Frequently Asked Questions
What is Free Settler or Felon?
Free Settler or Felon is a historical research website offering biographies, ship arrivals, land grants, and records of convicts and settlers in Newcastle and the Hunter Valley, New South Wales from 1788 to 1870.
How can I find local history of the Hunter Valley in the database?
There are a number of references to Local History of the Valley. Click on the quick links below:
Local History
Indigenous
Australian Agricultural Company
Barracks
Breakwater
Church
Cottage
Estate
Executed
Farm
Gaol
Gold Discovery
Hospital
Hotel
Industry
Mounted Police
Newcastle Local History
Obituary (obit)
Regiment
School
Shipwreck
Vessel
Where do the historical records come from?
The site uses original Sources such as convict indents, colonial government correspondence, newspapers, muster rolls, and surgeon journals.
Is the website free to use?
Yes. All resources are freely available for personal and educational use. Please cite the site if using material in research or publications.
What areas does the site cover?
Areas covered include: Maitland, Dungog, Wollombi, Scone, Newcastle, Brisbane Water, Raymond Terrace, Singleton, Muswellbrook, Murrurundi, Merton, Paterson, Lake Macquarie, Lochinvar, Jerry's Plains, Morpeth, Cassilis, Hinton, Clarencetown, Black Creek, Port Stephens, Hexham, Sugar loaf and many more.
Are there Hints and Tips for getting best search results?
Try alternative spelling of the name you are searching or enter just part of the name. For example, entering 'Dav' into the search will return Davis, Davies, Davidson, Davey, Davison etc. There may be differences in spelling in the First name field. For example Daniel John, D.J., Daniel, Dan, Danny, D.
It may be better to search only by surname, and then scroll through the entries which are listed alphabetically. If the initial search is too limited some entries may not be retrieved.
Search by Surname, First name or Ship ( or all three)
If an alternative name is in brackets, be sure to make a different search using the alternative
To search by ship - enter the name of the ship and the year of arrival. eg Hooghley 1834; Royal Admiral 1835 etc. By just entering Royal Admiral or Hooghley references to all years will be retrieved.
If an entry is found by searching under 'ship', be sure to do another search under 'surname', as more records for your person of interest may be found.
The search is not case sensitive. Use either upper or lower case.
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