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Found by GrandJurors to be clean and in good order with wholesome provisions
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Iron gang men attempted to burn the Newcastle gaol where they were confined until the Stockade is finished
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John Large per 'Atlas' Constable and assistant Turnkey H.M. Gaol Newcastle
Source:
Index to Colonial Secretary Letters to Sherif 5 July 1828 - 31 December 1850
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Samuel Bailey employed as Turnkey at Newcastle gaol
Source:
Index to Colonial Secretary Letters to Sherif 5 July 1828 - 31 December 1850
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William Berry employed as constable at the gaol
Source:
Register Book of Christ Church Cathedral Newcastle. Burials p5
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Death of Matthew Frazer, turnkey at Newcastle gaol
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Findlay Kerr, clerk at Newcastle gaol died aged 40 after a sudden illness
Source:
Sydney Morning Herald
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40 female prisoners being sent from the Female Factory at Parramatta on the Government schooner 'Isabella'
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160 prisoners confined in Newcastle gaol. 100 for trial at the next Quarter Sessions including a soldier and 4 convicts who escaped from Nobbys Island
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John Battersby, David Cole and John Dallinger apprehended after absconding from Newcatle gaol
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Timothy Bolster and Patrick Conlon absconded from Newcastle gaol 8th July
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Convict coalmine tunnel on Nobbys near the base on the seaward face provided coal for the local gaol
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Home Bush Estate - A Grant from the Crown to the Late John Field, Governor of Newcastle Gaol in 1837 and subsequent years. This splendid property comprises sixty acres of pasture and orchard beautifully situated on the banks of the navigable river Hunter midway between Newcastle and Maitland. Also a Stone Built Dwelling House containing four rooms, hall, verandah; two rooms 15ft by 12 ft; two rooms 15 feet by 15 feet; height of ceiling 11 feet; kitchen, two rooms built of stone. Outbuildings - shed, swine house etc.
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Elizabeth Danford in custody at Newcastle gaol on a charge of bigamy
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Petition to the Legislative from Eliza Jane Field, widow of the late John Field, a native of the Colony and for twenty years governor of Newcastle gaol, praying that some consideration might be granted her on account of the long services of her late husband
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Correspondence of Major Crummer to E.D. Day re Refusal by of the officers of the Newcastle gaol to receive a lunatic into the gaol.
Source:
Newcastle Court of Petty Sessions Letter Book
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Letter 45/131. Correspondence from Magistrate Major Crummer re the escape of John Taylor, free, committed for trial, from the Newcastle gaol. His escape was effected without the knowledge of the officers of the gaol and might have remained a secret but for the unusual appearance of slabs being found against the wall of the airing yard which created suspicion as the precautionary measure of calling the roll of the prisoners upon their transfer to and from the airing yard previous to the constable taking charge of them had not then been adopted by the present gaoler or his predecessor Mr. Field. The constable William Nelson had no reason to believe the prisoner was conniving to escape. The plank found against the wall which assisted the prisoner in his escape were up from the lining of the brick platform in the yard but even without this assistance the state of the interior face of the wall of the airing yard affords very great facility for escape as the bricks are so decomposed as to present sure parting to any prisoner of activity disposed to take advantage of any favourable opportunity that should present itself for escaping. This state of the walls of the prison yard has been represented and reports sent in to the Colonial Architect some time back but without the desired result and I feel confident that had the wall been in a proper state of repair that the present occurrence would not have to be recorded. The prisoner was captured and taken back to the gaol by Constable Lackey in the course of a few hours
Source:
Newcastle Court of Petty Sessions Letter Book
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Correspondence from the Magistrate Major Crummer re Supply of Fuel and Water to the Gaol.....I do myself the honor to state that one hundred gallons of water are required for daily use for cooking, drinking, washing etc., where the average number of persons amount to seventy. The distance at present from whence the supply of water can be obtained is upwards of a quarter of a mile through land. The number of fires during winter are seventy and in summer four for which an allowance of nine tons of coal has been granted being at the rate of three pounds daily for each person. The distance from the A.A. Company place of delivery to the gaol is about half a mile the greater part is land hills. The duties of messengers are as follows - the conveyance to a distance from the gaol twice each day of the soil from the privies, wards, cells etc.,. Drawing the rations for the prisoners daily to procure from the town bread, tea, sugar and other articles for prisoners committed for trial etc and conveying reports and messages to the visiting Justice , also the medical attendant and Chaplain of the Gaol at various and uncertain hours when necessity requires. One man is required to accompany the gaoler to Maitland six times each year to draw rations and water to cook and attend the prisoners sent for trial at the sittings of the Circuit Courts and Court of Quarter Sessions which would deprive the gaol of a messenger in the event of there being but one servant allowed to the Establishment during the periodical attendance at the above Courts
Source:
NSW Courts Magistrates, Newcastle Police Court: 1823-1825, 1826-1827 (Ancestry)
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Richard Edwards per ship Grenada, in government service, charged with disobedience of orders. Mr. James Crofts, keeper of the gaol states - This morning I saw the prisoner who is a wards man at the gaol, in the act of handing up some fire through one of the windows to a prisoner confined in an upper room, by means of a cord which had been let down for that purpose. This is a practice which I have strictly forbid as it endangers the safety of the gaol and it is only a few days since that the gaol was partially on fire from that cause. The prisoner is well aware of my orders on this head, and must have been conscious at the time that he was acting in defiance of them. The prisoner expresses contrition for the offence says, he was not aware of its being contrary to orders. Richard Edwards sentenced to 25 lashes
Source:
NSW Courts Magistrates, Newcastle Police Court: 1823-1825, 1826-1827 (Ancestry)
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John Smith in service of government charged with neglect of work. Mr. James Crofts, states - The prisoner with others belonging to his gang were sent about 10 or 12 days ago to plaister and white wash the gaol. I pointed out to him what was to be done. They worked well the first day; the next Smith asked me for a task, which I refused, telling him it was the Government regulation to work from morning till night, upon which Smith observed I should get nothing by it in the long run. He then began to work in a very careless manner, cursing and swearing all the while. He and his assistants took two days to white wash the cells....William McDonald being duly sworn states - I have white washed the gaol at different periods during the last ten years. With good brushes aI have white washed the range of cells in two hours - it never took more than four hours when I have had slight repairs to make. It makes a deal of difference between hair and grass brushes as to time and appearance, it would take just double the time with a grass brush to what it would with a hair one. The prisoner in his defence denies the gaolers statement, says it is impossible to do the work in the time specified by MacDonald. John Smith sentenced to 30 lashes
