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SOLON Law, Crime and History (previously SOLON Crimes and Misdemeanours: Deviance and the Law in Historical Perspective)

Document Type

Article

Abstract

This article explores the largely forgotten attempts by key members of the legal profession in mid-nineteenth England to bring about a government rethink on the decision to abandon transportation. By creating alarm and despondency about the danger posed by introduction of the ticket-of-leave system to the United Kingdom, they hoped to generate popular pressure for a continuation of transportation overseas. To achieve this, the legal profession made use of their influence over the content of crime reportage to challenge the assurances given by figures like Colonel Jebb about the positive early results of domestic penal servitude and to generate widespread concern about the transference of a convict stain back to the UK. A number of destinations were suggested, with serious consideration being given to both the Falkland Islands and Vancouver Island. The attempt to establish a mass-based popular movement to continue transportation failed, but the result was an enduring legacy of public alarm over recidivism and its threat.

Publication Date

2019-01-01

Publication Title

SOLON Law, Crime and History

Volume

9

Issue

1

First Page

62

Last Page

97

ISSN

2045-9238

Deposit Date

September 2019

Embargo Period

2024-10-29

Creative Commons License

Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

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