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Undated: James Godfrey / Hannah Jones / T Boulton / S Stevens

Object number: 2006.0086.0002

Undated: James Godfrey / Hannah Jones / T Boulton / S Stevens

Object number: 2006.0086.0002

James Godfrey, 33, baker, was convicted at the Central Court in London for larceny on 30 January 1837. He was sentenced to seven years’ transportation. He sailed for Van Diemen’s Land (Tasmania) on the Susan, arriving 21 November 1837.

Godfrey was assigned to Mr J Knight in Launceston. However, he was accused of stealing and discharged from his assignment in October 1838. In February 1841, James received six months’ hard labour for being drunk and creating a disturbance. The government recommended a location in an interior district where he continued to be assigned to various masters. In August 1846, Godfrey left Tasmania a free man, bound for Port Phillip on board the Shamrock.

Diameter: 35mm, thickness: 2.5mm

Front:

Token engraved with an elaborate swirling stippled design and a scroll shape containing stippled text. To the left and right of the main text are the names:

T. BOULTON.
S. STEVENS.

Within the scroll are the names:

JAMES
GODFREY
HANNAH
JONES

Back:

Token engraved with a stippled shield design with an elaborate border of leaves and flowers, containing 10 lines of stippled text:

WHEN IN
. CAPTiViTY . 
TiME GOETH
VERY SLOW BUT
FREE AS AiR
to roam how
quick the
Time
Doth
GO

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Post your comment

Paul Ware

20th May 2020

Such was Georgian/ Victorian justice..
Token looks like it was almost done by a professional engraver?
Possibly

April

12th May 2018

I love the detail on this token, and such an interesting verse!

Justin McLoughlin

13th Mar 2020

I think it’s so sad that these people of many aches are being sent to another country away from there loved ones. Some of these tokens like this one are written quite well.

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