Convict Love Tokens allowed convicts who were transported to leave something behind for their loved ones. I have chosen to focus on a cluster of love tokens by a trio of men who were tried and convicted for a group crime of ‘breaking into a counting house and stealing – and larceny’. However, only Oakley and Rye were transported and Turner was freed as he provided evidence against the other two criminals. The three love tokens are similar in style and have similar words and meanings.

The first Convict Love Token is Richard Turner, he leaves his token behind for his mother and writes:

‘Dear mother
when this you see
Remember me
and bear me in your
mind let all the **
world say what
thay will speak of
as you find
R.* Turner 1834

Turner reveals his deep emotions by telling his mother not to be affected by what the world will say about him and just ‘bear’ him in her mind and remember the good things about him. Turner makes us question whether he is guilty or not and what things did he tell his mother before he was transported.

The second love token is by Richard Oakley, it is inscribed with almost the same words but created for his wife perhaps:

‘Dear Ch[a]lott
when this you see
Remember me
and bear me in
your mind let all
the world say wha^t
thay will spak of
me as you find
R * HoKlay 1834

Henry Rye has addressed his token to a male called ‘William’ perhaps a close friend or lover. Rye writes:

‘Dear WILLIA
M Wen this you
see re[me]ber me [&]
** bear it in you Min
d*let all the world*
say what thay will
speak of me as
you finD*H*rye
18  34’

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Love-tokens.nma.gov.au, (2015). Home · Convict love tokens. [online] Available at: http://love-tokens.nma.gov.au/ [Accessed 10 Mar. 2015].