"Certificate of Emancipation"

[Neil Todd]

From my limited study of the times, It seemed that Governor Macquarie preferred to list some of the previously "detained" as EMANCIPATED. He was what could be termed a Liberal, much to the disgust of some of his contemporaries and even appointed one Emancipated Ex Con as a SURGEON one as a Architect among a few others. Seems he actually read the files of the convicts and didn't just rubber stamp them. If their crime was "in his eyes" harsh and possibly inhuman he emancipated them. Rather than just a Cert of freedom. I really don't believe that more than half returned, it was not even allowed for lifers and there were only two real terms, 7 years and 14 yrs.

Many of the men who could not get their original spouse out here, remarried. Don't see them going back, also the BDM's would have a far greater amount of missing fathers and lack of deaths than what appears. The census figures in England and Ireland don't represent these figure either.

Neil

[cupoflife]

Geelong Advertiser and Intelligencer 30May1853 http://trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/94358495
ACSCONDER.
William Hardyman, who had been remanded for 10 days, to allow him an opportunity of proving his freedom, having been before charged by Sergeant McCarty, of the Geelong Police Force, with being a runaway prisoner of the Crown from Van Diemen's Land, was placed before the Bench for final disposal.
Hardyman again assured His Worship, that he had some time ago became free, but had had the misfortune to loose his certificate of emancipation; he entreated the Magistrate, that if any doubt remained upon his mind, to remand him again, until a satisfactory proof of his having become free would be obtained from Tasmania.
The Magistrate said, that the importance of a certificate of freedom was such, to all those who had been emancipated, that he was inclined to lend a deaf ear to any assertion of its having been lost; the evidence against Hardyman was so conclusive, that he should order him to be deported to Hobart Town.
Upon this decision, the prisoner was again conducted to Jail, to be forwarded by the first vessel to Hobart Town.

Argus 9Aug1854 http://trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/4796139
PRISONERS  OF THE CROWN.-William White was brought up at the City Court on Monday, charged with being a prisoner of the Crown illegally at large. He showed his certificate of emancipation; but as that document did not allow of his being in this colony, he was remanded back to Van Diemen's Land.

[Seaton Smithy]

Thanks, Cup.

The first article is good example of the the two terms being used in a way that suggests equinalence, and the second is an indication that "emancipation" did not appear to carry any more weight than "freedom".