Note 17 — Chapter VII · THE JOURNAL OF WILLIAM RUSSELL (1776-1783)
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William Russell had organized a school among the prisoners soon after his arrival at Plymouth. This school he taught during the two years of his captivity and the small store of pence received as “tuition fees” enabled him to buy many extras in the way of food and clothing. There were many youngsters in the prison who had been taken out of privateers as cabin-boys, powder-boys, etc., and lads of twelve and thirteen were then shipping as full-fledged seamen to “fight the British.” The prison schoolmaster helped keep these small firebrands out of mischief.