Prison conditions 1
The 'ironing' of prisoners
The tradesman's bill shown below, from the records of the Radnorshire
Quarter Sessions of 1774, serves as a reminder that considerable use was formerly made of chains and hand and leg irons to secure prisoners and prevent escapes. The "ireing" (ironing) of named prisoners in the document refers to the fitting of such restraints.
There are many references to the poor state of repair of the county jails in the records, so such measures were often needed.
Radnorshire
Quarter Sessions
Epiphany 1774
Powys
County Archives
R/QS/R/32
The bill shown here, from the Session Rolls, reads
as follows:
"Iron work Done at the County Gole (Gaol) in Presteigne
By me Francis Went
1773
29 April - one heng (hinge) & one Lock and Nailes
- £0: 2s: 6d
one hasp and Staple - £0: 0s: 6d
19 June - one heng & one Lock - £0: 2s: 0d
spick nailes - £0: 0s: 6d
13 July - 4 plates & 2 holdfasts - £0: 1s: 6d
Ireing (ironing) Evan Thomas - £0: 2s: 0d
15 September - one Lock & one Bow for a hand cuf - £0:
1s: 6d
15 September - on Ireing Evan Thomas - £0: 2s: 0d
11 October - Mending a shuttle - £0: 0s: 6d
15 November - Ireing William Brunt - £0: 1s: 0d
2 December - on Ireing William Brunt - £0: 1s: 0d
9 December - Ireing Thomas Owins - £0: 2s: 0d
one pair of hand cufs - £0: 1s: 0d
16 December - one Staple - £0: 0s: 2d
one Ward in a Cay (?) - £0: 0s: 6d
for my Jorney - £0: 1s: 6d"
There are 5 pages in this sequence. Use the box links below to view the other pages.
