Penwith Debtors Gaol 1808

[HeatherC]

Hello All

May be of interest to somebody......

Have just uploaded to my Morvah OPC site a transcription of "An account of the rise, progress, and present state of the Society for the Discharge and Relief of Persons Imprisoned for Small Debts throughout England and Wales" for the Penwith Debtors Gaol.

It mentions Humphrey BRIDGEMAN, gaoler, Nicholas BASSET and Thomas NICHOLAS (carpenter aged 70), prisoners and Thomas HOSKIN , prisoner, aged 64, farmer of Madron.

freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~morvah/account_prison_for_debtors_penzance_1808.html

Best regards
HeatherC

Update: Have now uploaded another page which contains a fuller account of the remarks on the Debtors Gaol plus a report on the Penzance Gaol (The Black Hole) as appeared in "The Gentlemen's Magazine"
freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~morvah/gentlemens_magazine_account_prison_for_debtors_penzance.html
HeatherC

[marychown]

Many thanks for the link, Heather. The article is really interesting. I'm now wondering whether the J. Nichols & Son, Publisher and Printer may have been connected to my own Nicholls of Penzance family. Although spelt Nicholls nowadays, back in the censuses of 1851 and 1861 and in some even earlier records, my grandmother's Nicholls family were recorded under NICHOLS with just one 'l'.

Kind regards,

Mary

[HeatherC]

Hello Mary

The transcript I've done is just for the Penwith Gaol but the book covers England and Wales.

The publishers, J Nichols & Sons, were a London company of Red Lion Passage, Fleet Street.

Best regards
HeatherC

[marychown]

Many thanks for clarifying matters regading the printers, Heather.

Regards,

Mary

[Sarch]

Hello Heather

I found this article facinating!


Humphrey Bridgeman received NO salary at all and had to pay the Public House owner 7 Pounds 7 shillings for the use of the shed/Gaol which I think was an outrageous amount in 1802/1808.

We have seen wills where people were left shillings!

My rough calculation is about 12 shillings 3 pence a month in rent (gee I remember having to do sums in Pounds Shillings and Pence lsd ;D very rusty now) but please correct me if I am wrong I am sure someone out there must remember more clearly.

The No SALARY worried me but the 8 shillings 4 pence for every action I presume went to Humphrey Bridgeman's pocket?

2 Shillings 1 pence Entrance - did the Gaoler make money out of people visiting the prisoner?

Was Humphrey Bridgeman also the Bailiff as it states that he was also the Sheriffs Officer?

The money received from the Butchers in Penwith was this not a type of salary or Christmas Bonus as it totals 5 pounds 17 shillings? Tho' this amount is still less than the rent on the Gaol/Shed.


What was the average salary a week for the working man in 1802ish? Also what was the average rent for a room in someone's house?

All in all a most interesting article thanks very much. I have always found it interesting that people were thrown in prison for debt instead of being able to work it off!


Sarch

[HeatherC]

Hello Sarch

The gaoler, in this case Humphrey Bridgeman, made his money from all the fees extracted from the prisoners. And yes, he was also one of the Sheriff's Officers or Bailiff.

He job as gaoler also allowed him to detain all stray cattle and animals for which he would charge the owner a fee for holding them, and then a fee for their release........ Of course if you did not pay the fee and it was proved you were the owner, well then you were committed to the debtors gaol for none payment and that would cost you too!

In the seventeen and early eighteen hundreds, the post of gaoler was considered to be a very good private profit making business and was an exception to have a salary attached to it. The position was even known to be made subject of purchase and sale.

In many cases around this time, not all fees were earnt in the "agreed" manner and gaolers were known to add to their living with their own set of "undisclosed fees".

In Humphrey's case, I am sure he was happy with his "Christmas Bonus" as this went toward his out-goings.......... Before the monetary levy was placed on the butchers, 1 shilling, (5 new pence) for each bullock killed, they just had to pay one marrow bone per prisoner.

The fee was 8s 4d for each action taken against a person plus 2s 1d charge for confining them in the gaol (10s 5d total). Then their was the fee to be added for their release.

The Penwith gaol returned no table of fees charged.... These fees can be extras to those mentioned (8s 4d for every action and so on) and can be for many things such as -
room rent
hire of bed if not provided
provision of bedding, often hay or straw
Fetching the vicar or surgeon

There was a charge for each mile traveled if the gaoler was called out or had to come out to attend

Many gaols charged a weekly fee in the region of 1s for each debtor if using a bed but no fee if not. The charge of 1s could be reduced if another debtor shared the bed with you.

There also used to be a Garnish fee paid to the Gaoler on admission...... Often happily paid by those or whose families/friends could afford to to ensure better conditions (they hoped!). This fee was prohibited by the time of this report but there are records of debtors still "paying" a gallon of beer on entrance and it being called the welcome pitcher

So there were many ways Humphrey and other gaolers made up their salary.

Hope this explains a little more

Best regards
HeatherC