Dear Les,
Our SARGENTs since Daniel b.1755 have all been Watermen & Lightermen, Shipwrights & Pilots on the River Thames and a few went on to be Master Mariners. Most have worked on the River in some capacity until the present day - you will find Sargent Bros. near the Thames Barrier... in fact their premises had to be moved to make way for the barrier to be built.
One of our Sargents worked on the Prison Hulk at Woolwich for a while and I have been going through my notes to try to find which one... I think it was Thomas Sargent b.20th Oct 1792 Woolwich. He began work with his father Daniel at the Woolwich Ropery.
We know from the Pay Books at Kew that Thomas had been in full time employment for 6d a day in 1805 at the age of 12, at the Rope Yard in Woolwich. Records for Woolwich Rope Yard show that Thomas Sargent was employed as a `Boy` in 1805, working alongside older brother, Robert and their father Daniel Sargent.
Thomas Sargent, at 13 years of age was paid £5.12.6 (5 pounds 12 shillings and 6 pence) for the Lady Quarter of 1806. He could expect to earn approximately £25.00 per annum. As a tradesman Thomas was in an enviable position compared with the casual Dockers who endured harsh conditions.
By the time of the 1841 Census Thomas was 48 employed as a Shipwright at Woolwich Dockyard.
Thomas` wife Elizabeth died on Wednesday July 16th 1845 and with the help of his married sisters, Elizabeth Greenbank and Grace Allen, Thomas continued to provide for his family at their home on Ship Stairs at Woolwich.
I think it was around this time that Thomas worked on the Prison Hulk, but I can't find the evidence at the moment! Urghh!
See attached image... The only known photograph of the convict hulks at Woolwich shortly before their removal in 1856. Hulks were established at Woolwich and other ports in the 1770s to accommodate the burgeoning prison population. Prisoners either served their time on the hulks or waited to be transported to Botany Bay in Australia. One such hulk at Woolwich in 1847 was called the `Justitia Hulk` see The Black(& White) Sheep Index:
www.lightage.demon.co.uk/index.htm Another website with more detailed information of the Prison Hulks (and extensive information on Ship Wrecks, Passenger Lists etc.) is The Ships List...
www.theshipslist.com The Hulks were hotbeds of vice, corruption and brutality throughout their use. In England, hulks were maintained at Portsmouth, Gosport, Devonport, Chatham, Woolwich and Deptford.
The vessel on the River Thames at Woolwich was named The Warrior and was rated to hold 600 men. Of those, 124 were disposed on the top deck; 192 on the Middle and 284 on the Lower deck. Beneath the Lower Deck was the hold, a large unoccupied space, divided into store-rooms and divided by a passage.
The discipline and employment of the convicts was as follows: A Book of Names was kept by an Overseer.
On the first Sunday of every Quarter the prisoners were mustered and the behaviour of each, for the previous 3 months, marked against his name as follows: `vg` very good; `g` good; `in` indifferent; `b` bad; `vb` very bad.
The convicts were not allowed to mix with other classes and character reports determined the duration of his period of probation.
In cases of insubordination and misconduct, `mild and persuasive` methods of punishment were resorted to: there was a reduction in provisions; confinement in the `dark cell`, with only bread and water, for 7 days; the confiscation of all earnings and a `moderate` flogging of no more than 24 lashes. The Overseer, or the Commanding Officer of the hulk, was required to make a note in the occurrence-book of the name of the convict, the name of the complainant, the nature of the crime and the punishment inflicted. No convict was allowed to move freely without irons on one, or both, legs.
Daily routine began at 5am - periods of labour were from between 8 ½ to 9 ½ hours per day, depending upon the season.
All Hands called by the Officer of the Watch to dress and lash hammocks, pass through the forecastle, in regulated numbers, to wash in permanently-fixed troughs. Breakfast was served and plates washed by two prisoners. A thorough cleansing of the ship then took place. At 7.30am a General Muster was taken and All Hands were summoned to labour in the Woolwich Dockyard... Read more on
www.the shipslist.com
