Lot 631

Description

Convict love token, (on a cartwheel penny ?), obverse, stippled inscription `John / Woodcock / Lagd for / 7 years / Oct 26 / 1816', reverse, incomplete but appears to show the remnants of a Masonic triangle with the letters `Th' and `HB' therein. Fine/very good and rare as records of known tokens indicate that this is the earliest token known to remain in private hands.

Johnathan Woodcock described in records as a sawyer or labourer was born in Hertford, England in 1796. In 1813 he received a 7 year sentence for larceny and was transported to Australia arriving on the `Fanny' in 1816. Records show that he successfully applied to marry Amelia Bowing in 1819 and that a son, James, was born in 1820. He received a certificate of freedom for his original sentence on 4th June 1821 but was again back before the Sydney Criminal Court in June of 1822 when he was again sentenced to 7 years. His name appears on the convict musters of 1822, 1825 and 1828 and show that he resided at Port Macquarie during this period. He was eventually freed on the 26th June 1829 and appears to have remained out of further trouble until his death in 1849.