C R I M E A N D P U N I S H M E N T digitalschools Primary Sources Source A - Annie Swift from Archives Reference: CH 287, CP 116, ICPS 1545/1870 Transcript Newspaper: (RE)SOURCE PACK At the Auckland Police Court, on Thursday, Anne Swift who has been almost constantly in gaol since her arrival in Auckland eighteen months ago, was again sent for four months to gaol on a charge of vagrancy. The manner in which she came here is somewhat peculiar. While in Christchurch she conducted herself in the same manner as she has done since her arrival in Auckland, and to get rid of their liability in keeping in gaol a woman whom their own emigration agent had sent from London, the authorities of Christchurch paid her passage to Auckland, and put her on board a steamer in charge of an official, and thus burdened this province with her support. We think steps should be taken to relieve this province of such a burden by sending her back whence she came. Notes: Mr March, Let me have full particulars as to the case referred to in the above newspaper passage which the Superintendent of Auckland has brought under my attention. Wm Rolleston, July 6 1870 PS Show this & your reply to Mr Jolie Source B - Report of the Lyttelton and Christchurch Gaols for the Financial Year Ending September 30th 1871 from Archives Reference: CH 287, CP 123, ICPS 1581/1871 Transcript Routine of Duty Duty in the Lyttelton Gaol is conducted in accordance with the Rules and Regulations authorised by the General Government Gazette of 12th March 1857 Routine of Duty on Sundays Doors unlocked, and morning duties performed, as on other days. Prayers are read by the gaoler, after which Breakfast is served at 7:30a.m. At 8 a.m. The Prisoners are locked up for two hours, the Officers then get Breakfast and clean themselves. At 10 a.m. The Prisoners are turned out for Exercises etc. during the remainder of the day; at 12 O clock Dinner is served. At 2 p.m. The Gaol Regulations are read to the Prisoners by the Gaoler, the Prisoners library books are then exchanged for the week. At 3 p.m. Divine Service is performed by the Rev. W Moley, Wesleyan Minister on the first Sunday in the month, the Rev W.S.McGowan, Presbyterian Minister on the last Sunday of the Month, and the Rev J Knowles, Church of England Minister on intermediate Sundays. All Protestant Prisoners attend the sessions of the three Denominations and sing the appropriate Hymns and Psalms of each Sect. The Prisoners have formed a very fair Choir, in which they take great interest. The Roman Catholics, numbering on average on fourth the total Prisoners in Gaol, have their Spiritual requirements attended to by the Reverend Father Bobieuse, Resident Priest in Lyttelton. Crime and Punishment Resource Pack page 1
Source A - Annie Swift from Archives Reference: CH 287, CP 116, ICPS 1545/1870 Crime and Punishment Resource Pack, page 2
Source B - Report of the Lyttelton and Christchurch Gaols for the Financial Year Ending September 30th 1871 from Archives Reference: CH 287, CP 123, ICPS 1581/1871 Archives Reference: CH 287, CP 123, ICPS 1581/1871 Report Cover Crime and Punishment Resource Pack page 3
Archives Reference: CH 287, CP 123, ICPS 1581/1871 Page 5 Crime and Punishment Resource Pack, page 4
Archives Reference: Police Gazette 1878 Page 166 Crime and Punishment Resource Pack page 5
AN INTRODUCTION TO HISTORICAL SOURCES digitalschools An Introduction to Historical Sources When you decide to conduct research into a particular theme, issue or family you can use a wide variety of sources to answer questions and provide evidence about the past. There are two types of sources: Primary sources are actual records of the time such as letters, files, photographs etc. Some primary sources can be published documents. These were created for large audiences and were distributed widely. Published documents include government reports, advertisements, maps, pamphlets, posters, laws, and court decisions. Primary Sources are unique and irreplaceable. Primary sources are found in archival institutions such as Archives New Zealand, or the Documentary Research Centre at Canterbury Museum. Secondary sources are works which interpret or analyse an historical event. They are often accounts of the past created by people writing about events after they happened, such as books, films, essays etc. Secondary sources are not unique and can be replaced if lost or stolen. Secondary Sources can be found at institutions such as libraries or on websites eg Canterbury Public Library, New Zealand History Website. The New Zealand Government creates thousands of records every year. They cover a wide range of subjects, from citizenship to deceased estates, land ownership to health policy. Some of the records are valuable not only at the time, for the administration of government, but also into the future both as evidence and information. When using these primary sources you should remember that they were created to service a particular need of government and this may have been the reason why the records were kept. The historical information they contain is additional to this evidential data. Archives New Zealand was established to care for these public records. Publications: Publications are material that have been printed, published and made available to a wide audience. In terms of historical research, published material can be used to interpret or analyse an historical event. Publications should be evaluated for reliability, bias and accuracy. When using publications you should think about who the intended audience was as their bias is often reflected in published materials.you can find a range of published sources at the Christchurch City Libraries. Manuscripts/Unpublished material: Many manuscripts and unpublished documents have survived and are in museum, library or private collections. These primary sources include personal letters, diaries and journals, family histories. Sometimes (RE)SEARCH INFO Crime and Punishment Resource Pack, page 6 Archives Ref: CH 287, ICPW 2047/1875 Fendal Town Map Image Courtesy of Colin Amodeo
special archives are established to look after documents and records from a particular organisation like church archives (eg. the Methodist Church of New Zealand Archives) or a business (eg Bank of New Zealand Archives). These records can give evidence about the past. These unpublished resources were often created by people interested in history, who wanted to keep a record of events. You can fi nd these sources in places like Canterbury Museum. Newspapers/Magazines: Some primary sources are also publications. Publications were created for large audiences and were widely available. Newspapers and magazines are very useful resources when looking at particular periods in history. They contain fi rst-hand accounts of events, editorials and advertisements. When using newspapers and magazines to research a history topic, remember that just because something was published in a paper does not make it accurate, truthful, or reliable. Reporters also have a point of view and prejudices. But even these bias can help you understand the past. You can fi nd sources like these at Christchurch City Libraries. Websites: Websites can contain primary sources (such as digital images of documents) but those type of sites are in themselves secondary sources. Some websites may be considered a primary source if it capturing evidence of an organisation s activity (eg. fi lling in an on-line enrolment form for a Polytech course). You can search on the web using Google to access some of these sites, or you can visit a site like www.nzhistory.net.nz Movies: There are a lot of historical movies available today (eg. Braveheart, Gladiator, Troy, Emma). Although the story they tell may be based on history some dramatic license may be taken with historical events and personalities to make the movie more interesting. These secondary sources can be useful for helping researchers visualise a particular era. You can fi nd these, and other, movies at your local videostore. Art/Visual: The types of primary, visual sources include photographs, paintings, and other types of artwork. Visual documents, like art works, capture a particular moment in time. They can provide evidence of what that time was like and they can be used to compare changes over time. Art and visual records can present evidence about a culture at a specifi c era in history (eg Maori customs in the late nineteenth century). It is important to remember that like all primary sources, a visual record has a creator with a point of view or bias (eg. painter). Even photographs cannot be taken at face value. You need to look behind the lens to the photographers who used fi lm and cameras to create desired results. You can fi nd artworks at the Christchurch Art Gallery. Oral/Sound: Oral histories were how our ancestors passed down stories about the past. Before writing became popular this how generations passed on their traditions and knowledge. Historians can fi nd out about the lives of ordinary people through their oral stories. Oral histories are important primary historical sources that give us important information about people, particularly minority groups who may have been excluded from published records, who did not leave behind written sources. Sound recordings may document events, meetings, interviews or oral histories and form invaluable records and archives. The recordings help give meaning to New Zealand history and both enhance and expand the cultural identity of New Zealand. You can fi nd oral histories at the Alexander Turnbull Library and old sound recordings can be found at The Radio New Zealand Sound Archives. Archives Ref: AAAC 898, NCWA 237 Sargeant O Malley Crime and Punishment Resource Pack page 7
C R I M E A N D P U N I S H M E N T digitalschools An Introduction to Archival Sources - Crime and Punishment Introduction During the 1850s, 1860s and 1870s, the Provincial Government and the General Government operated together to ensure law and order was maintained, and crime punished. In effect, the day to day running of the police and prisons was left to the Provincial Government, and it is through its archive that most of the documents survive today. Researchers can find annual reports from the various Gaols in Canterbury, returns of prisoners tried, reports on individuals and rules and regulations for the treatment of convicts. Researchers should also consider Police Gazettes, as these provide a useful overview of crime throughout the country. Court records are more problematic, as many of these are covered by complete restrictions. Institutions Canterbury Provincial Government Between 1853 and 1876 New Zealand was ruled by a method of Government which included elements of a federal system. The archives of the provincial government in Canterbury provide an important record of life in the region during this period. Representative government in the colony was granted in a decentralised form under the provisions of the New Zealand Constitution Act 1852, which established the Provincial Government of Canterbury (the boundaries of which stretched across the Alps to include the West Coast below the Grey River, known as West Canterbury ). This comprised an elected executive, in the form of the Superintendent and his executive council, and an elected legislature, the Provincial Council. The provincial governments in the colony were given functions similar to those of local bodies in England: public works, immigration, education, public health, jails and police, but claimed for themselves other functions during their 25 years existence. In the middle years of its existence the Provincial Government in Canterbury administered the province through the following bureaucracy: The Provincial Secretary was the chief public servant reporting to the Superintendent, but by 1864 his department was helped by a separate Office of the Secretary for Public Works, and an officer responsible for the administration of the goldfields in West Canterbury. The three departments reporting directly to the Superintendent were therefore: 1. Provincial Secretary s Department 2. Office of Secretary for Public Works 3. Secretary for the Goldfields (RE)SEARCH INFO The Immigration Department reported to the Provincial Secretary. In London an immigration Crime and Punishment immigration Resource resource Pack, kit, page 8 Archives Reference: CH287, CP71, ICPS 1543(1)/1865
agent help secure immigrants for the province. General Government The 1852 Constitution also established representative and later, responsible, government at a national level, by which the Governor acted on the advice of elected members of the national General Assembly. The General Government kept to itself control of a number of areas such as defence, justice and customs. As the spheres of administration of the general and provincial governments were not clearly set out, however, the 25 years in which this dual system was in place saw many disagreements between the General Government and the various provincial governments, and many changes in who could do what to whom. Immigration was one of these areas of dispute and change. Until 1870 the administration of immigration into the colony was clearly in the hands of the provincial governments. Then the General Government passed the Immigration and Public Works Act in 1870 as part of the expanded programme of immigration and public works associated with the Colonial Treasurer, Julius Vogel. An Agent General was appointed in London over the agents acting for the various provinces. In 1871 it became compulsory for the provinces to put immigration under the control of the Agent General. Canterbury s immigration staff became employees of the General Government in 1872, and the provincial immigration officer became the General Government immigration officer for the province. However, the Provincial Government continued to be involved in immigration until the time of its demise. Records The Canterbury Provincial Government Archives CH287,CP 98, ICPS 943/1867 - Immigration Report These records form an extremely rich resource for the history of Canterbury in this period. The most useful sources in the Canterbury Provincial archives (CP) are three very large series: 1. Inwards Correspondence of the Provincial Secretary (ICPS) -1853-1877 2. Inwards Correspondence of the Secretary for Public Works (ICPW) 1864-1877 3. Papers of the Provincial Council (PPC) - 1853-75 1. The Inwards Correspondence of the Provincial Secretary (ICPS) The Provincial Secretary was the most important civil servant of the Provincial Government, and was its hub - especially from 1853-63 when there was no Secretary for Public Works. His inwards correspondence is a massive series (some 182 boxes) and it covers all possible facets of the Provincial Government s activities - immigration, education, charitable aid, health, public works (until 1864), goldfields, justice and so on. 2. The Inwards Correspondence of the Secretary for Public Works (ICPW) This is also a very large series of correspondence and starts in 1864 when the first Secretary for Public Works was appointed. ICPW is the place to look for correspondence relating to any Provincial Government building activity - including railways, the Lyttelton rail tunnel, roads, bridges, public buildings, immigration barracks and so on. 3. Papers of the Provincial Council (PPC) These are all the surviving papers presented to or created by the Canterbury Provincial Council in each of its 42 sessions. This series allows you to see just what the Provincial Council was doing - how it was spending its money, how policy was formulated and legislation enacted (called Ordinances). Regular reports on a variety of topics can be found in this series, and sometimes these cover the lifespan of the Provincial Government. Crime and Punishment Resource Pack page 9
Other Important Series Police Gazettes These are annual, published volumes that contain information used by Police throughout the country to note missing persons, rewards, offences and offenders, returns of prisoners etc. The volumes contain a nominal index, allowing researchers to efficiently search for individuals - including criminals - named in them. Outwards Correspondence There are outwards letterbooks containing copies of outwards correspondence from the Superintendent, the Provincial Secretary, the Secretary for Public Works, and the Secretary for Railways. Inwards Correspondence of the Secretary for Railways (ICR) For the years 1868-74 there was a separate correspondence system for the Railways Office. Special Subject Files (SSF) These are large files on particular subjects. They are made up of correspondence drawn from ICPS, ICPW and ICR, and were kept separate from their mother series - no doubt for ease of reference. Further Archival Sources There are within the archives of the Provincial Government many other relevant records relating to the trial and punishment of lawbreakers, and most of these are found within the series: Inwards Correspondence of the Provincial Secretary. While some have been indexed by Archives New Zealand volunteers, most can be found only by using the original indexes to the above series. Archives New Zealand also has much archival material transferred from the various magistrate s and supreme courts sitting in Canterbury and Westland, although criminal records from these sources are heavily restricted. Crime and Punishment Resource Pack, page 10