From about 1615 to 1783 many thousands of people were sentenced to transportation, or had death sentences reduced to transportation, and were sent to the American colonies. Not all of these people were criminals, many being political prisoners, vagrants or debtors and people moved from their land in Ireland and Scotland.

Transportation was for ten years as most colonies would not allow longer sentences. Merchants arranged for shipment, through agents in British ports, and if on arrival in the colonies transportees were not already allocated estates to work on they were put up for auction.

There are no comprehensive lists of transported people and unfortunately where there are lists they do not always state which colony they were sent to.

Some information can be found in The National Archives. For example, lists of people transported or recommended for transportation can be found in Colonial Office records, State Papers series, Patent rolls, Treasury correspondence and Treasury Money Books. The National Archives also holds trial records for the senior courts. See National Archives leaflet on Transportation to America for further information.

Other records such as transportation bonds, delivery of prisoners to agents and ships, transportation agents papers and landing certificates may be found in British county record offices.

For further information see:

Between 1824 and 1853 convicts were also sent to Bermuda to build the Royal Naval dockyard at Ireland Island. These was not a penal settlement and convicts were returned once their sentence was completed. Lists of convicts on the Bermuda hulks are in National Archives series HO 8.

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