Aston Gaol / Bordesley Prison, Birmingham, Warwickshire

Two damp dungeons down ten steps, and two rooms over them. — Court not secure. No water. Gaoler no salary: he keeps an ale-house. 1788, Feb. 15, Prisoners 5.

Keeper, Jemima Tart; now William Daniel Brownell.

Salary, none. But the Keeper lives rent-free.

Surgeon, if wanted, sent from the parish.

Number of Prisoners,

Allowance, four-pence each per day, heretofore: But one shilling a day is now ordered for the maintenance of every Prisoner, by the Overseers of the Poor.

REMARKS.

This Gaol which is also called Bordesley Prison, stands within the back-yard of an ale-house. Perhaps it is not in the power of language to convey an idea of grosser obscurity for a place of human confinement!

It consists of two dark and damp dungeons, sunk ten steps under-ground; to which the descent is by a trap-door, level with the court-yard; and each of them is about 12 feet by 7; supplied with wooden bedsteads, straw, and a rug.

The only light or ventilation which the above gloomy dens can receive, is through an iron-grated aperture, about 12 inches square, made in the doors, which open into a narrow dark passage. Their brick floors, when I was here in 1802, were an inch deep in water; but, luckily for humanity, at that time there were no Prisoners. In truth, these dungeons, which might be numbered amongst the very worst in the kingdom, were so unfit for the incarceration of any being that had life or sensibility, that it astonishes and humbles mankind, to think they could ever have been assigned to any fellow creature.

Over the dungeons are two rooms, which open into the court-yard, and are each about 12 feet square; one used as a day-room, the other as a sleeping-room, furnished with a wooden bedstead, straw and rugs, for petty offenders.

"At length," (says a worthy and much-valued friend), "about the end of the year 1808, one of the Church-wardens of the parish of Aston juxta Birmingham, called a parochial meeting, for the purpose of taking into consideration the propriety of closing up the detestable dungeons of this Gaol, and of erecting suitable buildings in their stead: Previous to which he addressed a circular letter to the principal Inhabitants, containing a representation of the lamentable state of the Prison.

"This preparatory step had the desired effect: Several Gentlemen examined the dungeons, and were unanimous in declaring them unfit even for the confinement of a dog.

"At the parish-meeting an order was made; and in the summer of 1805, the entrance to the dungeons was filled up; a new day-room built, and three cells, or bed-rooms, added in the upper-story.

"The above improvements took place in the old court-yard; in addition to which another court has been enclosed, and a convenient day-room assigned for the reception of run-away apprentices, and other offenders of a minor class. Iron bedsteads, with straw mattresses and rugs are provided: and some very heavy irons, which were formerly used, are now nailed up against the front of the day-room, in the old court-yard, in terrorem only, as they are too securely fixed to be taken down, and are strictly prohibited for the future.

"This done, the renovated Prison was opened in the week preceding the Royal Jubilee, 25th October, l809; on which festival, the workmen, together with the prisoners, were regaled by the aforesaid Church-warden; who promises to make frequent visits to the Gaol, and, as far as he is able, to contribute to promoting the proper comfort of its unfortunate inhabitants."

Soft water was heretofore brought hither at a half-penny per pail, and hard water at twelve shillings a year.