"Between 1793 and 1815 an estimated 250,000 prisoners of war were held in Britain. Previous posts such as ‘Life inside the prison hulks: staying alive' looked at the desperate conditions common criminals were subjected to – especially those incarcerated in the prison hulks – and the work of review boards and early reformers. But conditions for prisoners of war were usually different to those of criminals even though they could be exposed to the same health issues brought about by overcrowding and other pressures on the prisons.
In a paper entitled ‘Prisoners of War and British Port Communities, 1793-1815' Patricia K. Crimmin provides some background on the degree of care and consideration shown to them:
‘Systems for the humane treatment and exchange of prisoners had evolved during earlier eighteenth-century wars. Prisoners were to be fed, on an agreed food allowance, by their own country; an agent was appointed by each combatant nation to oversee the treatment of their nationals in enemy prisons, markets were open to them to check local prices, and they were allowed to visit prisons and hear complaints. Regular exchanges were to take place, prisoners being selected by the agents and a table, stating equivalents in numbers of men exchanged for officers, was drawn up. Prisoners suffering from wounds, infirmities or advanced age; boys under twelve; and women and children were to be returned at once without equivalents in exchange. Surgeons, pursers, secretaries, chaplains, priests, schoolmasters and non-combatant passengers were not to be held as prisoners. Serving officers, separated from men, either pledged their word (gave their parole) not to escape and were permitted to live in designated inland towns, or were granted their freedom to return home on condition that they would not serve again until exchanged in a regular fashion.'…"
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