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"

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This is from Tomlinson (1967, p.104).