More than 2000 African-Caribbean soldiers imprisoned at Portchester Castle during the 18th century have been identified by English Heritage during research for a new exhibition.

The exhibition will tell the story of the prisoners who were captured by the British in St Lucia and St Vincent in 1796 as part of the French Revolutionary war. The prisoners were transported to England and later Portchester Castle while fighting not only for France, but against slavery and inequality.

Until now the names of the prisoners were unknown, but years of archival research by English Heritage curator Abigail Coppins has uncovered their identities. Among those discovered was Captain Louis Delgrès, an experienced and highly regarded officer who fought against Britain several times.

Using the letters of those stationed at the castle, the charity's new exhibition reveals the soldier's story - from how they came to Portchester to what life was like as a prisoner at the castle.

The exhibition also describes what happened to the prisoners once they left Portchester Castle. Like many prisoners of war in the 18th century, the African-Caribbean prisoners were eventually exchanged for captured British soldiers and sent to France.

English heritage Curator, Abigail Coppins, said:

To discover the identities of 2000 African-Caribbean prisoners-of-war imprisoned in Portchester Castle was quite astonishing. At a time when the entire black population of Britain was roughly 10,000 to 15,000, our exhibition completely turns the tables on the views of the period.

These were not slaves, but free men and women fighting, and in some cases dying, for a cause they believed in. Research is on-going but these names and this exhibition restores a forgotten chapter of black history to England's story.

PERFORMANCE REVEALS LIFE AT THE PRISON

As well as the story of the African-Caribbean prisoners, the new exhibition sheds light on another group of mainland French prisoners from the Napoleonic wars. These prisoners created a theatre with quality music, dance, scenery and costumes similar to that of a professional stage.

English Heritage has installed a replica of the theatre on the ground floor of Portchester's great keep, featuring a wooden stage complete with the original backdrop of the Pont Neuf in Paris.

As part of an Arts and Humanities Research Council funded project, the University of Warwick will be staging one of the prisoners' original plays to a local audience on 19 July. The manuscript for the play, Roseliska, was dedicated to the man in charge of the prison, Captain Paterson, and has been handed down through his family.

The exhibition is open daily from Thursday 20 July.

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