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Southampton's "Wool House" (former Maritime Museum) was apparently used
"to house French prisoners of war during the Seven Years War and
Napolionic Wars" (list description). Other sources suggest it was known
as "Spanish Prison" and "The French Prison" and apparently the prisoners
used to earn money by making model ships and tinket boxes. There used
to be a model ship in the museum, reputedly built by French prisoners.
Another building, the "Tudor Merchants Hall" by Westgate, is referred to
as "The Guardhouse" in the 19th century. I've assumed this was a
misinterpretation of its medieval use (the building was moved to its
current location in the 17th century), but now I'm wondering...
Apparently a piece of land nearby used to be known as "The Spanish
Burial Ground".
Some canals were built around Southampton in the 1790s, but were never a
success. I've checked the published sources for these but can find no
reference to prisoners of war being used to dig them.
Ingrid Peckham
Historic Environment Record Officer
Historic Environment Team
Planning and Sustainability Division
Southampton City Council
Tel: 023 8083 2850
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-----Original Message-----
From: Issues related to Historic Environment Records
[mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of CARLISLE, Philip
Sent: 27 January 2012 11:56
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Friday (early) morning question
Dear all,
Considering that between 100,000 and 250,000 French prisoners of war
from the Napoleonic Wars were held in Britain during the period
(depending on which source you read) I'd think it was highly likely that
at least some were put to work on building projects (other than their
own prisons).
Phil
Phil Carlisle
Data Standards Supervisor
Data Standards Unit, Designations Department
English Heritage
The Engine House
Fire Fly Avenue
Swindon
SN2 2EH
Tel: +44 (0)1793 414824
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-----Original Message-----
From: Issues related to Historic Environment Records
[mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Chris Wardle
Sent: 27 January 2012 11:25
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Friday (early) morning question
Hugh,
Call me an old cynic if you must, but as a well-known historian once
commented, "Most people, in fact, will not take the trouble in finding
out the truth, but are much more inclined to accept the first story they
hear."
Whilst you can't rule out all tales of French prisoners being used for
this kind of engineering project, just how many French prisoners did
Britain take in the 1790s and early part of the C18th?
Britain was not an major land power. For most of the wars with France,
the main sources of French prisoners would have been:- a. Those captured
in clearing-up operations on land in the West Indies, Egypt and a
handful of other places beyond Europe. I doubt whether there would have
been too many of these.
b. Captured sailors. Bearing in mind the Royal Navy's chronic shortage
of seamen, I suspect that the navy would have tried to use as many of
these as possible on British ships.
c. From the Spanish peninsular after 1809.
Could these sources really have been sufficient to carry out all the
engineering works attributed to them and to fill the cells in Dartmoor?
Chris
-----Original Message-----
From: Issues related to Historic Environment Records
[mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Hugh Winfield
Sent: 27 January 2012 09:33
To: Issues related to Historic Environment Records; Chris Wardle
Subject: Re: Friday (early) morning question
Chris,
Surely being post-boom it would make it more likely? I would have
thought that engineers desperate to finish off abandoned or over-budget
projects would have moved heaven and high water to get their hands on
large labour pools that they didn't have to pay! Just a thought, no
evidence obviously.
Hugh
Hugh Winfield
Archaeologist and Historic Environment Record Officer Development
Management Origin One, Origin Way Europarc, Grimsby North East
Lincolnshire
DN37 9TZ
Tel: (01472) 32 3586 Fax: (01472) 32 4216
Access maps of the Archaeological and Historic sites, buildings and
monuments in North East Lincolnshire here:
http://isharemaps.nelincs.gov.uk/mynelcaspx
<https://legacy.nelincs.gov.uk/exchweb/bin/redir.asp?URL=http://isharema
ps.nelincs.gov.uk/mynelc.aspx>
________________________________
From: Issues related to Historic Environment Records on behalf of Chris
Wardle
Sent: Fri 27/01/2012 09:28
To: Winfield, Hugh
Subject: Re: Friday (early) morning question
Hi Vince,
I seem to dimly recall, from my days of 'A' level history, that the main
era of 'Canal Mania', when investor were eager to put money into making
rivers navigable and building canals lasted from the early 1770s into
the late 1780s. By the time the French Revolutionary Wars broke out in
the 1790s the enthusiasm for canal building was cooling off. Many
venues, such as the ill-fated Charnwood Forest Canal here in
Leicestershire, having proven to be huge loss makers.
So it seems likely that most of the stories of the involvement of
French prisoners of war in improvements in navigation are probably
untrue.
Chris Wardle
City Archaeologist
Planning & Economic Development
A11, New Walk Centre
Leicester. LE1 6ZG
-----Original Message-----
From: Issues related to Historic Environment Records
[mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Vince Russett
Sent: 27 January 2012 09:11
To: Issues related to Historic Environment Records; Chris Wardle
Subject: Re: Friday (early) morning question
Morning, chums!
And while we're on this subject, I've often heard stories of major
engineering works (river course modification etc) being carried out by
Napoleonic prisoners of war - specifically, the story is told of
straightening of the Cheddar Yeo by such. Does anyone know if there is
any truth in these stories?
Vince
Vince Russett
County Archaeologist
Development Management Group
North Somerset Council
Our Historic Environment Record is now on-line: Go to the North Somerset
web site (http://www.n-somerset.gov.uk <http://www.n-somerset.gov.uk/> )
then use the tabs Environment / Conservation / Archaeology/ Historic
Environment Record. Enjoy!
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Mobile: 07919 265644
Please note my work hours are usually 8am to 4pm -----Original
Message-----
From: Issues related to Historic Environment Records
[mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Nick Boldrini
Sent: 27 January 2012 08:56
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Friday (early) morning question
Hi Chris
I assume you've picked the Civic Trusts collective brain to see where
they got the info?
not heard of anything similar up here
best wishes
Nick Boldrini
Historic Environment Record Officer
Durham County Council
Tel: 0191 3708840
Fax: 0191 3708897
[log in to unmask]
VPN 7777 8840
-----Original Message-----
From: Issues related to Historic Environment Records
[mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Chris Webster
Sent: 27 January 2012 08:34
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Friday (early) morning question
In a street in Wells, called Guard House Lane, is a plaque erected by
the civic society that reads:
Guardhouse Lane takes its name from its eighteenth-century guardhouse -
the tall building 50 metres down on the right-hand side. The
Napoleonic Wars of the late 1790s and early 1800s saw a new warfare of
mass armies and large fleets. This made necessary the first serious
attempt to house prisoners-of-war in specially built prisons or prison
camps, as on Dartmoor or at Norman Cross near Peterborough. Captured
French soldiers and sailors were landed at Dorset ports, and marched
about 20 miles a day, lodging en route at specially constructed
staging-posts. Wells Guardhouse was the last overnight stop for
other ranks before reaching the newly enlarged Stapleton Prison at
Bristol.
Has anyone else come across these - it suggests a semi-national system -
but I can find no other information about it/them.
Chris Webster
Historic Environment Record
Somerset County Council
Somerset Heritage Centre
Brunel Way
Taunton
TA2 6SF
01823 347434
Online HER: www.somerset.gov.uk/her
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