St. Michael and All Angels Church in England-- Part 2: Built By French and American Prisoners

Permission to construct a church at the site was given in 1812 by the Lord Commissioners of the Admiralty.  (You'd think the Anglican Church would be the one to ok the construction of the church.)  It was designed by architect Daniel Alexander and was initially built by French prisoners of the Napoleonic Wars and finished by Americans captured in the War of 1812.

It is the only church in England to be built by prisoners.

The Americans were held until 1816 and then the church closed.

I had to wonder at this point, was the church itself a prison or was there a nearby prison?

--Brock-Perry