My great grandfather, Henri Garnay - Paris, France, I believe was a prisoner in New Caledonia approx late 1870's - and maybe early 1880's. If I am able to access any information re Garnay - Henrold or Henri, alias Chappin, I would be most grateful.

Hi there, I am not much help. I am just hoping you have found a way to research this and can tell me. My Great Grandfather Henri Baret, Paris, France was a prisoner in New Caledonia in the 1870's and I want to access any convict records about him. Did you find a way to do so? I would be so grateful if you could give me any help.

No, I was unable to access information for New Caledonia, but certainly had sucess with police records in Sydney. Gather Henri Garnay escaped from New Caledonia and managed to reach Sydney and believe he received 16 years here in Sydney and deported back to New Calodonia in 1870's.

Thanks for letting me know. It has been suggested to me by a French genealogist that there may be a way to access New Caledonian records about French convicts. If I have success I will let you know.

Perhaps it is too late to be helpful, but zebedee and I have found some info about our French convict ancestor at http://anom.archivesnationales.culture.gouv.fr/bagnards_doss...
I can't find a Chappin or Garnay convict between 1860 and 1890, but the spelling could be different. Worth trying!

State records has a list of former French convicts living in Sydney in 1885. There is a "Henry Chappin, libérée, tailor at Loise Pitt street". I don't have the page which would contain Garnay.

There are some mentions of Henri Garnay in newspapers on Trove.

I hope this helps you.

Lyn

Lyn,
Thankyou for your advice re Henri Garnay, alias Chappin.
I shall certainly follow up with your advice. I believe that Henri Garnay was returned to New Caledonia - 16 years imprisonment. I had always been told that he died in the 1870's!!! I was able to gather some information from Trove but shall do more research.
Jennette

I'm intrigued that Garnay does not appear in the archives d'outre-mer. There is a Garnier, Henri Paul Aristide
condamné au bagne en 1872 (Nouvelle-Calédonie)
who was apparently part of the Commune de Paris in 1871. Could this be your Garnay?

Are you sure that Garnay and Chappin in Sydney in 1885 and 1886 are the same person?

What else do you know about Henri Garnay?