The missing years

I had been collecting information on my various families for some time, when I decided that my collection had grown from fitting neatly into a single display book to one bulging with papers sticking out in all directions. I had ten papers filed in each plastic sleeve and needed to organise. A trip to the shop provided me with several folders and a pile of plastic sheets. Gradually I arranged papers under names, dates and events. I thought I was doing really well. In the first year you come a long way when you start collecting. Back in the late 80s, it meant going through microfiche and books or newspapers one at a time but it made you really appreciate what you found and gradually, the file grew thicker. Next step was take one person at a time and put all the information in chronological order. It was then that I realised that there were years for which there was absolutely nothing. Far from having a comprehensive folio, I was missing about 30 years of Ephraim’s life.

Next came a call from my sister whose son had been to Port Arthur (as a visitor, not an inmate!) and asked at a display, whether Ephraim Doe had ever been there. Despite my Aunt having previously written and receiving a reply in the negative, records were now being indexed and the reply was different. Ephraim had spent time at Port Arthur! This was not recorded on his indent, so I returned to the Archives and was given another film on which it was just possible that I might find something. It was a matter of going through and checking everything as there was no order at all. It seems that some convicts who spent time under the assignment system and then the probation system had a second indent and the extra records were on this film. I trailed from one record to the next and suddenly it appeared. Along the bottom was written “October 17 1867, 15 years Port Arthur, manslaughter”. What a find!!!

Next I was off to the newspaper files where I checked all the papers for the relevant dates. I found a report on the trial and then backtracked to the original reports of when the incident had occurred. I ordered copies from two of the papers and a few days later in the mail, I received an A4 photograph of each page of broadsheet. This was a new challenge. The writing was miniscule and I had to find the best of the best in magnifying glasses to read it all. The cost was about $10 per page and now it is available for free over the internet!

This information could have been found years earlier, but for a grave mistake. The date of the offence was also meant to be written on Bridget Doe’s file, but the clerk accidentally inscribed it onto the file of the previous prisoner in the record book. Let us hope that the poor woman never suffered because of it.

Read about the tribulations of Bridget and Ephraim by going to Trove nla newspapers.

Did Ephraim look as dapper as this at Port Arthur?