Penal transportation is the sending of convicted criminals to a penal colony. Transportation sentences were fixed at a duration of seven years, 14 years, or life. That said, even a seven-year sentence usually meant a one-way ticket to the United States, or later, Australia - convicts rarely had the means to return to Britain after serving their time.
After a convict had been found guilty and sentenced to transport, he or she would be kept in prison until a ship was ready to depart from the south coast of England. These last few days in Britain were the final chance for convicts to see their loved ones. Some convicts went beyond hugs, kisses, and words of farewell and created custom mementos to leave with a family member, wife, or lover.
(via Miss Cellania)
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