Woolwich hulks - convicts ward set for dinner
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Woolwich hulks - convicts ward set for dinner
The Woolwich hulks (prison ships) - a convicts ward set for dinner. Date: 1862
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Media ID 7178679
© Mary Evans Picture Library 2015 - https://copyrighthub.org/s0/hub1/creation/maryevans/MaryEvansPictureID/10512955
Convicts Dinner Hulks Pauper Prison Ward Woolwich Workhouse
EDITORS COMMENTS
This evocative image captures a moment of daily life on board the Woolwich hulks, a collection of decommissioned ships moored in the Thames Estuary that served as makeshift prisons for convicts in the mid-19th century. In this scene, a group of convicts have gathered around a long table, dressed in their best clothes for dinner. The room is dimly lit, with a single lantern casting a warm glow over the scene. The convicts, some with expressions of solemnity, others with glimmers of hope or defiance, sit attentively as they wait for their meal to be served. The Woolwich hulks were used as a holding facility for convicts who had been transported to England from Australia and other parts of the British Empire. These men and women, having completed their sentences, were awaiting passage back to their home countries or assignment to workhouses and other forms of forced labor. Conditions on board the hulks were notoriously harsh, with overcrowding, poor sanitation, and limited access to food and water leading to disease and suffering. Despite these challenges, the convicts were expected to maintain a semblance of order and decorum during mealtimes. The dinner table, with its neatly laid out plates and utensils, serves as a reminder of the small moments of normalcy that could still be found in this harsh environment. The image also underscores the complex and often overlooked history of convict transportation and the lives of those who were sentenced to it.
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