1811 Rules for County Gaol, Morpeth, Northumberland

Rules and orders,

Established for the better government of the Gaol at Morpeth, in and for the County of Northumberland, and of the Prisoners therein.

1st. The chaplain shall perform divine service according to the rites of the Church of England, every Sunday, at two o'clock in the afternoon, at which time every prisoner, whether debtor or felon, (other than Roman catholics, quakers, and other dissenters who may attend or not, as they please) if able, shall attend. Any prisoner being guilty of any gross or improper behaviour, either towards the chaplain, or during the celebration of divine service, shall be immediately confined by the gaoler, or his officer, to his or her room or cell, till the next Monday, when a charge shall be laid before the visiting or other magistrate, who may order the said prisoner to be further confined for any number of days, not exceeding six days, according to his discretion, and the grossness or frequency of the offence.

Those persons (not being Roman catholics, quakers, or other dissenters) who are able, but do not attend divine service, shall have only half the usual county allowance, for any number of days not exceeding six days, at the discretion of the gaoler.

2d. No debtor or other prisoner shall take or demand, or cause or procure to be taken or demanded, money of another, at his entrance or discharge from prison, either for garnish, cards, or on any other pretence whatsoever, under the pain of being confined in a cell for forty-eight hours, or having his or her county allowance withheld, for so many days as shall amount to the sum so extorted.

3d. Every deter shall retire quietly to his chamber, there to remain for the night, between Lady Day and Michaelmas, at nine o'clock in the evening; And between Michaelmas and Lady Day, at eight. The outdoors shall be opened between Lady Day and Michaelmas, at seven in the morning, (if light at that hour,) and between Michaelmas and Lady Day, at eight. The door of the garden or yard shall be locked up at eight in the evening, so long as it is light at that hour, and at all other times at sunset the door of the garden or yard may be locked up when they gaoler is absent attending the assizes or quarter sessions, or on other necessary business, or when the same shall be necessary to be done for domestic purposes.

4th. No debtor or other prisoner shall throw any dirt, filth, or water, out of any of the windows, or ashes, rubbish, or other dirt, into any part of the yard, except in such places as shall be appointed by the gaoler for that purpose; Nor make water against any part of the building. All the prisoners shall make use of the common necessary appointed for them (except in case of sickness) under the pain of being confined in a solitary cell for twenty-four hours, or their county allowance withheld for two days. Upon a repetition of the offence, upon complaint made to the visiting magistrates, the person so offending may be confined in a solitary manner, not exceeding six days, or he may be appointed what is called the constable of the gaol, and be made to clean at the prison for six days, at the discretion of the visiting magistrates.

5th. The debtors common day room, passages, and stairs leading to their several apartments, shall be swept out daily by the debtor called the constable, or at his expence. The debtor who came in last to be constable of the gaol, (except as above-mentioned) and each debtor shall sweep out colour or cause to be swept out, his or her room every morning, and shall wash or scour it once a week at least, and shall empty his or her pots, kits, tubs, or other vessels, as soon as the doors are opened in the morning, and half an hour before they are locked up in the evening, in such places as shall be appointed by the gaoler for that purpose; and no kits, tubs, or other vessels shall be permitted to stand on the stairs or in the passages, on any pretence whatsoever.

6th. None of the debtors wives, children, or other of their families, shall be permitted to reside or sleep in the gaol. 7th. No dog, cat, bird, or poultry, shall be kept in the gaol by any debtor, or other prisoner.

8th. No person whatsoever shall be permitted to bring ale or beer to the debtors, (spiritualists liquors are by law prohibited) except betwixt the hours of twelve and one at noon, and in the afternoon, betwixt three and four in winter, and six and seven in summer, and no more than 3 pints a day shall be allowed to come in to the prison for each prisoner.

9th. No abuse, ill-treatment, quarrelling, or affray shall be suffered amongst the prisoners, debtors, or felons, nor any drunkenness, cursing, or swearing, obscene or indecent language, no gaming by dice, cards, or any other method, for any wager or sum of money, under the pain of being confined in a solitary cell, or by withholding the county allowance, at the discretion of the gaoler.

10th. The debtors, or any other prisoners, shall be confined to walk on walks called the Debtor's Walks, and to take their exercise or diversions at quoits, &c. &c. on the ground allotted to them. They shall not break, cut, pull up, or destroy any of the shrubs, plants, or flowers there, nor go into the gaoler's garden, without his permission.

11th. Friends visiting the debtors in this prison are to take notice, that the hours of admission (which cannot be department from, except on particular occasions, in the discretion of the gaoler) are from eight until nine o'clock in the morning, from twelve until one at noon, and from three until four in the evening, in the winter; and from eight until nine o'clock in the morning, from twelve until one at noon, and from six to seven in the evening, in the summer. The gaoler or turnkey shall within these stated hours attend at the door, and shall not unreasonably refuse the admittance of persons enquiring for debtors, except upon Sundays, when no person is allowed to visit the gaol on any pretence whatever.

12th. If it be found necessary or requisite, from the state or condition of any prisoner, such prisoner shall, as often as may be convenient, be bathed and cleansed in the bath belonging to the gaol, under the direction of the visiting magistrates or surgeon.

13th. The surgeon shall personally visit the felons, convicts, and poor debtors, or those who are unable to pay for medical assistance, whenever required; and once a week or oftener, at other times, as shall be deemed necessary.

14th. All the money which may be left at the gaol for the benefit of the prisoners, shall be expended in the purchase of soup, or such articles as may be thought necessary for them, at the discretion of the gaoler; and the gaoler is to give notice of such regulation to all persons who may be inclined to bestow any bounty upon the prisoners. It shall also be left to the discretion of the gaoler to withhold a share of the soup, &c. from any prisoner who shall within the preceding fortnight have misbehaved or violated the regulations of the gaol.

15th. The gaoler and his officers shall treat the several prisoners in his custody with tenderness and humanity; and the prisoners, on their part, shall behave to the gaoler and his officers with decency and due submission; And any prisoner who shall abuse, insult, or ill-treat the gaoler, turnkey, or any person in the gaol, or who shall attempt or assist in an escape, shall be put into close and solitary confinement in a cell.

16th. The gaoler ought to examine every letter or parcel brought into the gaol, before it be delivered to any prisoner, to see that no improper instruments are conveyed into the gaol.

17th. If any prisoner shall have just cause of complaint against the gaoler, or any of his assistants, the same shall be made to the visiting magistrates, or to the next quarter sessions of the piece, and the gaoler, or his deputy, shall take care to deliver the complaint, when drawn up, to the visiting magistrate.

18th. No stranger shall be permitted to view the inside of the gaol, without a written order from one of the magistrates.

19th. The gaoler shall order every felon that is committed, to be stripped and effectually clean tensed, and shall cause his apparel to be washed, fumigated, baked, or even destroyed, if necessary: he shall take care that the persons of such prisoners as may be committed for a short time, be made as clean as the nature of their respective cases will admit, so as to prevent the introduction of febrile infection, and to be attentive to the classing of boys from old offenders, and keeping those committed for a first offence, or for a crime of a lighter description, from those who are become inveterate in evil habits; and to prevent all intercourse between male and female prisoners, except between husband and wife.

20th. The gaoler is to provide palleasses or linen bags for the reception of straw, or chaff, for bedding, and acquaint the magistrates when any fresh bedding, blankets, or rugs are wanted. He shall also take care that the foul straw and rags be immediately destroyed: and an inventory of the county effects belonging to the gaol shall be laid before the magistrates at the Easter sessions annually.

21st. The gaoler shall take special care, that every felon's day room, night room, and cell be swept clean by one or more prisoners, in rotation, every morning before breakfast, and washed every Tuesday and Saturday.

22nd. if any prisoner shall refuse to obey any of the rules and orders herein expressed, or act contrary to any one or more of them, or wilfully and obstinately disobey the lawful commands of the gaoler, he shall be punished by an abatement to be made of his allowance, or by confinement in a solitary cell, if a debtor, or by confinement in a solitary cell, or by fettering, if a felon, at the discretion of the gaoler, who is hereby authorised and required to inflict the abovementioned punishments, but not for a longer space of time than for five days, without a written order from one or more justices of the peace for the said county.

These rules and orders to be hung up in the debtors-hall or day room, in the said gaol.