Rules of the County Gaol and Bridewell, Bodmin, 1792

Articles, Regulations, and Allowances, established for the Gaol, Bridewell, and Sheriff's Ward, at Bodmin.

I. No garnish or other exactions at entrance permitted to be taken.

II. No abuse, ill-treatment, or affray, to be offered between the prisoners; if such do happen, the actors and abettors to be punished at the discretion of the head gaoler, by closer confinement, harder labour, or reduced allowance.

III. All sorts of games for money or liquors, are strictly prohibited, and must be prevented, and innocent exercises and such as are conducive to health only to be allowed.

IV. Irons to be provided at the county expence,and kept ready, but not used, except they are absolutely necessary for punishment or security.

V. Master or principal debtors of property, are to be lodged at their own request and choice, in the keeper's house, paying the established rates and no more, for rooms, beds, and diet. Ordinary debtors are to be lodged over the arcades in beds of the keepers, or their own, according to their choice or ability of paying the established rates.

VI. Every man felon, and bridewell criminal, %hall be allowed every day one pound and three ounces of good wholesome bread, and every woman felon, and bridewell criminal, one pound of the same sort of bread, unless such allowances shall be reduced by order of the head gaoler for misbehaviour.

VII. All felons who receive a daily allowance, should be kept to some work. All persons committed to hard labour shall be strictly kept thereto; and all other criminals in bridewell should have some employment. The stated time of labouring to be ten hours per day in summer, and eight hours in winter. The keeper to have one sixth part of the earnings, the persons labouring one sixth part for their own use, besides the full amount of their extra work, and the remaining two third parts to go to the county stock, towards the expence of their maintenance.

VIII. The head gaoler to ring his bell at the hour of locking-up, which is to be at six o'clock in the evening, from the first day of October to the thirty-first of March, and at eight o'clock during the rest of the year. To ring also at opening the cells, which is to be at sun rising in the morning, from the first of November to the thirty-first of March, and at six o'clock the rest of the year. No person to be suffered to go into the night cells in the day time, unless to wash or clean them; the doors and windows to be kept open when the prisoners are let out, except the doors at the foot of each staircase, which are always to be shut.

IX. The night cells to be cleaned by one of the prisoners daily, and washed once a week, or oftener, if thought necessary, for which mops and brooms will be allowed. No filth of any kind to be left in the courts, nor any sticks, stones, or other obstructions thrown down the houses of office, under severe punishment to the offender, and indulgence to the informer.

X. The chaplain will read prayers and preach every Saturday, government fast, and thanksgiving days, in the chapel, at which all persons in the several wards must attend, (if in a condition so to do) otherwise they will he punished at the discretion of the gaoler.

XI. All the felon and bridewell delinquents, who attend divine service the preceding Saturday, and behave well, shall have, besides the established allowance of bread, half a pound of meat, at the county expence, made into broth, every Sunday fur dinner.

XII. It is requested and recommended to the justices at Bodmin sessions, the grand jury at the assizes, and every justice acting in the commission of the peace, to inspect, as often as possible, the gaol and bridewell, and to enquire into the treatment of the prisoners, and the distribution of their respective allowances. The sheriff and his deputy, it is to be hoped, will often visit, and enquire into the Date and treatment of the felons, as well as the debtors.

XIII. The head gaoler to keep a book of register for each ward, in which he is to enter the following particulars of every person who shall be committed to his custody.—Date of confinement—Persons name—Place of abode—By whom confined—For what offence—Stature, complexion, &c.—Where discharged or how disposed of—Remarks on behaviour, &c.