The National Register.
London, England, 1822-08-18 00:00:00

it. I saw her child and it owned very well; quit* well. a
lively as if well fed. This was when they came out of the
solitary cell. The weather was rather cold. Tile military
cells at Ilchester are not damp without rain. Whether there
had been some mow that day (the Thonday) or not. I do. not
recollect. I have had children myself. but I never suckled a
c'tild four days on bread and water. Mary Cuer was not kept on
bread and water; she had bread and bacon Thursday evening ;
I saw it caned to her. Elisabeth Smith, who quarrelled with
Cum., bed a Add, and suckled it. She was let out of the satiety
confinable& at Adam= dine that Cuer was. Smith was not ill
what she mai wet of the solitary cell, nor was her child.
iery_Thaelel eddy i am the wife of an innkeeper at Ilchester.
I saw Mg Com some time time after the was ducharged from
11thester pol, and conversed with her.
Mr. isqprnt Pell objected to hearing that conversation. Mary
Cut bed not been examined as to any conversation held with
Mrs. Thomas.
Witnes...-1 have knows Mr. Bridle 11 years. My house is
not more than 300 yards from the gaol. I always heard Mr. B.
spoken of Nan uncommonly kind and humane man.
Julia Trapani said, I am the master of the new House of
Correction a legeed. 1 was once a principal turnkey is
Ilehoner pal, awl was promoted from thence to my present situ-
ation. I Maw the solitary cells at lit:honer. When the wind is
one panatella way, rain may beat against the doors, and make
them a litde dew ; they are not damp otherwise. I was princi.
pal turnkey at !Mosta while Mary Cuar was confined there. It
was my they generally. as principal turnkey, to attend those
prisoners who were. put into solitary confinement 1 recollect
Mary Cuer as a praline,. but 1 have no 'remembrance of her
having been in so confinement. When prisoners are put
into the solitary cells, they carry with them their cups, water
basins, or saucepans ; if they omit to do so, the ankles are car-
ried after them. The county allows only bread and water in the
solitary cells; but if the prisoners have any other food, they are
allowed to carry it in with them. I was more than two years in
Ilchester gaol. I left it in November, 1819. Wilms prism=
have been sick. I have known Mr. Bridle send sham
I have had abundant opportunities of knowing Mr. it and
always considered him as an extremely humane mart I believe
that he has done many things for prisoners which he was not at
all bound to do, and which be did entirely out of kind feeling
towards them.
Jane Lang said, I am wife to a serjeant in the Sotnersetshire
militia. I was under sentence of transportation in Ilchester gaol
iii the year 1818. I remember Mary Cuer and Elizabeth Smith
there, and I remember their quarrelling; Cum beat Smith. Mr.
Bridle was called in. 1 saw Mary Cuer go away to the solitary
cell ; she carried with her bread and bacon, which she took out of
our pantry, and a basin which belonged to her. I law her again
alter her liberation from the solitary cell, and I saw her suckle
her child that same day, I as,. a year and eleven months in
I khester gaol, and I always thought Mr. Bridle a gentleman and
a good governor.
John Poole said, I was a constable in the convict ward of
Ilchestergaol in the year ilia). I knew Thomas Gardner there,
and remember his being locked up in the solitary cell. While he
was confined, he d—d the magistrates and Mr. Bridle too. I
advised him to humble to Mr. Bridle. He said he would see
Mr. Bridle in hell first. and the magistrates also.
What was the general character of Gardner ?
Mr. Gaselee objected to the question.
Witness.-1 can tell it the gentlemen without his asking any
question at all.
Mr. Sergeant Pell insisted that Poole's opinion could not be
evidence.
Witness continued.—Gardner was a great reprobate, always
cursing and swearing until the blister was put upon his head, and
then he was quieter a good deal. He gave very bad language to
the officers of the gaol, both before their feces and ballad their
backs.
Croes.examined„—l was in Ilchester gaol myself on a charge
of misdemeanour. It was for dealing in smuggled cider. The
blister put upon Gardner's head was about the sise of the palm
of my hand. Carter and I put it on between us. We shaved his
head a bit first to make room. We put him os a strait waistcoat
too. In about two days after the blister was on, Gardner gut
pretty quiet ; before that he was sulky. The strait waistcoat was
taken off when Gardner went to bed at night, and put on again
in the morning; it was also taken off for him to get his meals. I
had been in before I was at Ilcnester in 18110. I was in
about twelve months before. That first confinement took place
in 1818. I can swear that Gardner was not confined fY days;
the longest was eight I attended him night and morning during
the whole time. -I never saw a strait waistcoat in lkhester gaol,
excepting that which was put upon Gardner. I remember the
blister being found in the urinal after Gardner pulled it otE He
had a cap on over the Miner. He used to say, very often, that he
wished the hanging of me, or skinning of me alive, he did not
case which. It was Carter that ordered me to help shave Gard-
ner's head ; who ordered him to do it, I don't know. I took him
down to Mr. Bridle four or fire times during his confinement;
Mr. Bridle never threatened to put him on a second blister. On
those occasions (the meetings) Gardner was always sulky or inso-
lent. Mr. Bridle, in fact, was too good to the prisoners—too
indulgent altogether.
Charles Marshall said, I was two years and a half an officer in
Ilthester gaol; I had the superintendence oink men at work; I
remember Gardner, and have heard him curse the magistrates
heavily ; he has often threatened to do for me; he threatened to
au this with a hammer; he said he would ski for die magistrate:,
and Bridle and me too; he was idle, and. at times, would not
work; I saw him take up .a mallet once, and threaten to knock
out another prisoner's brains. Mr. Bridle was always very kind
to the people under his care.
Cross-examined.—l never heard of Gardner's having a blister
on, and don't believe the thing ever happened. 1 am nut now
in llchester gaol, I left it three months ago.
Robert Gibbs.—Was a prisoner in Et-heater gaol in the year
182 u, under sentence of transportatien; remembered Gardner's
being in the prison; I remembered a man named Beacham also
iii die prison. Gardner ran a knife into Beacham's knee in the
presence of witnesa; the knife went almost an inch into the knee,
and the blood flowed rapidly when it was taken out. Gardner's
conduct was generally bad—Le was a very violent, dissolute
&How.

gave Gardner no provocal ion when
he siabl...d him; they had no quarrel whatever.
Vincent Stuckey. Esq. Sheriff of Somerset, said--I remember
Gardner in Ilchester gaol. I remember in September last seeing
him very violent in his conduct. I was visiting magistrate at
Ilchester from July to October. While I visited, Mr. Bridle put
Gardner in solitary confinement. On finding by the Oixurrcnce
Book that Gardner was in prison-
Mr. Sergeant Pell felt himself compelled to interfere, and
Mr. Justice Richardson decided that the mater was not evi-
dence.
Mr. John Valentine, surgeon, at Sometton, was partner with
Mr. Brier in the year I tit°. and frequently attended the gaol for
him. Heniemberul seeing Gardner at Ilchester in the year 1920;
saw him professionally. Gardner was in a solitary cell; he com-
plained tit sickness. Witness telt his pulse, and examined his
tongue, but thought he was in perfect health. Witness knows
Mr. Bridle well, and always considered him to be an extremely
humane kind hearted man.
Sir John Acnuni said, I have been 40 years a magistrate, and
16 years chairman of the sessions. Nearly die whole of those 16
years I have been active in the superintendance of the gaols. Mr.
Bridle was appointed gaoler at llchester inJuly,liititt, and I have
had constant opportunitim ever since of noticing his conduct.
Tli ougli the whole course of these opportunities, I have thought
Brittle a kind hearted, humane, benevolent man, extremely care-
ful of all under his charge. Ile exercised all Christian 'Alaimo
tuwarkla his pawner., and stem. must be;aring and tinbeiuing