An Extract from Oscar Wilde's 'Ballad of Reading Gaol' by sheila, 2007--
Channel: semw52
Date: 2023-09-16

In 1976 I visited Reading Gaol as a student studying Education in Prison and interviewed the education Officer.Many years later  while researching my family tree I discovered that I shared common ancestors with the Governor of Reading Gaol  Col. Henry Bevan Isaccson--my 4th cousin x3 removed.He was the Governor during part of the time when Oscar Wilde  was imprisoned in the gaol at Reading.Oscar Wilde detested Isaacson because of the tortuous regime employed at the prison, where he was  denied writing materials until the new Governor arrived ....While in the prison Oscar Wilde created his famous ballad, 'The Ballad of Reading Gaol' and within it he mentions the 'The Governor all in shiny black the yellow pale face of doom''...I am donating my project to the Royal Berkshire archives because  they are keen to keep 'the voices of the past--my recordings with the education officers while visiting the prison..I recently discovered that one of the brothers of the Governor had emigrated to Australia but had become imprisoned while living in Sydney--an intriguing irony..