FOOTNOTES

Jan. 1797 £1,500 April 12th 1797 £1,000

,, 2nd 1797 1,000 May 5th 1797 500

,, 6th 1797 1,000 Aug. 5th 1797 150

,, 13th 1797 1,000 „ 15th 1797 400

,, 17th 1797 500 Sept. 28th 1797 500

,, 31st 1797 1,000 Oct. 6th 1797 370

Feb. 9th 1797 500 ,, 9th 1797 500

,, 21st 1797 600 ,, 13th 1797 500

Mar. 5th 1797 500 Nov. 23rd 1797 1,000

,, 19th 1797 500 ,, 28th 1797 500

,, 26th 1797 450 „ 29th 1797 500

,, 30th 1797 330

The total amount paid to 19th November 1797 for the Norman Cross Prison was £34,518 11s. 3d., for Hull £22,600, for Lewes £12,400, and for Colchester £15,620.

“October 18th, 1808, George H. Walker of Yaxley to Elizabeth Colinette Pressland of St. John’s.—Witnesses: Thomas Pressland, Thomas Alderson Cook, James Gibbs.”

Mr. George H. Walker was the surgeon to the Prison, which was in the Parish of Yaxley, and Captain Pressland, R.N., had been for some years, after the renewal of the war in 1803, Superintendent of the Prison, so among all these dry details crops up the picture of our human life. We see the young medical officer passing through the door in the Prison wall which communicated with the Superintendent’s house (the door over which the wall is seen rising with a ramp in the photographs of the only fragments of the wall now remaining) to spend happy hours with Captain Pressland’s family. We see friendship ripening into love, the story told by the entry in the Register of St. John’s Church, Peterborough, and then in the Register of St. Peter’s, Yaxley, we are brought face to face with a tragedy, for the last entry of a burial from the Depot is “Captain Thomas Pressland, Norman Cross. March 21st, 1814. 59 years. Signed, J. Hinde, Curate,” and there can be little doubt that from the house to which, mainly through his future father-in-law’s influence, Surgeon Walker was able in the third year of its existence to bring Elizabeth Colinette Pressland as his bride, while the bells of Yaxley Church rang out a merry marriage peal, six years later passed the body of Captain Pressland himself to be laid in Yaxley Churchyard, while the death bell tolled its solemn note. For six years this house was the house of the couple for whom it was built. It was in the auctioneer’s catalogue, when it was sold on the 2nd October 1810, nothing more than “An excellent brick dwelling-house, containing a cellar 12 ft. 6 in. by 11 ft. 2 in., parlour 13 ft. 3 in. by 13 ft. 8 in., etc., etc.” To us, 100 years later, it is a part of the great tragedy of Norman Cross, and by the light of the registers we see it in those short eight years from its building to its destruction the scone of the brightest joys and the deepest griefs of men and women whose names we know, whose persons we can imagine, and who help to clothe those cold, dry records with the warmth of human life.

A MONODY ON THE LATE MAJOR KELLY

Peace to the virtuous brave! Another son of chivalry lies low: Not in the flush of youth he finds a grave, Not stricken to the dust by foreign foe He fainting falls;—but laden with full years, With white-hair’d glory crown’d, he lays him down In earth’s maternal lap, and with him bears Benevolence, high honour, renown, And love-begetting mem’ries, such as throw A halo round the thoughts of mortals here below.

Earth! keep thy treasured dead Awhile, in holy trust! Not with vain tears Wail we the loss of him who bravely bled For England’s might and weal, in early years, When life’s warm pulse beat high, and buoyant hopes On tip-toe look’d afar at distant fame; When views of greatness fill’d his vision’s scope, And daring deeds lent glory to a name: Here on our soldier’s grave no tear should fall; All hidden be our grief, as ’neath a funeral pall.

O! that in this, our need, This hour of trial, when the swart Sepoy Blurs the fair front of nature, with each deed Of villainy conceiving; when the joy That, like the sun, lights up affection’s eyes, Is blotted out by Indian hate and lust— O! that a host of Kellys could arise, And with avenging steel, unto the dust, Smite down the Smiter, that the world might know How true the Briton as a friend, how mighty as a foe!

O. P.

The Peterborough Advertiser, 13th February 1858.

This monody not only shows the esteem in which the Major was held by the local poet and his neighbours, but in the last stanza it revives the memory of a crisis in the history of the empire, and of the throes of the Indian Mutiny, from which our country was suffering when Major Kelly died.

Mr. James Perrot, appointed on the 7th April 1797, held his office until January 1799.

Captain Woodriff, R.N., appointed January 1799, held his office until the Peace of Amiens, April 1802 (see Appendix B).

Captain Thos. Pressland, R.N., was appointed after the War was renewed in May 1803, and served from 18th June 1803 until August 1811.

Captain J. Draper, R.N., succeeded to the post, and held it until his death in February 1813.

Captain W. Hansell, R.N., became agent on the death of Captain Draper, and relinquished the post in August 1814 after the Abdication of Buonaparte and his retirement to Elba.

The Robinettes were probably some of the many French Huguenots who came over after the repeal, on the 15th October 1685, of the Edict of Nantes, and settled in the neighbourhood of Peterborough to further reclaim and cultivate the lately drained fens. The fallacy of coming to conclusions, founded on names only without other evidence, is illustrated by the following sentence in a series of papers on Norman Cross published in the Peterborough Advertiser by the late Rev. G. N. Godwin: “At Stilton the names of Habarte, of Drage, and of Tesloff, and near Thorney the name of Egar, and at Peterborough, among others, the name of Vergette, still speak of the old war time.” Of these names, Habarte alone is that of descendants of a French prisoner, the majority of those bearing the others are of the old Huguenot stock, while the Vergettes, who formerly believed themselves to be descendants of an ancestor of this same stock, now know that they were an old-established English family in 1555, when their ancestor, Robert Vergette, was Sheriff of Lincoln.

The following extract from a letter addressed to me by Mr. Samuel Booth shows how many people in one family group alone found employment in connection with the Depot:

“I send you a few particulars about my relatives, which may, or may not, be useful to you.

“My great-grandmother, Mrs. Allen, who lies in the old graveyard, used to carry green-grocery to sell to the prisoners.

“My father’s father was Pay-Sergeant at the Barracks.

“My grandfather, Samuel Briggs, of Ailsworth, was constable; he was also in the Militia, and was told off to keep guard on Thorpe Road, at the entrance to Peterboro’, on the escape of some prisoners, but who went the way to Ramsay. I have a box made by the prisoners, presented to my grandfather, who was also a carpenter, and at times went to work there. The prisoners used to beg pieces of wood and other materials of him. He used to speak of their cleverness in the making of fancy articles, and of their endeavours to escape—one got in the manure cart, and got away.”

Each prisoner shall receive two ounces of Soap per week.

Copy of an Affidavit made by Mr. James Perrot, Agent for Prisoners of War at Norman Cross. Dated Peterboro’, 15th December 1797.

These are to certify, that James Perrot, Agent for Prisoners of War at Norman Cross, voluntarily maketh Oath, that to the best of his knowledge and belief, the Certificate and Affidavits given by Dr. Higgins, Physician, Mr. James Magennis, Surgeon, and Messiours Chatelin and Savary, the French Assistant Surgeons to the Hospital at Norman Cross Prisons, are strictly true, and corresponding with the accounts, daily brought to him; and that the number of Patients in the said Hospital on the 19th day of November last, were one hundred and ninety-four, including twenty-four nurses, and the whole number of Prisoners, including the Sick, were on that day confined in the said Prisons, 5028, and from the first the establishment never exceeded 5178, and that to the present date only 59 have died in the said Hospital; and further to the best of his knowledge, neither contagious or epidemic disorders have ever prevailed in the said Hospital or Prisons.

(Signed) J. Perrot, Agent.

Given under my hand at Peterboro’ this 15th day of December 1797.

(Signed) H. Freeman.

Copy of an Affidavit made by Dr. Higgins, Physician, and Dr. Magennis, Surgeon.

We the undersigned do voluntarily certify upon Oath that the number of Sick in the Hospital under our care at Norman Cross, on the 19th November last, was 194, including 24 nurses; that the daily number from the 7th August was always less; and that at no one period since the commencement of the establishment did the actual number exceed 260. That the prisons are systematically visited and searched every morning by the surgeon or his assistants, and that every prisoner having feverish symptoms, however slight, is immediately removed to the hospital.

No epidemic or contagious Fever.

(Signed) James Higgins, M.D., Physician, James Magennis, Surgeon.

Translation of a certificate by the French Surgeons, M. Savary of the Hardy, and M. Chatelaine, Surgeon-Major of the Ville de l’Orient.

The 24 men were employed as nurses. Whenever the prisoners are sent to the Hospital, they are admitted, whether their disorders are slight or violent, and while there, they are treated with humanity and attention, and provided with everything necessary for the re-establishment of their health. No epidemic or contagious distemper.

(Ref. Parly. Paper, 1797–8, vol. 50. pp. 131–3.)

—T. J. W.

“The French prisoners at the prison made beautiful straw plaits, which were purchased by people in Stilton and sold at a high rate. For a long time they were forbidden to sell these plaits, but they found means to do so through the soldiers. No doubt the soldiers made a great deal of money in this way, although the plaits were sold so cheaply that many people in Stilton made very respectable fortunes by their sale. The soldiers secretly brought the straw plaits to the houses, sometimes wrapped round their bodies under their clothes; in this case they would go upstairs and undress, and then come down with the straw plaits.

“I do not know how the prisoners got the straw, but as they could no more make straw plaits without straw than the Israelites could make bricks, I suppose the soldiers helped them to it. Much of the plait (which was more neatly made than the English manufacture) was made up and sold in Stilton. Other was hawked about round the district; also sent to wholesale houses in London or elsewhere. One vendor of the straw plaits cleared a thousand pounds in a few years.”

“Le Soussigné Agent du Gouvernement Britannique Chargé du soin et de la Surveillance des Prisonniers de Guerre au Dépôt de Norman Cross, Certifie que le Nommé Vincent Fontaine, natif de Veli, Pris à Bord du transport La Sophie, en qualité de soldat, entre en Prison au Dépôt de Norman Cross le 25 Septembre 1804, est mort à l’hospital du susdit Dépôt le Vingt trois mars, mil huit cent huit, âgé de Trente ans et demi, ainsi qu’il couste par les Registres de la Prison.

“En foi de quoi j’ai délivré le Présent Extrait pour servir à qui de Raison.

“Norman Cross le 1^er Juin 1814.

“(Signed) W. Hanwell, Capt. R.N., Agent.”

[Translation]

“The Undersigned Agent of the British Government in charge of the care and the superintendence of the Prisoners of War at the Depot of the Norman Cross, certifies that the named Vincent Fontaine, native of Veli, taken on board the transport La Sophie, as being a soldier, entered into the Prison at the Depot of Norman Cross on the 25th September 1804, died in the Hospital of the above-mentioned Depot, 23rd March 1808, Age 30½ years, as shown by the Prison Registers.

“In Witness whereof I have delivered the present Extract to be used by Whom it may concern.

“Norman Cross, 1st June 1814.

“(Signed) W. Hanwell, Capt. R.N., Agent.”

Vincent Fontaine was the only prisoner who died during the week ending 27th March 1808. The certificate was signed by Thos. Pressland, the agent at that date.

Wilberforce 11,806

Milton 11,177

Lascelles 10,988

Fowkes 2

Smith, Parliaments of England, ii. 136, 140. The Times, 26th, 28th, 30th May, 2nd, 4th, 6th June 1807.

Wm. Wilberforce, Esq.; Rt. Hon. Chas. Wm. Wentworth, commonly called Viscount Milton; Hon. Henry Lascelles.

Abergavenny. Eye. Penrith.

Alresford. Falmouth. Penryn.

Andover. Fareham. Perth.

Ashbourne. Foxton. Peterborough

Ashburton. Greenlaw. Petersfield.

Ashby-de-la-Zouch. Hawick. Plymouth.

Bandon. Jedburgh. Pontefract.

Basingstoke. Kelso. Porchester.

Bedale. Knaresborough. Portsmouth.

Bideford. Lanark. Reading.

Biggar. Landore. Redruth.

Bishops Castle. Launceston. Regilliack.

Bishops Waltham. Leek. Richmond.

Bodmin. Lichfield. Roscor.

Boroughbridge. Llanfyllin. Sanquhar.

Brecon. Lockerbie. Selkirk.

Bridgnorth. Lockmaben. Stapleton.

Bristol. London. Tavistock.

Callington. Melrose. Thame.

Carlisle. Mill Prison Hospital. Tiverton.

Carnarvon. Montgomery. Tynemouth.

Chatham. Montrose. Valleyfield.

Chepstow. Moreton Hampstead. Wakefield.

Chesterfield. Newton. Wantage.

Crediton. Norman Cross. Welshpool.

Cupar. Northampton. Whitchurch.

Dartmoor. Okehampton. Wincanton.

Derby. Oldham. Winchester.

Dover. Oswestry. Wisbech.

Dumfries. Peebles. York.

Edinburgh. Pembroke.

Transport Office, 26th June 1812.

On Parole. French Prisoners. Danish Prisoners.

Officers, Army 1,615 —

Officers, Navy 718 —

Masters and Mates of Merchant Vessels 211 33

Captains, etc., of Privateers 176 —

Passengers and other Persons of Respectability 211 3

Servants to Officers 149 —

Women and children 115 —

3,231 36

In Confinement

Soldiers 22,916 5

Seamen, taken in Men-of-War 11,198 305

Seamen, taken in Merchant Vessels 4,076 977

Seamen, taken in Privateers 10,146 530

All others 1,045 15

Women and Children 37 —

49,418 1,832

Abstract.

Prisoners belonging to the Army 24,567 5

Prisoners belonging to the Navy 26,525 1,845

Others 1,557 18

52,649 1,868

N.B.—There are not any prisoners in Ireland.

Total, French prisoners 52,649

Total, Dutch prisoners 1,868

54,517

(Signed) Rup. George, J. Bowen, J. Douglas. (Parl. Pap. 1812, vol. ix., p. 225.)

In reference to this return it may be here mentioned that very few of the Danes were brought to Norman Cross, either in the first period of the war, or in the second period in which this return was made.

When in 1894 Mr. Vanderaa gave me the information about his family, he said he had a brother, who was, he believed, alive, but he did not know where he was living.

Of the descendants of the Miss Roelans, who married Mr. Joseph Little, several are living in a good social position; but the Dutch blood does not seem to have passed into the collateral branches of Moores, Buckles, and other well-known families who have intermarried with the Littles.

The author says he was confined for seven weeks as a hostage to prevent the English Government from punishing a French officer who had projected a rising of the French prisoners in England.

Mr. Godwin (loc. cit.), mentioning that on Christmas Day 1805 some 250 French prisoners from Porchester Castle marched into Basingstoke on their cheerless way to Norman Cross (probably some of the heroes who had fought against Nelson and his captains on the 21st October), asks the question, “Did the Hampshire folk give them a share in their festivities?” The above anecdote justifies us, I hope, in saying that the answer to this question would be “Yes.”

Wm. Gardiner, entered first clerk 1st September 1803 at £118 per annum, abate taxes 1s. in the pound, £9 6s., Civil List at 6d., leaving £8 19s. 8¾d. net per month.

Wm. Todd, 1st September, as store-clerk, at £118 per annum, and an extra £30 as French interpreter, with 18s. abatement; net per month £11 5s. 3½d.

John Andrew Delapoux, extra clerk, 1st September, at 3s. 6d. per diem. He was very uneasy about the proclamation against aliens, but was assured it would not apply to him.

Wm. Belcher, steward, at 3s. per day.

Thos. Adams, steward, 3rd September, at 3s. per day.

John Hobbs, turnkey, £50 per annum.

John Nolt, turnkey, £50 per annum.

John Belcher, turnkey, £50 per annum.

Alex Halliday, ditto, and as superintendent carpenter, £20, with 2s. 10½d. abatement for Civil List.

John Hayward, labourer, 12s. a week.

Wm. Powell, labourer, 12s. a week.

Captain Pressland was informed that no clothing of any kind was to be served out to any prisoner, though most were captured with none beyond what they stood upright in. No soup was to be served out, except to the prisoners who acted as barbers. He asked for some modification of this, but was refused. He was allowed £25 per annum for coals and candles, and 10s. 6d. each time he went to Peterborough on the Board’s Order or to make affidavits as to his accounts, etc. A few days afterwards this was increased to 12s. 6d. The military guard consisted of 400 of the North Lincoln Militia.

Two years before this sale took place the Depot had been evacuated, and in the Public Record Office is the Barrack Master’s receipt to Captain Hanwell, dated 30th October 1814, for the Depot at Norman Cross, delivered over to him, agreeably to the Transport Board’s order of 24th September 1814. The document consists of ten pages in double columns.