Types of Punishment - Sending to the Armed Forces
In time of war it was often difficult to recruit people to the armed forces, especially to the navy, as people knew how hard the conditions were on board ship. Some prisoners were, therefore, sentenced to serve in the forces.
This happened to several men in the data file. You will find them if you search in the "notes" field. Later, they are in the navy list at the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805.
Other prisoners were, occasionally, sent to the forces part of the way through their sentences, but this is not mentioned in the file. Sometimes a prisoner would get a pardon by enlisting for the navy.
