Letters home from convicts in Tasmania

[baytree1970]

Do you know if convicts in Tasmania were permitted to send letters home to family in England, and of course to receive letters? If so, is there an archive of such letters?

Thank you

[NickDub]

Many, probably most, of my ancestors I've researched from that time period were illiterate. Of course, they might have asked a cleric say to write a letter for them, but I doubt more than a few would have received help that way.

[hanes teulu]

Trove Newspapers.
The convict George Loveless, a Tolpuddle martyr, mentions writing home in December 1834 - he had arrived at Hobart a few months earlier.
See column 2
https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/232476331/25158915

[cupoflife]

https://staffblogs.le.ac.uk/carchipelago/2017/05/22/unrequited-love-the-enduring-pain-of-convictism-in-western-australia/

[wivenhoe]

https://libraries.tas.gov.au/tasmanian-archives/records-included-in-the-names-index/#search

Select.....Tasmanian Archives

Search term........."CON168"           

Finds......Prisoners Barracks Hobart  Register of Applications by prisoners in the barracks to write letters.



Search term........"GO121"

Finds......Register of Convicts for whom enquiries were made

[maddys52]

Here is a Tasmanian Archives blog about  a convict writing letters home to England:
https://archivesandheritageblog.libraries.tas.gov.au/the-convict-letters-of-george-bramwell-convicted-felon-yeoman-farmer-horse-dealer-and-adulterer/

When I was in Hobart in August, at the Tasmanian Museum I saw a letter that was sent to a convict from her husband in Ireland.

[baytree1970]

Thanks to everyone for your replies, I shall follow up on all the links you suggested