumulative Percent
Single	4194	44.2	62.0	62.0
Married	1598	16.8	23.6	85.7
Widowed	970	10.2	14.3	100.0
Valid total	6762	71.2	100.0	-
Missing	2730	28.8	-	-
Total	9492	100.0	-	-