Prison Hulks on the River Thames, Woolwich, c.1856

prison-hulks-01243-350 

 

The only known photograph of the convict hulks at Woolwich shortly before their removal in 1856.

The hulks were established at Woolwich and at 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.

See historic maps of Woolwich