Horizon

Time Off for Low Market Value

Bruce Kercher's paper on convict transportation offers this:

The contractors were supposed to take all the convicts offered by the courts in Britain or Ireland, putting them at risk of being stuck with those of lower value. There was no such risk in the carriage of slaves and indentured servants, among whom they could select whom to carry. It is likely, however, that some merchants quietly released un-profitable convicts in Britain or Ireland rather than sending them on to America as they were legally required to do.