County Bridewell / Battle Gaol, Battle, Sussex

Two rooms 14 feet by 12; in one of which is a chimney; in the other, the stocks. Court not secure. No water but in the keeper's garden. Allowance, seven farthings a day; the same, the old keeper said, in the thirty years of his time, and in the many years of his father's time. Salary, £10. Fees, 3s. 4.d.

Gaoler, William Croft, a Sheriff's Officer, who lives at a distance.

Salary 10s. Fees, 3s. 4d.

Surgeon, from the town, when wanted.

1802, Sept. 20th, One Prisoner.

Allowance, 4d. or 6d. per day, according as bread is cheap or dear.

This Gaol consists of two rooms on the ground-floor, 14 feet by 12½, in one of which is a chimney, and the fire-place was filled with rubbish; the other has a strong staple, to which felons are chained. There is straw laid upon the floors, with a blanket and rug to sleep on; and an offensive sewer in each room. The iron-grated windows look into a small court; but of which, as being insecure, the Prisoners have not the use. No water accessible to the Prisoners, although it might be laid on from the little garden belonging to the Keeper. The Prison very filthy.

This small prison, newly built within the last four or five years, is divided into two parts, each part having a small yard surrounded by a high wall; one side being for males and the other for females. Each division contains four good sleeping-cells, viz. two above and two below, and two small day-rooms. The cells have glazed windows. The bedsteads are of wood, each being thirty-five inches in width. Three men are obliged to sleep on this confined space in winter when the prison is full, and to do which they must lie two one way and one the other. It is however proposed to arrange the sleeping-places differently, by having three shelves, one above another, so that each prisoner will then lie separately. There is a want of ventilation in the cells, which must be very close when the window is shut and three people within. Water is let in to every cell (being thrown up from the yard by a forcing-pump); and there is a privy at the foot of each bed. The prison was clean and free from any bad smell.

The two small yards are covered with beach and are very dry.

There is a loft over the men's prison fitted up with three beds, to answer the purpose of an infirmary when wanted; at other times it is used by the prisoners. It is tolerably airy and comfortable, but rather difficult of access, which is from a ladder and trap-door.

There were at this time four male and two female prisoners in confinement. Of the former, three were for bastardy and one for poaching. The females consisted of a woman and her infant, the cause of her imprisonment being her refusal to give up the name of its father, and a girl of twelve years of age, sent here for ill behaviour to her master or mistress.

The greatest number of prisoners at one time has never exceeded twenty-one. The number of women is very small.

The Dean of Battle reads prayers and preaches a sermon every Sunday; and he frequently calls to see the prisoners, although he has no remuneration for his trouble. No prayers are read on any other day, but the prisoners have religious books given to them.

There is no employment. Persons are seldom committed for longer than three months; but this is often in cases where hard labour would be a part of the sentence if there were any means of setting them to work. It has been suggested, that Salusbury's flax-breaking machines would be useful, as flax is probably grown, or may be procured, in the neighbourhood.

The diet is ample, viz. 2 lbs. of good bread, and water; and, in some instances, 1½ lb. of bread, 1 lb. of potatoes, and a pint of soup; the difference depending on the nature of the offence committed by the prisoner, and as the magistrates may determine.

All prisoners for trial are sent to the prisons at Horsham and Lewes. Magistrates' committals are sent to the latter prison, except for very trifling offences.

The keeper's wife acts as matron. The only means of inspection is from a small window in the keeper's sitting-room, which looks into the women's yard.

This prison is situated on the south-eastern side of the town of Battle; the site is low and damp. The prison is not surrounded by a boundary wall. The front is occupied by the keeper’s house, the rear by the cell building; the two structures being united by a wall at either extremity, enclosing an area of 44 ft. by 39. This area is divided by an intermediate wall, thus forming two airing yards, one for the male, the other for the female, prisoners. Each yard is 39 ft. by 22.

The keepers house consists of two floors. The ground floor comprises: magistrate’s room, kitchen, Wash-house, store-room, pantry, bed-room. The first floor comprises four bedrooms.

The cell building is of two floors, and is of an oblong form, 46 ft. long and 16 ft. wide. It is equally divided into two portions, one of which is appropriated to the male, the other to the female, prisoners. Each division contains four cells and two day-rooms. On the top of the building is an infirmary, which, however, is not used for the purpose for which it was designed. At the time of our visit it was used as a store-room for prison clothing and extra bedding. On each floor there are two cells and a day-room.

The ground-floor of the prison is very damp, which is chiefly owing to the upper part of the yard, adjoining the keeper’s house, being higher than the ground-floor of the cell building. There is a water closet and washing trough in each cell. In the males’ prison there are three tiers of berths for the prisoners to sleep in. In the females’ prison there is a barrack bedstead along the floor. The floors of the day-rooms and passages, and the staircases, are of wood; but the floors of the cells are of stone.

The manner in which this prison is constructed is liable to many grave objections. The contiguity of the males’ and females’ prisons affords great facility for communication. Their windows (which open) are not more than four or five feet apart. The male and female prisoners can also converse with each other over the partition wall in the yards, and can throw letters, notes, and other articles, from one to another, and by means of a door, which is in the partition wall between the yards, they are enabled to carry on conversation almost in a whisper.

In consequence of there being no boundary-wall to this prison, it is greatly exposed from without; the cell building is, therefore, obviously insecure as a place of safe custody. There is no stronger obstacle here to a prisoner’s liberty than the 18 inch brick-wall of his cell; when he has overcome that, he is free: and as the public can approach the prison from the outside, an associate or two could, without much exertion, and in a very short time, liberate the whole body of prisoners, especially as the side of the prison which is most exposed, is that which is furthest from the keeper’s house, and least open to public observation. The north side of the prison lies open to the gardens attached to a row of 10 cottages, inhabited by a low and bad class of people. The occupier of one of these cottages was in Lewes gaol at the time of our inspection of this prison, under a sentence of 12 months’ imprisonment. He had been twice tried before, and once convicted of felony. Independently of the danger of escape arising from such neighbours having access to the very walls of the cells, many other inconveniences continually arise. Tobacco and other prohibited articles are constantly thrown over the wall into the yard. The week before our inspection the keeper found a pack of cards and some tobacco in one of the cells. There is a pump in the yard, with the handle of which the prisoners telegraph signals to their associates on the outside, letting them know when the keeper is out of the way, and when they may safely throw anything over the wall; their associates, also, not unfrequently call over to them from the outside. At one time five prisoners were committed for re-examination under a charge for serious and extensive depredations. It being feared by their associates that one of the five would turn evidence against the gang, they cheered them from the outside; and the keeper heard some persons calling to the prisoners and bidding them “stand to their sluff," signifying that they should be firm and betray nothing.

This prison is used for the confinement of prisoners from the neighbouring county district, and from the borough of Hastings, under sentence of one month’s imprisonment and under, and for those who are committed for re-examination. Prisoners whose terms of confinement exceed a month, or who are fully committed for trial, are sent to the House of Correction at Lewes, a distance of 24 miles from Battle and 32 from Hastings. Still the numbers committed to this House of Correction are considerable. In the last two years there have been 172 prisoners.

The greatest number at any one time in confinement was, in the year 1836, 13; in the year 1837, 13.

The keeper states that he never inflicts any punishments, as he his no means of doing so.

There is no prison dress but, in cases of necessity, articles of clothing are given to prisoners, at the keeper’s discretion. At the time of our visit to this House of Correction, there were only two prisoners in it — brothers — under a sentence of one month’s confinement for poaching.

The keeper employs the prisoners in cleaning his shoes and knives and forks.

The prison was far from clean when we visited it, and while we were making inquiries of the keeper before going over the prison, the prisoners were ordered to wash down the upper floor and the stairs, in order to give it a better appearance.

The only resident officers are the keeper and his wife, who is matron. The dean of Battle is the chaplain.

This prison is so decidedly objectionable in its present condition, and so utterly incapable of being improved without entire re-construction, that we have no hesitation in recommending the magistrates to get rid of it as speedily as possible. A new prison is greatly needed at Hastings, and if the county were to unite with Hastings in building and maintaining an efficient prison, the House, of Correction at Battle would be no longer wanted.

The House of Correction at Lewes has not nearly sufficient accommodation for the prisoners confined there, and the excess of the number of prisoners beyond that for which the prison can provide room, is mainly owing to the numbers committed to it from the borough and rape of Hastings. We are happy to learn that it is in contemplation to build a new prison at Hastings; and one of ourselves, by direction of the Secretary of State, attended a meeting of the town council, in order to afford all the assistance and information in our power upon that subject. We trust that the magistrates of the county and borough will shortly carry this intention into effect. They will then be enabled to suppress the two wretched prisons of Hastings and Battle, which are a great discredit to them; and they will also be enabled to introduce improvements into the House of Correction, at Lewes, which its present crowded state does not admit of.