The Borough Prison, East Street, South Molton

(Present day Nos. 22 & 23)

Created by Shirley Bray

The Borough prison was built in 1828/29 at the expense of the Corporation of South Molton.  Situated in East Street it contained four cells and two large day rooms, plus two strong cells.  There was a good yard attached to the gaol.  There was living accommodation for the prison staff.  It is described as “a very convenient and good gaol”, whereas the old gaol is described as a “wretched place” it contained but three apartments, and was very insecure.  The new prison was built at a cost of about £2,000.

Two Serjeants at Mace, acted as gaolers and constables in addition to other duties; they also attended the mayor; the corporation provided them each with a house attached to the gaol, rent free; they received a salary of £5 each p.a.  The senior serjeant received 3 guineas and the junior serjeant 2 guineas as inspectors of the market.  They were provided with cloaks once every six years and a hat every other year.

There were eight constables appointed by the Mayor.  The chief constable received a salary of £10 p.a.  One of the constables was the Bailiff who received a salary of £4 p.a. and a house.

The policing of the town was considered sufficient for the protection of the town.  Sessions of the Peace were held quarterly before the Mayor, Recorder and Justices; the number of prisoners did not exceed four and frequently there was not one prisoner for trial at the Sessions.  The Grand Jury was selected by the Mayor from a list containing the names of the most respectable tradesmen of the town.  The Mayor selected the foreman of the grand jury.  No member of the Corporation was allowed to serve on the grand jury.  

The Petty Sessions were held once in three weeks, or more frequently if required and the Petty Juries were selected by the serjeants-at-mace from the tradesmen of the town.  The juries were stated to be very respectable and intelligent.

Source - BPP Government Municipal Corporation Report February 1834

Pigot’s Directory of 1830 gives the following entry “George Tepper, governor of the goal and music seller, East Street.”

North Devon Journal  -  December 1841  First police officer appointed – Superintendent Fisher.

Pigot’s Directory of 1844 gives the following entry “ SOUTH MOLTON GAOL, East Street – George Tepper, governor.”

North Devon Journal April 5th 1849 – Advertisement for Assistant Policeman at a salary of 14/- per week.

Whites’ Directory of 1850 – “The Borough Gaol in East Street was built about twelve years ago, at the cost of about £2000, and comprises dwellings for the gaoler and superintendent of police, and six cells, two large day rooms, and an airing yard for the prisoners.”

“Widgery P., gaoler, &c”

The Billings Directory of 1857 gives the following entry “ Widgery Philip, gaoler, East Street.”

Kelly’s Directory of 1866 gives the following entry “Police Station, East Street, William Henry Fisher, superintendent.”

Whites’ Directory of 1878 – THE BOROUGH GAOL, in East Street, built in 1828/9, at the cost of about £2000, comprises dwellings for the superintendent of police, and six cells, two large day rooms, and an airing yard for the prisoners.  It is now used as a House of Detention only.  The prisoners convicted are sent to the county gaol at Exeter”.

N.B. 1878 was the year that the Borough Police were amalgamated with the County Police.

The Diamond Jubilee; An illustrated record of Queen Victoria’s reign of 60 years

“1889 - Free Lending Library started by Town Council in part of old Borough Prison premises.”  

N.B.  The library started with the books that had belonged to the Mechanics’ Institute, which together with invested funds of £258.13s 3d had been handed over to the Town Council by the Committee for the specific purpose of forming a free lending library.

Whites’ Directory of 1890

The old Borough Gaol in East Street is now converted into an Armoury for the G. Company, 4th V.B.D.R.”

Prisoners – Borough Prison, East Street, South Molton

North Devon Journal – 10/7/1833

Southmolton – James Andrews a pauper, was committed to our borough prison, for two months, at hard labour, having been convicted of assaulting a fellow pauper, eighty-one years of age, in the poor-house.

North Devon Journal – 11/9/1833

Southmolton – On Monday last, Thomas Chapple, a parish apprentice, to Mr. James Sanders, of this town, glover, was committed to our borough prison, for the space of one month, to hard labour, for absenting himself from his master’s house and service without his consent.

North Devon Journal – 9/1/1845

John Bawden was summoned by James Furse for an assault.  Both were inmates of the Workhouse, “and there appears to be an angry feeling between them as they have appeared before the Court on a similar complaint……….Bawden in default of paying 8s 6d was committed for one month”  

North Devon Journal – 26/11/1846

Sent to the Borough goal, by Nicholas Gould (Mayor) for one week hard labour, as an idle and disorderly person, Amaziah Knapton, stated to be a Sweep from Manchester.  He obtained a night’s lodging in the Union House with supper and breakfast and refused to perform such work as the rules required.

North Devon Journal – 29/6/1848

Samuel Thomas, an inmate of the Union Workhouse was committed for one week on the complaint of Mr. Jewell, the governor, for coming to the house “in a beastly state of intoxication”.

North Devon Journal – 18/11/1850

Committed to the Borough Goal, on Tuesday last, for one month, Lucy Faulkner, for absconding from, and leaving her illegitimate child in the Union Workhouse in March last.

North Devon Journal – 28/2/1853

Borough Magistrates Petty Sessions – On Saturday last, George Webber, James Thorne, John Furse and James Chapple, who had been inmates of the Union Workhouse were brought before R. J. Bickell, Mayor and J. E. J. Riccard Esq., by Superintendent Fisher, (they having left the Workhouse wearing the Union clothes) charged with misconduct and insolence to Mr. Hosegood, the Governor of the said Union, on the day previous.  They were all committed for 14 days, the three former to the County gaol and the latter to the Borough gaol.

North Devon Journal 15/02/1855

On Christmas-day, the Inmates of the Union Workhouse were supplied with a good dinner, beef, etc., as were also, by the generosity of the Mayor, the four prisoners in the borough gaol.

North Devon Journal 25/9/1856

Refusal to work – On Friday last, Elizabeth Saunders, a pauper from the Southmolton Union Workhouse, was charged by the master, before the Mayor, with refusing to do the culinary work of the house.  She was committed for one week.

North Devon Journal – 26/4/1860

On Friday last, three paupers named Ann Hodge, Emma Hawkes and Susan Turner, were brought before the Mayor, and William Binford, Esq., and charged by the Master of the South Molton Union, with fighting and making a great noise in the Union House, and thereby disturbing the peace of the inmates on the previous day.  Hodge is maintained at the expense of Witheridge parish, Hawkes of Bishopsnympton and Turner of Chittlehampton.  The Bench sentenced all the prisoners to the Borough gaol to hard labour for 21 days.

North Devon Journal – 1/8/1861

Esther Holmes, South Molton and Jane Kingdon, Knowstone, both inmates of the Union, were charged by Mr. James Ocock, the governor, with fighting and disorderly conduct in the Union.  They were sentenced to 14 days imprisonment with hard labour.  The former in the Borough gaol and the latter in the County gaol.