30th May 1816: The convict, Thomas Holden, sends his final letter from Sydney, Australia

Sydney New South Wales May 30th 1816

Honorde parents

I take this Opportunity by the Ship Alexander with pleasure to inform you that Mr Allan as procured a promise from the Governor of Emancipation for me which I am to Receive the first Monday in nexs Month which kindness we agree than of this Colony for the Remainder of my Sentence & do expect to leave Mr Allan, in hopes of getting into some More Lucrative Employment which I trust in God will prove [    ] [    ] that at the Expiration of the time I have the [inexpressable] Happyness of once More enjoying my beloved parents and Relations I have to Acknowledge the Receipt of three Letters
from you which I was happy to Receive & hope I shall hear Again at all Opportunity with all information as to hear from you is a great Happyness to me – I have no particular News here to Relate Excepting that the Native Blacks are Continually Murdering the White People in the Interior
of the Country the Soldiers where font in persuit of them A few weeks back & Shot 14 of them – I hope when you write you will inform me of the Welfare of my Wife & Dear Child I wish you to Understand that this favor I am to Receive is totally Risen from my own good Conduct in Service
[of] not the least indebted to Any Interest through Colonell Melcher in fact it is only wasting paper mentioning him or Isaac Crompton & I hope when I have the pleasure of Returning to you which Nothing but Death will prevent that I shall never be Disgusted with their presents or names

I hope that you got my last Letter by the Emu Dated March last, wherein I wishd you to forward me Sundry Goods which I now most earnestly hope you will not Neglect doing According to my Instructions as they will be of Serious Service towards assisting me Home I am Exceeding Sorry to hear the Death of my Grandmother & Uncle Richard Holding – but it is a Debt we must all p[  ] I would be happy to receive a Letter from my Brother if he can possibly find time to Write me one – & [    ] Cousin James – haveing No further information to Communicate at present I conclude hopeing to God to give you all health & Happiness & my speedy Return hopeing to be Rememberd to my Wifes Sister – & all Enquiring friends & with God Bless You all --

I remain Yours
Most Dutifull Son
Thos Holding

NB The night after this was wrote I was robbed of all my money and among other things they broke open this letter. I hope by this time you have received the newspapers which I sent by my last letter. The first monday in next December I am to receive my Emancipation which day I hope you will keep up

yours &c
T. Holding

My dear wife and Louing Child that is the [  ] any has I hope the dey will Coum when we shall have the ple[sure] of once moar meetting  in this world, No more hat present from you Lovin housband

Address:
Mr John Holding
to be left at the Golden Lion
Church Gate Bolton le Moors
Lancashire

19th March 1816: The convict, Thomas Holden, writes to his parents & his wife from Sydney, Australia

My Dear Father and Mother

March 19th 1816

this Comes to Let you no that I ham in good Ealth hat present thanks be to god for it. I hope it will find you the seme Dear Father if you Could Send me a few things has [   ] same Coulters Bouls and tr\h/ed and mousless spolled for Caps and gouns and Shalls the Best you have yet and a pase of them prinilled Bed Covers wich the making even I laft home and Coulters stokings and a pace of the Best /peses of\ prints you Chan get and Seddels and fine Lin Clath for shirts the Best you Can get and Legs and futten for Caps and tepe and if you heve Recourse to Send soum of the Boults that Coums of the Masten works sumaker hals hers [                ] for the hals and Julanlen and Ribbens Blu and [   ]te and if you send me these particlars it will [    ]u me a great kindness hat this present time

Dear father plese to derect them to Mr Heath Sherby Street Halton garden London to the Comissary girel Allen Nue South weles and put the Letter in the Box that I [       ] the [   ] for and ples to send a Letter to [ ]illm Heath to fonned the seme to Nue South weles a Long with the Allan things and I shall be shoure to get them sefe put Mr Allan neme on it But not mine be sure to Nale this Box doun fast and if there is hanny Room to send James bradley thing with mine

Dear Father has there is No More oppertunety of Sending me No more as my thime is groing Short of Confinement wich I ham Looking for it will Be the happeness dey that he[ ]er I had in My Life if you Should Receiv this Letter Send me word if you Can send me these hartic\less/ nor not Rite to me as soon as you Can for I hop that I soon be with you hall Dear father and fine poucet andkerchifs Someone hat present From your hun dutty ful Son Thos Houlding till Death

Dear wife and Louing Child I Hope the dey will Com when we shall be Both to gather Dear Wife I hope you will geat /the\ monny that my huncel hattan Would [in det to one  ] Left home has it will dow Me a greate kindness hat this present thime and send me has much has you cand get in gouds has this is the Last oppertunity you Shall heue wilst I ham in Country sell the 2 pare of Looms if you can and hall my Close to /sell them\ send to me has it will be a great thing for [to have my pacadge] to England as it is a Long we for me to Com home Rember my Love to My Brother willam and to my Cousen James and to your sister Nancy and Father and Mother and to little nancy grene and if you send me these thing be shour that we hare sefe and if Mr Biley gouse to London yet tell /im\ to see Mr Heath imself and no More from your Loving Housbond till Death Thomas Houlding

28th August 1815: Thomas Holden's parents write to him from Bolton

Bolton y/e 28th 1815
Aug

Dear Thomas we jointly take this oppertunity of send\ing/ you a few lines to inform you that we are all well at this time hope you are the same -- Likewise yours of the 14 of sept 1814 Came safe to hand makeing the Fifth from you and this will make the same number that we have sent you to N.S.Wales If you have had the Fortune to receive them we hope that it will give you some Consolation for you appear to say or Think in your letters that we have all forgotten you, Dear Thomas as it is not posible that we Ever shall while god [sp]ares Our life and we do assure you that it allways gives us pleasure to hear from you at all times and under all Circumstances, that may happen to you, was it in our power to bring you back your stay from us would be Very short in your Present time of life but we fear that you will have to stay the period of time you was sent for, thoug we have made all the intrest in your favour in our power, hope if you have to stay as above that you will make yourself as Content as your situation will admit of looking forward to the time if god spare that you will have to return to us all again ----------- we have heard that all Transports have had one year taken off

Dear Thomas we have to inform you that Thos [illeg] is Return'd home again and at the same time we wish to acquaint you that we are inform'd that the parson you have with hath it in his power to do some thing towards getting you a passage and your liberty now if Mr Alen Esq would condecend in this Ou[   ]quest it would Leave a lasting Testimoney our love and Esteem that nevere Cou'd be Ereased from our minds and we wish you to Speak to your master on this subject, Dear Thos your
wife hath pettioned Three times Over to Come to you but the secretary of state gave for answer that your [Term] wass so short that nothing Could be done for her, we [    ] you will Excuse this our short hand and believ[ ] [   ] to be untill death

your Father Mother and Wife
John Elen and Mary Holden

PS we have to say that we are all together the sam[  ] [   ] when you life and intend [ ] ] Remain so untill your Return your daughter ann is a Very fine Child and often speakes about her dad Brother Will Remember his love to you as doth Mary sister and Father and Mother together with uncles and aunts & Please to Write on all Oppertunitys and not fail and we will do the same

Margin:
your grandmother and your uncle R[   ] dead [R    ] intered the first [ ]unday this year

[To] Thomas Holden
at Commissary Allens Esq
sidney Cove
New South Wales
or else where

[In different handwriting]
From Jhon Houlding
to be Left hat the
Sine of the Goudin Lian
Curch Gare Boulton
Lee mours
Lankshire

30th June 1815: The convict Thomas Holden writes to his wife, from Sydney, Australia

Sydney June [11] 30 1815

My Dear Wife

I take this oppertunity of Writing to you Hoping to find to find you and My Dear Child in good health as this Leaves Me at Presant thanks Be to god for the Same and I ham very unhappy to think that you have for got me So soon for My Part I know that I ham Shut up in one Corner of the World But I hope that you wont for get to write to me hevery 3 Months as there is a Ship Sails from Portsmouth and there is nothing will Give Me More happiness than to hear from you for My Part there is never a Ship Coms to this Contry But I goes to know whether there is aney Letter for Me or no and when there is no Letter then I think you Have quite forgot Me to think that I have got ondley one Letter Since this time 3 yers So I Desire you Will Let Me know the Reason that My Brother Dont Write to Me and My Cousan James and I hope they Will find time to write if they Can and My Dear father and Mother I hear that there is Peace with all the World so I Desire you will Send the Word if it is So and Please to Let Me know how the trade is Since Peac[ ] and Whether I can get a honist Living or not and there is a Strong Report of us getting our pardon and if there is Please to Let Me Know By the first Ship and you Mentinsond Some of the Men that Came from England with Me But I will ashure you I have never Cept Company with any one Sins I Left my natife Contry for I will ashure you I find
it as Much as I Can do to Mind My Self and I have Done all that Eavr Man Can Do to get my Liberty
and to Come home But it is all in vain the More I strive the More I ham Behind So Dear Mother if
Should Please God to Let us Meet a gain in this World I hope it will Be a happy Meetting and if it Should Please god to Call Me Before our Meeting I hope we Shal Meet in another World Where there Will Be no More Parting once I Did not think that it would Be my feat to Be So far Distant from you My Dear Mother and you My Wife and Child Dear Mother things in this Contry is very Dear Mens hats is too Pound too Shillings and Stockings ten Shillings Per Pair and Shoos Sixteen Shillings Per Pair Sugar 3 Shillings Per Pound and Butter 7 Shillings Per Pound Cotton Prints 12 Shillings Per yard velveteen one Pound Per yard 40 Reed Muslin 12 Shillings Per yard and Eavry thing acordingly and allthough the Prices is So high We are Verry glad to get at aney Price so I must inform you of my  Wages

I have 20 Pounds Per year in Corrency Money it will Be More than 12 Pounds in English Coin So My Dear Brother I hope you will Stay at home with your Mother and Becontented in the State you are in and I Desire you to write to Me and Send Me all the news that is going with you Both in family afairs and how trade is and the Prise of Vitling and all oather news that you Can as ther is nothing will give Me More Satisfaction then to hear from you all & when it is Dark with you it is Light with us and the natifs of this Contry they are Blaiks and they go naked Just as they Came into the world and they live on Nuts of trees as [   ] [   ] Snouts or aney oather Creeping thing [   ]n and Children goes all naked a Like So I have nothing More to add ondley Begging of you My Dear Wife that you will take Perticul[  ] Care of My Dear Child until I Return for I will ashure you I think of nothing But you and My Dear Child and My Sincere Prayr is Both Day and night that I May once More Be along with you Both and never More to Be Parted – – –

So no More at Presant from your Loving husba[ ] – [til Death] and affectinate father and Dutifull Son til Death Thos Holding

[To] Mrs Holding
to be left at the sign of the Golden L[   ]
Church Gate Bolton
Lee Moores
Lancashire

23rd June 1815: The convict, Thomas Holden, writes to his parents from Sydney, Australia

No 13 Letter and only one Answer

Sydney, Port Jackson.
New South Wales,
New Holland 23rd June 1815

My Dear Father & Mother,

I take this Opportunity of [  ]iting to you those few lines hoping it will [ ]ind you in good Health as it leaves me and I should wish to know the reason you dont write to me as there is a Ship sails from Portsmouth every 3 Months there is nothing in this World that would giue me more happiness than hearing from you at euery Opportunity there is never a Ship comes into New South Wales but I always go and ask for one and when there is not one I always think that /you\ quite forgott[  ] me

Mr and Mrs Holding

Dear Father you was a speaking to me about the Men that came in the Ship with me but I neuer associated with any of them so that I dont know any thing about any of them for I have as much as ever I can do to look after myself Dear Father I should like to know the reason my Brothe dont write to me Si[nce] that he can find as much time as I can do So I hear there is Peace made in England and I hope you will let me know how trade is in England since there was Peace and whether I could gett an honest living if I was at Home .... Dear Wife and Child I should wish to know the Reason that she does not write to me for there is some hopes of me getting my Pardon let me know the foundation andd send it by the next Ship

Not to be afraid of putting them in the Post Office for I will pay the postage for them and let me know all the New They can andd not to be afraid to let me know all particulars Dear Mother if it should be our fortune in this Wo/r\ld I hope it will be a happy meeting and if not in this world I hope in [    ]xt so now I think we will can[  ] [    ]ife Child, father Mother Broth[   ] [    ] my Cousin James & my Wifes Sister

Dear Father and Mother I am
your Most Afft and Loving Son
Till Death shall part
Thomas Holding

P:S: [Kiss] my Dear little Wife & Child for me my Dear Mother

T Holding

sydney New South Wales 23[   ]

[To] Mr John Holding
To be left at the sign of the Golden
Lion Church gate, Bolton
Lee Moores
        Lancashire
Holding

10th April 1815: Thomas Holden's family write to him from Bolton

Haugh y/e 10th April 1815

Dear Thos. Your uncle Richd holden is dead and was interd the First day of this present hear all the Rest of under is well

Dear
Husband Yours of 17 of Sept 1814 Came safe and welcomly to hand by which I am very Glad to find that you was in good health at that time. hope you still enjoy good health as there leaves me and the child together with your father and mother and Brother /love to you\ William, Dear Thomas you appear in your letter to want to know Wether I am for coming to you believe me It Certainly would be the greatist pleasure to me In this life to be with you be in what part of the world you may Or let your situation in life be Prosperity or adversity It woud give me great satisfaction to share the toil with you, but Wether it will Ever be Our lot to meet at NS Wales or not I canot tell for Very soon after you left home I together with the rest of the Bolton /[    ]\ wives sent ut a Petition to the prince Regent of England for to let us come after you but we got for Answer  that the time you had to stay that is your term of stay or stop whas so short that nothing Could be done in that Cace so you see how we as well as you are placed, so you need not have the least Doubt but I should have been with you before now

If I could have found any way that was legal at the same time We all Consider it a miracle That you exeaped being shi[ ] with [  ] I [    ] as it would at Once have [   ]led all Our hopes of ever enjoying your Company again, which we Trust will not be long you wish to know Our mind Concerning your comeing home believe us we desire that if you have to stay the time you was Convict\ed/ For at the end of that tim[ ] you will make the Best of your way home, for we are inform'd that [  ] your master can do a deal for you by way of saving the Expense you speak of, a[t<s] the same time It gives us all the greatest pleasure notwith stand ing the attention you have to pay to find that you have mett with such a master and we [      ] say a Friend a Esq. Allen hope you will continue with him [wil – scored out] while you stay in the Isleand and at the same time we think of our Duty to say as he hath placed so much Confidence in you we have not the least doubt but you will study to merit his Future Trust or Favours he may Chuse to besto[  ] on you, we beg to say we wish you to look forward to tho[  ]  happyer days when you shall have to Return to us all  again which we hope in the almighty will be your lot To Conclude we Remain till death Mary and Ann Holden

[In margin]
If you desire to know how trade is with us [   ] it is very bad and getting worse Every day and where it will old we cannot say [  ] provisions are deare and geting higher very Fast

Thos Fishers wife and knowles wife desire that if y[  ] know anything off their husbands that you will say it or let them know in your n[  ]t letter to us as the have had no advice from the[m] [ ]ince the went to NS Wales –

[On reverse]
Write us again by the first sh[   ]at departs from Sidney Cove as we have duely Answerd all your letters and [   ] surprised that you have not got them as y[  ]

[To] Thomas Holden
at Commissary AllansEsqur Sidney Cove
New South Wales

1st April 1814: Thomas Holden's parents write to him again from Hag End, near Bolton

Hagend April 1st 1814

Dear Son                       

We receivd yours & are glad to hear you are so comfortably situated at the end of your Journey which we are sorry to hear was attended with sickness you say you are looking out for a ship but (for what reason if you are well-doing) but you wish to come home before the expiration of the time you was sent for, you must be very cautious how you go about it though [    ]e should all be very happy to see you at home again in a Lawfull manner Please to excuse an advice how to proceed if you are acquainted with your master (which I suppose you are) you must get him to write to the government of England for their approbation of your discharge from Banishment as returning before the time without it whould cause them to send you again & perhaps fore a longer period you'll please to write as soon as you can after the receipt of this & let us know your mind your Wife & Child are very well & your goo[ ] in the same state you left them & likely to continue so if you know any thing about Knowles where he is wish to know for the sake of his parents they are so anc[ ]tious to hear from him

your Wife joines in the greatest Love with us to you & we remain your Loving Father & Mother

John & Ellen Holden

PS Please to write to us as ofte[n] you Can.

[To] Thos Holden
At Commissary Allen Esq
New South Wales
or Sydney Cove

4th March 1814: Thomas Holden's parents write to him from Hag End, near Bolton

Bolton 4th March 1814

Dear Son Thos

It is with the most heartfelt sattisfaction that we can possible express to you that yours of June 24 1813 is come safe to hand, by which you give us an acct of Part of your suffrings since you left home but dista[ ] as you are from us we feel greet pleasure in your haveing it in your Power to say that upon the whole you have found a residence that promises fair for your comfort Even in those remote regeons called New south wales the acct of your Sufrage hath given us all sattisfaction and what aught to be our consolation is that you stand [ ]fortunately sheet with such kind reception /for\ from the tenor of your letter we are led to believe that the man you are liveing with is a gentleman, we beg to say to him we are very thankful that he hath so far condes ended to take you into his service and at the same tim we hope and trust that you will not be wanting to [me  ] his favour and esteem whom while he thnks for open to employ you, Dear Thos with such prospects as this we look Forward to those happyer days when you may have the pleasure of engoying Our paternal care for [   ] in your native land which the almighty in his wisdom be pleased to fullfill.

[In margin] We expect by the time you receive [   ] your wife will have had one from you as you say that you will [   ] Fortune her never faiding love to you Adieu

Dear son we shall certainly do all in our power to get your sentance mittageted so that if we can do any thing in that way we will give you the speedyest information you cannot conceive what satisfaction yours gave us for we had all kinds of doubts and reports about you Some time you was [sometimes – scored out] just out at sea some times at one place the next day some where Else But yours of 24th June [    ] put the matter beyond a Doubt alass alass unfortunate son your wife and child is well as are we all hope you are the same as is all other family matters that is your wife and child is where you left them together with all your other things and as you hope to see them once again we shall keep them all to[  ]ther whill your [  ] which we hope will not be long Counterpane weaving is gone to all intents and purposes for out of upwards o 20 looms at the hag end not one is left all the hands are Enployed at Quiltings or muslin we for our part are in the muslin line, hope you will Excuse our short hand yet the heart is the same to you Our dear loving Thos holding [    ] Remembered to you his kind love, and your Cousin Fu- holding the same together with a numerous train of Relatives and acquaintance which all wish to se you again so we Conclude and remain your father and mother till time shall be no more John and Elen holding

[In margin] Nothing but war in Europes.

one knowles father and mother desire that you will let them know if you can where he is he went from England with you

Thos Holding
[  ] of Commisary [  ]
Esqre in New South Wale[ ]
or Sidney-Cove

11th June 1813: The Convict Ship 'The Fortune' arrives in Sydney, Australia

'The entrance of Port Jackson, and part of the town of Sydney, New South Wales' an aquatint by Havell & Son, after Major James Taylor, c.1821

On Friday 11th June, the ship 'The Fortune' arrived in Port Jackson, Sydney, Australia, after a voyage of 6 months from when it left England.

The exact date of departure is not clear. For whilst the official records state that it left the South Coast on 3rd December 1812, the fact is that one of the prisoners on board - the Bolton Luddite convict, Thomas Holden - sent a letter to his family dated 11th December 1812 from the ship. 'The Fortune' had been beached in a storm after leaving Woolwich and had spent almost 7 weeks moored in Rio de Janeiro between 3rd February and 22nd March 1813.

200 prisoners had left England, but only 196 arrived: 2 had died of illness on the voyage (including the Luddite John Burney), whilst another 2 had drowned. 36 of the prisoners were under 21 years of age.

The prisoners on board were not taken ashore until a further 7 days had passed: 16 of them had been convicted with various offences connected with Luddism, to wit

Lancaster Special Commission (all sentenced to 7 years transportation):

James Brierley
John Burney (died en route)
Samuel Crossley
John Fisher
Joseph Greenhalgh
Thomas Holden
John Hope
Jon Hurst
James Knowles
Christopher Medcalfe
Samuel Radcliffe
Henry Thwaite

Chester Special Commission (all respited death sentences):

James Crosland
Colin Linden
James Wilson aka Roach

Derby Lent Assizes 1812:

John England (death, respited)

Nottingham Lent Assizes 1812:

Gervas Marshall (7 years transportation)

The Sydney Gazette reported that 6 of the prisoners were in irons, having been punished for their behaviour on the trip. Governor McQuarrie reportedly released them from this punishment before they were all sent to various locations to serve their sentences.

12th December 1812: The Luddite convict, Thomas Holden, writes a final letter before leaving England

Ship Fortune
Dec 12th, 1812

Dear Wife                       

I received your kind letter wich gave me Great comfort to hear from you I wonderd the reason I  Didnot hear from you sooner Theirfore I sent a letter to Know the reason you Didnot write to me but I received your Letter about the Same time you received my Letter, you say you are going to send some flannel Shirts but if you have not Sent them of I hope you will not send the [illegible] as it is an Hot Climate wheare we are going Therefore they will be very useless things but anything els that you may have to send that is Right, would be very serviceable and I hope you will not fail in sending Immediately as we Dont Know Know one Day before another

I hope you will not mind what you may hear from any one that writes to boulton Saying how good anyone have been to me for I in all my illness have Received no favour from any one of they that Come from boulton but for the other way I dont hold any conversation with any one of them, I thank God I am getting better now Daily – but what my father Desired me to get I have not got it in my Power to get it. if you have got any trifull of money to send to me, it would be thankfully to Received it and please not to Delay any time what ever in Sending as we expect to Sail Daily I hope and pray Cornel Fletcher will have the goodness to Sign a petition for me, and, I hope you will let me know every particulars you can in your next letter, if Brayley Box is not Lent I will be Obliged to you to send me a Quire of Writing Paper, and a few pens as they are very Dear hear. I Remember my Love to my Wifes father and Mother and her Sister Nancy and to my Dear Loving Mother and Brother and Father and I Conclude with Remaining your ever Loving Son and Husband till Death Thomas Holding, in the Next Letter you sends to me please to put my Christian Name in full as follows, Thomas Holding

For
Mary Holding
to be Left at the Sign
of the Golden Lion
Church Gate
Boulton Lei Moores
Lancashire

29th November 1812: A poorly Thomas Holden write from his transportation ship, The Fortune

On board the fortune November 29th 1812

Dear and loving wife I take opertunity of Righting a fue lines to you hoping they Will find you all in good helth but Dear wife I am very Sorry to inform you that I am Very Bad of the yellow Jandes and has been for a fortnight and I am still getting Worse and if I Very Soon do not get some Relif I am afrade I shall not Recover and dear wife I think it is with being so Close Confined and I have taken to my Bed – and dear wife I am Very unhappy Concerning I have Sent a letter and never Recevid no ancer and you knowing we may Saill any Day as Dear wife It is all the Confert I have in this world to hear from you Dear Wife I have no frend hear but John Fisher and he wates upon me and Lookes after me like a Brother Dear wife I have hard you have pititioned to go with me and Dear wife I Could wish to know if you have any prospect of going with me or getting me off

Dear wife you know it would not be too late to get my Sentance Mitgated if we were oute of the Contry as I would have you to do all you Can for me and Dear Wife the Capn dose not open the letters as the Capn dose at Langston harbour and dear Wife I Could wish to know if you have any Prospect of Coming to me and I would have you to Right amedintly by the Return of Post and Give my love to your sister Nancy and So no moar at Present from your Ever Loving and Effecned Husbant til Death Thomas Holding 

Dear Honored father and Mother I think it Propper to inform you what Situation I am in as you desired to know Dear father and Mother the Plase that I am in is like unto that which Mr Fletcher put me and my Brother and my Uncel [    ] into my Beddin is as Bad or worse -- and here are alowed to go on Deck aboute one hour Per Day and Some Times more & many Bolt[oun] [Donyours]

Dear Honored father and Mother we have Beene 7 weeks withoute Cleane Shorts and we asked the Capn for Shorts and he Said they Could not be Durty yeat – and I weare Irones on boath kegs as we did Before at the hulks Deare Honored father and mother if you Cannot Do nothing for me and very Soon I am Sure you will neve See me alive agane and give my love to my Brother and I I have Eaten nothing for 3 days not on[e] penny worth of meate – and so no moare at present from your Ever loving and Effecned but unfortunate and unhapy Son til deat for Ever Ever moare

Thomas Holding

22nd November 1812: The Luddite convict, Thomas Holden, writes fom his transportation ship, the Fortune

By Sunday 22nd November 1812, the Luddite convict Thomas Holden, had now been moved from the Prison Hulk Portland to the Fortune, the ship that would eventually deport him to Australia. He wrote from the ship to his wife:

on board the Fortune November 22
1812

Dear and loving wife I take this opertunity of Righting a fue lines to you hoping to find you and my Dear Child in a good State of helth and Dear wife I have been Very poorly Ever since I Came on Board this Ship But thank God I am getting a deal better and Dear Wife I Receved your kind and welkum letter on the 22 and dear Wife you say you Could wish to go along with me you little know how I am soled it is a long voyeg of six months and my Brother Said he wished he was in my sted But he little knowes my Sircumstance and dear wife if any thing Should happen any of us from Boulton we let know with all speed

Dear wife you desire me to Right at all opertunitys and you may Depend I Shall But it is a great Deal of truble and Difficulty to get to Right a letter hear Dear wife it dose not troble me to much Being Confined hear as Being parted from you and my dear Child Dear wife we are among a deal a differnd Soarts of peple But If I live to Serve my time oute as I trust In god I Shall you may depend upon it I Shall Returne to Ingland and then I hope we Shall Spend the Remander of our Days in this world in love and happyness togater Dear wife if you Send me any moar money I Beg you will Send it in a Noat and not a post office order and Pay the poastidge

Dear wife as Soon as I reach my jorneys End I Shall Right to you and if thear is any prospect of you Coming to me and us doing well I will send for you and shortly so I would have you to get all the money Gathered togater as you Can Dear father and Mother I hope you will never Seace doing all you Can to get my Pardin or to get me to Stop in Inglond you might get my pardon Sooner But if I go I hope you will do all you Can to fetch me Back agane to you and I hope you will keepe Sending up Pertisones to Government to get me off or to get my Sentance mitegated dear if think I do any moar I hope you will Right and let know by Return of post for we may Sail any Day or we may Stop a month we do not know and So I must Conclude and so no moar at Present from your Ever Loving Efecned husband and Son til Death Thomas Holdin

Please to give my love to my father in low and
Mother in low and Nancy Barret and Thomas
Baret and all inquiring Frie[n]ds

[To] Mary Holden
to be Left at the
Golden Lion Church
Gate Bolton Lee
Moars Lancshire

12th October 1812: The prisoner, Thomas Holden, writes from the prison hulk, HMS Portland at Portsmouth

On Monday 12th October 1812, the convicted Luddite prisoner Thomas Holden wrote to his family from aboard the prison hulk HMS Portland, at Langstone near Portsmouth:

An opportunity at last offers itself of sending you a faint description of the place I am in.

In the first place we are ironed on both legs, which irons we must wear for five or six years, and then we will have a lighter iron on one leg until our time is out.

As to our living, it is very bad. We have nothing but oatmeal and barley boiled for our breakfast and supper night and morning for our whole time; and we have about half a pound of very bad beef and a pound and a quarter of brown bread four days a week for dinner, and the other three days we have the same bread and seven ounces of very bad cheese. This is our living. I can buy an allowance of bread for three-halfpence from a fellow prisoner, but we are not allowed the least communication with free people.

14th July 1812: The prisoner, Thomas Holden, writes from the HMS Portland at Langstone

On Tuesday 14th July 1812, the prisoner Thomas Holden wrote to his family from the Prison Hulk HMS Portland at Langstone, near Portsmouth. Tomlinson (1967, pp.104-105) has a long passage quoting parts of this letter:

The Portland had been a ship of 50 guns, completed at Sheerness in 1770, fitted as a convict ship in 1802 and sold in 1817. Holden's early opinion was that he had

the good luck to be at the very best place of this kind that there is and Captain and officers are all verry good to the prisoners under their charge we go on shore at 7 o'clock in the morning and leave off work at 5 in the afternoon.

There appeared to be some elementary welfare work on the part of the officers for Holding told his mother and father on 14 July

you are to understand that any money that is sent to any of the prisoners on Board this ship the Captain keeps it in his hand and let us have 3 shillings per week which supplies us with what Necessarys we want and that Means the Money is kept safe.

He acknowledged the receipt of 'one pound safe for which I Return you the Most heart felt thanks' and reported that he had not recovered the money which had been stolen. Finance and food were still continuing concerns for there was 'not the smallest way of making one penny here & the ship allowance is too scanty to supply Nature'. He hoped that those at home would remember him for 'We are not debared from having any necessary food if we have a little money to provide it'. He went on to say that everything was

extreamly dear. We pay ten pence for a Quart of flower and that only weighs one pound & about eleven ounces & everything is proportional to that.

Holden though that 'all the officers over us seem to be very humane men' and strove for good reports

for every three Months there is Return made of all the Mens Characters on Board & the Captain was pleased to speak favourable of us even for the little time we have been here (The Characters is laid before the secretary of state in London).

28th June 1812: The convict Thomas Holden arrives at the Prison Hulk, HMS Portland

Thomas Holden arrived at Langstone Harbour, Hampshire on Sunday 28th June 1812, 9 days after leaving Lancaster. He would be held there on the Prison Hulk, HMS Portland, until the time of his transportation. An extract of the letter he wrote to his wife is below:

I have had a misfortune for I have lost my [          ] and money I hope you will send me some more as quick as possible you can ... our Journey has been verry whett and uncomfortable and I have been eight day and nights without having my cloaths of my back.

Direct for me on board
HMS The Portland
Lying in Langstone Harbour, Nr. Portsmouth, Hants.

20th June 1812: Prisoners at Lancaster Castle sent to the Prison Hulks

On Saturday 20th June 1812, the Lancaster Gazette reported that a number of prisoners sentenced to transportation at the recent Lancaster Special Commission had been removed from the Castle and sent to the Prison Hulks in the previous week. They named them as: John Fisher, James Knowles, Thomas Holden, Samuel Crossley, John Hope, John Hurst, Christopher Medcalf, James Brierley, Henry Thwaite, Joseph Greenhalgh, Thomas Pickup and John Burney.

18th June 1812: The convict Thomas Holden informs his wife of his departure for the Prison Hulks

Lancaster Castle
June 18th 1812
6 O Clock at Night


I am very sorry to Inform you that I am going of to Morrow morning . . . I am Surprised that you have not sent mee any Money For I am Now going of without any at all.

15th June 1812: The prisoner Thomas Holden writes to his wife from his cell at Lancaster Prison

Many of the letters that Thomas Holden, the prisoner convicted of taking an illegal oath and sentenced to 7 years transportation at the Lancaster Special Commission, wrote to his wife and family after his conviction have survived. This is the first of a series of extracts from those letters that span 6 years:

[15th June]


"I Expect to go from hear every day thear are 7 going of tomorrow and i Beg you will not send me no close as we are not alowed to wear any of our own close but if you will be kind a nough to send me a little money It will do me a great kindness as i am without at present"

1st June 1812: The final prisoners stand trial at the Lancaster Special Commission

On Monday 1st June 1812, the final set of prisoners took their trials at the Lancaster Special Commission.

Three men were accused of receiving an unlawful oath at Bolton on 14th April 1812. It seemed that only one of then, Thomas Holden (20) could be ascertained to have been present by a witness, Isaac Crompton, who said that he was present when he was twisted-in. This was enough for the Jury to find him guilty.

The evidence was not strong enough for the Jury to convict the other two accused - Peter Smith (46) and Thomas Shelton (19), but they now stood charged with riotously assembling on the same night, along with Arthur Holden (33), James Holden (20), William Holden (17) and James Isherwood (26). Their defence pointed out there was a flaw in the indictment (it didn't state that they were assembled for an unlawful purpose), so the prosecution was given up, and the men were acquitted.

15th May 1812: Colonel Ralph Fletcher informs the Home Office about more prisoners and a new suspect

Bolton le moors 15 May - 1812

Dear Sir/

I have the Honor to inclose - Copies of the additional Examinations―relating to the Six Persons committed to Lancaster on the 9th instants – viz – Peter Smith – Arthur Holden - Thomas Holden - James Holden - William Holden and Thomas Shelton—and also Examinations relating to James Knowles – and John Fisher – committed yesterday – and of Joseph Greenhalgh committed this day.—One of the Examinations (that of an Informant Joseph Lomax) seems to merit particular attention – inasmuch as it implicates his Employer – Thomas Hulme – one of the Partners in the House of Cooke & Hulme – who are considerable Bleachers – residing in this Neighbourhood.—He Hulme was some time back a Chairman of a meeting the Parliamentary Reform—and it may, without any great want of Charity, be said that his Encouragement or at least Connivance - has been one of the causes that so many of his men have been found to have attended the late seditious meetings. He is a most violent Character and appears as likely as any person in this Neighbourhood to commit himself by some Illegal Act—unless the Inroad made strongest his Workmen by Commitment to Lancaster shall teach him more caution.

I shall hold it to be my duty to aid & assist in the prosecution of the persons committed—conceiving that it will accord with the general Tenor of the conversations - I have had with you & our Correspondence―And although the Evidence of the numerous Witnesses – will be large in itself – & more particularly so on account of guarding them from the threatened attacks of the disaffected—yet I trust that Government will approve of all such measures as may be taken to render the Conviction of the guilty more certain.–]

The Death of Mr Perceval has filled all good Loyalists with Grief – and what is to be particularly lamented is that the Mob should have expressed Joy at such a melancholy occasion. It would appear as if John Bulls Character had experienced a change—and that is become fit for Treasons Stratagems & Spoils. The Loyalists here cannot accede to what is stated in the Public Prints―i.e. that Bellingham had no political nature for committing the foul deed—We have from the general Language of the disaffected, and from some secret Information - of a suspected a Revolution (as mentioned in my Reports) expected to have taken place early in may – cannot refrain from entertaining an opinion that Bellinghams motives were revolutionary – but a little [Fear] will perhaps develop [more] of the System—

With the sincerest Respect
I remain [etc]
Ra: Fletcher