NRS-1344 | Windsor: List of persons receiving rations

Full description

The book was used for keeping lists of names of people of every status who were receiving food and/or clothing rations from the government stores at Windsor; separate lists being kept for Military Officers, their wives, their children, Civil Officers, their wives, children, Free Men, Settlers, Free Women, their children, Male Convicts, Female Convicts.

An exact date for the first entry in the volume cannot be given, but it would appear that some time in 1812 the Storekeeper made out lists of persons receiving store rations at the time, and these lists cover the pages numbered 1 to 32. In addition to personal names, the record was also designed to provide the following information: date when person placed on rations, name of ship by which individual entered colony, and date when person ceased to receive rations.

When a individual ceased to receive rations, a red line was drawn through his name, and the date noted in the appropriate column. Since movement to another settlement was the normal cause for cessation of rations, the place of destination is usually given (eg. "Syd", "Parra"). When a person who was to receive rations arrived at Windsor, his name was added to the appropriate list with the date.

After a period of time the lists became cluttered with many names crossed out and new ones added, and so a new series of lists was drawn up at the end of January 1813, beginning on page 33 of the volume. All names which were not deleted on the previous lists were copied on to new lists, and the record was then kept up to date as before. Revised lists continued to be made as often as was considered necessary, and thus the volume contains a number of distinct lists ending in 1818.

An index of all names of people occurring in the volume was made by the Mitchell Library, and the index cards incorporated in the Mitchell Library Catalogue of Manuscripts. A contents list of social status headings with page reference has been pasted at the front of the volume.

(ML A803). 1 vol.

Note:

This description is extracted from Concise Guide to the State Archives of New South Wales, 3rd Edition 2000.