Diet and regulations at Hereford County Prison

Rules for the government of Hereford County Prison

Below is a selection of the rules of Hereford Gaol, from a booklet held in Hereford Record Office.

Discipline of prisoners

1. Punishment cells to be provided in every prison.
2. Criminal prisoners shall be prevented from holding any communication, either by every prisoner being kept in a separate cell, except when at chapel or taking exercise, or being supervised to ensure non-communication.
3. All cells must be certified by one of Her Majesty's Inspectors.
4. Anyone helping a prisoner to escape shall be guilty of a felony and be sentenced to hard labour of no more than two years.
5. Those attempting to smuggle liquor or tobacco shall be sentenced to six months of imprisonment or a fine of £20, or both.
6. Prisoners on admission shall be searched, not in the presence of other prisoners. Name, age, height, weight and distinguishing features are to be recorded. The prisoner shall then be examined by the surgeon.
7. Prisoners awaiting trial are allowed to be kept separate from convicted prisoners if they require.
8. There is to be no drinking or smoking.
9. Debtors are not allowed to sell their tea, sugar or other goods to criminal prisoners.
10. Debtors are permitted to carry on their usual jobs, so long as they do not interfere with the prison timetable.
11. There will be no hard labour carried out on public holidays, such as Good Friday, or Christmas Day.
12. Debtors are allowed to exercise outside daily.
13. In the chapel the liturgy of the Established Church shall be used, although prisoners of a different denomination are permitted to be attended by a visiting minister of their own religion.
14. Prisoners are to be taught reading, writing and arithmetic.
15. Insane prisoners are to be removed from the prison as soon as is possible. 
    

The Diet in Hereford Gaol

Class 1 prisoner - with or without labour (short sentence)

Class 2 prisoner - those imprisoned between 1 week and 1 month

For those on hard labour there would be 1oz extra cheese on Sundays and 1pt extra gruel every day.

Class 3 prisoner - Over 1 month and up to 3 months

Those on hard labour to have 3oz beef (men) and 2oz beef (women) instead of pudding and 1oz extra cheese on Sundays.

Class 4 prisoner - up to 6 months sentence

Those on hard labour to have 3oz beef (men) and 2oz beef (women) instead of pudding and 1oz extra cheese on Sundays.

Class 5 prisoner - more than 6 months sentence

Those on hard labour to have 4oz beef (men) and 3oz beef (women) instead of pudding and 1oz extra cheese on Sundays.

(Taken from the "Rules for the Government of Hereford County Prison" in Hereford Record Office, C76/1.)