Victorian Convict Ships and Brutal Punishment (Hard Labour on the 1800s Hulks)

Life as a convict on an 1800s prison ship was brutal - and hard labour even worse. Squalid and overcrowded conditions, inadequate food and punishment for ill behaviour were bad enough. But being aboard these Victorian 'hulks,' as they were called, was only half the story of misery awaiting a man condemned to be interred on these decommissioned old war ships on the River Thames. Punishment, if your body could take it, was hard labour as well.
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Credits: Narration - markmanningmedia.com
CC BY - Coldbath Fields Prison, dormitory, A small rowing boat is taking people to a prison ship. Engraving by George Cooke after Samuel Prout by Wellcome Collection; Portsmouth HMS Victory (Rear) by xmax
CC BY-SA - Bell on the bow of the MV TUSTUMENA in Sand Point, Alaska, with build date “1964” by Gordon Leggett; A british cannon dated 3rd May 1851 inscribed with the monogram of Queen Victoria by Pratishkhedekar; Old Royal Military Academy, Royal Arsenal by Images George Rex; Prison hulks in the Thames c.1814, England painting by State Library of New South Wales; The Carpenter's Workshop, HMS Victory, Portsmouth Historic Dockyard by Hugh Llewelyn
#PrisonHulks #PrisonHulkShips #PrisonHulksOnTheRiverThames #PrisonHulkThames #PrisonShips #PrisonShipsVictorian #PrisonShipsVictorianEngland #BritishPrisonShips #PrisonShipsOnThe Thames #PrisonHulksMedway #FactFeast

[@FactFeast]

Thanks for watching! If you enjoyed this and want to support the channel you can do this by using the SUPER THANKS button above! ▶ Floating Hell - Life on Board a Victorian Prison Hulk: kzbin.info/www/bejne/rHavq4Npat6Wg7s ▶ Victorian Criminal Underworld: kzbin.info/www/bejne/n2rSgKJ9oKqSftU ▶ Victorian London's Street Criminals: kzbin.info/www/bejne/Y5qvqmmVZ8ynnac ▶ Victorian London's Police Court and Crazy Criminals: kzbin.info/www/bejne/lXfGqJ5vm819bMU ▶ Where is Blackbeard's Treasure? (Pirates and Gold of the Caribbean): kzbin.info/www/bejne/Z2PWaGOLptuUl6s

[@Edward-iv9fs]

Henry Mayhew. Top lad, deserves recognition.

[@tjm3900]

At around 22 minutes he describes the burial grounds. In the 60's I remember walking on an embankment in this area with my grandfather who had spent his working life at the Arsenal. The marsh area was just as described, the smelly river Thames passed slowley on the right of the embankment and the desolate marshes on our left. Even though I was only seven years old I had this incredible feeling of dread and dispare. It was a horrible place. Only later did I learn that there were so many buried there in un marked greaves that it became difficult to dig a grave without uncovering a body already there. Even in the 60's it was not hard to find bones on the surface. Ultimately when the site was developed in the late 60's, 70's and 80's all that could be done was to cover the area with 3 meters of fill. Luxury waterfront homes now occupy the area. I know of some owned by wealthy Chinese that are very superstitious about greave yards. They were furious when I told them what was under their house.

[@angr3819]

Thank you

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You're most welcome 🙂

[@commissarvigil4806]

Just people living in the moment, no phones in site! 🤗

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Catching up with Fact Feast late, but better late than ever. Thanks for keeping me riveted to your channel!

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Thanks for educating me I am very interested in all your fantastic videos thanks for all your time and how you take me back.❤

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That's really nice of you to say! Thank you for being here to watch and support my channel.

[@69JONESYrugby]

Prison Hulks were fun ! ...sunshine, exercise, comraderie, riverfront views, artesian water.

[@aimeem8156]

😂

[@deanmark11]

Thanks

[@FactFeast]

A big thank you for your Super Thanks. Cheers!

[@GlazzedDonut]

Hey fact feast I just wanted to share with you brother that I am no longer homeless and me and my son have found a place and tonight I am eating steak inside and watching fact feast it has been a long road and things are finally looking up I have of course been working the full-time this doesn't have much to do with the channel but I just want to share with you and I am looking forward to watching tonight's video have a good evening

[@FactFeast]

This is wonderful news! I’m very pleased for you and your son 😀 I’m glad, with colder weather coming, you have a roof over your head and food to eat. Best wishes to you and thank you for writing with your good news 😊

[@poutinedream5066]

Congratulations to you! I have a couple staying with me now. They lost their place and have been here about 3 weeks. It happens 🤷🏽‍♀️. And for people without a safety net it happens a lot. It sounds like your son IS your safety net- your reason why you cant despair and hit that downward spiral. When you have kids you have to fight. I'm really happy things are turning around for you.

[@GlazzedDonut]

@@poutinedream5066 absolutely!!! Failure was not an option. Fall from grace? Yes but giving up no

[@GlazzedDonut]

@@FactFeast youre very welcome 💚

[@stuartgmk]

😊👍

[@brianoneil9662]

How to make a Victorian era sailing ship even worse. Excellent as always

[@FactFeast]

Glad it was of interest 😀

[@brianoneil9662]

​@@FactFeastAlways!

[@bradfordbarrettluckotheIrish]

Great historical piece you’ve produced.

[@FactFeast]

Cheers! Nice to know you find value in this history.

[@brianoneil9662]

Thanks!

[@FactFeast]

Thank you so much Brian! You’re really kind 😊

[@Di.ismyname]

I enjoy the content , thank you 🙏

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My pleasure! Thanks for watching.

[@Rain-nw2vk]

Hello I watch you I was on another channel u did.I did a new one and found you thank goodness am addicted to this 😊

[@FactFeast]

I’m glad you like the history. Which other channel? This is the only channel I have.

[@Rain-nw2vk]

@@FactFeast no my channel I made a new channel thank god I found you lol very good how you put everything together 😎🥰

[@Khatoon170]

How are you doing sir. Thank you for your wonderful cultural documentary channel. As always iam gathering key points about topics you mentioned briefly here it’s prison hulks were floating prison used from 1778 as temporary accommodation from prisoners from overcrowded jails . Definition of hulk is ship that is still float but unable to put to sea . The ships were decommissioned and converted warships. Conditions aboard ships were unhealthy and unhygienic. Last hulk being decommissioned in Gibraltar in 1884 . Between 1776and 1884 british government had converted more than 150 ships into convict , guard receiving hospital and school hulks . Hulks form of punishment prisoners in hulks were set to hard labour in dockyards or on bank rivers . Those on Thames were put to work improving navigablilty of river by removing gravel and soil from it shore . Good luck to you your dearest ones .

[@FactFeast]

Thanks for your comment Khatoon 🙂

[@rangerjones5531]

Very interesting, we appreciate the uploading!👍

[@FactFeast]

Glad you enjoyed it! Thank you.

[@rangerjones5531]

@@FactFeast subscribed too👍

[@FactFeast]

Welcome to the channel! 😊

[@stuartgmk]

Great stuff it was a hard life

[@FactFeast]

It really was! Thank you.

[@Viscount_Castlereagh]

Thank you for uploading.

[@OldenVoices]

What's interesting to consider is that work in the British Victorian context was inextricably linked with ideas of godliness and general good conduct. It was believed that hard work could literally make someone good, so this sort of prison labour system makes sense from their perspective. Some might call it inhumane, but in the context of the times, it would have seemed very appropriate

[@ChurchyardsandCemeteries]

Love this old history

[@moondancer4660]

So depressing, their lives 😢...

[@r3db0x]

Counting my blessings tonight.

[@moondancer4660]

If I were there I would have to attempt Escape, because I could not live that way and I would rather be shot down by the guards!😊

[@jr-ft3oz]

Pretty mucb nobody could swim back then, and you would not be able to either

[@SwanRonsonDonnyJepp]

​@@jr-ft3ozI would , I'm Donny Jepp, I was born swimming

[@nopamineLevel100]

Same. I wouldn't last 5 minutes if I was dropped into the life of the poor or imprisoned in Victorian England.

[@olivere5497]

Or just not break the law?

[@wompwomp752]

@@olivere5497 ah yes of course! Because corruption definitely wasn't rampant false charges definitely didn't exist!

[@Flaming-Hedgehog]

Sounds just like a rental flat in 2023 Australia.

[@poutinedream5066]

It's weird but I actually thought it would be worse. I mean it doesnt sound like fun, but I think Id take this over the gulag 🤷🏽‍♀️

[@nopamineLevel100]

Although I personally wouldn't last 5 minutes, I have to agree, this sounds better than a gulag. I guess these prisoners were at least valued for their productivity towards the navy.

[@ENGLISHISBEST]

This I find interesting as I have done my family history & discovered a 4th great grandfather was sentenced for stealing a sheep in Beaulieu to feed his family, he got a prison sentence then😮 released with a threat of the death sentence if he committed the offence again. He then killed & stole a deer & was court to be sentenced to death. 2 weeks before his hanging he was given a choice to go to his death or face shipment to Australia & build a new land as a slave & leave his family behind. He went on the ship. His name Jasper Strickland, one of 299 convicts transported on the ship Admiral Gambier and Friends in 1811 to New South Wales to never see his wife or children again.

[@FactFeast]

A fascinating and detailed history. Thanks for sharing!

[@mitchamcommonfair9543]

He wouldn't have been given a choice. What would happen is that someone would be sentenced to death, but this sentence was then commuted later to transportation. Choice didn't come into it

[@exsubmariner]

The way Queen Victoria treats her convict's she doesn't deserve them Oscar Wilde

[@Pembroke1]

I wonder if these old hulks we're haunted

[@poutinedream5066]

Oh you know they were

[@Boo-dawg.]

Nothing is haunted, and you're probably grown and believe that 💩

[@toniremer1594]

@Ten-Downing-Street, they certainly are haunted. Most have passed away from disease and illnesses on those hellholes.

[@Contessa6363]

You know it! Would be interesting to go on one with a spirit box and see what comes through 😮😮😮

[@LeahDyson-kq4bd]

Wow some of these societies had an obsession with punishment

[@mijiyoon5575]

1815 ... a bit ago

[@nelsonnoname001]

Pippity pip pip

[@mijiyoon5575]

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

[@FactFeast]

Thanks Miji 😊 Very much appreciated.

[@patrickkeeney618]

Yo,ho,ho,oh no !

[@philipbant657]

Get some more.

[@mht525]

Proud Aussie of Irish decent Kelly of Cork. Wiskey in the Jar. Great grandfather Edward Ned Kelly. The Artful dodger ✌️🤘⚖️🇦🇺

[@dot2562]

.

[@JackReynolds-w7g]

Makes me want a re-definition of the word 'slave'.