J’ai vécu : the impact of the French Revolution on the lives of two Cornishmen, John Pollard and James Quick

Abstract

Two documents found in the collection of the Morrab Library, Penzance, give an insight into the impact of Revolutionary France and the Napoleonic Wars on ordinary Cornishmen. John Pollard, a ship’s Captain from Newlyn, a prisoner of war in France from 1794-95, kept a journal for a large portion of his time in captivity. Similarly, Captain James Quick was held captive from 1810-14. He wrote a series of letters to his wife in St Mawes detailing his life as a prisoner and his attempts to learn French. Both sources detail links and networks within Cornwall, and the extent to which the men were well-informed as to events within France.