KING'S BENCH PRISON.

Marshal, William Jones, Esq. the Fees and Emoluments of whose office appear, from the

printed Report of the Select Committee of Finance, to be 2300/*.

Deputy, Mr. Hughes; whose income is stated in the same report to be 2107. This office must be considered as a sinecure; as I am informed the duties of it are executed by Mr. John Hill, who is also Clerk of the Day Rules, as well as Clerk of the Papers.

Licence, Beer and Wine. Tap let (See Remarks.) Allowance. None..

Prisoners, in the House, on an average number

500 to 600.

of ten years, from Prisoners in the Rules, on an average, 50 to 70.

Surgeon. None.

Chaplain, Rev. Mr. Evans; whose salary arises

from proceedings in suits against prisoners,
which are taken for and paid to him by the
several Judges' clerks at the Judges' cham-
bers.

Duty, Prayers and Sermon on Sunday; and
Sacrament once a month.

*If the account of the Fees and Emoluments of the Marshal's Office, which I have had sent to me, is correct, they appear to be upwards of 7900l. per ann.

N. B.

N. B. Attendance at chapel being optional, but few attended when I was there (5th July, 1801); and devotion was extremely inter rupted by the continual noise occasioned in opening and shutting the chapel-door during divine service.

The office of Marshal was formerly hereditary in a private family by grant from the Crown; but in the 27th George II. it was considered as improper for a private family to hold such an office; and that it would be the means of more effectually preventing extortion and impositions on the prisoners, if the appointment was vested in the Crown, subject to removal for neglect of duty, non-residence, or improper conduct. A bill therefore passed to enable his Májesty to purchase the future appointment to the office of Marshal. of the King's Bench prison, and 10,500l. was voted for that purpose. By this act the King appoints-quamdiu se bene gesserit. Constant residence seems required, either within the Walls or the Rules.

The Marshal is to keep the prison in repair, and pay his servants out of the fees and emoluments. And the power of continuance and removal is vested in the Chief Justice and the other three Judges of the Court of King's Bench.

By the Act 32 George II. the courts were required to meet, and to settle a table of fees, &c. to be taken of all prisoners for debt; and the prisoners were protected by that act from the imposition and extortion of Gaolers. The Court of King's Bench

settled

settled the following Table of Fees, to be taken of all prisoners for debt, &c.; and by the said Act they are directed to send at certain times in the year, to see that this Table of Fees, as well as a List of all Bequests, are hung up in some conspicuous part of the prison, and that the said Act is in every other respect complied with; and that eight days public notice should be given of this visitation. Any violation of the clauses in this Act subjects Gaolèrs and servants to a penalty of 50%. The Rules of the Prison are very extensive, forming a circle of near three miles round the walls of the prison. The purchase of these Rules, I am informed, is ten guineas for the first hundred pounds every prisoner is charged with, and four to five guineas every hundred afterwards; and such security is given to the Marshal as he approves of; but all taverns, alehouses, and places of public amusement, are excluded.

L.

DAY RULES

Are allowed to the number of three in every term, unless the prisoner can shew good cause to the Court why a greater number of days should be granted him. Those in the Rules who have given the Marshal two sufficient securities, pay for the first day-rule 4s. 24. and 3s. 1od. for every other day. The expence attending an application for a greater number is about a guinea and half. Those who are within the walls, and are too poor to purchase the Rules, and unable from the general desertion of their friends to find security, cannot

obtain

obtain this indulgence of the day-rules without paying a Judge's tipstaff 10s. 6d. to attend him, and a further sum of 165, d. to induce the tipstaff to become security to the marshal, in case of an escape. As these men only give him security to the amount of 500l. those who are charged with more than that sum can have no indulgence of this kind.

OF THE PRISON ITSELF.

It is situated at the top of Blackman-street, in the Borough of Southwark. The entrance to it from St. George's Fields is by a handsome courtyard, where there are three good houses. The largest of them is the residence of the Marshal, one for the Clerk of the papers with his office on the ground floor, the other is generally let to persons of rank and fortune, who are committed by the Court for challenges, libels, and other misdemeanors. From this court-yard you ascend a few stone steps into a lobby, which has a good room on the right hand side, and over it several good apartments which, I was informed, usually let at five guineas a week; also two rooms called strong rooms,. to secure those who attempted to escape. From this lobby you descend a few stone steps into a small square yard, where there is a pair of great gates and a small door, with a lodge for the turnkeys, and a room over it, generally let at one guinea a week. On the right hand of this gate, on entering the inner part of the prison, there is a brick building, called the state-house, containing eight large handsome rooms,

rooms, let at 2s. 6d. per week to those who have interest to procure one. Opposite to the state-house is the tap-room, where from 2 to 24 butts of beer are drawn weekly; in this tap-room is a bar, and on one side is a very neat small parlour belonging to the person who keeps the tap. On the other side a room on a larger scale, called the wine room, where prisoners and their friends occasionally resort to. The residence of the prisoners is in a large brick building about 120 yards long, with a wing at each end, and a neat uniform chapel in the centre. There is a space of ground in front of the building of about forty yards, including a parade of about three yards paved with broad flag stones. In the space between the building and the wall are three pumps well supplied with spring and river water; also another pump at the side of the further wing, with a spring of very fine water. Part of the ground next the wall is appropriated for playing at rackets and fives; and there are also in different parts frames of wood with nine holes in each frame called bumblepuppy grounds, where the prisoners amuse themselves with trying to bowl small iron balls into the holes marked with the highest numbers. The building is divided into sixteen stair-cases, with stone steps and iron railings. No. 1. at the further wing contains 21 rooms, and on each stair-case the ranges of rooms are divided by a passage or gallery about two yards wide. In the stair-cases No. 2, 3, 4, and 5, there are four rooms on each floor, making 16 in each stair-case, separated from each other by a passage