large windows fronting the South-east, which look alfo on the river, and one fmaller window at the South-weft fide, by which a thorough air is admitted. No other place for all defcription of male prifoners. Number of Felons, September 5th, 1802, eight; and of thefe, feven attended divine-fervice. 2d. Women Felons day-room is immediately underneath the men's dayroom, and has the fame afpect from two large windows looking to the South eat is 26 feet 6 inches in length, 18 feet wide, and 8 feet 3 inches high. This is alfo the only day-room for women Felons, and all other female offenders. Sd, Is a fmall room over the North-front of the gateway, 12 feet 6 inches by 9 feet 10, and 9 feet 9 inches high, was formerly the Felons day room, but which the active and intelligent Keeper has converted into a foup-kitchen, the eftablifhment and fupport of which arifes as follows: viz. There are twelve prebendaries and a dean; three of the prebendaries have difpenfations, and do not keep any refidence, nor contribute to the foup eftablishment. The prebendaries, who for many years paft had fent a profufe dinner to the prifoners in the gaol at the time they fere rally kept their refidence, have, for the four last years, given, in lieu of fuch dinner, five guineas, which is paid to Mr, Wolfe, who has eftablished a foupkitchen, and fupplies both the Gaol and the Bridewell with a good dinner twice every week in the year. The benevolent Bp. of Durham alfo gives tén guineas at Christmas, and the fame at Lammas, for the fame purpofe; and the Dean of Durham (Bishop of Lichfield), feven guineas annually, At this time, there is a furplus in Mr. Wolfe's hands of 371. It gave me great pleafure to he informed, that this fund is increafed, fo as to enable the Gaoler not only to furnish his prisoners with dinners, as above mentioned, but occafionally to releafe perfous imprifoned for fmall debts, and affift often in obtaining their fixpences. There is a court-yard, 62 feet by 59, which is the only one for all defcriptions of prifoners: it is open all the day for the accommodation of Debtors, except when the Felons are in it, which is for an hour or two in the day when they think fit; and then the door is locked, to prevent any communication between them. I egule now to the five cells where the

Felons fleep, which are to be numbered amongst the very worst in the kingdom, and to which the defcent is by a flight of forty-one steps from the men's day-room. The lowest and largeft of thefe five, called the _greut hole, is 15 feet 2 inches by 11 feet 3 inches, and 7 feet 9 high; it has a flagged floor, with ftraw and rugs, furnifhed by the county in this dungeon five of the Felons fleep every night, The fecond, in which three of the Felons fleep, adjoins, and is 11 feet 3 inches by 7 feet 4, and 7 feet 9 inches high; this has a flagged floor, with ftraw and rugs, the fame as the great hole; both are totally dark, and, I may fay, without ventilation, though each cell has a wooden tube, 8 inches by 5, which communicates, in a zigzag direction, to the top of the building; but, as it is impoflible to clean them, I imagine they must have been long ftopped up; for, on applying my candle to the mouth of the tube, not a breath of air was difcernable; both were damp and offenfive. The great attention of Mr. Wolfe to his prison. ers is manifelt here, as well as in the foup-kitchen, by frequently having them white-washed, and the doors kept open during the day; they would otherwife be fatal to many. The two dungeons in which the women fleep are equally dark with thofe of the men, but fomewhat more comfortable, by having boarded floors; they are immediately over those I have described ; the largest of them. 16 feet 9 inches by 12 feet, and 11 feet 5 inches high; the other, 11 feet 9 inches by 7 feet 10, and the fame height; fraw and rugs are allowed, but the fame obfructed ventilation. There is a part of this prifon which feems to have efcaped the vigilance of the excellent Howard: this is a third dungeon, on the fame level with, but divided by 'a paffage from, the great hole. I ex preffed a defire to fee it, and the Turnkey fetched the keys. This dungeon, totally dark, is 7 feet by 6 feet 7, and 7 feet 9 inches high; in the middle of the floor is a large mally wooden grated trap-door, firongly-clouted with iron, and with apertures 4 inches fquare: guefs my furprize, when this door was lifted up, by another dungenu prefeuting itself. I went down four fione fteps; to the bottom one Į found a ladder fixed, but, not liking to trust myself upon it, returned back,

and

and defired the Turnkey, with his candle, to go first. I followed down the ladder, which confifted of eleven rounds or flaves, and brought me into a vauhed or arched landing-place. Here I was moft miraculously preferved from inftant death; for, retreating at the bottom of the ladder two paces, I fell backwards, my coatpocket caught hold of fomething, which, with my weight, tore through the ftrong tape binding; and during the momentary fufpenfion, I fortunately caught hold of the Turnkey; otherwife, I must have precipitated to the bottom, and been dashed to pieces. When I had recovered from the fright, and lighted my candle, I defeended, by eleven ftone fteps, into the loweft dungeon of all, which is 10 feet by 9, and 7 feet high to the crown of the arch; there is in the ftone wall a niche, or narrow paffage, with a privy, and a round hole cut in the feat. Though there was no ventilation whatever in this dungeon, I found it perfectly dry, and lefs difagreeable than the arched landing-place above it; the air was warm, but not oppreffive, nor loaded with vapours; my candle, which I let down feveral feet to afcertain if there had been any prifoners there lately, fhewed no figns of a feculent, excrementitious, or corrupted atmosphere. When the prifon was built, this place mult have been in tended as an oubliette. The ruins of fome I have feen in what is called a caftie keep; and there is one, in excel lent prefervation, at Alnwick-cafile, which, by the roof, appears to be Saxon architecture. They are fubterraneous caverns, in which fuch unhappy perfons as had incurred the difpleafure of a powerful baron or chieftain, in feudal times, were, to gratify his malice, let down, with a loaf of bread and a bottle of wine, and the ladder drawn up; and never more heard of, or enquired after, but fuffered to perifh in folitude and darkness. The Rev. Mr. Nesfield, an active magiltrate of this county, tald nie, he remembered a man being confined in this dungeon; but he no fooner received the information, than, repairing to the prifon, he ordered him to be ninediately taken out. This was probably done by the unfeeling wretch of whom Mr. Howard fpeaks, as torturing his prifoners with thumbfcrews. 11 is a fortunate circumfiance,

where fo much power is lodged, that the prefent Gaoler, Mr, Wolfe, never treats his prifoners with rigorous feverity, which often hardens the heart; and that the ear of the learned Prelate is ever open to the cries of diftrels. I have often wished a new gaol was built at this place: there is a plot of ground behind the Seffions-houfe, feemingly of little ufe, and well adapted for the purpofe of both pri fons, abundantly fupplied by a spring, and ftone and lime almoft on the fpot.

Having finished my remarks on the Felons fide of this gaol, I fhall proceed to that of the Debtors. Number now confined (Sept. 5th, 1802), eighteen; and of which, eleven attended divinefervice, where the behaviour of all the prifoners was orderly and attentive to a very appropriate difcourfe. The Low Gaol confifts of two rooms, 10 feet 4 inches fquare, by the gateway, under which, out of a door, is conveyed the dirt, afhes, &c. which formerly lay for many months. Both thefe rooms are free wards. There are likewife three others at the top of the gaol, the largelt of which contains feven beds, the others one bed each, To all these, the County furnishes iron bedlieads and. firaw mattraffes gratis. Thefe rooms are now cieled and lime-whited; but the Debtors complained much of that great nuifance, bugs, which the ftraw mattraffes harbour, and preclude all poffibility to get rid of. Two rooms, formerly fet apart for Infirmaries, are now appropriated to Women Debtors. Mafter's fide Debtors have fix feparate rooms, furnished by the Keeper, at 3s. 6d. a week, or, if two lie together, ts. 6d. each. Two of thefe rooms look to the fireet, and open into the chapel, formerly the Debtors-ha!). There is a double-barrelled pump, which rafes water about feventy feet, and fupplies the High Gaol, Half-acrown a quarter is paid to a woman, for fupplying the Debtors in the Low Gaol with water. The County pro-. vides no work; but the huniane Keeper told me, he conflantly procured (for fuch as are not handicraft trades) employment in fpinning, picking oakam, beating Hax, &c. and that every prifoner, however employed, receives the whole of his earnings. The Rules and Orders, as fettled in 1796, I tranfcribed for the next Edition of my Work. Debtors in the Low Gaol receive, from a legacy, 1s. 6d. a week

in

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in winter, and 1s. a week in fummer. No memorial of it in the gaol. From the Mayor of Durham's book it Ipears, that he charged the Corporation of Newcastle with having paid the above fums; and it alfo appears, that the Corporation of Newcastle re imburfed him, By an entry in the Common-council Books of Newcafileupon-Tyne, it is recorded as follows: December 23d, 1699.-31. 6s. 8d. is paid, out of the revenues of the Corporation of Newcastle, to the Mayor of Durham, for the ufe of the prifoners, annually on St. Andrew's-day." (See Brand's Hiftory of Newcastle, vol. H. pp. 193. 194.) It is the do. nation of a Mr. Frankland. How the diftribution of this charity became changed from St. Andrew's day to a weekly payment, and that to prifoners in the Low Gaol folely, does no where appear; but if neither of the low rooms in the gateway are occupied (which has frequently been the cafe), the arrears have never been paid; on this account, the Keeper takes care to have one prifoner at leaft there, to fecure the regular payment. There is another donation, of 15 s. per annum, viz. 5s. at Chriftmas, 5s. at Eafier, and 5s. at Whitfuntide. This is a charge on lands, late belonging to Mr. Jackfon, of Witton-le-Wear, in this county, who paid the money to Mr. Holt, of the Red-lion-inn, at Durham, for the ufe of the prifoners in the Low Gaol. The eftate has been purchafed lately by Mr. John Wood, of Bishop's Auckland, fubject to the faid charge, which is regularly paid to the Gaoler as it becomes due. Of this legacy, there is no memorial in the gaol.

The legacy of Bishop Crewe, mentioned by Mr. Howard, inutt be a mittake with respect to the naine, It is not in his will (which I have read); but there is a fimilar donation to that of Bishop Wood left to the debtors in Durham gaol, by Dr, Hartwell; and in the copy of his will (in the poffeflion of Mr. Wolfe) there is, after feveral other bequelis, "Item, I give and bequeath to the gaol of Durham, for the ufe and benefit of infolvent debtors there, 201. per annum, to be difpofed of under the fame restrictions and limitations with the charity of the like kind by Bifhop Wood; and that, in the application of it, refpect be first had to the parifhioners of Stanhope. This bequeft, as well as feveral others mentioned in

his will, amounting to 801. per annum, are chargeable upon an eliate at Fifh-bourn in this county. Now in this, as well as Bishop Wood's charity, there must be great arrears due, as it is feveral years fince any perfon in this gaol received the benefit; but, as the mayor and corporation of Durham are trustees, and a very refpectable gentlenran (Mr. Woodifield) clerk and treafurer, this bufinefs will, no doubt, very foon be-inveftigated. By the following account of Dr. Hartwell, it appears, he was rector of Stanhope, in this county; which accounts for that part of his bequest, "that refpect be first had to the parishioners of Stanhope;' meaning, if any fuch were in prifon,

Dr. William Hartwell was formerly fecretary to Lord Crewe when Bishop of Oxford. In the year 1681, he was made rector of Whickham, in this county, and in 1685 was removed to the rectory of Stanhope; and in 1709 was made prebendary of Durham. He died in June 1725, and was interred in the cathedral church here. His will bears date March 9, 1724,

The accounts relating to Bifhop Wood's legacy appear to be very in tricate and perplexed; but, from the refpectable characters who are at prefent engaged in the bufinels, there is hope of ultimate success.

It

Bifhop Wood, by will made_1690. charges his eftate or manor of Ecclef cliff, in the bishoprick of Durham, with the payment of 201. annually, for ever, to be applied for the relief and difcharge of poor prifoners, that then were, or hereafter might be, in the gaol at Durham for debt; each poor prifoner's debt not exceeding five pounds. And, by the faid will, the inayor and aldermen of the city of Durham for the time being were ap pointed truffees of the faid charity appears by the books (now in poffeffion of Mr. Wolfe) that this eftate, chargeable with the faid legacy, was, in the year 1750, purchafed by Anthony Hall, of Flafs, in the county of Durham, efq, and fubject to this devife; that, between the year 1750 and 1766, it appears there were arrears due from, the faid Mr. Hall to the charity to the amount of 541. 4s. 11 d.; that a fuit in Chancery was inftituted by the Bishop's attorney-general against the faid Anthony Hall for the faid arrears, together with a further fum of 1651. 15s, which had been paid into the hands of the then

mayor