Aust. Historical Medals

Lot 537    SESSION 3 (2.30PM TUESDAY 2ND APRIL)    Aust. Historical Medals

Estimate $3,000
Bid at live.noble.com.au
SOLD $2,800

CONVICT TOKEN, created on a bronze cartwheel penny of 1797 shaved smooth on both sides, on the obverse is engraved, 'John/Tompson (incorrect spelling of Thompson)/aged 21/Cast For/Death/1826', on the reverse is a crudely engraved coffin initialled at the end 'J.T.' and with a heart at the top, at the right side are crossed arrows, at the base is an arrow in a bow and at the left is either a cross or possibly a gallows. Fine - very fine.

John Thompson (alias Williams) was born in 1805. On 16 February 1826 he was sentenced at the Old Bailey for a burglary he had committed on the night of 16 January in Bethnal Green, London at the dwelling house rented by Thomas Curry, a broad silk weaver. He was accused of stealing 3 pillows (value 5s), 2 blankets (value 5s), I counterpane (value 2s) and 1 sheet (value 1s). The transcript of the court proceedings describes the fight that ensued when Mr Curry caught Mr Thompson in his house and involves statements given by key witnesses and police constables. Thompson did not have much to say during the proceedings with his closing statement being, 'I have nothing to say in my defence, nor have I any friends'. For this crime John Thompson was sentenced to death.

Fortunately for him, on 3 May 1826, Thompson's sentence was reduced to transportation for life. On 5 August 1826 he departed from England aboard the convict transportation ship 'Speke' (formerly the 'Warren Hastings') along with 155 other convicts. Amazingly, one of these was also named John Thompson who at the age of 16 had been sentenced on the same day at the Old Bailey. The 'Speke' with its cargo of convicts arrived at Port Jackson, Sydney, New South Wales on 26 November 1826.

After an unknown period of being indentured, Thompson was granted a Ticket of Leave which gave him some rights but he could not leave the colony. On 27 September 1841, under the name William Thompson, he was granted permission to marry a 19 year old woman named Sarah Weatherstone, also a convict. The wedding was conducted by Rev. H.H.Bobart at St John's Church of England, Parramatta, Greater Sydney. In 1842 they had one son whom they named Henry but little is known about him. John (alias William) Thompson died not long after in 1843 aged 37. Sarah later remarried Henry Laing. She had 5 more children and died at Liverpool, Greater Sydney in 1875 at the age of 53.

Together with research and a transcript of court proceedings.