Robert Woollcombe

Served in the Royal Regiment of Artillery. 2nd Lieutenant July 1806, Lieutenant 8 June 1807, Captain 18th June 1824. Placed on half pay 18th June 1824. Served in the Peninuslar War from the commencement of 1809 till the end of the war. Took part in the battles of Fuentes D'Onor (slightly wounded), Castalla and the siege of Tarrangona (medal with clasp).

He became Governor of Parkhurst Prison.

From: http://members.iinet.net.au/~p... (accessed 19th June 2006)

In the ten years between 1842 and 1852 just under 1499 boys aged from twelve to eighteen were transported to Australia and New Zealand from Britain's Parkhurst Prison. Parkhurst was designed especially for boys and was built on the Isle of Wight. On December 26, 1838, Robert Woollcombe, the prison governor, arrived at Parkhurst with a team of taskmasters and the first 102 boys.

http://ourworld.compuserve.com... (accessed 19th June 2006)

It was on the 26th December 1838 that Robert Woollcombe, with a number of taskmasters, brought the first 102 boys to Parkhurst, and the prison was officially opened. Of these boys 49 were from the York hulk and 53 from Millbank. When the first official report on the establishment, by the Prison Visitors and Robert Woollcombe was submitted on 1st July 1839, 96 boys remained. In their report the Prison Visitors set out their objectives for the prison. It would aim at ?the general correction of the boy with a view to deter, not only himself, but juvenile offenders generally from the commission of crime.? They also hoped for the ?moral reformation of the culprit.? In his report Governor Woollcombe wrote:

Your Lordship is aware that no specific instructions for carrying on the several details of duty and discipline in the prison have been furnished me and that the rules and regulations approved by your Lordship for the general government of prisons, ? [and] for establishing prisons for young offenders, refer only to the general points of government in the prison, and consequently, that it has been my duty in compliance with certain of these rules to submit to your Lordship, from time to time, such details of internal management as have presented themselves in my judgement best adapted for the required purpose. [5]

Between 1838 and 1863 the prison was enlarged and extended, with much of the work being undertaken by the boys as part of their training in stonework, carpentry and ironworking. Provision was also made for workshops for tailors and shoemakers, and land around the prison was used ?for employing the prisoners in agricultural labour.?

Robert Woollcombe was to remain governor of Parkhurst until his resignation in 1843 when his place was taken by George Hall who was to remain as the governor until Parkhurst closed as a boys? prison in 1864.

The website below has some interesting information on Robert Woollcombe

http://www.indiana.edu/~letrs/...