In 1615 the Privy Council authorized the transportation of criminals to America [esp. Virginia] as an alternative to hanging. This continued until the War of Independence in 1776. After that, as British gaols began to get overcrowded, Parliament authorized transportation to Australia. The first ship set sail on 13th May 1787. New South Wales was declared a British colony in 1788.Transportation continued until 1868. Pirton records cover the period 1800-1849 and are held at The National Archives, Kew [HO11]
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