Bedfordshire Archives Service Catalogue
  • Reference
    QGR3/20
  • Title
    Printed Annual Report of the Chaplain of the Prison, rev George Maclear, to the General Quarter Sessions. Published by desire of the Magistrates of the County.
  • Date free text
    October 1850
  • Production date
    From: 1850 To: 1850
  • Scope and Content
    Includes the following 'case studies': Page 5: J W [John Wooding from Carlton] aged 13. Neither read nor write; utterly ignorant of scripture; knows not what is meant by the Holy Ghost; knows Lord's Prayer imperfectly; not Creed nor Commandments; Sunday School two years; but was taken away to fild keeping on Lord's Day. Knows not the meaning of forgive, nor trespasses, nor daily bread: - utterly neglected at home; seldom or never goes to any place of worship. J S [Jesse Sharp from Leighton Buzzard] aged 14. Knows Lord's Prayer by rote, not Creed, nor Commandments; knows not why Christ died, nor how sin came into the world. Said the Queen's name was Albert; utterly ignorant of the simplest truths of scripture; knows not the meaning of trespasses, nor forgive, nor daily bread; said daily bread was bread made of wheat called daily: - Sunday School one year. Neglected at home. WB [William Barker of Northill] aged 11. Ignorant of the alphabet; knows Lord's Prayer by rote, not Creed, nor Commandments. Sunday School he says, four years. From bad example at home he has grown up under the dominion of almost every bad passion; his very countenance witnesses against him; utterly regardless of truth; given to fighting and the use of profane language even on Lord's Day; from his dense ignorance no impression could be made upon him. Page 6: JB [John Bunker of Millbrook] aged 20. Committed for three months for an assault on his Father and brother. Drunkard. School - never; field keeping six years on Lord's Day. By this field keeping was he defrauded of his moral rights, and he received a moral injury beyond the power of man to estimate. JP [Joseph Pedder] age 23. Most corrupt in principle and practice; never attends any place of worship; says he does not know that he has a soul to be saved; seems utterly reckless; Drunkard. GH [George Harris] age 40. Destitute; his destitution the result of drunkenness. With deepest emotion he exclaimed, I might have had hundreds of pounds but for drunkenness!' Page 10: J W [John Williams] age 50. Discharged July, after 12 months imprisonment; had been a Sabbath breaker & hard drinker; addicted to other degrading and abandoned vices; very ignorant when first committed; shortly after his conviction, he became apparently deeply impresses with a sense of thr great importance of attending to the concerns of his soul; gave himself diligently to reading, meditation and prayer; seldom saw a man whose mind seemed to open so rapidly to the light of truth. Deep and bitter appeared to be his feelings of self-remorse and self-abhorrence, when he contrasted his life of rebellion and base ingratitude with the long suffering and gracious forbearing of God; he appeared indeed to have passed from death unto life; twice he partook of the Lord's Supper, and but one desire he seemed to have, "to shew forth the praises of him who had calledhim out of darkness into his marvellous light." This poor man I have had the pleasure of hearing from since his discharge, and have every reason to believe he is walking consistently. D W [David aka Daniel Wing] age 29. Had not been to any place of worship for six months; for some time ater his committal he said he had a great dislike to attend chapel; afterwards, however, he had as great pleasure in attending; said he understood what he heard and blessed God that he did; adding, "if I were now at liberty I would always go to a place of worship." A marked change took place in his general demeanour, which was observed by all who were conversant with him; he delighted in reading the scriptures and seemed deeply sensible of the love of God to him in sparing him and bring him to a right mind. He fell dead in his cell on the 3rd January and it would appear he was engaged in writing the 35th & 36th verse of the 119th Psalm on his slate when his summons came. His mortal remains were carried to the grave by the officers of the prison, let us hope, to rise again at the resurrection of the just. Page 11: J R [Julia Regent from Wakefield] Age 22. In prison for breaking a window, which she did to obtain shelter for the night; never knew her parents; brought up in W-d Union; cannot say whether she is illegitimate; said she was lured to a bad house in London, and so became a bad girl; seems not to be of a bad disposition or depraved habits; conduct most orderly and attentive. This poor, degraded, friendless orphan was sent to the British Female Penitent Refuge, in November last. I have since had the pleasure of receiving two letters from her which I beg leave to insert in the Appendix. They will speak for themselves. Poor J R , I trust, is a brand plucked out of the burning.
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