Comments on: Torture Devices of the Old Convict Ships (Sep, 1930)

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Mon, 12 Sep 2011 02:11:25 +0000

There was something even worse: slave ships. In that case the slaves were chained to shelves in the ship’s cargo bay. I bet captains kept a couple shelves empty to punish crew members. “Twenty lashes or a few days in the cargo bay?” Try googling “slave ship” yo find out about those atrocities.

By: Nikola

Nikola — Wed, 20 Oct 2010 17:42:57 +0000

@ Bill S Preston Esq. MOST EXCELLENT !

BTW Nowadays we pay money to get whipped in some dark dungeon, in those days FOR FREE !

By: Firebrand38

Firebrand38 — Thu, 30 Sep 2010 00:24:24 +0000

Chips: Excellent stuff! Thanks for that!

By: Chips

Chips — Wed, 29 Sep 2010 23:15:41 +0000

You’ll probably find that one – 5A 216 – is from the Arrival/Ships Manifest (31 May) and the other – 8 67 – is from the the Landing Manifest (early Jun).

Simple Customs logic – Arrival/Ships Manifest should = Landing Manifest – if not the Master has some explaining to do – death/birth onboard ?

By: Firebrand38

Firebrand38 — Wed, 29 Sep 2010 21:44:41 +0000

I can’t help but notice how several people with identical names arrived in May and June. It baffles science!

Example:
BENNETT DAVID 26 JUN 1852 SUCCESS 8 67
BENNETT DAVID 26 MAY 1852 SUCCESS 5A 216

By: Firebrand38

Firebrand38 — Wed, 29 Sep 2010 21:38:50 +0000

Firebrand38: Let’s try this one instead http://www.prov.vic.gov.au/ind.....;year_to=0

Now there’s a proper link.

By: Firebrand38

Firebrand38 — Wed, 29 Sep 2010 21:32:59 +0000

Chips: That would be better but the link you provided doesn’t work

By: Chips

Chips — Wed, 29 Sep 2010 21:31:16 +0000

addit:

“This, however, was not the most tragic phase of the existence of the Success, for though she continued to carry convicts to Australia until 1851.”

She certainly wasn’t carrying convicts on her 1852 trip from Britain !!

By: Chips

Chips — Wed, 29 Sep 2010 21:21:04 +0000

(official) Victoria State record VPRS 14 (Register of Assisted British Immigrants 1839-71) gives the arrival of the Success as May/June 1852.
URL :- http://www.prov.vic.gov.au/ind.....;year_to=0

As you say “then again that’s Wikpedia”

By: Firebrand38

Firebrand38 — Wed, 29 Sep 2010 21:00:53 +0000

Chips: Do you have a source for that? There are actually a couple different dates given here I mean, Wikipedia says 1852 but then again its Wikipedia

By: Chips

Chips — Wed, 29 Sep 2010 20:19:37 +0000

“In 1851 the Success was permanently stationed as a receiving prison” – can not be true as she arrived in Victoria, from Britain with emigrants, on 31 May 1852

By: Robin

Robin — Wed, 15 Sep 2010 20:41:39 +0000

Interesting but very fanciful. You have to remember that this ship was purchased to be an exciting tourist attraction in the 1930s – there is no way that the ‘iron maiden’ had any relationship to this ship other than the owners trying to attract more customers.
Compulsary baths there may have been but that’s no suprise, and certainly not as some sort of torture.
British prison hulks were a way to deal with prison overcrowding – they were as tough as any western prison but you should take this 1930s article with a pinch of salt

By: Jari

Jari — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 01:42:11 +0000

JMyint: I mostly agree. One problem is repeat offenders. They get a change to get a profession, but still, when they are released, the first thing they do is to rob or beat someone up….. As with capital punishment, I disagree, there’s been cases, when innocent people has been executed for crimes they didn’t commit. Found out when forensics sciences have gotten better. Prison sentence for life is enough. Hmmm, on a semi-ligher note, perhaps something like a system from Judge Dredd would be in order (comic, not the movie)….

By: JMyint

JMyint — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 22:05:49 +0000

No punishment or threat of punishment has ever prevented crime. Even in places with the most sever punishment crimes are still committed. Prevention of crimes and rehabilitation is the the best route. Things like education and employment go far towards preventing crimes. Treatment for mental illness and drug addiction, education and jobs go far towards rehabilitating criminals.

That said, capital punishment does have a function for those who are two dangerous to be rehabilitated.

By: Cassandra

Cassandra — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 14:35:00 +0000

We are complete fools for removing those barabaric ways, now we have millions of prisoners and many are being let out early due to over crowding. I believe we should make prison into a Hell inorder to keep people from doing their wicked deeds and to keep people from repeating the act ever again.

By: Joe Dokes, Jr.

Joe Dokes, Jr. — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 02:07:34 +0000

yeah … we have it compartmentalized around the Middle East ,,,,beheadings are the norm ….WAKE UP

By: ted

ted — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 05:41:34 +0000

Brand all gov. officials. as Liars.

By: jessica

jessica — Mon, 23 Feb 2009 12:14:04 +0000

i swa the movie it was a different experience to me …….

By: coolkhush

coolkhush — Mon, 19 Jan 2009 19:11:28 +0000

i sware to god its good that nothing like this happens today ..

By: pan-chan

pan-chan — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 18:12:15 +0000

Nice. And people think that the death penalty and other corporal punishments are inhuman. Bring back these devices and watch crime rates plummet.

By: patriot

patriot — Fri, 28 Nov 2008 03:54:04 +0000

Paul McNulty former #2 at DoJ now at Baker McKenzie advocated reviving these ships and devices. Baker McKenzie would have done it under McCain and Palin!

By: Steve Trousers

Steve Trousers — Sun, 19 Oct 2008 14:57:55 +0000

Be careful Galessa. Some (I doubt all, but some) of the people in those places would wish that these sort of punishments really did come back.

By: Bill S. Preston Esq.

Bill S. Preston Esq. — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 04:14:29 +0000

Iron Maiden??? Excellent!

By: Rick Auricchio

Rick Auricchio — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 01:01:23 +0000

“…at the complete mercy of the convict flagellator.”

There’s a title for someone’s business card: Convict Flagellator.

By: galessa

galessa — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 21:59:34 +0000

Thanks god nothing like this happens these days, except in primitive places like Abul Graib and Guantanamo.

By: Anne

Anne — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 12:47:04 +0000

Wow. Just… wow.