# Convict prison hulks



## WHYGO (Jan 31, 2011)

Hi guys ,
I am looking for any photos or sketches of convict prison hulks,also any sketches of convict ships (Recovery/James Pattison).Thanks for any help WHYCO.


----------



## david freeman (Jan 26, 2006)

*Prison ships*



WHYGO said:


> Hi guys ,
> I am looking for any photos or sketches of convict prison hulks,also any sketches of convict ships (Recovery/James Pattison).Thanks for any help WHYCO.


Was there not a prison ship in the 1990's off Portsmouth/Southampton-an ex Sealink Channell ferry? or some ship similar?(==D)


----------



## hen llongwr (Apr 10, 2010)

david freeman said:


> Was there not a prison ship in the 1990's off Portsmouth/Southampton-an ex Sealink Channell ferry? or some ship similar?(==D)


Don't think it ever happened


----------



## McCloggie (Apr 19, 2008)

Did Bibby not use one of there accommodation barges as a prison in Portland?

McC


----------



## Varley (Oct 1, 2006)

HMP Weare ex Bibby Resolution.


----------



## William Clark8 (Feb 15, 2013)

*Mars*

Not a Prison ship as such, but a a place where young offenders
were sent. It was a ship moored in the River Tay in Dundee. and
housed children aged 12 to 16 and discipline was pretty strict.
It was closed in 1929 and subsequently scrapped.


----------



## Day Sailor (Nov 9, 2014)

There was an accomodation barge on the River Medway at Rochester that was I believe used as some sort of prison ship recently.
Does the OP mean historic ships?


----------



## Gijsha (Mar 2, 2015)

On http://www.vlootschouw.nl/2/index.p...De Boei&scheepstypenafkorting=Gevangenisschip you find a "prison ship" in Arnhem destined for drug addicts.
Gijsha


----------



## Cisco (Jan 29, 2007)

Given WHYGO's wee flag and that 'Recovery/James Pattison' led me here http://members.iinet.net.au/~perthdps/convicts/stories.html I think he may be looking for something with a more colonial flavour.....


----------



## Cisco (Jan 29, 2007)

...such as this one http://www.pit****eronlinenews.com/aquatics---the-prison-hulk-success-1891-article.php

Lots of pics come up with a simple google....


----------



## ben27 (Dec 27, 2012)

good day cisco.sm.today.04:08.#10.re:convict prison hulks.interesting post.and link.great photos of the past.thank you for posting.regards ben27


----------



## capkelly (Feb 13, 2006)

"Maidstone" in Belfast Lough for Republican detainees


----------



## Enri (Jun 24, 2008)

HMS Maidstone was employed as a prison ship inBelfast during the troubles, I seem to remember.


----------



## Twocky61 (Aug 14, 2014)

I remember reading somewhere, in the US there were those sailing ships with rigging, which took young offendrs out to sea, to teach them how to work as a team & show them there is more to life than crime


----------



## Michael Taylor (Aug 31, 2008)

Was the Mercury moored in the Hamble not a prison ship at some time prior to her schooling career?


----------



## Day Sailor (Nov 9, 2014)

Twocky61 said:


> I remember reading somewhere, in the US there were those sailing ships with rigging, which took young offendrs out to sea, to teach them how to work as a team & show them there is more to life than crime


And we had The Arethusa on the Medway which did the same job but was permanently moored at Upnor.
It was eventually sold to America and renamed the Peking. When it left the Medway they must have just dropped the mooring cables because the guys driving piles for a new pontoon couldn't get one to go in - it just kept bouncing up again. They had a rummage in the deep mud and found a huge steel hawser right where they were trying to place the pile.


----------



## Dickyboy (May 18, 2009)

I think Turner did some paintings of Prison Hulks.


----------



## avalon 1963 (May 12, 2014)

*Accommodation Ships*

Earl William was berthed at the Harwich train ferry terminal in 1987 for use as an accommodation ship for immigrants waiting for a decision as to whether or not they would be permitted to stay in Great Britain. The vessel had been upgraded for James Sherwood's Sun/Star liner service between Portsmouth and the Channel Island so a vessel of this standard was criticised as being too luxurious for them.


----------



## Twocky61 (Aug 14, 2014)

Day Sailor said:


> And we had The Arethusa on the Medway which did the same job but was permanently moored at Upnor.
> It was eventually sold to America and renamed the Peking. When it left the Medway they must have just dropped the mooring cables because the guys driving piles for a new pontoon couldn't get one to go in - it just kept bouncing up again. They had a rummage in the deep mud and found a huge steel hawser right where they were trying to place the pile.


Thanks Day Sailor


----------



## ianrobson36 (Dec 9, 2012)

I seem to remember that when I worked on colliers in the early sixties going up the thames there was an old wooden hulk on the lower reaches from Nelsons day that was used to hold french prisoners, unfortunately not having a camera in those days I have nothing to show.
Gingerbeer


----------



## Barrie Youde (May 29, 2006)

There is information on Google about the Reformatory Ship Akbar which was moored in the Mersey from 1856 to 1909, when the accommodation was re-housed ashore at Heswall, Wirral. In 1910 it transformed into what was eventually known as Heswall Nautical School and closed in 1956. It was a custodial reformatory school/approved school throughout its existence.

The buildings are now demolished and a housing development now occupies the site, retaining only the name Akbar.


----------



## trotterdotpom (Apr 29, 2005)

ianrobson36 said:


> I seem to remember that when I worked on colliers in the early sixties going up the thames there was an old wooden hulk on the lower reaches from Nelsons day that was used to hold french prisoners, unfortunately not having a camera in those days I have nothing to show.
> Gingerbeer


Would that have been the training ship HMS Worcester, Ian?

John T


----------



## WHYGO (Jan 31, 2011)

*convict ships*

Hi everyone,thanks for your posts,but the two ships i was looking for(Recovery-James Pattison) were convict ships in the mid 1800 am looking at 1835-1836 era maybe to early for drawings, the convict Hulk i was looking for was (Levithan) Thames Estuary i think(1835). Thanks Kevin.


----------



## Bill.B (Oct 19, 2013)

The vessel seen in the lower Thames, maybe off Grays, was the one my old Skipper "Spearo" Derek Ling talked about. He told me she was there during the war and had a copper sheathed hull and when hard up the barge crews would row alongside at night and try and take the copper. There was a watchman onboard who would often catch them at it and drive them off. However they did sometimes succeed and the Theobold Arms received the rewards of their success. Stan Mayes would have known for sure. I believe Derek said she did sink and was raised and towed away.


----------



## gretaston (Jan 7, 2011)

hello, I do not know if these are of interest to you ,but there are currently two photos on ebay, (1) of the convict ship-success photo 6x4
(2) the interior of convict ship success photo 6x4.
Gretaston.


----------



## DAVIDJM (Sep 17, 2005)

Rummaging through my books and magazines, I found a booklet (25 pages) about "the Floating Prison of Woolwich and Deptford by Reg Rigden (printed 1976). 

no photos but an interesting read about the harsh conditions the prisoners went through. The period is from 1777 - 1857

The ships Mentioned were WARRIOR, JUSTITIA and DEFENCE Captain Cooks ship. also WYE and UNITE.


----------



## D1566 (Sep 7, 2009)

Barrie Youde said:


> There is information on Google about the Reformatory Ship Akbar which was moored in the Mersey from 1856 to 1909, when the accommodation was re-housed ashore at Heswall, Wirral. In 1910 it transformed into what was eventually known as Heswall Nautical School and closed in 1956. It was a custodial reformatory school/approved school throughout its existence.
> 
> The buildings are now demolished and a housing development now occupies the site, retaining only the name Akbar.


Seems to have been a nightmarish place:
http://www.childrenshomes.org.uk/Heswall/
The attached just came up on a local history FB page;

At least someone there was getting fresh produce ... (image courtesy of Gwyneth Williams, Llangollen)


----------



## Michael Taylor (Aug 31, 2008)

Seem to remember the Mercury in the Hamble River during my time at the School of Nav...... 1958


----------

