Napoleonic Wars: French prisoners honoured by Alresford graves clean-up

The graves of a group of French prisoners from the Napoleonic Wars have been restored by a group of military history enthusiasts.

The four men and one woman were buried at St John's Church in Alresford, Hampshire, between 1810 and 1812.

The Napoleonic & Revolutionary War Graves Charity cleaned their headstones as part of its work to commemorate those who fought during the period.

It is believed the four men were higher ranking officers.

At the time of the Napoleonic Wars, at the beginning of the 19th Century, naval battles around the world resulted in French prisoners of war being brought to England.

While the bulk of prisoners were held in jails or prison hulks, higher ranking officers were allocated to one of eleven towns around Hampshire, including Alresford.

Zack White, of the Napoleonic & Revolutionary War Graves Charity, said the marked graves in Alresford were a rare example of a burial site of French prisoners on English soil.

Research has shown the woman buried at the site to be the wife of a French captain, although it appears he was not buried there.

The couple were captured in the West Indies and she chose to follow her husband into captivity.  

The officers would have been free to go about the village, although could not venture further afield and were under curfew.

Mr White said relations between the prisoners and local residents would have been mostly "harmonious".

"They were a key part of the community - they would have mixed with the locals, drank with the locals - and so it's key we give the people of Alresford that opportunity to come here, pause and remember their local links to the wider conflict."

He added it was important to commemorate "long-forgotten" conflicts and "recognise the experiences of individuals like these".

Follow BBC South on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. Send your story ideas to [email protected]