In 1812/1813, would a Free Settler travelling from the UK to Australia to join a life sentenced convict spouse sent previously, would they have paid for their travel, or would they have been sent "complements" of the government?
If the settler paid, how much would they have paid? and would they have had to pay that all up front, or would they have been able to pay it off over time after arrival in the colony?
Thanks
May I ask for some details about this prospective free settler. For example:
Her name as found on the arrival in Jan 1814 .... What ship? What port of arrival?
The Governor at the time was Lachlan Macquarie, and it was during his administration that we find the 'bureaucrats' setting up administrative systems. Many of the original records from that era are available at the NSW SRO. There are RChatters who are usually on the Aussie Board who are known to volunteer to go along to the Kingswood Archives office of NSW SRO and look items up for other RChatters.
On the other hand, there's also Ancestry which NSW SRO has a current partnership with and the Col Sec's papers 1788-1825 are currently available there. So if you have access to a public library you may find they have access to the images too, via Ancestry.
Yes, depending on the Trade Winds, depended on how many ports the ship needed to call into and collect any supplies etc for the voyage. So four months is a fair estimate for any voyage arriving Jan 1814 from any UK port.
Of course, you need also to consider
a) when was the person convicted .... therefore how much time had the free settler had to make the arrangements and
b) if the free settler had sufficient means to 'want' to come and thus be the support for the convict
(Afterall in 1814 the convict did NOT have any barracks to house himself, and thus was likely to be assigned to someone already residing in the colony. That person could well be a former convict, or a merchant, or a town resident. But in 1814 it is not likely the convict was sent west over the Blue Mountains (explored and passage found over these in May 1813).
c) If the convict was NOT in Sydney Town, then where was he assigned, perhaps to Newcastle or further north or perhaps to VDL ....
So to answer your question ..... Gov Macquarie did have authority to approve requests for spouse to join a convict, but usually only gave such permission after he had determined the convict was of good character usually evidenced by issue of a ToL..... and then the fare would be covered by the English Admin and the spouse found passage usually with a garrison force despatch. If on the other hand the free settler wanted to come anyway and thus without permission of the Governor, then the passage would need to be organised and funded by the settler. Of course, strictly speaking the settler needed permission to enter a penal colony and settle there. That could be sought from the Governor of NSW or it could be sought by the applicant (the settler) applying to the Secretary of State for the Colonies in England, (Whitehall ?)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Secretary_of_State_for_the_ColoniesCheers, JM
