Many Scottish criminals and rebels (of widely different political and religious opinions) were banished to North American colonies and to Australia. In the seventeenth century many Covenanters were banished to the North American colonies. Their descendants were joined by Jacobites captured in the 1715 and 1745 rebellions. Transportation to North America continued until 1776. Between the 1790s and 1868 many Scottish criminals, including radicals from the 1820 uprising, were transported to Australia. Finding information about the trial, journey and arrival of transportees involves searching through various archives and libraries in Scotland and abroad.

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The text above is a summary of a longer article on emigration in the SCAN Knowledge Base, which also contains a bibliography and links. You can read this by clicking here.

The Knowledge Base also contains answers to Frequently Asked Questions. Click on one of these for an answer compiled by Scotland's archivists, or click on the Knowledge Base for a wider selection.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I find the trial record of someone transported to:

1. Australia or New Zealand?

2. North America?

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