Volume 1

[Letters on prisons].

  • Lettsom, John Coakley, 1744-1815.
Date:
[1803-1813]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

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

    177/240 (page 165)
    him at all times ; but the Gaolerhas no power to dilmifs him. The Quarter Sef- tlons are held, in the fpring, at Ponte- fra6l only; in the rummer, at Skipton, Bradford, and Rotherham ; in autumn, at Knarefbro’, Leeds, and Rotherham ; and in winter, at Weatherby, Wakefield, and Doncafter. The prilbn conflfts of a centre and two wings; the icing has 51 cells, being 17 on each floor, and women prifoners are confined here; each has a feparate cell. The Centre has two large rooms on the ground- floor, one for felons, the other for inifdemcanours ; and feventeen fleep- ing cells ; in which men felons are confined, except their numbers exceed that of the cells, then two fleep toge- ther. The Eajl icing has 45 cells, fourteen on the firft and fecond floors each, and (evenleen on the upper llory ; all of them have arched roofs, are 7 feet 9 inches long, by 6 feet 9 wide; and are fitted up with iron bedheads, flraw mattrafs, two blankets, a (beet, and a rug. The lower range are warmed by the pipe of a German-fiove pafling through, a!)d are thoroughly ventilated; each door has a cylinder, to convey provifions, &c. to the pri- foners ; the upper flories are like the lower, except that the windows are glazed ; the lobbies are very fpacious and airy, plenty of water, and a feweTf judiciouflv and w'ell contrived, in each. Amongft the cells, are fix for folitary confinement, the doors of which have a cylinder to admit provifions, but no light, except what is received through a Irnall circular perforation. The men’s infirmary has three fleeping- rooms, with three beds each, and a fitting-room ; the women’s infirmary, two ileeping-rooms, with three beds each, and a fitting-room. The cook’s kitchen has a fmafl room attached to it, with two beds. There are in the prifon, 113 cells, atu! 17 beds* in rooms. In the chapel, the men fit below ftairs on one fide, and the women on the other, in view of the minifter, but out of fight of each other. The Tick are placed, in like manner, in the gallery, but can fee and be feen by the reft of the prifoners. The prifoners, on admiffion, are firip- ped and wafhed, and fuch part of their clothes as are worth preferving, fumi- gated, ticketed, and hung up, to be given them on difeharge, with fuch other additions, as their feveral necefli- ties require. The County cloathing, which is a black and yellow ftripe al- ternately, and a pair of wooden clogs, are then put on. When 1 w-as there, a large capital letter was fewed on each prifoners coat, denoting his offence; for, during that hour in the day in which felons are permitted to walk in the area, they mix and affociate with the other prifoners. At the back of the prifon, a plot of ground, near three acres, is inclofed, in which are 85 work-cells, but (four only excepted) they are much too fmall, the cielings low, and onlv 8 feetloiig, by fix feet one inch wide ; the remainder is a garden, which grows more x’egetables than the prifon will confume. The boundary- wall is nineteen feet. high. The earn- ings of the prifoners do not amount to what they cofi the County, becaufe they frequently want employ. Men will earn, after the firft fourteen days, more than fufficient for their fublift- ence, if they are in health, and have work. Sawing wood is the moft pro- fitable; atid by this, each prilbner’s labour mav be eflimated at half a gui- nea to fourteen fliiilings per week. Women are very deficient in this re- fpe61, many of them having children ; fome are cripples. Tiie young yvomen, on their admiflion, iti general, are fo affli6fed with a certain diforder, that a great portion of their time is taken up in the cure. Their employment is fpinning worfted, and picking wool. The excellent magiftrates of the Weft Ridinfi have humanely direfted, that each prifoner’s fubftftence fhall be reckoned fixpence a day. All above that film the |)rifoner gains by his la- bours, he is to receive one half, and the other half goes to the County : a nobleexainpieof liberality, and worthy of imitation, as, from the bell calcu- lation which can be made, each pri- foner (lands the County in one fliilling per day 1 Tile AT for prefervation of health, and claufes againft I'pirituous liquors, are coufjricuaufly hung up ; the w^hole prifon is white-waflied four times a year, and is as clean, in every part, as any private houl'e. It is almoft need- lefs to add, that neither fees nor gar- nifti are allowed to be taken here. Prifoners, Auguft 15, 1802, men, 50; women, 29* The irons ufed in this prifon are of the very lighteft kind, being (in my opinion) not more than 5 or 6 lbs. ; but I faw one pair 52 lbs. vt'hich, sue turnkey