The Minutes of my lodge, then Ancient’s Lodge No. 88 (now Lodge of Economy No.76), meeting at The King’s Head Inn, Winchester, on Saturday November 17th 1810 record: ‘The following Brethren were introduced as visitors belonging to the Lodge of the Great Orient of France, prisoners of war, marching from the interior to Portsmouth for the purpose of being embarked for Scotland’ The names and ranks of four infantry and two cavalry officers are then listed as well as two other officers and a military surgeon, together with three civilians described as Merchants. All were welcomed as guests of the lodge and appear to have enjoyed their time with us for the Minutes conclude: ‘After a most pleasant evening with the above brethren, and highly flattered with the attention paid to them by Lodge No. 88, it was closed in the usual form at eleven o’clock.
     For more than a century a state of war had existed between Britain and France, a war fought both on the mainland of Europe and in overseas colonies, especially the French West Indies, and at sea. At the time of the prisoners’ visit to the lodge, an invasion by Napoleon was perceived as a very real threat in the south of England where many of the 100,000 plus prisoners taken during hostilities were incarcerated or billeted. It was to avert the danger of being released by invading forces to join them in the onslaught and as a reprisal for more stringent conditions meted out to our prisoners in France that these men were being removed to a place of greater security. As The Hampshire Chronicle reported: ‘On Sunday a party of French officers, who have been on their parole at different places, about 40 in number, passed through this city, under a military escort, for Portsmouth, where they were to embark for Edinburgh, in the neighbourhood of which place they are to undergo a much closer confinement. This act, we understand, is in consequence of the rigorous measures adopted by Napoleon towards our officers who are unfortunately his prisoners.’ From this group our Masonic guests were drawn.
     The majority of French prisoners were confined in camps and converted barracks in various parts of England and Scotland but those who attempted to escape and ‘the most outrageously indecent’, found themselves committed to floating hulks moored at locations such as Portsmouth and Gosport. The officers and civilian captives were more fortunate for, if they were prepared to give their parole, they could be billeted with local families in designated Parole Towns. Examples in Hampshire included Odiham, Bishops Waltham, Andover, Winchester itself and Alresford, some 9 miles distant. Of course many prisoners broke their parole and some managed to escape to France but those who complied enjoyed a number of privileges and a few wealthy individuals even arranged for wives and families to join them.
     The Agent appointed by the Transport Board of the Admiralty to administer the parole prisoners in Alresford was an Attorney named John Dunn who lived and operated from premises at 7, East Street, close to the centre of this attractive, predominantly Georgian, market town. His function was to enforce the parole conditions limiting their exercise to walking no more than a mile beyond the town boundary along the turnpike road, access to the fields being presumptive evidence of intention to escape. He also paid them their allowance twice a week of 1/3d or 1/6d according to rank and acted as censor for their correspondence. Otherwise relations were fairly relaxed and comfortable but Dunn received written reprimands for apparent slackness ‘- the prisoners are on no account to be allowed to assemble together at The Swan Inn – such a circumstance being entirely unprecedented - ’ and again, ‘ – we have never approved of, or allowed, theatrical representations - unauthorised exhibitions, whose tendency may be dangerous in political or licentious principle.’
     Even under Dunn’s humane hand, mortality could not be averted. Possibly as many as ten prisoners succumbed and were buried in the grounds of Alresford Parish Church and five of their distinctively French headstones survive.
     These have been relocated along a boundary where they face the west door of the church and the memorial to the Alresford fallen of two world wars. In 1959 they were refurbished by the French War Graves Commission and later the French Vice Consul from Southampton placed a floral tribute and tricolour on the graves. The 8 pm curfew bell rung by the church during hostilities was continued until 1918 as a memorial to the dead prisoners. Of those buried at Alresford, most is known about M. Pierre Garnier, second-lieutenant, 66th Regiment of Infantry, 14 April 1775 - 31 July 1811. He came from Perrecy in Burgundy and was captured during the British attack on the island of Guadaloupe. It is probable he died of an illness he contracted there.
     Before his transfer to Alresford, Garnier was imprisoned at Portchester Castle which lies on a tongue of land projecting into Portsmouth harbour and had long been used as a prisoner of war camp. Here the prisoners were closely confined, principally in the keep where, unlike those paroled to Alresford, they succeeded in running a theatre, traces of which remain. Some were housed in the angled tower opposite, leaving carefully cut records of their names which put the graffiti of later British visitors to shame.
     From the keep, prisoners could see the line of up to fourteen hulks which provided the most primitive accommodation for the most miserable of their compatriots. One of these, a gifted artist, Louis Garneray used his skills to create a number of marketable seascapes providing us with a visual reminder of their circumstances.
     It only now remains to account for our lodge guests who had come to us from Wantage where they had formed a Masonic Lodge, Des Coeurs Unis, (United Hearts) and where three of the party had been initiated. During their sojourn in Alresford, other prisoners set up, perhaps at the White Swan, a lodge they named De Mars et Neptune. Considering the huge popularity of Freemasonry in France at that time this Masonic activity comes as no surprise. Although Napoleon’s membership is uncertain, four of his brothers, several relations and 22 of his Marshalls were Freemasons. Altogether fifty lodges are known to have been formed by French prisoners in Britain and there may have been others that simply left no trace. Given a fair wind it was less than two weeks after leaving us that seven of our eleven visitors were received at Lodge No. 58 in Kelso, Scotland. British Masonry having extended the hand of brotherhood to them in time of war, it is devoutly to be hoped they survived until Waterloo signalled the end of hostilities, enabling them to be re-united with their loved ones at home.