Debtor's Gaol, Dover, Kent

For Debtors in the Cinque-Ports, i.e. Hastings, Dover, Hyth, Romney, and Sandwich.

The Earl of Holderness was constable; now Frederick Lord North is constable, and Philip Leman, bodar. Two rooms: one 20½ feet by 12½, the other 13 feet by 11.

Offensive sewers: no court; one might be made from the keeper's garden: no water. Fees, £1 : 10 : 0. Keeper is bailiff for the Cinque-Ports: salary, £30.

At a former visit the prison was dirty: the keeper's apology for it was, that "he had been absent some weeks on his business as an officer." Clauses against spirituous liquors not hung up.

Gaoler, and Bodar [or "Boarder" — the Messenger and Bailiff of the Cinque-Ports], James Hawker; now William Cullison. Salary, 30l.
Fees; see the Table. Garnish, (not yet abolished) 1s. 6d.

Chaplain, None. Surgeon, None.

Number of Debtors,

Allowance; none whatever.

This Gaol is for Debtors within the Cinque-Ports; viz. Hastings, Dover, Hythe, Romney, and Sandwich. The late Constable was the Right Honourable William Pitt; upon whose decease succeeded Lord Hawkesbury, the present Earl of Liverpool.

Here are three rooms for Debtors; one l8 feet by 12, another 13 feet by 11; and the third, a new room, 15 feet by 12 feet 6. Each Prisoner pays 2s. 4d. per week for a bed; two sleeping together. The court-yard is 50 feet by 20, and the wall 28 feet high; so that the sun and air are almost excluded. A very small part only of the court is paved: The ground is consequently damp, and the place unhealthy. It is bounded on one side by the Gaoler's house; on another, by the rock, or cliff; and on a third, by the Military stabling.

It would be a considerable improvement, if a grated window were opened on the fourth side, which looks toward the South, and the public path; by which means both sun and air would be freely admitted, and the Prisoners might see their friends, and passengers, or other visitors of the hill, and occasionally solicit charity. The courtyard also should be wholly paved, both for exercise and comfort^*; and some retired place provided, to deposit the putrid vegetables, dirt, and ashes, which I have constantly seen thrown there into an offensive dunghill.

[^*Since the drawing up of this Narrative, in 1808, the Writer has been enabled, by the beneficence of one of the Society of Friends, or people called Quakers, to pave the whole court-yard, and likewise to make a permanent provision for the poor Debtors here confined, by a transfer, on the 24th of May, 1810, of 800l. 3 per cent, consolidated annuities, into the names of "The Mayor, Jurats, and Common Council Men of the Town and Port of Dover." The Dividends whereof are to be for ever applied to their support and relief. A Memorial of this singular instance of Liberality has been recently put up to record it, both in the Castle and in the Church of St. Mary's, Dover.]

The Gaoler told me that he sent a boy across to Dover daily, to fetch what was wanted for the Prisoners; but, as he himself is the acting Bailiff of the Cinque-Ports, and sometimes necessitated to be absent on business, for days together, Debtors are frequently obliged to pay a Man for bringing them the common necessaries of life; which, in consequence, stand them in 20l. percent, above their value: nay, sometimes, even a pail-full of water costs a penny. They are also obliged to pay a Woman for washing out their rooms, as neither mops, pails, brooms, fire, or candle are allowed. It would be an essential mercy to those confined in this very singular kind of Gaol, if the Fees were abolished, or at least, reduced; for, besides those specified in the following Table, there is one guinea charged for the Latitat-Writ; and, in case the Prisoner is brought from Margate, the expence of a guinea and half is added; making together, on the first commitment, four pounds nineteen shillings and ten-pence.

Let it be considered, that all this is to be paid, over and above the weekly room-rent, by every Prisoner, on gaining a release from Gaol; and that not one in ten of them can discharge the sum sued for;—that the sixpences are not allowed to any Debtor till after the third term from his commitment;—that regular Sessions of Oyer &; Terminer, or Gaol-Delivery, are held in all gaols (except such as, like the present, are termed privileged) twice in every year; but that here no regular or settled times are fixed for such deliveries. Let all these circumstances be considered, and pity and lenity might surely urge a very powerful argument for Relief!

At the suit of the Crown, a Prisoner may lay eleven months in the Town Gaol of Dover, and from ten to twenty months in the Castle Gaol, without a trial, or being brought before a Court of Justice; and perhaps be discharged, at length, on a petition. Here I could find no instance of any Debtor's having received the benefit of the Lords' Act.

Yet this I did find, and it not a little painfully surprized me; That "Prisoners of this privileged and distinguished Gaol, though ever so much aggrieved by prosecution, are many of them absolutely incapable of sueing for their Habeas Corpus!"

As very few Persons who visit Dover Castle can have any idea of there being within it a Prison for Debtors; in order to arrest attention, and to excite sympathy in the breasts of the opulent, who resort thither in summer, an iron begging-box has lately been affixed to a post, near the summit of the hill, where, as a Siste, Viator! a small flat space invites the pedestrian to stop awhile for rest: and above it, on a broad iron plate, are inscribed or painted the following lines.

Oh ye, whose hours exempt from sorrow flow,
Behold the seat of Pain, and Want, and Woe:,
Think, while your hands th' entreated Alms extend,,
That what to us you give, to God vou lend!

I am informed, that of the produce and distribution of this true charity, an account is kept by the Gaoler in a book; and that to the wretched Prisoners it has proved of much alleviation, amidst the miseries of dreary solitude.

Indeed I have been well assured of the great success which has attended the business in question. The Gaoler acquaints me that his number of Prisoners (in Feb. 1811,) is no less than thirteen; that he has not had fewer thanlen for many former months, and even fifteen at one period. "Seven of those," says he, " who were most in need, now receive one pound and a half of bread per day; and had it not been for the great goodness shown towards them, I am not able to say what would have become of these poor unfortunate Men, who, as being so many in distress, I could not have provided for them, and they must have wanted the common necessaries of life."

My Readers will participate the pleasure which it gives me, in being enabled to inform them, upon the most respectable authority, that Dover Castle Gaol and its repairs are considered as belonging to the department of the Board of Ordnance: and that orders have been issuedfor putting the rooms in repair, and furnishing them with grates, which were extremely needful in so very bleak a situation, and especially during a very severe winter season.

This prison is under the jurisdiction of the Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports, and Constable of Dover Castle. The keeper is called the Bodar, and is appointed by the Lord Warden. It is used exclusively for debtors arrested within the limits of the Cinque Ports, and not for any criminals. It is not very secure.

The prison consists of the following apartments,—

1. Room, 14 feet 8 inches long, 11 feet 6 inches wide, 9 feet 6 inches high; fitted with beds or sleeping-berths for six persons. Four prisoners were sleeping in it at the time of inspection.

2. Room, 20 feet 6 inches long, 12 feet 6 inches wide, 11 feet 3 inches high; fitted with sleeping-berths for eight persons. Two were sleeping in it at the time of inspection.

3. Room, 14 feet long, 12 feet wide, 8½ feet high. Not occupied.

4. Another room of same dimensions as the last. Not occupied. 5. Females' room, 18 feet long, 11 feet wide, 10 feet high; occupied by two women at the time of inspection.

Within the prison are also the keeper's apartments and office, and an airing-yard for the prisoners 45 feet long by 20 wide, surrounded by a high wall.

The prisoners were eight in number, six males and two females; viz.—

Males:

T. F. Debt., 40l., and costs. Had been confined 14 days.
J. E. Debt, 22l. 4s, 2d., and costs. Had been confined 7 weeks.
R. L. Debt, 5l., 19s. l0d., and costs. Had been confined 1 week.
W. H. Debt, 48l., and costs. Had been confined. 10 weeks.
W. M. Debt, 20l., and costs. Had been confined 7 weeks.
J. L. Debt, 24l., and costs. Had been confined 12 weeks.

Females:

S. A. For bail on mesne process. Debt, 220l; Had Been confined l4 weeks;
S. C. In execution, for 238l. Had been confined only a few days.

The males and females are separated, but there is otherwise no restraint upon association. The male debtors all smoke. In the room No, 2 the following printed placard was on the wall:—

They may buy beer or wine, but not spirits. They take in newspapers. "Bell's Life in London" was one of those in the room No. 1. There were two Bibles in the same room, which were all the books in use.

The chaplain's duties appear to be limited to performing Divine service, with a sermon once on Sundays. He does not attend on the week-days. The Holy Communion is never administered.

Provision has been made for the maintenance of poor debtors confined in this prison by the Act 54 Geo. III. cap. 97, intituled "An Act for the Relief of Poor Debtors, others, confined within the Gaol of Dover Castle." This statute authorizes the raising of 300l. annually, within the Cinque Ports, by apportionment among the several towns within the same, and directs the application of it, by the Bodar, under the orders of the justices, to provide bedding, medical attendance, medicines, and food, for such prisoners as are proved on oath to be not of sufficient ability to procure them for themselves. The Act requires that each such prisoner shall be supplied with 2 lbs. weight of good wheaten bread per diem, which is done accordingly. The intention of the Act appears to have been limited to destitute prisoners, but, in practice, those receive the 2 lbs. of bread, who also supply themselves with meat, and other articles. Medicines and medical attendance are also generally paid for out of this fund. In regard to bedding, it is provided by the Bodar at the following rates:—

for which he is usually paid by the prisoners themselves.

There is a clause in the Act restricting prisoners from receiving the relief after the first day of the term following the time when they may be charged in execution, or after they may become supersedable, or entitled to take the benefit of the Insolvent Acts.

There is also a fund of 800l. Three per Cent. Consols, bestowed by deed of gift dated 2nd May 1810, by the late benevolent James Neild, Esq. of Chelsea, in trust for the maintenance of poor debtors in this Gaol, and to enable them to obtain their discharge under the Insolvent Acts. The income of this fund is applied to the latter purpose, as the Act of Parliament provides sufficient for the debtors' support in the gaol.

The debtors constantly receive alms from the visitors of Dover Castle, which they solicit by ringing a bell attached to a box affixed at the entrance of the Castle, when they see visitors approaching. In the summer, when many strangers visit the castle, the bell produces as much as 13s. or 14s. per week.

By a clause in the general Act, 56 Geo. III., c. 116, abolishing fees payable by debtors, an exception is made in favour of the Bodar of Dover Castle, who is to continue to receive his fees out of the funds of the Local Act already mentioned.