The Akbar, a wooden lockup anchored a third of a mile offshore. home and, it was hoped, reformation for 300 recalcitrant boys. Photographed from the shore at Rock Ferry

By Joan Rimmer

The Liverpool Mercury," Thursday 25th December 1879:
"The well-established fact that 75 percent of the Reformatory children who pass through these places of homely correction and instruction do well in their subsequent career, lifts the good cause entirely out of the region of doubt and despair.
Considering the strange enigmas of humanity with which they deal - the terrible familiarity with wickedness and precocity in the criminal spirit - the 75 percent becomes, indeed, one of the greatest facts of our attempt at social reform. Cardinal Wiseman it was, we think, who, many years ago, said he could make anything of a child given into his care at six or eight years of age. But the downward education of a street arab, in most cases, begins almost in infancy. He inherits the fearful craving for drink bequeathed by a besotted mother or father and, too often, has besides, a natural predisposition for that form of crime which in the higher walks of life is called Kleptomania, and which phrenologists account for by an abnormal development of the bump of acquisitiveness.
Inherited taints of character and an education in squalid poverty and brutal degradation commences with the first dawning of individualism. All the fates appear to be against the child becoming anything else but a criminal."
IDEAS OF REFORM
Thursday llth January, 1855, dawned in a flurry of snowflakes. A bitter east wind gusted in from the River Mersey and in many of Liverpool's 14,000 dark inhabited cellars the pools of muddy stagnant water which puddled the floors were glazed with black ice.
In the Magistrates' Room in the Sessions House, a group of important be-whiskered gentlemen removed their top hats and overcoats, gratefully defrosted their frigid lungs in the warmth radiating from the blazing hearth and, after toasting their extremities in the rosy glow, settled down to the business of the day - an idea which, in fulfilment, was to change the course of destiny for many thousands of criminal and destitute gutter children.
In the chair was His Worship the Mayor, John Stewart, presiding over a company which included one Member of Parliament, two gentlemen of the cloth and fourteen ship owners and merchants. They were, in the main, bountiful of fortune and influence. enjoying the comforts and privileges of the prosperous and occupying elegant mansions with panoramic views of the -riverside scene.

It was a world remote from the wretched existence eked out by the poor in the heart of the city, less than a mile away. Here thousands of homeless and neglected children, barefoot and ragged, haunted the alleys like flickering shadows, sleeping rough in doorways, their stomachs aching with perpetual hunger.


There was no joy in childhood for these street urchins. Coming from indifferent and poverty- enmeshed stock, they relied on their wits, crime and prostitution for survival; those who lacked initiative died.

Prisons tenanted by the very young were a saddening sight. In 1850 there were 15,000 juvenile lawbreakers or vagrants sharing cells with hardened criminals, under whose expert guidance they soon developed whatever felonious tendencies they possessed, to emerge as fully-fledged villains.

It was an area of great concern and challenge for those with a social conscience. Around the mahogany table in the Magistrates' Room that grey January day sat gentlemen who were convinced, like other reformers of the period, that with proper help and guidance youthful offenders could be transformed into decent and virtuous citizens. An attempt must be made to combine some education with the discipline of the prison itself, and punishment for evil doing blended with instruction.

It was the Government's Youthful Offenders' Act of 1854, which recognised law breakers under the age of 16 as a separate group, that really paved the way for benevolent groups of people throughout the country to put their philanthropic theories into practice. The Act, "For the better care and Reformation of Youthful Offenders in Great Britain," gave the courts authority to send anyone under 16 to a reformatory school at the end of any prison sentence of at least 14 days duration.

For the Liverpool gentlemen this Act was an opportunity to be grasped. It was proposed by William Rathbone, Esq, seconded by T D Anderson, Esq, and formally resolved that a Committee be formed for the purpose of establishing on Merseyside three Reformatories. The boys could expect hard labour, hard fare and a hard bed; treatment must be fair and discipline strict but directed mainly towards deterrence. So might moral reformation come through the tempering of punishment. The children would be educated to a reasonable standard, given an industrial training and taught that there was "A God, a heaven and a hell."

For many thousands this was to be their only chance of a stable future, and for some an almost magical opportunity to rise to positions of importance and respectability. Such boys became Masters of their own vessels, prosperous businessmen and war heroes. In the New World across the Atlantic they achieved ambitions and fulfilled aspirations which had hitherto been daydreams of impossible magnitude.

Those who resisted the system or failed to conform returned to the tide of human jetsam which spilled out into the maze of narrow streets, like the garbage discharged from the tall ships into the River Mersey.

The birth of the Liverpool juvenile Reformatory Association, soon to prove itself one of the most go-ahead in the country, had gone smoothly. It was agreed that the Earl of Derby, the Earl. of Ellesmere, the Earl of Harrowby and Lord Ravenscroft be invited to become patrons. The men in attendance bowed their heads in prayer to thank the Almighty for his guidance, and respectfully to solicit His continued help. By the light of the gas lamps their pocket watches revealed the lateness of the hour. They had talked far longer than they had intended.

TRAINING SHIP
Making Ready the Akbar

It was the end of the glory days. Around the middle of the nineteenth century the Admiralty found itself with an embarrassing surfeit of its sturdy old wooden-wall vessels. Yet a new role for them was emerging from earnest discussions on dry land, a role that would require patience not courage, that would put children not men below decks, an extraordinary move that would surprise the nation with its ingenious novelty.

The ships which helped to rule the waves would now help to rule awkward and recalcitrant children. They would be turned into floating reformatories. By 1874 there were seven such reformatory ships, on loan from the Admiralty, in service in British ports and harbours. The severity of a naval type of control and training had its appeal, but the main advantage over a land reformatory was the stretch of water which separated young criminals from their former association with evil influences, and placed them in a confined space under the immediate authority of those determined to reform by discipline, strict habits of industry, religious studies, virtue, honesty and training in self control and manly independence.

The Akbar was the first to arrive on the Mersey scene, mainly due to the efforts of Mr John Clint, a local ship owner. Originally a teak-built Indiaman, constructed in Bombay in 1801(Ganges was also a teak ship built in Bombay), the ship had been bought by the Royal Navy for service as a 38~gun frigate under the name of Cornwallis and had served in various expeditions against the Dutch East Indies. In 1811 a new Cornwallis with almost twice the number of guns was launched and the old ship was renamed Akbar. During the war with America in 1812 her role became that of a troopship, riding the heaving Atlantic with cargoes of militia reinforcements and munitions packed together in conditions of frightful discomfort and unbelievable misery. A quieter period followed as a lazaretto (quarantine ship) in harbour service in Milford Haven.

Between 1834 and 1855 the Akbar was on quarantine service at Liverpool. With visiting ships from all over the world, the possibility of an outbreak of bubonic plague was an ever-present headache for the local authorities. As it was, periodic explosions of cholera, typhus and the dreaded smallpox with its resultant disfigurement were a frightening reality. Smallpox was a nation-wide problem in the nineteenth century: in January 1871 900 smallpox cases in London alone were reported to the Poor Law Board, and a newspaper of 1855 advertised: "Smallpox Marks: These unfortunate disfigurements entirely removed from the face after a few applications in the Indian Cream prepared by the late Dr Phillip and sold by his orphan daughter Emma." Optimists could send off five shillings in stamps to Emma at an address in Lambeth. The authorities, more realistically, tried to combat the problem at source, with at least ten quarantine hulks moored off Rock Ferry at various times between 1824 and 1863 - at one stage there were six employed simultaneously.

Mr Clint and his four Committee members inspected the Akbar on a mellow July day in 1855, and they were appalled by her condition. The upper deck, which was completely rotten, would have to be removed and there was much work to be done before they could even begin to mast and spar her. That they were willing to tackle such a formidable task at all says much for their strength of purpose and faith that the good Lord would support them. It was planned to receive initially 100 boys aged between 12 and 15 years, and the estimated cost of making the grim old ship habitable and secure was £1,003 19s 4d, a figure which finally topped £2,000. As it was, the Akbar served her new purpose for only six years before the crumbling timbers became a safety hazard and she was towed away to a local breaker's yard, to be replaced by Akbar the Second.
By 15th November, 1855, the first Akbar was in a condition to
receive staff. They had to be "persons of sober life and
conversation, and free from drunkenness, profane cursing and
swearing, lewdness and other dissolute immoral or disorderly
practices."

Mr Edward Hambleton was appointed superintendent at a salary of £80 a year, it being understood that his wife and
child might live on board and be supplied with rations in no
wise different from ' those of the boys. He was to be assisted by a
schoolmaster to be paid £50 a year with board and lodgings, a
boatswain, joiner, cook and two seamen, with additional help to
be hired as the number of boys on board increased.

Mr Trevor Roper was appointed honorary surgeon, a job that was to prove most onerous and, after 12 months gratuitous service, he was paid at the rate of 3/6d a head, without medicine, on the average number of persons on board throughout the year.
With typical Victorian imperiousness, the Committee decided that the superintendent would have a best suit to be worn on Sundays, Christmas Day and Good Friday and on such occasions as the Committee might from time to time direct. This comprised one blue frock coat with gilt buttons, like those worn by captains of mail steamers, one blue waistcoat with smaller gilt buttons, a pair of blue trousers and a cap with a gold band and an oil-skin cover for wet weather. On less auspicious occasions he would wear a blue frock coat without gilt buttons, blue trousers and a cap with a gold band. He must never be seen on board without his coat.

The boatswain and petty officers were allowed two suits consisting of one round blue jacket with gilt buttons, one blue waistcoat and trousers and a cap with a gilt band, narrower than the superintendent's, and an oil skin cover. One of these suits must be kept for best and must be worn only when the superintendent was wearing his best suit.

When the officers preferred, they could substitute a white waistcoat and gilt buttons and white trousers in place of the blue, the waistcoats being made with eyelet holes to facilitate the button change. The Committee covered the cost of one suit only. After 6 months, if the officer was still in their employ, the suit would become his own property. However, it had to be worn for a further twelve months before a second "best suit" was provided and the old one then used for daily wear.

The schoolmaster was supplied with a black coat and ordered that he must dress at all times in plain and subdued clothes.

The boys had to wear blue trousers and guernseys and caps for every day, the caps to be replaced by glazed hats when they manned the boats, attended church or assembled on deck for the inspection of official visitors or members of the Committee. Each lad was to have one change of linen.

The ship was officially ready for business on 8th January, 1856, with the arrival of the requisite certificate from the Home Secretary, certifying the school frigate "Akbar" as a reformatory within the meaning of the Youthful Offenders Act 17 & 18 Vic.86.

Paying the Price

That there was a need for such an establishment was soon apparent from the number of inquiries as to conditions of entry from all over the country. They came from many quarters: magistrates wishing to know whether the Committee would receive boys sentenced by them; police seeking secure accommodation for runaway boys housed temporarily in workhouses; other reformatories needing harsher discipline and control for the irrepressible; pleas for help from the guardians of destitute children, and parents who could no longer cope with offspring out of control.

A letter from a man aged 65 begged the Committee to take his 12 year old son Horatio. "He will not remain at home and, when he does make his appearance, he is quite unruly and unmanageable and pilfers whatever he can lay his hands on. 1 have only a pension of 3/6d a week to live on and therefore 1 am unable to pay anything." With the current price of cheese at 6d a pound, bacon 5d a pound, bread 5d for a 4 pound loaf, butter 8d a pound and cod and sprats at 2d a pound.

To exist at all must have been enough of a problem to handle, without the misbehaviour of 'Horatio', who was one of the first twenty boys admitted on board. A London surgeon pleaded for the admission of his over-indulged rascally son of 13 years, in order to improve his ways.

Another early arrival was Samuel aged 10, younger than the Committee wished to have on board, but the special circumstances of the case were something of a challenge to the reformers. Samuel's father wrote that he was quite unable to control his son's vicious propensities and his offer to pay 3/6d per week for the boy's maintenance was accepted.

Parents were expected to contribute, according to their means, up to 5/- a week. In cases of failure to pay, the courts had the power to make an order for payment, withhold goods, or commit the offenders to prison if necessary. The State made a grant to schools inspected and certified by one of Her Majesty's Inspectors of Prisons, which worked out in the region of 5/- a head for boys.

Financial contributions by local authorities, both to the establishment of reformatories, and to the upkeep of boys in them, began in 1857. Eleven years later, the average cost per head for the upkeep of 180 boys on board worked out at 7/6d per week. The schools relied greatly on public donations and subscriptions to cover costs and every effort was made by the Committee to cajole and beg money from their friends and from the moneyed residents of Liverpool. The response was never very impressive, for not everyone was so fired with philanthropic enthusiasm. The most generous were happy to send along turnips, windfall apples, rhubarb and their abundance of garden vegetables which proved manna from heaven to a ship of hungry lads, ticking along on a basic diet of small portions of ship's biscuits, suet pudding, gruel, cocoa and bullock's head meat.

Enthused the captain at one annual meeting: "Many thanks to friends for various presents including fruit and vegetables. 1 would like to remind friends who have gardens, that, much which they throw away, if sent to the Akbar would be gratefully received by me and equally gratefully consumed by the boys."

Like a thrifty housewife with a large family to feed, the Committee considered every penny-scrimping idea in an effort to prune down expenditure: "January 11th 1858 - Try beef at 51d a pound: April 1862 - Cook to undertake the barber's work which will save 15/- per month: 1863 - Committee understands that new boots can be bought cheap for cash at 5/6d and appear as good as those for which we have paid V-, 8/- and V~. Try them. Understand potatoes can be bought for 1/10d a bushel equal to those for which Hall and Son are paid 4/3d ~ change supplier." "July 1864 -Occasional washing of night shirts on shore approved but additional new ones objected to." Practical gifts for ship improvements to keep down costs were gratefully received. There was a yearly present of three bolts of canvas, casks of paint, oil and varnish. In 1858, a committee member presented the ship with a suit of top gallant sails and in the same year, the Storekeeper General of the Navy despatched two harbour cutters for the Akbar's use.

The chairman was always calling attention to the continued falling off in the subscription list and venturing to hope that more assistance in this way would be forthcoming in the ensuing year. By 1882 three schools within the Liverpool Reformatory Association had been established, and out of an expenditure of £8,000 subscriptions from the citizens of Liverpool themselves totalled less than £250. Four years later, at the 31st annual meeting, the Mayor remarked on the continued decline of subscriptions to the Association, and appealed for monies, stressing, "It would be a pity if the good work of the Association should be crippled by lack of funds."

In the early years, reformatories were to some extent on trial, and there were not a few persons who believed that such establishments were a mistake. This was referred to by Mr Samuel Martin at the annual general meeting of the Association in 1865. "I am sorry to see lately a spirit abroad rather depreciating reformatories. People have said to me, 'Is it true you are doing some good? But you are not doing the amount of good you ought to effect, considering the labour and money expended upon these institutions!' 1 told them of the scores of hundreds of boys that have been taken from their haunts of vice, and, after passing time in reformatories, are earning their living and likely to become useful members of society. The opponents then say, 'Look at the mass of crime and vice that still exists,' but they did not take into consideration the increase in the population." He trusted that the time would never come when the committees of reformatories were so pauperised that they would relax their efforts, much less that the time should come when they would fold their arms and say that it was impossible for them to deal with an evil of such magnitude.

Attempts at Escape

To be eligible for admission to floating reformatories the lads had to be as strong and able-bodied as their deprived status in society would allow, and as a consequence they were on the whole more tough, rough and adventurous than their land reformatory counterparts.

Some, of course, went there determined to escape. To do so from the Akbar, moored off Rock Ferry on the Cheshire side of the Mersey, meant a third of a mile swim in murky waters with the added challenge of dangerous tides, or a row to freedom in a small boat, lowered at great risk during the hours of darkness in the hope of avoiding the eagle eye of the ship's officer. If caught, punishment was severe: a three day diet of bread and water in solitary confinement in the ship's cell, plus a flogging, or 12 cuts with a birch rod, at times increased to 18 with the Committee's special permission. It was not unusual for lads to be brought before the magistrates and committed to gaol for the offence of "running". Absconding or unruly conduct could be punished by a prison sentence of up to three months.

With a bounty of 20/- a head on all runaways, and instructions from the Reformatory Committee to detain any boy without a pass stating the duty to which he had been entrusted, the police were extra vigilant. The occasional boy who managed to reach home was usually given an unsympathetic thrashing by his father and promptly returned on board. Any more compassionate parent paying heed to a runaway's plea for help was brought before the magistrate and sentenced to pay a substantial amount of money, or go to gaol for a month for harbouring him.

Yet the magnetism of the watery escape route invited contest throughout the history of the Akbar. Several lads drowned in their bid for freedom. Others were swept out to sea in tossing boats, after capricious winds snatched away the oars from frozen fingers. Their clothing and poor physique were no match for the elements, and even the more fortunate who were plucked from the waves by a passing ship, or foundered on distant banks, were overcome with sickness and exposure.

Every exploit was duly reported to the Committee: "August 26th 1889 - 'Fishwick and Thorn absconded over the side on the 12th'.

Their descriptions were at once sent to the police and a reward offered.

Fishwick was arrested in Liverpool, the same afternoon. He had swum ashore and concealed himself in a fishing boat for two hours. Half-way to shore Thorn became distressed and Fishwick gave him a cork lifebelt that he had on but, whilst Thorn was pulling it on, down he went and never rose again. His body was found floating in the river and an inquest recorded the verdict 'accidentally drowned'.

Fishwick was punished with 18 cuts of the cane and one day in cells. He is far from being a bad lad, he has a vile temper which he is sometimes unable to control, but 1 feel pretty confident however that we will make a good man of him." "Thorn was always giving trouble in small matters and was dirty, careless and lazy, he was sent to Akbar 21 months since for attempting to set fire to an industrial school in Manchester, where he was confined."

It was hardly an epitaph to stir the reformers into a state of mourning. On that track record, Thorn would have seemed destined to join the 25% who failed the system. The sheer ingenuity of the boys proved a constant challenge to those in authority.

Two lads, handcuffed and confined to the cell, managed, with the expertise of Houdini, to slip the heavy iron cuffs, remove the bars from a minute window and wriggle out to freedom. Their liberty was short-lived and the captain's report of November 3rd 1862 noted:

"For attempting to abscond Stephens and Smith had each a dozen with the 'Cat'." In all probability, on the next spell of detention in the cell, they would be in leg irons as well. In spite of increased punishment to subdue their spirit, the more adventurous continued to abscond. One lad, William, a persistent escapee, became so expert a swimmer that during the latter years of his detention, he won acclaim and a medal for the Akbar in swimming contests with other reformatory schools. There were, however, occasions when a runaway, after existing on gutter scraps for a few days, decided that the spartan comforts and diet of the Akbar were preferable to the harsh reality of the world outside, and returned voluntarily to plead forgiveness and accept his deserts.

Pastimes and Perils

The problem of boredom was immense. How does one keep busy 300 boys bursting with energy from five in the morning until eight o'clock bedtime, in a wooden prison anchored a third of a mile offshore? Finding them things to do was a constant challenge for those in control. Decks were scrubbed repeatedly with stone, and later with coconut husks, the latter proving less wearing on the deck surfaces. The boys made and repaired their own clothing. In 1858 they made 976 pieces of clothing, 180 pairs of new shoes 13

and repaired 276 pairs. They also made 18 sea-chests. To provide winter employment in 1856, a supply of junk was obtained for conversion into oakum. The boys were paid I/- a hundredweight. The money was divided between them, and the same amount shared among the men. Teasing and splitting the old rope was a filthy job, shredding the skin off frozen fingers, and happily it was abandoned in 1862, after the captain reported: "The Oakum is not all sold. It injures the boys' clothing and makes them very dirty." Instead, tailoring orders were accepted from the prestigious Conway, a vessel which frequently provided additional work opportunities. For example, in 1863 thirty Akbar lads were loaned to that ship to help clean up before the return of the elite pupils, cadets in training for the Royal Navy and Merchant Service.

In the hold, illuminated by oil lamps on winter evenings, the boys played draughts or bagatelle and read such magazines as the "British Workman", the "Band of Hope Review", the 9llustrated News" and "Animals Friend", two copies of which were donated monthly by the Birkenhead branch of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. On Sunday their attention was directed to bible study, text books with religious messages, and other volumes extolling the virtues of being kind, honest, hard working and leading clean and godly lives. The boys were allowed access to a gift of 200 volumes of "amusing" books, donated in 1860 by the free lending library, only after the Committee had vetted each copy for any hint of salacity.

Other recreational activities consisted of spelling bees, magic lantern shows, and lectures on such subjects as "Temperance and the Evils of Drink", "Self Made Men", "Missionary Work in India", and "Honesty is the Best Policy". Two of the boys received prizes from Miss Weston, known as the "Sailor's Friend", for most creditable essays on Temperance subjects! Gentlemen visitors recited and sang suitable songs of that era and a rapturous ovation f rom delighted boys was reported in every case, irrespective of the quality of the performance. One of the most popular speakers was a Captain Stephens, who not only described life on board his ship but also gave the boys a treat of "plum duff and pears"!

A sing-song to the accompaniment of the harmonium was greatly enjoyed. The boys sang heartily and their voices frequently overwhelmed the accompaniment. In March 1858, when there were 145 boys on board, it was agreed that the old harmonium should be replaced with a new one as it was "no longer powerful enough for the voices of so many boys".

In June 1858, Captain Fenwick was authorised to purchase such musical instruments as might be necessary for a band, the amount not to exceed six pounds, and to hire a bandmaster. A full brass band developed and its excellence made it a popular attraction at local church bazaars and other functions. A request by the managers of the Rock Ferry Steamers for its use on Good Friday was curtly refused with a note to say that that day should be devoted to Holy Observance! In September 1874, the Band was invited to Leasowe Castle to play before HRH the Duke of Edinburgh. It was a most important day in the history of the band and both staff and boys were delighted when the Duke expressed himself highly pleased with their performance. By 1881, the pounding on the drum had taken its toll and permission was given to buy a replacement. The brass band continued for another 29 years, when it was replaced by a Bugle Corps.

Winter or summer, once a week was bath night in the fresh cold water in wooden tanks. There were many occasions when the ice was hacked away to allow the boys the privilege of their dip, but on hot steamy days, when the millpond surface of the surrounding water reflected the heat haze, the most popular pastime was swimming.

In 1874, permission was given for the boys to use the Indefatigable's floating bath for an annual fee of £20. Every effort was made to teach each boy to swim and in 1876, of the 190 boys on board, 134 had learned. The boys were regular recipients of medals donated by the Liverpool Humane Society, for bravely jumping into the Mersey and rescuing comrades who, being non-swimmers, were in danger of drowning. Nevertheless, over the years, a considerable number of boys perished below the Mersey waves.

One such happening was reported thus: "A gloom was cast over the ship in July by the accidental drowning of two boys while bathing with others from the beach at New Ferry. One had ventured out rather far, and appeared in difficulties when his friend went to help him, but before a boat could reach them they had both disappeared. Their bodies were recovered some days after. The boys and others have placed a neat tablet in St Peter's Church, Rock Ferry, to the memory of their two unfortunate shipmates."

There were also horrendous accidents described in the old Minute Books: "Thomas while employed in blacking a portion of the rigging was accidentally jerked off and thrown down from a height of 16 feet on to the deck, dying three hours later... Alfred fell from the main top deck and received concussion and partial jaw fracture, was recovering ... Henry lost his finger by carelessly placing his hand between a boat and the ship ... Benjamin fell from the main top, died same day ... William, while manning the working boat, slipped and was crushed between the boat and the ship side. His body was washed up on shore ... Ebenezer fell from the main top - a height of 60 feet and was taken to hospital where he has progressed favourably." A hook and ring appliance at a cost of £2 10s was ordered for Smith, who lost his arm in an Akbar accident in 1880.

When the weather was fine the boys were allowed to use the boats after supper either for rowing or racing. In 1892 at the New Brighton Regatta, the Akbar boys won a race against the boys of the Catholic Reformatory Ship Clarence, and received as their prize a cup and money.

There were hazards, too, in living so near to the river. The tempting mussels near the Rock Ferry slip in 1892 caused five cases of enteric fever and one death from typhoid.

In 1888, following the Government Inspector's threat that no Reformatory Ship without a good playing field ashore should be allowed to hold a certificate, a field was rented at a cost of £5 a year for the purpose of football and cricket. Captain Hicks reported: "At first the majority of the lads were quite ignorant of games and preferred to do nothing, for which they evince much talent. It has involved much trouble to interest them in out-door games but the effort is fully repaid by the results shown in their every day work. As they avail themselves more constantly of the opportunities for exercise on shore, the moral tone of the boys is better now than for some years. We have played several football matches this winter, with fairly good success for sailors! "

They were so successful that in 1908 at Macclesfield sports the boys won seven silver medals and one gold medal, but there were disadvantages. On one fine Saturday evening three boys ran off from a cricket game and were not recovered until a month later, one lad travelling as far away as Exeter!

Special Treats

Some of the Akbar treats were centred on the nearby resort of New Brighton, which in those days offered all the entertainment of Blackpool but on a smaller scale. One such occasion was on September 7th 1895, when 166 of the 184 boys on board were taken for a day out. This was funded by the Committee and friends, who raised fourteen guineas for the treat. The entertainment and tea at the Palace cost £5 3s 3d, a visit to the Pavilion - 10/-; donkey and pony rides - £1; sweets - 5/-; prizes for the races, long-jump, wheelbarrow, hurdle and sack and a tug-of~war 11/10d; pier charge at New Brighton - 10/-; and a fee to the captain of the tug "Despatch" for conveying the boys from the Akbar - W- V~ was set aside to give a special tea to the boys left behind on board ship. The balance remaining after this fun day was used for the purchase of football, cricket and gymnasium gear.

National holidays were acknowledged with special delight. For example, on the occasion of the Prince of Wales' wedding on March 10th 1863, each boy. was given plum pudding and two oranges,- and on July 6th 1893 there was a dinner of beef and plum pudding to celebrate the marriage of HRH the Duke of York. In 1911, the whole school joined in the Coronation procession through the town in the morning and in the sporting events which followed. Reported the captain: "The boys were allowed to mix freely with the public and when the bugle sounded at 7.15pm every boy was promptly in his place. The conduct throughout the day was exemplary."

For the good boys there were rare trips to see the new comic pantomimes, "Sinbad the Sailor", "All that Glitters is not Gold" and "Pizarro and Blackeyed Susan". Seats in the gallery cost 6d, the pit I/- and boxes were priced at V- There were special reduced prices for the parties of Akbar lads. Seventy boys were permitted to watch the Regatta at New Brighton, a spectacular affair which attracted an armada of small craft and while the crowd clapped and cheered, the Akbar band played a suitable selection of patriotic music.

Playing marbles on the upper deck was another privilege allowed for good behaviour. It was a popular pastime but indirectly caused the death of young George who, in the process of a game, was wounded by a rifle bullet fired from a boat on the river and died later on board. The matter was reported to the police and at an inquest held on the Akbar the jury brought a manslaughter charge against james Barber of the Liverpool Rowing Club, who had been using a rifle loaded with ball cartridge. The grand jury, considering the verdict of the coroner later, dismissed the charge of manslaugher.

There were many examples of special kindnesses towards the boys from outsiders. In 1889, Miss Fanny Joseph treated the boys to the pantomime at the Prince of Wales theatre and gave to each of them an orange. Mr Montague Roby invited a party of boys to the "Midget Minstrels" and the Reverend Mr Hankins, who had assisted with their religious instruction, sent a wedding card with the hope that the Committee would not object to his giving the boys a treat of plum pudding in honour of the occasion of his marriage. Friends contributed ninepence a head in 1888 for the boys to visit the Pleasure Gardens at Eastham, where there was a zoo with tigers and bears and a view of Blondin, the famous tightrope walker who had crossed the Niagara Falls.

These donations were acknowledged in 1894, in the Captain's report: "Heartiest thanks to the many friends who have helped us in various ways, some by assisting at our Winter entertainment, others by contributing money towards treats, the kind ladies who have worked articles of clothing, and to all, who have given their interest and sympathy. Their reward must surely be in the knowledge that they have shown kindness where kindness is wanted, and are helping children who, during their short lives, have had more than their share of hard knocks."

Several times a year all the good lads were invited to tea at the magnificent home of Committee member Mr John Cropper at West Dingle. The Cropper family were 1eaders in philanthropic activity in Liverpool: John's father, James, was a pioneer in the movement to effect the extinction of slavery in the British Dominions. John Cropper himself was one of the promoters of the scheme for starting the Akbar, and remained closely associated with its management all of his life. He lived in a mansion set in twelve acres of landscaped gardens with rolling lawns, trees, shrubs and colourful flower beds and on these special occasions the boys were allowed to wander freely, exploring the grounds and taking in with wide~eyed admiration the fine views of the ships sailing down the Mersey. They enjoyed teas of bread and butter, home-made preserves, scones and cakes, and were served by the maids of the household.

Christmas was a spell of great excitement, with everyone intent on giving the boys a good time. On December 22nd 1873, a Mr Pearson sent on board £5 with the instruction "Get what is wanted to make the boys happy." Some of the money was spent on a slice of bread for each boy! School was suspended for a fortnight and during the holidays the boys were kept occupied decorating the ship and their messes with gifts of evergreens, and twisting coloured paper into festive streamers. A large number, in charge of an officer, went ashore to play football and to slide on frozen ponds. Others, in smaller parties, visited the Liverpool Museum and were taken for strolls to gaze into shop windows filled with a fine array of Yuletide fare. Every effort was made to provide an extra special Christmas dinner, which usually consisted of a small ration of roast beef and plum pudding. A taste of goose was a luxury introduced latterly. For every boy going to sea there was a gift of a "Housewife", a needle and thread repair kit.

Other presents included religious books and illuminated cards, and socks, mufflers and mitts were donated by kindly ladies with a fondness for knitting; the South Lancashire branch of "Our Needlework Guild" sent a quantity of socks and mufflers at Christmas 1886. By 1904, every boy was having two dips into a well filled bran pie, and general gifts included a bagatelle and billiard tables, three pairs of boxing gloves, footballs, a mandoline, cakes. crackers and three large geese.

Even in the early days when there were no presents for distribution, each child received an orange and apple on Christmas morning, and as time advanced gifts for the Akbar became more plentiful. The boys enjoyed luxuries such as boxes of currants and raisins, a 140-pound bag of nuts, barrels of apples, 56 pounds of sweets, boxes of oranges and dates, bags of figs and an abundance of plum puddings and boxes of crackers.

Special prizes were introduced to encourage commencable behaviour. Writing desks were awarded for Good Conduct and Athletics, and one was kept specially for the tidiest boy on the ship. Two bibles were given to the boys who were proficient in Religious Knowledge. The most coveted prize of all was a handsome silver watch and chain donated yearly for "Good and Manly Conduct". It was noted by the captain, in 1891, that several recipients of this award had been on board, all of whom were proudly wearing their watches! (This included one boy who had run away, but retuned to give himself up, knowing that he would recieve a public-birching. He had then taken his birching without fuss, and in silence, earning him the "Good and Manly Conduct prize!).

The only women on board were the female members of the captain's family who lived a purdah-like existence in special but uncomfortable quarters situated well away from the boys. Some of the wives were more kindly than others, mixing with the lads and on occasions doling out treats. Daughters were forbidden to speak to the boys, if indeed they ever had the opportunity!

The Hicks family were different. Mrs Hicks was a warm, kindly woman and the boys adored her. The event of the year in 1898 was when she opened a tuck shop on board. It was entirely her own work and such a huge success that the HM Inspector commented:

"A lad can buy any article from a red herring to a pocket handkerchief for a copper". As these coppers are not very numerous, the lads appreciate being able to buy their sweets, ginger beer and treats, in many cases at less than wholesale price. It has brought Mrs Hicks into closer contact with boys, as much talking can be done over the sale of an ounce of toffee. It enables the lads to better show their kindly feeling one to another and brings out the better side of their humanity." Her daughter inherited much of her benignity and, with the help of friends, frequently organised theatrical performances in Rock Ferry to raise money for extra treats for the lads. The magnificent sum of £15 enabled the boys to have their own magic lantern at Christmas 1898.

The funeral reflected the Captain's worthy character and the esteem in which he was held. A large number of the boys attended, with the Bugle Corps playing a solemn lament and the Honorable Captain Stanhope of HMS Eaglet sending along a firing party. Mrs Hicks was given a cheque of her husband's services £112 10s in appreciation of her husbands services.

The boys wept brokenheartedly when Mrs Hicks and her family finally packed their bags and clambered down into the boat to be taken ashore.The new commander of took over on November with £42 6s for rations.

Because the Akbar was so closely moored to the more influential Conway, it was ideally placed to cream off many of the latter's illustrious visitors. There were visits from the Prince of Wales, the Sultan of Zanzibar, the Duke of Edinburgh and in 1861, Prince Albert was escorted on board under the guidance of the Mayor and expressed his "approbation of the purpose of the Institution," praised the order and cleanliness of all on board, and promised the boys buns and apples. Other honoured guests included the Lords of the Admiralty, the Bishop of Sydney, the Japanese Ambassador, the Earl of Devon, Lords Carnarvon, Derby and Clarendon, the Marquis of Westminster and an American gentleman, the Honorable Mr Pearse, calling on an order from the Secretary of State to see the ship.

Nearly all the visitors had their own message of inspiration. Rear Admiral Dacres GB, before leaving addressed these few words of encouragement to the boys: "I have always impressed among my sons and those whom 1 have instructed the importance of truth and honesty, without which it is impossible for anyone to succeed in life. 1 have had the command of thousands of men, and never found any difficulty with a man who is truthful and honest. People might laugh at so much importance being attached to truth and honesty, but they can depend upon it, otherwise they come to grief as you Reformatory boys have found out. However, boys on board the Akbar should thank God you have been sent to such an Institution, where you receive instruction the like of which you have never before enjoyed, and this will give you the opportunity of being fairly launched in life."

The visit of the Duke of Edinburgh on 23rd June 1896 received wide press coverage and brought with it a special tribute for the particular, the abstemious conduct of four of its lads won Royal approval for resisting the temptation to join in the city-wide tipple in honour of the Royal visitor! The press reported:

"It was ten minutes of 12 o'clock when the Duke of Edinburgh re-embarked on board the Alert at Birkenhead Ferry, after leaving the ship building yard of Messrs Laird Bros. At this time the atmosphere was remarkably clear, and a brilliant sunshine imparted great beauty to the scene on the river. Before quitting the Mersey his Royal Highness had determined to pay a visit to the Akbar and Clarence, the Reformatory ships and the training ship Indefatigable; the Alert steamed up the river, and in passing her Majesty's ship Donegal, a royal salute was fired from the vessel, the band having previously played 'God Save the Queen`. Reaching first the Akbar, the Prince proceeded on board and was received by Captain Borland RN the Master, and members of the Committee.

On board the Akbar there were 186 boys, the whole of whom had an exceedingly clean and smart appearance. The Prince having made a hurried inspection of the ship, Mr S R Graves, MP for Wavertree, read to his Royal Highness the following letter:- 'To

Famous visitors were honoured with the display of a large number of the boys, clean and smart of appearance, manning the yards an the Clarence .S R Graves Esq, MP. Wavertree Board of Health Public Offices, June 23, 1866. Sir - In returning the four boys to the Akbar yesterday, I understand the Prince was due to visit them today and as they were under my care while here, I beg to mention that they were under great temptation, as several parties wished to give them drink, but in all cases they refused to take anything, according to my instructions. The names of the boys are John Bell, Petty Officer; John Fairbrother, John Davies and Arthur Luckman. If you would be kind enough to recommend them to the Captain you would oblige your humble servant, Andrew Young. '

His Royal Highness replied; 'Captain Borland, it gives me much pleasure to hear such a satisfactory report of the conduct of these four boys whilst on shore. It reflects great credit on the boys themselves, and I hope that their example will be emulated by their companions on board. '

Upon his Royal Highness leaving the Akbar, the greater number of the boys manned the yards, whilst another party of them sang 'God Save the Queen' in beautiful style."

Some of the visitors left donations for special treats. On September 16th 1872, Sir George and Lady Barrow visited and "seemed much pleased". Lady Barrow addressed the 173 boys and proffered £1 for the Library fund, and Sir George handed over £1 to give the boys a meal of bread! He expressed his surprise at seeing the boys looking so well, stating that such erroneous ideas that the ship was a prison and not a school should at once be dispelled.

Each boy attended class for not less than three hours a day to learn reading, spelling and cyphering. The sole teacher, in the early days, had a formidable task. This was illustrated in 1858, when the then schoolmaster was noted as being "inadequate", to control and educate so large a number of boys as there are now on board," and so he was replaced by a "younger and more active" man.

At that time there were 141 boys in class. The majority of these were illiterate, and one could sense a hint of sympathy for the unfortunate schoolmaster in the Committee's decision to reward him with a gratuity of £2 for two years of "faithful" service.

All the boys received instruction in Practical Seamanship. In 1866, when the Rock Ferry boatmen went on strike for more wages, an application to the captain for Akbar lads to work the steamers was readily agreed and two boys were sent to each boat, resulting in the receipt of a most satisfactory letter regarding their conduct and £6 3s 2d for their hire.

A naval officer, appointed in 1894 by the Admiralty to inspect the ship in Nautical Exercises, expressed himself "surprised and satisfied with all 1 have seen."

The seamanship instruction on board was of a particularly high standard and included learning the points of the compass; knotting and splicing with practice on wire rope; tuition in the use of the palm and needle; canvas stitching and hammock making; and there was plenty of experience in summer of sail drill aloft. Heaving the lead was carried out from one of the ship's boats and during the year 1896 the boys fitted a new mizen top-mast. In that winter the normal distribution of a watch at nautical instruction was as follows: sailmakers, 10; compass class, 5; monkey topsail, 5; knotting and splicing, 23; tailors, 13; carpenters, 2; cooks, 4; duty boys and boat crews making up the remainder. A class of signal instruction was added in 1905, and the ship was presented with a set of Commercial Code Flag~and the Code Signal.

In 1898, out of 395 old hands heard of during that year, one wa a captain, one a master's mate in the American Navy and tw quartermasters in American Revenue Cruisers. One was a chici mate and there were three first mates, four second mates, three third mates, two boatswains, one sailmaker, seventy-one able seamen, seventy-six ordinary seamen, three firemen, threestewards, one quartermaster, one leading stoker RN, seven stokers RN, one able seaman RN, one boy RN, two Army sergeants, two lance-corporals, eight Army privates, tw bandsmen, one policeman, two engine-drivers, one collier, two apprentices (sea), two letter carriers, one contractor, two railway porters, one cook, four painters and decorators, one fish hawker, one hundred and fourteen labourers, two shoe blacks, four carters, one stone cutter, one greaser and fifty-five tradesmen. One boy, discharged thirty-two years earlier, was a prosperous builder paying more than £90 a week in wages; another boy finished up a general in the Chinese Army!

A cookery class was started in 1908 to assist the Akbar boys in their training as cooks and stewards, and the Officers' Mess was allowed £1 a month for eating the food dished up by the class'

After a year's detention, boys of exemplary behaviour were granted leave. In 1857, 31 country boys were allowed home leave for between 10 and 14 days.

Of 126 Liverpool boys due for turns of one-day leave, two of them had this privilege withdrawi because of unsatisfactory conduct, and one boy had to forfeit his leave because it was undesirable that he should visit home. owing to the bad character of his friends. It was noted that the privilege of leave had produced a marked improvement in the health, conduct and disposition of the boys which was ' reflected in their "smart and cheerful" work on ship.

By 1896, the boys 24 were being sent on errands ashore to "test their moral courage and powers of self-control". In their bright uniforms with shaved heads they were closely observed and the slightest hint of bad manners or misbehaviour was reported by the public.

The Committee members were very selective as to whom they allowed on board the Akbar, whether as inmates or visitors. Some of their decisions reflected appalling bigotry which today would heap upon them all the fury of Race Relations and Civil Liberties campaigners.

In June 1856, by which time there were 50 boys in confinement, a request for the admission of a "boy of colour" was refused on the grounds that "the discipline of the ship is at present so imperfect such a boy be not received but that the committee will be glad to receive any other."

The quarterly Sunday visit of the boys' friends, with as many as 150 travelling by steamer to the ship, was a privilege under constant review by the Committee. All were carefully vetted to exclude "improper people who come on board to visit no-one in particular," and there were several instances of the favour being withdrawn. One such occasion was on August 24th 1863, a calamitous day when 8 boys out of 164 had made their escape. A furious captain stopped all visiting and claimed all reward monies to assist in defraying the expense incurred in the recapture of the runaways. Vistors were banned yet again in April 1864, for having brought vermin on board.

Former inmates of doubtful character who called were immediately removed and one notoriously bad lad, who had come on board with a friend with evil intent, was hosed out of the ship with a "water cannon". There was no room either for George, a 13-yearold petty thief who was most anxious to join his brother. Birds of a feather flocking together could cause extra trouble!

Roman Catholics were not generally welcome in the early days. The Committee reluctantly agreed to accept two Roman Catholic boys, but when the Reverend Father Brown, a Birkenhead priest, wrote to the Akbar captain asking to visit the two boys, he received a curt reply from the Secretary: "As the Act of Parliament left the religious instruction in the hands of the Committee, they respectfully declined Mr Brown's interference."

By 1863, the increase in the number of applications for the admission of Roman Catholic delinquents to Protestant Akbar was causing concern. Officials at the borough gaol requested admission of eight Roman Catholic boys for whom no other reformatory could be found, and who would have to be sent back to their parents "in all probability to evil courses". The request was refused, and the superintendents of all three reformatory schools within the Association were instructed not to receive any more Roman Catholics, until the Committee had taken legal advice as to the responsibility of the Association regarding compulsory visits of Ministers of Religion under the Reformatory Act.

HARSH DISCIPLINE

The accommodation problem for Roman Catholic boy delinquents was resolved in March 1864, when a number of prominent Roman Catholics on Merseyside decided to provide a reformatory ship of their own. She was the Clarence, taking up position a third of a mile off Rack Ferry, alongside the Akbar, the Indefatigable (a ship used for the training of non-delinquent orphans and boys in poor circumstances) and, somewhat incongruously, the Conway, a school frigate for training the sons of gentlemen as future officers.

The Clarence was burnt out at her moorings in January 1884, a not uncommon ending for a reformatory ship and one of the hazards of occupation by a large number of restless and undisciplined boys. Her successor, provided in 1884, suffered a similar fate. In July 1899, she too went up in flames and was sunk by gunfire at noon on the following day. It was a spectacular display and greatly enjoyed by those Akbar boys who were able to watch. As a consequence, fire precautions and discipline on board the Akbar were tightened.

There were several attempts to fire the Akbar, but the flames were doused before they took much of a hold. One such incident was on August 24th 1877, when there were 189 boys on board. The captain reported: "A little after 6am 1 was awoke by an alarm of fire and immediately slipped on a dressing gown and ran down to the seat of the fire which was in the after hold and in three distinct places. The fire was made up on a lot of odds and ends of rope which we call shakings and which were saturated with tar.

"Mr Webb and Mr Allen were most energetic at the seat of the fire, the latter being almost exhausted and smothered with smoke.

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