Volume 1

[Letters on prisons].

  • John Coakley Lettsom
Date:
[1803-1813]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: [Letters on prisons]. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    18/240 page 6
    tjie ftraw, from want of being changed, is worn to diifl, and fwarms with vermin. Below is a w^orklhop, and a room over 25 feet by 16, but no employment what- ever. No water acceflible to pri- soners the keeper pays 12s. a year for what fupplies his hoipe. Down ten fteps are two dungeons, very damp, dark, and with mud floors. I w'as told no prifoners were ever put there j but, if I may judge from the wanton and excellive feverity I faw pradtifed in fome other parts of this miferable place, J fliould mucji doubt the fadt. In the room called the workfliop, there are feveral leaden weights, marked 30, 40, 60, pounds, with a ring and chains to each. Thefe are faftened, as the keeper pleafes, to the legs of his prifoners, fo that they cannot move without carrying the weight; two only (whom tl]e keeper faid were refradtory) were in this hate of pu- nifliment. One man being heavily double-ironed, I enquired refpedt- ing the caufe, Yhich, the gaoler faid, was to prevent his efcape. This poor fellow ,was committed till he found fecurlty to keep the peace towards his wile,who, haviqg been in the habits of pawning his cloaths (to buy gin), had at laft pawned his breeches 3 this fo en- raged hiu}, that he gave her a beating. I delired him to repeat to the mayor and magillrates the dory he had related to me the day- before. He did fo 3 when they humanely ordered his irons to be knocked off, and he was releafed; as were four other poor wretches, whofe punilhments feemed to have wiped away their offence.^ (Imugh mofl ot the prifoners were com- nhtted for J2 months imprifon- ment/ '^'here is no chaplain, or any Tellgious attention paid to them, 'i’o-morrow I let out for Wales, though 1 fear the feafon is too far advanced to make much progrefs there ; but, Ihould I meet with any thing particular, and you will allow me to iniburthen my mind to you, another letter may be expedted from your troublefome correfpondent, Jas. Neild. P.S. A letter from that excellent magiftrate the Rev. Dr. Ward, dated 29 January, 1803, mentions, that the mayor and aldermen of Chefter have purchafed a very eli- gible piece of ground to build 3 new goal on 3 open to the South and Weil, and benefited by the regular fea breezes. Since* the receipt of Dr. Ward’s letter, I have been informed that the building is begun, and confider- ably advanced under the diredtion of Mr. Harrifon; whofe abilities as an architedl are fo confpiCuous in the cafile, J. N. Nickoi.$ Son, Printeri, iUd-L icfj F/^t~S(reet,
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