This is where I think my father acquired his large hands, some of the slaves were used to row these ships…

 

In 1805, Great Britain was at war with Napoleonic France; a conflict during which thousands of prisoners were taken and confined in prison “hulks” or derelict ships. This was considered unsafe, partially due to the proximity of the Royal Naval dockyard at Plymouth and as living conditions were appalling in the extreme, a prisoner of war depot was planned in the remote isolation of Dartmoor.

Dartmoor Prison History - Prison Museum and Visitor Centre