The towns and villages and diverse countryside through which they passed fascinated William. Under the gaze of the sentries the prisoners were fed twice a day and given an opportunity to stretch their limbs. The boys were pleased to be in the fresh air, exposed to the elements, and the days were pleasant, but as night fell it became extremely cold. Each prisoner had been issued a blanket, which helped keep the drizzle and wind off their skin but gave inadequate warmth.
As they neared each settlement, people would rush into the street to stare and shout at them. With each passing town William became more humiliated.
The dray moved at a steady pace, passing through Oxford and then Southampton, and many lesser villages in between. They arrived in Portsmouth Harbour in early evening at the end of April. It would be another week before the boys were officially registered as convicts on a prison hulk.
6.
The Overseer
PORTSMOUTH HARBOUR, APRIL 1801
The first sight the prisoners beheld as they entered the harbour area was the prison hulks nestled on the water’s edge, with much bigger vessels moored further around the coastline. They appeared ghostlike in the evening’s half-light as they moved and danced to the ebbing and flowing of the tide. The Warwick boys had never seen ships or indeed any substantial amount of water. It was a frightening scene that gave them no comfort. What were these structures? Were they expected to live on them?
During the long days on the dray they had often talked about the conditions they could expect on these floating prisons. Along the way the guards had told them these temporary prisons had been introduced more than fifteen years ago now, because of overcrowding in Newgate prison, which had led to the threat of epidemics.
The hulks were mostly old decommissioned navy vessels and foreign vessels secured through combat. Such vessels were in harbour ports around the country. William had listened to the guards’ descriptions of conditions on board and wondered if he would survive this next part of his journey.
The overseer of the hulk Capacity had sighted the dray’s arrivals. He needed more prisoners to fill out his work gangs so he had been keeping a sharp eye on the foreshore in order to sign up the newly arrived convicts before the overseers of other hulks in the bay had a chance.
As he watched these new convicts arrive the overseer lamented his current plight. He had been successfully climbing his way up the Navy’s hierarchy and had seen active battle service. In 1794 he was involved in the battle against Bonaparte’s French Navy, part of the Revolutionary Wars, which was remembered now as the Glorious First of June. More than 1,000 men had been killed or, like him, wounded. His left hand had been badly damaged by a French cannonade, and had needed amputation. He had been forced to retire from the Navy, but would have preferred to stay at sea, a glamorous occupation. Now he was running this convict hulk. He was convinced he was doing a good job, though. Broad shoulders, thick forearms, proficiency with a whip, a booming voice and, more importantly, the systematic use of terror kept all, including his guards, in fear of him. He was a man who could give pain for breakfast, lunch and dinner. He would not brook ill discipline.
‘Who do we have here?’ he yelled at the senior sentry, who was flourishing paperwork.
‘’Nother bunch of losers!’ replied the senior sentry.
The overseer looked at the list that had been provided and then scrutinised the convicts before him. He noticed the smaller boy, William Foster, and mentally assigned him to lighter work, perhaps around the ship.
Flicking a whip in his hand, he said, ‘Listen here, you convict scumbags. This is the hulk Capacity. This is my ship. I’m the law. I make the rules! I have strict rules. Step out of line and you’ll wish you hadn’t. No one has ever escaped from my ship. Sheer stupidity to do so!’
He paused for breath, stared at each of the convicts one by one, and cracked his whip over William’s head. William winced.
‘I’ll work you so hard you’ll have no energy to escape. You’ll be just able to crawl into the hammock at night.’
The boys all stood, feet chained in irons, listening.
‘There are three decks on this hulk, A, B and C. Prisoners who behave, follow orders and work hard are on A Deck. That’s the top. Ain’t no place better! Those who misbehave or are lazy will be moving down towards the waterline. You don’t want to be down there. Convicts get sick and die down there. So do not get on my bad side! The last place you go will be the Black Hole!’ he said as his voice got louder with each word. ‘You never want to be put in there! There’s only one way you will come out, and that’s dead!
‘I make quarterly reports ’bout your behaviour. You don’t want bad comments next to your name. More reason to behave.’
‘See this whip,’ he continued. ‘I’ll not use it unless I have to.’ He cracked the whip loudly above his head.
William winced again.
On deck, the overseer demanded they empty their pockets and strip off their clothes. Everything – not that it amounted to much – was placed in a large pail. All the clothes were examined carefully and a few, including William’s, were set aside. The overseer grinned at the thought of the few pennies he would get for them at the market. William was devastated. They were the only physical connection he had left to his mother. Gone!
William was to learn that graft and corruption flourished on the hulks. Anything and everything could be taken from the convicts and sold. Even the bodies of those convicts who died on board would often be sold for medical investigations. It was a lucrative side business for the overseer and the guards.
The boys were washed, inspected and issued with clothing. This consisted of a shirt, canvas trousers, a grey jacket and shoes. The boys were mightily pleased to be fitted out in clean, warm clothing. Each was issued with a mess mug and plate.
Finally the overseer filled out the Prison Hulk Register by asking each prisoner his name and age. In the age column, he wrote thirteen for William. The boys were allocated a mess and a work gang and moved to their hammocks. Little did they know this would be home for the next nine months.
Once the boys were settled for the night William had a chance to take in his surroundings. The reality of it was worse than he had expected.
The vessel had been driven under sail onto an offshore mud bank. Anchors had been set off the ship to help stop too much movement during high tides and storms. Inside was dark, cramped, damp and teeming with rats and cockroaches. As the days passed, the continual slow and steady groaning of the ship caused by the rising and falling of the tide, initially the cause of constant nausea, seemed thankfully to fade into the background.
The ship and everything on it was damp and the smell was a nasty mixture of boiled meat from the large cauldrons on the upper deck, rotting timber from below the waterline, and, worst of all, the odour of so many confined to such a small space.
Prison cells had been built on each of the convict decks to house roughly 150 people. There was little or no ventilation below decks as the portholes on the landward side were boarded over to eliminate potential escape routes. All decks had a secure area for the guards. Hammocks were installed edge to edge into each cell. Outside the cell, long trestle tables and bench seats were bolted into place. This was where all meals were eaten. The only washroom was on the top deck, with fresh water to help the prisoners stay moderately clean.
Life aboard the hulk became routine. There were two meals a day, morning and evening, the food mainly consisting of bread, pease and meat. The quantity of food was better than William had expected, although he soon learned to eat quickly before a more aggressive convict could steal his ration.
Convicts could wash every day and were able to wash clothes and bedding at certain times. Sundays always included a divine service given by a local clergyman.
Ten to twelve hours a day were spent labouring under trained watchmen provided with whips to inspire laggards. The chain gangs at Portsmouth attracted onlookers who ogled at the prisoners as they worked, and
provided a strong incentive for the onlookers to behave themselves.
The Warwick boys had seen some prisoners leave the hulk to serve out their time with the navy or the military. A war with Napoleonic France was looming, increasing the need for able-bodied seamen. However, ‘lifers’ were not eligible.
As the days moved into summer, and with the hatches closed, the heat in the cells at night became oppressive. The air was fetid and each day was a struggle to survive. Many of the convicts were in a feverish state, and many died.
The boys had watched three ships leave for New South Wales. On 21 June 1801, Canada, Minorca and Nile 1 had sailed out of the harbour. Their time must be soon, they figured, with a mixture of dread and anticipation. But when?
Four long months passed with only the relief of autumn to make any difference to conditions on the hulk. In November, as autumn turned to an early winter, Portsmouth’s temperatures plumbed to zero. The wind chill took it down even further. The convicts felt the effects, which were fatal for many. The dreadful cold made all suffer. On many occasions onshore work by the convicts had to be abandoned. The overseer issued extra blankets. He needed his workforce alive.
William kept the vow of good behaviour he had made to himself in the Warwick Court House following his stay of execution. The overseer recorded on the hulk register against his name, ‘Not known before, well behaved’. William had even found time, after dinner at night, to fashion, in wood, model ships and handicrafts. This pastime, allowed by the warders, was the best part of William’s day, a momentary escape from the daily grind that had become his life. He remained on A Deck. While William was the youngest of the four Warwick boys he had a surprisingly strong influence on the others to tow the line and obey the overseer’s rules.
Christmas 1801 came. Unnoticed, except for a short service given by the local pastor. William thought of his family. Maybe his leaving had taken some strain from them. They didn’t have to worry about him anymore.
On the prison ship there was still no word on a departure date. By now William and his cohorts were looking forward to transportation. Almost anything would be better, they all conceded.
On 11 January, William watched two ships sail into the harbour. Are these our ships, he wondered?
Sure enough, the overseer told William and the others, 113 in total, that in the coming days they were to be moved to one of the waiting ships to commence their journey to New South Wales. William, Thomas, Henry and Tom were elated at the news. Their last nights on this hell hulk were in sight but would another hell await them?
Now, thought the overseer, I will have to start again with a new work crew. And collect some more booty from the unfortunate new arrivals.
7.
Captain John Davison
LONDON, OCTOBER 1801
A new challenge. That is what he needed!
John Davison was an experienced mariner with years of experience sailing, navigating and managing crew in His Majesty’s Navy and as a skipper of coastal traders. He had been as far afield as Canada and the east coast of America, the Orkneys and Iceland, and had battled the open sea and violent storms.
The struggling penal colony of New South Wales was being pressured to take more convicts to help alleviate some of the congestion in the homeland prisons. However, Governor John Hunter insisted there was insufficient food to support a larger population and pleaded for young, strong farmers and tradesmen, and not sickly, elderly or town-raised convicts. Discussions were well underway with a view to transporting between 250 and 260 male convict prisoners, as well as a number of free settlers, from Portsmouth.
In late October 1801, Davison received a note at home requesting his attendance at a meeting in the offices of Brown, Welbank and Petyt. This was a firm that was in discussions with the Naval Board’s Transport Commissioners for the conveyance of convict transport ships to New South Wales.
He was full of anticipation as he entered their boardroom and he was not disappointed, for laid out on the large, mahogany table was the Charter setting out the terms and conditions between the commissioners for conducting His Majesty’s Transport Service on behalf of Reeve and Green, the owners of two ships, Coromandel and Perseus.
‘Captain Davison,’ began Brown, ‘we are pleased you could join us today to discuss this expedition to Port Jackson.’
‘Most pleased to be here and listen to your plans. Let me say at the outset I am most interested in captaining a ship to parts south of the equator.’
‘Captain, we intend to send two ships to the Colony of New South Wales – Coromandel and Perseus. We are considering offering you the command of the smaller ship, Perseus, a square-rigged, three-masted ship of three hundred and sixty-two tons. The Coromandel will be under the command of Alex Sterling, a very capable man.’ Davison gave a brief nod and Brown continued.
‘It is planned that the two ships will take a full complement of convicts from Portsmouth to Port Jackson. There the convicts and free settlers will be offloaded. You will then be required to sail north to Canton, China to secure a full consignment of tea. Your return trip will be via the Indian Ocean and around the Cape. We anticipate that the entire journey will require a commitment of just over a year. We also understand that the nature and duration of such a journey is unpredictable so it will in all likelihood be longer.’ Davison nodded again. Brown continued.
‘When you and Captain Stirling depart Portsmouth we will embed your ships in a flotilla to provide protection to both ships. The flotilla, under the command of Rear Admiral Collingay, will accompany both ships as a deterrent for the French Navy and any pirate ships that may sail across your path. You will separate from the flotilla well into the Atlantic Ocean. Therefore both ships, as an added precaution, will also be fitted with a number of cannons as additional protection for your onward voyage to New South Wales.’
Mr Brown looked towards Davison. ‘Questions?’
Davison drew breath, trying to keep his excitement under control. ‘Plenty. I have been looking for an opportunity such as this for some time. However, before I can give you a definitive answer I will need a bit of time to study the finer details.’
Welbank took over the meeting, and told Davison both ships would soon be moved down the Thames to King’s Moorings, at Deptford.
‘Perhaps an initial viewing then?’ he suggested. Davison agreed and Welbank continued.
‘Fitting out will require the installation of accommodation for all. The convicts will be held in a secure area ’tween decks while free settlers, guards and the crew have access to other areas of the ship.
‘We plan to have a ship’s company in the order of forty men, sixteen of whom will be guards reporting to you, as well as a surgeon. We will provide maximum accommodation for one hundred and fourteen convicts and sixteen passengers. The Transport Commissioners have already given permission for the wives of three convicts to accompany their husbands. The reason for this is that the current and former Governors of the Colony have been concerned about the extreme and growing gender imbalance.
‘A naval agent is currently providing oversight on the preparations for the voyage. It will be necessary for him to be on board throughout the journey, possibly on Coromandel, to ensure the contractual terms with the Naval Board are fulfilled.
‘Of course, there are daily necessities and provisions to be acquired and stored. The Naval Board has also requested we carry a significant quantity of clothing and boxes of millinery items as there is a severe shortage of these items in the Colony.
‘I am sure you are already calculating that with the small tonnage of the ship together with the number of crew and passengers and the cargo, it will be necessary to make a number of stops on route. Accordingly, we have scheduled two such stops at Rio de Janeiro, Brazil and at Cape Town, the Cape of Good Hope. As well as replenishing your supplies it will be necessary, at the Cape, to take on sufficient stores to feed each convict for their first nine months in the colony. Recent voyages to Sydney have taken anywhere
from a hundred and fifty to two hundred days. You will need to ensure you are adequately provisioned.
‘Are you still with us?’
Brown and Petyt took their leave. Welbank remained in the boardroom with Davison.
Davison was thinking quickly, numbers spinning in his head. Could he do this? His reply was measured.
‘One key issue for me is crew selection. I would like to speak with each of the crew individually to assess whether they are up to this voyage. I don’t need hotheads amongst the guards. As well I would like to choose the senior officers from those I have served with previously and trust.’
Welbank told Davison these requests could be met.
The two men went through the details of the Transport Commissioners’ contract. It was a prescriptive document that left little doubt as to the terms.
Reeve and Green, as ship contractors, were required to provide ships that were ‘tight, strong and substantial’.
I should bloody well think so, thought Davison, if I’m to ferry a load of miscreants in them to the other side of the globe.
The contractor was also required to fit the ships out at their expense, with sails, yards, anchors, cables, ropes, cords, apparel and other furniture and provide coal, wood, fire hearths and furnaces for cooking and dressing provisions, bowls, spoons and platters for the convicts and crew. The contract specified volumes of water and cleaning equipment. The terms further required that during the passage the master of each ship and his men use all the means in their power to adequately ventilate and regularly clean and fumigate the areas where convicts were housed. The prisoners were to be properly clothed and furnished with beds and bedding, with space apart for a hospital, and an approved surgeon carried in each transport. There were many smaller particulars such as when prisoners were to be admitted on deck for fresh air and exercise, only a safe number at any one time.
The Tailor and the Shipwright Page 6