A collection of walks, discoveries, insights and pictures of exploring Dartmoor National Park
September 20, 2025
French and American Prisoner of War Cemeteries – Princetown
Britain was at war with Napoleonic France Between 1803 and 1815 and with the many thousands of prisoners being taken, suitably accommodating them was very difficult. Initially redundant warships there were used and 47 prisoner of war ‘hulks’ moored at Chatham, Portsmouth and Plymouth were used. However, in these ‘hulks’ conditions were notoriously bad with poor sanitary arrangements. The prisoners had little exercise, fresh air and a had a poor diet. When the death rate rose to an unacceptable level, the need to add to land based prisons was essential. There were prisoner of war prisons at Norman Cross, Northamptonshire and Stapleton near Bristol. When they became full, pressure was put on Plymouth and Princetown was considered as a suitable location to build a prison.
Thomas Tyrwitt (MP), founder of Princetown and a close friend of the Prince of Wales (who owned the land – Duchy of Cornwall) and was instrumental in deciding where the prison should be built. The London architect Daniel Asher Alexander (1768-1846), was employed to design the prison. The Foundation Stone was laid on 20th March 1806 and the prison was completed in 1809 on land leased from the Duchy of Cornwall. Local stone and stone from Herne Hole quarry (owned by Tyrwhitt) was used in the construction. It was planned for completion in just a year and a half but took twice as long due to labour disputes and the notorious Dartmoor weather. The cost also almost doubled having been budgeted to cost £66,815, through Isbell, Rowe and Co. When completed the prison was initially known as ‘Dartmoor Depot’.
The first French prisoners arrived on 22nd May 1809 and very soon the prison housed 5000 prisoners of war. Overcrowding was a problem only to be exacerbated when on 18th June 1812, the United States declared war on Britain. American prisoners of war started arriving from 1813 onwards. Understandably, there were outbreaks of diseases such as pneumonia, typhoid, smallpox, which alongside escape attempts, internal disputes and the massacre / mutiny in April 1815, accounted for the deaths of 1,217 Frenchmen and 271 Americans. They were initially buried in unmarked graves at the rear of the prison, which at that time was on open moorland. The wars finally ended in 1815 but the prisoners were not all repatriated immediately, with the last of them not leaving until early 1816. The prison then fell silent for 34 years, until it became a convict prison in 1850.
By 1860, the harsh weather and grazing animals had uncovered the remains of some of the Prisoners of War remains. In 1866, the governor of the convict prison, Captain W Stopford, ordered every known grave from the ‘Napoleonic war’ and the ‘War of 1812’ to be exhumed and the remains to be collected, divided (as it was unknown whether the deceased fought for the French or American side), then respectfully interred in two separate cemeteries. The cemeteries were laid out in 1866-8, when two cairns were constructed, one on each mass grave, surmounted by identical granite Obelisks. Since 1866 the cemeteries have been added to. In the French cemetery two plaques were added to the Obelisk in 2009 (to mark the bicentenary of the prison) and in the American cemetery a memorial arch was added in 1928 and later cast iron gates were added, presented by members of the US Navy. In 2002, on the instruction of the Governor Graham Johnson, the obelisks to both cemeteries were restored, and a cast iron entrance gate was added to the south side, including seats and a flagpole. In 2012, two further marble memorials were erected behind the American obelisk, inscribed with the names of the 271 American prisoners of war who are known to have died at the Prison.
Note: The French and American cemeteries can only be visited by prior arrangement with an official guide from the Prison Museum
Bibliography
Ron Joy (2002) – Dartmoor Prison (a complete illustrated history), Volume One, the War Prison 1809-1816 – Parcere Subjectis
Trevor James / Alain & Monique Sibiril (2009) – Rendezvous in Princetown, Bicentenary 1809-2009
Historic England (2016) – Case Name: H M Prison Dartmoor: American Prisoner of War Cemetery
Nicholas Guyatt (2022) – The Hated Cage (an American tragedy in Britain’s most terrifying prion)
This 19th century map shows the locations of the two Prisoner of War cemeteries for the French and the Americans. Dartmoor Prison, circa 1815. (Image source: WikiMedia Commons)The Obelisk at the French Cemetery. The design here is more or less the same as for the American Cemetery insofar as the obelisk is on a raised area made from 3 or 4 courses of granite blocks. Here the raised area is not quite circular as it is with the American Cemetery Obelisk. During the winter of 2002/3, this memorial looked abandoned and desolate with no official ceremony having been taken place here since its construction and it was at this time that plans for an official commemoration (which would take place in 2009), began.
The French Obelisk and inset flag of the period the prisoners were held: 1809 to 1816. Since its erection, the Obelisk has had a memorial plaque added to it and an Imperial Eagle, both in 2009
The Obelisk inscription reads: ‘IN MEMORY OF THE FRENCH PRISONERS OF WAR WHO DIED IN DARTMOOR PRISON BETWEEN THE YEARS 1809 & 1814 AND LIE BURIED HERE – DULCE ET DESORUM EST PRO PATRIA MORTI’ (Latin translation “It is sweet and proper to die for one’s country”). The date 1814 appears to the an error as the last Frenchman didn’t leave until 1816 and it is possible that deaths continued until that year. The Battle of Waterloo (18th June 1815) saw the end of the Napoleonic wars with France but the French prisoners of war only left the site in February 1816.Bronze plaque at the French Memorial to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the opening of Dartmoor Prison. The first French prisoners had arrived on 22nd May 1809 (ref: Prison Museum website)Translation from the bronze plaque at the French Memorial to commemorate the 200th anniversaryThe French Imperial Eagle (Aigle de drapeau, lit. ’flag eagle’) was a figure carried into battle as a standard by the Grande Armee of Napoleon I during the Napoleonic Wars.The above Imperial Eagle can be found on display at Le Louvre des Antiquaries in Paris. Although they were presented with regimental colours, Napoleon’s regiments tended to carry at their head the Imperial Eagle. Napoleon personally presented these Eagles to the regiments on 5th December 1804, three days after his coronation. They were based on the eagle standards of the Roman Legions. The picture commemorates the distribution of the Eagles and was painted by Jacues-Louis David. The American Obelisk, whose inscription reads: ‘IN MEMORY OF THE AMERICAN PRISONERS OF WAR WHO DIED IN DARTMOOR PRISON BETWEEN THE YEARS 1809 & 1814 AND LIE BURIED HERE – DULCE ET DESORUM EST PRO PATRIA MORTI’ (Latin translation “It is sweet and proper to die for one’s country”). The American deaths would have been between 1813 – 1815 and possibly into 1816. Although peace terms were agreed upon in the December 1814 (Treaty of Ghent), the war did not officially end until the peace treaty was ratified by the United States Congress on 17th February 1815.Plaque on the American Obelisk, which was possibly was added circa 2002 when the obelisks to both cemeteries were restored. The plaque reads ‘IN HONOUR OF SERVICE IN THE WAR OF 1812’ around the outside. In the centre it reads ‘N.S. U.S.D. 1812 AMERICANS’ which refers to the National Society United States Daughters of 1812, an organisation dedicated to preserving the history and honouring the participants of the 1812 War.This 5 pointed star plaque on an staff which is located next to the Obelisk is common place in the US at numerous historic (battle) sites or memorials. The design doesn’t always have the date 1812, some have other dates on them. The acronym F.L.C stands for “Fraternity, Charity & Loyalty” – the three guiding principles of the Grand Army of the Republic. Also known simply as GAR, the Grand Army of the Republic is a fraternal organization of veterans of the Union Army who served in the American Civil War, albeit the organisation wasn’t created until 1866A United States of America small flag at the Obelisk, one of around a dozen found by the author. The 15 stars representing the number of states in 1812One of two marble memorials, recording the names of the Americans (and allies) who died at the prison, which was erected in 2012.Thomas Jackson died of his injuries on 7th April 1815, a day after a massacre / mutiny which took place at the prison. The event took place after the war was over and was sparked by rumours circulating that the U.S. consul might need a full year to complete the evacuation of prisoners. The prisoners’ patience reached its breaking point, resulting in initially a minor altercation with the prison guards on 6th April 1815. This led to a tense stand-off in the main yard with prisoners hurling insults at the guards, and daring the militia to open fire. The prisoners surged forwards, then fell back again. At this point the militia lost their discipline. One shot sounded, then another………Thomas Jackson was the youngest (of 67) who lost their lives, he was only 14 years old.
An illustration of the Dartmoor Prison massacre. After the events of 6th April 1815, the prisoners were guards and prison officials were all interviewed. The verdict stated that although the guards (soldiers) had fired unlawfully on the prisoners, with it being impossible to establish which soldier had fired first the shooting, it was considered “improper to hold their commander (or the prison’s governor) responsible for the deaths”.
The second of two marble memorials, recording the names of the Americans (and allies) who died at the prison, which was erected in 2012.On the second marble memorial includes the name John Seapatch, who died 7th February 1815. He was the youngest to died at the prison. He was only 12 years old
Inscription of a typical American military man from 1812, on the marble memorials
In 1928, the National Society United States Daughters (N.S U.S.D), founded in 1892, added this granite memorial gate / arch, which is a replica of the gate / arch at the front of the prison. Bronze Plaque on the memorial gate / arch from 30th May 1928. Initially, it was thought that 217 Americans had perished at the prison. Further research concluded that the figure was likely to be 271. This lead to the erection of this plaque on 5th June 2010 by the United States Daughters of 1812 at the memorial gate / arch. It is probable that the new information may have lead to the erection of the two marble memorials with all the names on them.Loctation of the two plaques at the gate / arch
Matthew Johnson September 20, 2025
Thanks Steve,
Fascinating post, as usual. Matt
SteveGriggDartmoor September 21, 2025 — Post author
Thank you Matt