Genealogy - http://maxpages.com/ourlostfamily/Prison

The year the information refers to is 1846.

. “Hulk” was a word used, originally, to indicate “the body of a ship” and
has its root in the old Saxon word ‘hulc’. In England, and other places
throughout the world where Britain had a Judicial presence, they were used
as places of ‘Secondary Discipline’ within the overall embrace of ‘Prison
Discipline.’ The hulks were intermediate establishments between the common
gaols and the penal colonies, for prisoners sentenced to transportation
although, in many cases, they proved a substitute for that punishment.The
plan of confining offenders on board hulks was first adopted in England in
1776 but, because of mismanagement, a Parliamentary enquiry of 1778 sought
to bring about some changes to the system. This was mostly unsuccessful and
there was, in reality, little material change. The hulks continued to be
hotbeds of vice, corruption and brutality throughout their use.In England,
hulks were maintained at Portsmouth, Gosport, Devonport, Chatham, Woolwich
and Deptford. The vessel on the River Thames at Woolwich was named ‘Warrior’
and can be described thus : there were 3 decks, the Upper, the Middle and
the Lower. They communicated by two large openings at the centre and in the
foremost end. The openings in each deck were placed above those of the deck
below to form a kind of tube which reached from the lower hold to the air
above. The main hatchways were all 4’ 8” square. The fore hatchway, upper
deck, was 4’ 6” x 3’ 6”. Middle deck, 4’ 6” x 3’ 6”. Lower deck, 4’ 9” x 4’
8”. The Upper and Middle decks opened into the Chapel at the after end of
the alleyways, the Chapel being 42’ wide, 39’ long and 14’ high.The
habitable part of the Upper deck was 84’ long by 36’ 6” wide and was divided
into two lateral portions by a central alleyway, the inner boundary being a
partition consisting of iron bars reaching the full height of the deck.
There were also galleries. Each ward was subdivided by three transverse
bulkheads of wood, forming eight classes, but not crossing the alleyway.Near
the bow were two small rooms for the sick and an open space for the ladder
and hatchways. There were four ports in this space to provide ventilation.
There was a room at the after end of each ward, called the guards’ galley,
in which fires were kept burning until 9 o’clock in the evening. These rooms
also adjoined the Chapel.The prison on the Middle deck was 79’ 6” long x 45’
wide. There were seven ports on each side, four bulkheads and, in all, ten
classes with the dividing alleyway opening into the Chapel. Two small rooms
were set aside as workshops and had two ports and four large hawse-holes
opening into the forward space. The clear space for the ladder and hatchways
was 19’ 6”.On the Lower deck, the prison was 115’ 6” long x 43’ 6” wide.
There were 15 ports on each side, all varying in size, but all smaller than
the ports on the deck above. There were six bulkheads, forming fourteen
classes. The width of the alleyway was 6’. There was a 12’ space, forward,
with four hawse holes opening into it. From the after bulkhead to the stern
ports was a space occupied by “dark cells” and store rooms, leaving the
alleyway unobstructed.The ‘Warrior’ was rated to hold 600 men. Of those, 124
were disposed on the top deck; 192 on the Middle and 284 on the Lower
deckBeneath the Lower Deck was the hold, a large and almost unoccupied
space, divided into store-rooms and divided by a passage. The openings from
the hold were: (1). The Main-hatch. (2). The Fore-scuttle. (3). The
After-scuttle. (4). A scuttle in one of the classes.The discipline and
employment of the convicts was as follows : on board each hulk, a book was
kept by the Overseer in which were entered the names of all the prisoners.
On the first Sunday of every Quarter the prisoners were mustered and the
behaviour of each, for the previous 3 months, marked against his name as
follows : “vg” very good; “g” good; “in” indifferent; “b” bad; “vb” very
bad.The convicts, after being classed, were kept in separate compartments
and were not allowed to mix, after work, with those of a different class
than their own. Every prisoner was required to serve a minimum of 2 years
punishment without any ‘reserve earnings’. After those 2 years, he was
eligible to commence a probation period provided he had been mustered eight
times, within the 2 years, as being “good” or “very good.” This, and his
subsequent character reports determined the duration of his period of
probation. On entering the probation period, his ‘reserve earnings’
commenced, and continued until his eventual liberation subject to his
earning being withheld for instances of misconduct.The cells were numbered
consecutively, beginning from the Lower Deck, upwards, with prisoners of the
worst character, and those in punishment, being in the Lower Deck. The
highest cell numbers were, therefore, on the Upper Deck and contained men of
the best character.Where convicts were allowed to earn a recompense from
their labour, one third of their earnings i.e. one penny a day, was taken
from them to pay for their bread and vegetables. Under no circumstances were
they allowed to have any money in their own possession. Such ‘reserved
earnings’ were only available to those who had served 2 years of their
sentence and who had not misbehaved themselves.In cases of insubordination
and misconduct, “mild and persuasive” methods of punishment were resorted
to: there was a reduction in the allowance of provisions; confinement in the
“dark cell”, with only bread and water, for 7 days; the confiscation of all
earnings and a “moderate” flogging of no more than 24 lashes. The Overseer,
or the Commanding Officer of the hulk, was required to make a note in the
occurrence-book of the name of the convict, the name of the complainant, the
nature of the crime and the punishment inflicted. No convict was allowed to
move freely without irons on one, or both, legs. An Overseer was on watch
all night, in all the dormitories.Chaplains were appointed to attend to the
prisoners’ religious needs; to distribute books and tracts; to superintend
basic educational instruction and to read prayers and preach on the Sabbath
and holidays of the Established Church. Prayers and portions of Scripture
were read in the wards every day during the week, with evening prayers being
read every Thursday. A Surgeon was also employed to attend to the convicts’
general health, occasionally inspect their provisions and ensure that the
sick-bays were satisfactorily ventilated. The employment of the convicts
consisted of shipbuilding and painting; hauling timber; removing
chain-moorings; cleansing the river upon which the hulk was moored;
stone-breaking for harbour defences; general maintenance of the hulk; food
preparation for the prisoners, generally, and the making and repairing of
clothing. Their periods of labour were from between 8 ½ to 9 ½ hours per
day, depending upon the season. The total expense, per man, of the hulks in
England was 18-pounds, 12 shillings and 6 pence. The average value of the
labour, per man, was estimated at 10-pounds, 18 shillings and 9 pence,
making the average annual expense per man 7-pounds, 14 shillings and 2
pence. The total cost, per boy, was 13- pounds, 5 shillings and 6 ½ pence.
The value of the labour performed by the prisoners in the hulks of Bermuda
was so great as to leave an annual profit, for each, of 13-pounds, 3
shillings and 6 pence.Onboard the ‘Warrior’, the daily routine was as
follows : (05:00). All Hands called by the Officer of the Watch to dress and
lash hammocks. The wards were then unlocked and the prisoners passed through
the forecastle, in regulated numbers, to wash in permanently-fixed troughs.
They then re-entered their respective wards to return with their hammocks
which were stowed along the main deck to take advantage of any ventilation.
Breakfast was then served, under the immediate superintendence of the
Steward and Officers, after which plates were returned to the galley to be
washed by two prisoners appointed as Inspectors of Weights and Provisions
for the day. A thorough cleansing of the ship, including the decks, poop and
forecastle then took place. (07:30). A General Muster was taken and All
Hands were summoned to labour in the Woolwich Dockyard. They were assigned
various duties, in Divisions, each superintended by a guard connected with
the establishment and who was responsible for their conduct, safety and
security when ashore. (12:00) The prisoners returned to the hulk for dinner,
after which they presented their bedding for minute inspection by officers
alternately appointed to the task. (13:00) Dockyard duties resumed. (17:30)
Work ashore finished and the convicts went back onboard to wash and be
mustered. Supper was then served, at the conclusion of which the men were
again employed cleaning the interior of the ship and the various tools and
utensils used by them during the day. (20:00) Duties ceased, the hammocks
were handed-in to the wards, a muster was taken and All Hands retired to
rest. (21:00) An appointed officer visited the decks to examine the lights,
bolts and locks of each ward, interrogated the guard on duty as to the
observance of the strict “general silence” rule and reported “All safe and
secure” to the Commanding Officer. Should any prisoner have complained of an
indisposition, prior to mustering for labour, he would have been retained
onboard and ordered to the Sick Ward to await the Surgeon’s daily visit.

Further to my recent posting on the *Warrior*, the following may be of some
interest as it indicates that mutiny on the hulks was not unknown and that
many convicts actually preferred transportation to Australia, and all it
entailed, to the wretchedness of their current existence. The incident
referred to occurred in 1851, on the *Warrior*, and happened, as far as I
can ascertain, some time between Christmas Day and New Year's Eve.

The first indication of insubordination was given by the convicts who had
been at work during the day in Woolwich dockyard, on their return to the
‘Warrior’ for lunch. They rushed in gangs into one of the compartments set
apart for a single gang and refused to separate and go to their proper
places until their grievances were redressed, the chief of which they
declared to be their retention in England instead of being sent out to
Australia. They had no sooner entered the ship than they rushed down and
took possession of two decks, defying the guards and any of the military to
go near them. At the same time they were singing, cheering and swearing and
some, who had got hold of tobacco, were smoking. The guards were threatened
in such a manner that they told their Supervisor, Mr Masterman, that it
would be too dangerous to go out with the convicts in the afternoon if
examples were not made of some of them. Captain the Hon. Montague Stopford,
acting Dockyard Superintendent, was immediately communicated with and he
ordered the crew of HMS ‘Fisgard’ to take-up arms. The Dockyard Police of
the ‘R’ Division were also under arms and detachments of the Royal Marines
and Royal Artillery were sent onboard. The guards in charge of the convicts
then went below with drawn cutlasses and brought up 38 of the most dangerous
mutineers. These were disarmed of knives, forks and sharpened files and
placed in heavy irons. 20 of the convicts were, in the course of the
afternoon, conveyed to London in police vans and secured in the Millbank
Penitentiary. The remaining 18 were taken in irons onboard HMS ‘Wye’, lying
in the Thames. The press commented that “deportation to the Antipodes is
considered a boon by the criminal, who is aware of the fine climate of New
South Wales. It also has the added attraction of speedy wealth for those
with the strength of arm to dig or the daring to rob the digger.” Criminal
opinion of the day was that “transportation to Australia was a reward, not a
punishment, the general public being too well aware that that outlook only
served to foster crime on the home streets and corrupt the stream of social
life in Australia.”

Jacobite rebellion of 1745.

After Culloden, the captured Jacobites were taken to prisons in Inverness,
then to ships moored at the harbour to be transported to London.
These ships were:

The James and Mary
The Margaret and Mary
The Alexander and James
The Jane of Alloway
The Jane of Leith
The Dolphin
The Thane of Fife
Wallsgrave
* under the escort of H.M.S. Winchilsea

Some prisoners were transferred to the prison ship Pamela, in London.

The prisoners were transported by merchants, Samuel Smith, London and Richard
Gildart, Liverpool.

One ship, The Veteran,on route to Antigua, was captured by the French man o
war, The Diamond and taken to Martinique where the prisoners were set free.

Other ships were:
The Gildart
The Johnstown

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Page Updated Sat Jul 15, 2000 5:04pm EDT