Bedfordshire Archives Service Catalogue
  • Reference
    QGR2/7/1/7
  • Title
    Annual Report of the Chaplain of the prison, John James Rew to the Michaelmas Sessions Includes the following:
  • Date free text
    14 October 1871
  • Production date
    From: 1871 To: 1871
  • Scope and Content
    The prisoners have been assembled for Divine Service every Sunday morning and afternoon, when I have conducted the full service and preached such sermons which tho I trust have been adapted have been adapted to the general congregation yet I have more especially addressed the prisoenrs and endeavoured to engage their regard for a better life. There is also a short daily morning service with a brief exposition of scripture. Two Bible classes are held weekly for the male prisoenrs and one for the women. My visits to the cells have been regular and frequent especially to each prisoner on their admission and discharge. The duties of the schoolmaster and schoolmistres are regularly performed and the prisoners gladly avail themselves of their instructions. The amount of ignorange prevailing amog the prisoners on admission is very sad, bot in reference to religious truth and secular instruction. Of the number of 522 prisoners (exclusive of debtors) which have come under my notice during the year 200 could neither read nor write, 185 very imperfectly, nearly 200 were totally ignorant of the Scriptures, many of them not even knowing the Lords Prayer. Over 200 had never been to school and 280 confessed to never attending a place of worship, and others but seldom. We have received a valuable addition to the Gaol Library, a present of useful publications from the Christian Knowledge Society...this is a great boon as the books are much prized and well read. The Industrial Training in our Gaol which is carried out on a very extensive scale is a pleasing feature in prison life, for which the inmates whether their sentences are of long or short duration express themselves very thankful, for while the hands and the mind are occupied their confinement is less monstrous & has a most important result in promoting habits of industry in the prisoners when discharged. I conclude my report by a brief allusion to the sad event which in April last transpired within the precincts of the prison - the execution of William Bull. We fouind on his admission he was profoundly ignorant of the most elementary truths of religion, and very hardened in crime. During his imprisonment he learned to read well and write - & read attentively such parts of the word of God to which his attention was directed. I have cause to hope my ministrations to him were not wholly in vain. He told us his vicious course was commenced by Sabbath desecration, poaching, and frequenting low beerhouses. It was not till in his last moments he showed any signs of contrition, in which he led us to hope he was looking alone to the Saviour of sinners for pardoned salvation.
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