In October 1830, Ephraim spent 6 weeks in gaol for assault. He would have been about 16 by my reckoning. This happened in Ipswich so it looks as if he were already spending his time in Suffolk. Just imagine, nowadays, he would have been thinking about going off to College at this age. What courses would he have taken? Outdoor education, agriculture and seamanship would have helped in his future life.Then again, he was a cook at Port Arthur for a time so maybe a few basic cooking lessons learning to make a pizza or a risotto could have been fun.
Gaols in those days did not necessarily separate inmates so he probably learned a few more interesting and less lawful lessons. What would the food have been like? Probably lucky to get any. Bed? Probably a hammock or a straw matress on the floor and the old bucket in the corner would have had to suffice as a toilet. Hot water and showers were luxuries for the future. He probably did not have one in his whole life. Did he even know what soap was? Did he have a fashion sense? Was he into those little things teens do to their clothes: wearing his cap at an angle, collar turned up, fancy braces, a bit of a swagger?
Did anybody visit him or welcome his release when his time was up? We will never know.
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