"I informed the House that I had travelled and seen 38 out
of the 42 gaols in the Lent circuit, besides others, as
Bristol, Ely, Litchfield, &c.: that those I had not seen in
the circuit, in a few days I should set out to visit them:
that I released a person out of Norwich City gaol, who had
been confined five weeks for the gaoler's fee of 13_s._
4_d._: that at Launceston the keeper, deputy keeper, and ten
out of eleven prisoners, lay ill of the gaol distemper; at
Monmouth, last Wednesday se'night, the keeper lay dangerously
ill, and three of the prisoners were ill; at Oxford, eleven
died last year of the small-pox.
"That as to fees, those in the Western counties were highest,
as at Dorchester, 1_l._ 3_s._ 9_d._ Winchester, 1_l._ 7_s._
4_d._ Salisbury, 1_l._ 6_s._ 4_d._: but in the county of York
only 9_s._
"That the gaols were generally close and confined, the felons
wards nasty, dirty, confined, and unhealthy. That even
York-castle, which to a superficial viewer might be thought
a very fine gaol, I thought quite otherwise; with regard
to felons their wards were dark, dirty, and small, no way
proportioned to the number of unhappy persons confined there.
Many others are the same; as Gloucester, Warwick, Hereford,
Sussex, &c. The latter had not for felons, or even for
debtors, at their county gaol at Horsham, the least outlet;
but the poor unhappy creatures were ever confined within
doors without the least breath of fresh air.
"I was asked my reasons for visiting the gaols? I answered, I
had seen and heard the distress of gaols, and had an earnest
desire to relieve it in my own district as well as others.
It was then asked me, if it was done at my own expence? I
answered, undoubtedly. Some conversation passed relative
to gaolers taking off their prisoners irons; but that was
private, and not at the bar of the House.
"The above account, including that of garnish, which was from
3 and 4_s._ to 8_s._ which I said was a cruel custom, and
connived at and permitted by gaolers, was the whole of what
passed at the House as to myself, except the great honour
they did me in their thanks _nem. con._"
This true Patriot addressed the printer a second time, March 7, in the
same year.
"SIR,
"I shall set off for the gaols in Westmoreland, Cumberland, and
Northumberland, next Monday, and also visit again some which I have
already seen, likewise Lancaster, Chester, and Shrewsbury, _if I am not
taken off with the gaol distemper_; as Dr. Fothergill says, 'I carry my
life in my hand, and it is a wonder I have not been taken off.'
"The misery in gaols is great beyond description; Sheriffs for many
years not having set foot into the prisons of most of the counties
in England. There are many of them (the felons wards I mean) dirty,
infectious, miserable places; so that, instead of sending healthy
useful hands to our Colonies as transports out of our gaols, they
become infectious, sickly, miserable objects: half of whom die on
their passage; and many of those that arrive at the places of their
destination infect the families they enter into. I saw lately in your
paper, what I knew our Colonies complained of from Philadelphia: 'An
Act passed to prevent infectious diseases being brought into that
Province.'
"Another great evil in gaols is, that the poor debtors on the common
side in most counties have not even the felons' county allowance of
bread; and I have not found twelve people that have sued out their
groats in all the county gaols; that benevolent Act of 32 George II.
being frustrated, as no attornies will, without pay, take a poor
debtor's case in hand. These I have found some of the most pitiable
objects in our gaols.
"I am, &c.