hundred boys a year. An extract from one of his later daily Logs reads as follows:

          TS called at  Depot. Signed articles and sailed

          TD - Just home; going again

          AB - To have a chat; now in command of a  China Steamer.

          AH called at  Depot. Was in Navy until 1892; now in Fire Brigade.

          EC Met in Victoria Dock. Now employed as boatswain in "Lady  Jocelyn";

             was one of the three saved from the "Cospatrick".

                                                               

          Meanwhile back in the Chichester the friction between Captain Alston and his committee was growing and, in June 1868, he moved to lodgings ashore because of his cramped and unsatisfactory quarters onboard which the Committee had refused o improve. Even when a Mr Green made a donation of £529 specifically to provide suitable quarters Alston refused to move onboard until he was given a storeroom, a dressing room and a wine cellar in addition to his sleeping cabin and state room.

The Committee enraged him further by rescinding one of his 99 Rules and Regulations which instituted daily morning and evening prayer as well as private prayers for the boys three times a day. And when they reversed his decision to dismiss his schoolmaster, Mr Phillips, he accused Mr William Williams of "deliberately inciting a subordinate to an act of the grossest insubordination".

 

Despite Alston's excellent work in bringing the Chichester into service and producing first class training results it was clear that by April 1869 there could be no meeting of minds between him and the Committee and he was called upon to resign.

 

But Alston did not go without a final parting shot having induced all the Instructors to resign with him by promising them an increase in salary if they joined him in the Cumberland, an Industrial Training ship, based at Greenock on the Clyde where he had been appointed in command. He also drafted six of his better boys to the Cumberland and the Committee tried in vain to claim expenses for the kit they had taken with them. Alston made a counter claim for £26 for the bath he had left onboard Chichester but the committee declined to answer his letter.

 

There was, however, no shortage of applicants for the Captain Superintendent's post and, of the 74 who applied, the committee interviewed captains Cockcroft, Poulden, Wake, Thurburn and Bird before appointing Captain Thurburn who remained in post until October 1875 when he resigned on grounds of ill health brought about he said by being confined to live on board. Clearly the addition of a Wine Cellar to the captains quarters had still not been approved.

 

The health and welfare of the boys onboard was a constant source of anxiety to the Committee. Strict rules were laid down regarding punishments which, in the main, amounted to varying numbers of cuts with the birch: but these could only be administered by the Captain and only up to a maximum of 24. He was also required to list his punishments in each monthly report. The scale of punishment ranged from 24 cuts and dismissal with disgrace for any act of gross indecency or immoral behaviour, 12 cuts and dismissal for stealing to 6 cuts for being in an improper place; and these scales were still in force as late as 1937 when the only amendments made were that no boy under 14 should have more than 6 cuts of the cane and all corporal punishments should be witnessed by the Chief Officer, two other Officers and the sick Berth steward.

 

It was not surprising, therefore, that a number of boys absconded during the years. Usually they made a break when allowed ashore to play football in the grounds of Ingress Abbey only to be tracked down by the Police and returned in due course. Absconding seemed to be an understandable crime and warranted only 12 cuts but a second offence brought dismissal from the ship as undesirable. one of the earliest absconders, the boy Morgan, slipped away in one of the Ships boats at night only to find there were no oars. The tide took him downstream and returned him precisely alongside the Chichester the following morning. 12 cuts.

 

Scarlet Fever and Influenza were serious problems and, despite there being a number of hospital ships