County Bridewell, Aylsham, Norfolk

In the floor of the work (or day) room is a trap-door into a dungeon, which is 9½ feet by 6. Above stairs are three rooms, not secure. No fire-place: no straw: court not secure; prisoners in it only on Sundays: no water: no sewer: no implements for work: no allowance, but two pennyworth of bread a day to vagrants. Keeper's salary, £13 : 6 : 8.

1779, April 1, Prisoners 4.

Keeper, William Howes.

Salary 40l. now 55l. Also one-fourth of the Prisoners' earnings, and coals, mops, brooms, and pails for the use of the Prison.

Chaplain, Rev. Mr. Addison. Salary 30l.

Duty, Sermon on Sundays; Prayers on Wednesdays and Fridays.

Surgeon, Mr. Taylor. Salary, none; but makes a Bill.

Number of Prisoners,

1805, Sept. 3d.	14
1810, Sept. 6th,	9

Allowance, sixpence a-day in money, or in bread, pease, and potatoes.

On the front of the Keeper's house, is the following venerable Inscription, cut or carved in wood.

"GOD save oure suprem Hed Kyng Henry the Eyght. Pray for the Good Prosperyté and Asstate of Robert Mersham and Jane bis Wyfe, the wiche this Howse they cawsed to be made, To the Honor of the Towne be their Qwyck Lyfe. FINES.

"This Howse was made in the Yer of our Lorde, 1543.

R.M  .I.B."

At the back of the Keeper's house is a court-yard 60 feet square, with a pump in it, and two sewers. Prisoners have one hour in the morning to wash and clean themselves, which the Rules require them to do, before they receive their bread; and likewise half an hour in the evening for the same purpose. Soap and towels are allowed them by the county, a clean shirt every week, and clean sheets once a month.

On the ground-floor are five cells, which open into a well-ventilated lobby, 40 feet long, and 4 feet wide; at the end of which is the Chapel, 18 feet by 10, and 8 feet 6 inches high; with a fire-place.

Above stairs are five other cells, and an Infirmary over the Chapel, and of the same size, which open into a lobby of the like dimensions. Each cell is 12 feet by 7, and 8 feet 6 inches high, with arched roofs, and fitted up with a crib bedstead, straw-in-sacking bed, one sheet, two blankets, and a rug: In each door is a wicket, or pot-hole, of 6 inches by 4.

There are also four cells, adjoining to the Keeper's wash-house, for the women; and these have glazed windows.

Yellow and brown striped clothing is provided for the Prisoners by the County. Hemp blocks were heretofore used; but as there is no hemp supplied, a mill is now substituted for the grinding of corn, &c.

The Rules and Orders are hung up; but not the Act for Preserving Health, nor the Clauses against Spirituous Liquors. The Prison is white-washed once a year

The prisoners are divided into two classes, males and females. There are two work-rooms and two airing-yards, and also eighteen sleeping-cells, in each of which two prisoners generally sleep.

During the intervals of rest from labour, the keeper instructs the prisoners in reading, and they are occasionally catechised by the chaplain. They axe also furnished with Bibles, and other suitable books. The chaplain reads prayers twice in the week, and preaches on Sundays.

The employments consist of a hand-mill for grinding corn, and a machine for dressing flour, at the latter of which women are sometimes,employed; but they are more generally occupied in washing and mending, for the service of the prison.

The earnings are thus divided:—to those under sentence of hard labour one-fourth, the keeper one-fourth, and the county one-half The other prisoners have one-half, the keeper one-quarter, and the county one-quarter. The profit last year amounted to about £30.

Each prisoner is allowed 2 lbs. of the best wheaten flour bread daily, with the addition of meat and broth on Sundays: the weekly cost is 2s. 6d. per head. The cost of clothing for each prisoner is £2. 3s. 6d.; and of bedding for two prisoners, £1. 7s. 4d.

During the last four years, only one instance has occurred of the same felon being confined twice. A prisoner vas lately tried for a third offence in another county, and sentenced to transportation. The other re-commitments have been for bastardy, offences in poor-houses, and in one instance for misconduct in farmer's service.

A matron is appointed, although the sessions have refused to vote her a salary, or to confirm the visiting magistrate's appointment of any such person.

The officers of the prison are a keeper, matron, and turnkey.