Francis Abell examines the history of prisoners of war in Britain from the outbreak of the Seven Years' War in seventeen fifty-six to the close of the Napoleonic era in eighteen fifteen. He addresses the persistent accusations of exceptional inhumanity directed against Britain, weighing recriminations from France and other nations against official records and personal narratives.
The central problem posed by the author is whether the British government or its subordinates treated prisoners with undue brutality, and how that treatment compared to the handling of British captives abroad. Abell explores the administrative mechanisms of the Sick and Hurt Office and the Transport Board, contrasting official regulations of fairness with the reality of corrupt contractors, brutal subordinates, and rampant gambling among the captives.
The narrative covers the infamous prison-ship system on the Medway and at Portsmouth and Plymouth, detailing the daily hardships, overcrowding, disease, and desperate escape attempts of the inmates. Alongside the floating tombs, the text examines the land prisons established at locations such as Sissinghurst, Norman Cross, Portchester, and Dartmoor, illustrating the stark differences between confinement ashore and the relative freedom of officers on parole in country towns.
Key storylines include the tireless efforts of individual prisoners like Tom Souville to break out of captivity, the tense negotiations and frequent breakdowns in the system of prisoner exchanges, and the impact of public benevolence when British citizens raised funds to clothe naked and starving captives. The author also highlights the stark contrast between the cooperative spirit of national governments and the venality of local officials.
The volume concludes by assessing the general balance of treatment between the belligerent nations, noting that while Britain's prison-ship system remains an indelible stain upon its national record, the hardships faced by captives were often exacerbated by their own vices and the breakdown of cartel agreements towards the end of the Napoleonic wars.
