Bailiwick Prisoners-of-War, 1813
A letter from Paris, dated 3 July 1813, to Harry Dobree, who organised collections for the welfare of the prisoners. [From the Gazette de Guernesey, September 13, 1813.]
Lists were also published for 1812 and 1814.
To Monsieur Harry Dobrée, Guernsey.
Having as you requested distributed the money1 to those Prisoners-of-War who are native to the islands of Guernsey and Alderney, we here enclose a list of those individuals, each of whom has received 77 francs in full.
There were some men who arrived towards the end of the distribution and claimed a share, but time had run out. They will get their share of the next distribution you may wish to ask us to undertake for you.
When you send us your orders for these distributions, could you possibly include a general list of those who have the right to receive a share, and let us know in which camps they are held. That would save us an unimaginable amount of trouble, time and embarrassment.
Kindest regards,
Mallet, Frères, & Co.
1813 DISTRIBUTION
ARRAS: David Marrett, Pierre Robin, Pierre Colnette [Collenette], George Hughes, James Tabel, William Clarkes, Charles Shaw, James Davidson, Philippe Martin, Edouard Mesny.
BESANÇON: Pierre Vidamour, Jean Marrett, Pierre Roberge, James Renouf, Thomas Le Lièvre, G. Johnson, David Dorey, Jean Levelling, Charles Gramby, Nicolas Langlois, William Moon, Thomas White, Jean Gray, Jean Mark, Jean Coomb, Jean Roger, William Piesing.
BITCHE: Daniel Maillard, Nicolas Caplain, Phillippe Nicolle, Fr. Riley Cobb,² Jean Hargrave, Jean Sterling.
BRIANÇON: Jean Cem, Thomas Fallow, William Holmes, Philippe Calais, Thomas Blondel, J. Crossman, Jean Le Gache, William Spratt, William Trevalli, Jean Nase, S. J. Dyer, J. Simon, P. Martin.
CAMBRAY: Jean Christian, Jean De France, Pierre Jehan, Jean Crosby, Patrick Hoare, Thomas Devonshire, Nicolas Winnes, George Lobbo, Robert James, S. Robilliard, Jean Stephens, William Scandaten, William Hannah, Jean Le Page, Jean Girard, Jean Hammond, Pierre Bougourd, Jean Drew, David Miller, William Lewis.
GIVET: Charles Rabey, Jean Mahy, Thomas Robins, William Aplen, G. Le Moigne, Jean Buttler, Jean Vieil, Thomas De France, Martin Guignon, Elie Tourtel, A. Duncan, Walter Latimore.
LIEGE: O'Bryen.
LONGWY: Jean Lenfestey, Joseph Ollivier, Ab[raham] Simon, Charles Le Quesne, J. Tostevin, Elie Le Retilley, Jean Domaille, R. Brown, J. Fall, S. Wright, J. Gibson, J. Campbell, William Woolcock, Jean Pardy, Robert Chiles, Thomas Le Cocq, Robert Bedbrook.
SARRE-LOUIS: J. P. Du Port, Elisée Le Lacheur, Nicolas Lihou, Jean Le Sbirel, J. Corbet, Nicolas Priaulx, E. Tourtel, J. Martin, J. Rooks,³ J. White, Philippe Le Ruez, Jean Laventure, W. Jew Wiles, William Holmes.
SEDAN: Jean Moullin.
VALENCIENNES: Nicolas De La Rue, A. Perchard, Jean Herivel, Thomas Brache, T. Noël, D. Mahy, Thomas Baker, J. De La Mare, William Bourgaize, Nicolas Allez, Jean De France, N. Tourtel, J. Torode, George Mento, Zacharie Mahy,4 Isaac De Jersey.
VERDUN: Pierre Marche, François Giffard, Philippe Mollet, Jean Clague, Pierre Priaulx, Pierre De Garis, N. Le Cheminant, Thomas Priaulx, Helier Marquand, James Woolcock, Isaac De Lisle, Jean Marquand, Nicolas Moullin, Thomas Pickame.
1 On the same page of the newspaper: 'The Service for Charity for the relief of poor local POWS in France will take place this Sunday afternoon at St Sampson's Church.' On the 3 July: 'Letters received from English POWs, held in France, say that the usual price of provisions at the camps are as follows: veal and lamb, 3¼d a pound; beef 2½d; a pair of chickens, 1s10d; a pair of ducks, 1s2d; eggs 2½d a dozen; bread 2d the pound; butter 8d; cheese 4d and milk a half-penny the quart.'
2 Francis Riley Cobb is recorded as having been transferred from the Depot at Longwy to Bitche in 1812. He was the Master of the Mary Anne. See the List of English POWs in Longwy, in the Library. We also know from this list that Peter de Garis, Master of the Providence, was in Longwy and was transferred to Verdun in 1812; John Domaille was Master of the Mary and in Longwy in 1812; Isaac de Lisle, Master of the Condé, was transferred to Verdun on October 1st 1812; John Fall, Master of the Two Brothers, was in Longwy in 1812, as was Charles Lequesne of the Sally, John Lenfestey, who had been a passenger in the Union; Elias Le Retilley, a mate; Daniel Maillard, Master of the Two Friends, was sent to Bitche in 1812; Nicolas Moullin, a passenger on the London Packet, was in Longwy in 1812 and transferred to Verdun; John Marquand, a passenger on the Mary Anne, left for Verdun on 1st October 1812; Joseph Oliver was Master of the Louisa and in Longwy in 1812; John Pardy, also called Parry in the List, was Master of the Tartar and in Longwy in 1812; James Sterling, mate on the Minerva, was in Longwy and sent to Bitche in 1812; Abraham Simon was Master of the London Packet, and in Longwy in 1812, as was John Tostevin, mate on the Hebe; Robert Bedbrook, from Alderney, a mate on the Stag, and Robert Chiles, also from Alderney, Master of the Lively; William Willcock, mate on the Mary Anne; John Martin, a sailor in the Mary Anne, and Thomas Pardy, a sailor on the Tartar.
3 He is perhaps the John Rooks who became Guernsey's Executioner and hanged the infamous Tapner in 1855. He was banished from Guernsey but returned; a John Rook was banished from Jersey for three years and returned [Chronique de Jersey, 17 June 1827.] Rooks appears to have been English by birth, as he had been deported to England as a vagabond, but he nevertheless returned.
4 For Zachary Mahy of the Vale and a petition to Trinity House for support from his wife Rachel Robin, including biographical details about the family, see Glendinning, A., 'Zachary Mahy and Sarrelibre,' An Eye on the past in Guernsey, pp. 37 ff., and see note 2 of Magie Naturelle. See Gazette 1814, pp. 122 and 130 for the final payments. See Le Miroir Politique of 6th March 1813 for the list of Church contributions. More petitions: see Quarterly Rev. of the Guernsey Soc., XV (4), Winter 1959, for James Sarre of the Illustrious and his wife Elizabeth Martel, and John de la Rue (sister Rachel de la Rue).