Ticket of leave

Ticket of leave

A ticket of leave was a document of parole issued to convicts, since 1853, transported from the United Kingdom who had served a period of probation, and had shown by their good behaviour that they could be allowed certain freedoms. Once granted a ticket of leave, a convict was permitted to seek employment within a specified district but could not leave the district without the permission of the government or the district's resident magistrate. Each change of employer or district was recorded on the ticket. [cite web
url=http://scholar.google.com/scholar?hl=en&lr=&q=info:nSoxUNfT2J0J:scholar.google.com/&output=viewport
title=Bottomley: Parole in Transition: A Comparative Study of Origins, Developments, and Prospects for the 1990s
publisher=scholar.google.com
accessdate=2008-05-11
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Ticket-of-leave men were permitted to marry or to bring their families from Britain, and to acquire property, but they were not permitted to carry firearms or board a ship. They were often required to repay the cost of their passage to the colony.

A convict who observed the conditions of his ticket-of-leave until the completion of one half of his sentence was entitled to a conditional pardon, which removed all restrictions except the right to leave the colony. Convicts who did not observe the conditions of their ticket could be arrested without warrant, tried without recourse to the Supreme Court, and would forfeit their property.

The ticket-of-leave had to be renewed annually, and those with one had to attend muster and church services.

The ticket itself was a highly detailed document listing the place and year the convict was tried, the name of the ship in which he or she was transported, and the length of the sentence. There was also a detailed physical description of the convict, along with year of birth, former occupation and “native place.”

References


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  • Ticket of leave — Ticket Tick et, n. [F. [ e]tiquette a label, ticket, fr. OF. estiquette, or OF. etiquet, estiquet; both of Teutonic origin, and akin to E. stick. See {Stick}, n. & v., and cf. {Etiquette}, {Tick} credit.] A small piece of paper, cardboard, or the …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • ticket of leave — index permit Burton s Legal Thesaurus. William C. Burton. 2006 …   Law dictionary

  • ticket of leave — pl. tickets of leave. Brit. (formerly) a permit allowing a convict to leave prison, under certain restrictions, and go to work before having served a full term, somewhat similar to a certificate of parole. Also, ticket of leave. [1725 35] * * * …   Universalium

  • ticket of leave — pl. tickets of leave. Brit. (formerly) a permit allowing a convict to leave prison, under certain restrictions, and go to work before having served a full term, somewhat similar to a certificate of parole. Also, ticket of leave. [1725 35] …   Useful english dictionary

  • ticket of leave — Australian History –noun 1. a document which entitled a convict to freedom of occupation and lodging within a given district of a colony until the original sentence expired, or a pardon was obtained. –adjective 2. possessing or entitled to such a …  

  • ticket-of-leave man — [tik΄it əv lēv′] n. Brit. a convicted person whose sentence had not expired, set conditionally at liberty by issuance of a revocable permit (ticket of leave) * * * …   Universalium

  • ticket-of-leave man — [tik΄it əv lēv′] n. Brit. a convicted person whose sentence had not expired, set conditionally at liberty by issuance of a revocable permit (ticket of leave) …   English World dictionary

  • ticket-of-leave man — noun • • • Main Entry: ↑ticket …   Useful english dictionary

  • ticket of leave man — noun Australian History a male convict holding a ticket of leave: *So few working men came that, even in the convict period, men who were technically prisoners – ticket of leave men as well as expirees – were often able, if they were good workmen …  

  • ticket-of-leave man — A convict who has obtained a ticket of leave …   Black's law dictionary

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