The
powers of the first Governors of New South Wales under the terms of their
commissions and instructions embraced almost everything necessary for the
exercise of government in a remote and virtually independent command. Thus the
scope of the surviving records maintained by their Secretaries is wide,
reflecting all aspects of the administration of the infant colony.
Ten different
men served as Secretary to the Governor, or to the colony, or 'to Government',
in the 22 years before Governor Macquarie arrived, with an average tenure of
office of less than two years, allowing for vacancies. The arrangements were
not conducive to good record-keeping.
The
arrival of Governor Macquarie at the end of 1809 brought to the office of
Secretary to the Governor probably the ablest and most experienced man who had
yet filled it, one who was to hold it for the longest period, and who, as its
last occupant under the old style, was to be the link between the older casual
system of court appointments and the new method of permanent appointment by
commission from the Crown. In his 11 years of office, the methodical John
Thomas Campbell greatly improved the situation in respect of the public records
of the colony, and the greater part of the surviving records date from this
period.
Generally, a new order and regularity was established in the performance of the public business during the 12 years of Macquarie's administration.
A Certificate
of Freedom was a document stating that a convict's sentence had been served and
was usually given to convicts with a 7, 10 or 14 year sentence. Convicts with a
life sentence could receive a Pardon, but not a Certificate of Freedom. The
Certificate of Freedom number was sometimes annotated on the indent or noted on
a Ticket of Leave Butt. Colonial Certificates of Freedom relate to sentences
received for offences committed after arrival in the colony.
|
Surname |
First |
Alias |
CFNo |
Date |
Vessel |
Year |
SRRef |
Film |
Remarks |
|
MUNDELL |
Alfred |
|
53/0046 |
24 Jun
1853 |
Theresa |
1839 |
4/4415 |
1027 |
TL
46/1507 |
|
MUNDELL |
John |
|
41/0596 |
14 May
1841 |
Royal
Admiral |
1835 |
4/4365 |
1008 |
|
|
Last name: |
Mundell |
|
First name: |
Alfred |
|
Ship: |
Theresa |
|
Year: |
1839 |
|
Native place: |
NR |
|
Trade or calling: |
NR |
|
District: |
Port
Macquarie |
|
Ticket no.: |
46/1507 |
|
State Records shelf ref: |
4/4210 |
|
State Records reel no: |
960 |
Prepared by Bob Dalrymple, PO Box 122, Dapto, NSW Australia 2350
eMail: bob@relativelyyours.com