Bedfordshire Archives Service Catalogue
  • Reference
    QSR1922/2/3/1
  • Title
    48th Annual Report Bedfordshire Discharged Prisoners' Aids Society. 1921
  • Date free text
    1921
  • Production date
    From: 1921 To: 1921
  • Scope and Content
    Page 2 Annual Subscriptions are due on 1st January and may be paid to the Hon. Treasurer Mr. J. H. Twamley, 7. Shakespear Road, Bedford, or to Messrs. Parr’s Ltd., Bedford Bank. Gifts of clothing, boots, etc.’ for the use of discharged prisoners, would be welcomed by the Committee and should be addressed to the Agent, H.M. Prison, Bedford. Form of Bequest to the Society I give to the Discharged Prisoners’ Aid Society for Bedfordshire the sum of to be paid exclusively out of such parts of my Personal Estate as I can lawfully charge with payment of legacies to charitable purposes. Page 3 Report. Your Committee have much pleasure in submitting the forty-eighth Annual Report of what seems to them satisfactory work accomplished during the past year. The assistance give to discharged prisoners has been of a kind similar to that of previous years, but owing to the vast amount of unemployment it has been increasingly difficult to get employers to take men and boys from Prison, and your Committee can never remember a time so serious in this respect as the present. In the cases of Juvenile- Adults, everything, that may be, is done while they are in custody to fit the young prisoner to gaining a living by decent means on his discharge. His physique is developed his mind is cultivated by suitable books and weekly lectures, and by heart-to-heart talks in his cell with the Governor, the Chaplain and Special Visitors. Some months before he leaves the Prison his case is taken in hand by the Borstal Committee; parents, friends, former employers and other societies are communicated with; and every possible effort is made to enable him to make a new start in life. As in former years the Chaplain, in addition to his many ordinary duties, has taken up the care of prisoners’ wives and families, and needy cases have been assisted. Your Committee desire to express their hearty appreciation of the special effort made by Mr. J. Basil Hope, a member of the Committee, to secure new subscribers, with the result that for the first time, all the Borough Magistrates have given a subscription or donation. In this work Mr. Hope was warmly supported by our keen and energetic Treasurer, Mr. J. H> Twamley. They tender their thanks to Mr. Wheatley; the Royal and other Societies; and the Church Army; for valuable assistance to Juvenile-Adults on and after discharge; to Messrs. H. & C. Frodsham for again supplying spectacles to those needing them to the value of one guinea; to Mrs. Douglas Church and the Ladies of the St. Cuthbert’s Ladies Working Party; to Mrs. C. A. Gaskoin for parcel of useful clothing; to the Local Press for inserting in their papers the proceedings of the monthly meetings; and to Messer’s. Keens, Shay & Keens for again auditing the accounts at a nominal fee. The take this opportunity of again expressing their appreciation of Mr. Setchell’s long and faithful service. L. Stileman-Gibbard Chairman. Page 4 & 5 Tabular Statement, 1921. Of accounts Page 6 Appendix The following are a few of the large number of letters received from or about Discharged Prisoners. From a Prisoner., Dear Sir, I hope you will excuse the liberty I am taking in writing you, but I feel I must thank you for your advice, but for which I should not have returned home. I am pleased to say I am starting work tomorrow, my old firm have started me again. I think the last five months have taught me a lesson that will take a good while to forget and I trust I will keep out of trouble in the future. So thanking you once again. I am Yours very sincerely, P.J. To the Governor, (The above is still in same situation and doing well.) From a Prisoner. My Dear Sir, Very, very many thanks for your kind letter. I am trying to work up a business here with fishermen, but it is very horrible coming back to this neighbourhood where I know so many. Everything seems so hopeless. I think coming home was worse than being at Bedford. I enclose copies of two testimonials as I want to show you that I am not quite all bad. I suppose you don’t get over this way at all, I would so like to se you again. There is none here of education and refinement that I can talk to. God knows I don’t want to appear as a beggar but if the Society can do anything further it would be most useful. Once again with very many thanks for your great kindness. Yours very truly H.F.F. To the Chaplain Page 7 From a prisoner Texas USA Dear Sir, I expect you will be very much surprised to receive this letter from me. I was one of you Bedford If’s. I am getting on fine, in the best of health, etc. I don’t suppose I shall ever see Bedford again. I often think of your lectures (George Muller and Pastor Noi). This country is a little different from England as you may imagine. I’m cowpunching, we are some rough bunch, but I’ve managed to go straight so far. Reckon I’ll keep on the straight narrow road all through. Dear Sir, if you could send me Mr. C’s address I’ll be much obliged. I want to get one of those hymn and prayer books from the chapel. I opened out last night and sang a hymn to the boys “For Ever with the Lord Amen so let it be”. I was going by the name of R at Bedford by my mane is Bob C. You could give Mr. C my address, tell him I would like to hear from him. I guess it’s mighty good to get a letter sometimes, if you would write to me I’d be mighty glad. Yours very sincerely B.C. To Col. Poynder From a Prisoner. (Discharged in 1920) Dear Sir, In reply to your letter to hand, I beg to inform you that I am at present employed as a labourer on the L.C.C. Housing Scheme. This of course is not my usual occupation but I am fortunate to be working when there are so many unemployed. I am also please to be able to say that I am getting on alright at home, and I do not think you need have any fear of me coming back to Bedford or any similar place. I take this opportunity to thank you and the Prisoners’ Aid Society for the help you gave me in enabling me to return home. I will now close. Yours respectfully, T.E.C. To the Agent. Page 8 From a Prisoner (Discharged in 1920) Dear Sir, I am still at work with the firm mentioned last year and hope to remain with them for some time yet. I am getting along nicely now, do not entertain thoughts of ever visiting Bedford again. Yours faithfully R.R. To the Agent From A Parent Dear Sir, Thank you for your kindness to my son in getting him work. He is still at the same firm and doing fairly well, they have only been doing 4 days a week till this week, they are on full time now so I thank you once again for your kindness to him and remain Yours respectfully M.R. To the Agent Page 9 Cash Account for the Year Ended 31st December. 1921 Page 10 & 11 Subscribers’ and Donors’ List Page 12 The following subscriptions have been received by Mr. Douglas Church towards cost of materials.
  • Exent
    1 booklet
  • Level of description
    item
Hierarchy browser