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Sherbrooke Village Jail Report As the small village of Sherbrooke began to grow, problems began to arise. It was decided that a new jail was necessary. A committee was appointed in 1819 in reference to the jail. A number of prominent citizens pledged money for the erection of a new jail. The first jail was built on the lower portion of the public school lot. The jail was probably started in 1820 and finished in 1825. There is on record in Lester MacDonald's great-grandfather's ledger (Hugh MacDonald), a list of items such as clapboards, hardware, locks and hinges, etc. which he claimed to the contractor in 1825. The jail building may have also been used for the Court of the Summary Trial of Actions (small debt court), which was set up in Sherbrooke in 1820. In 1858, an entry in the minutes implies that the court and jail were housed in the same building. "It was quite common in the early 1860s for the Court House and jail to be housed in the same building. The jail section was usually in the basement, with the court being held in the upper story. Very few of these combined structures remain." The jailor probably didn't live in the first jail. An 1845 entry in the minutes showed $2 was spent on repairing the jail stonework - an indication that the jail was probably in the basement. According to Lester MacDonald, there was a dungeon in the first jail. There was a small window that was only 18 inches square. The walls were made of rock and mortar, another indication that the jail was probably in the basement of the building that also housed the court house. There is no record of anyone being put in the dungeon. We may conclude from this that the dungeon did not exist as such. Instead, what is assumed to be a dungeon may have been the jail, housed in the same building as the court. The first jail was built by Alexander Murdock. However, since he came to Sherbrooke in 1824, someone else must have started the building of the jail. On March 27, 1858, the Court of Sessions at Sherbrooke took a decision to have a new building. Although the initial plans called for the court and the jail to be housed in the same building, it was finally decided to have two separate buildings. Work on the new court house commenced shortly after, but plans for a new jail were shelved until October 1861. In 1861, according to the Municipal Minutes, written by Abner MacKenzie, the clerk, it was agreed that a new jail be built. Necessary committees were appointed. Both jails were located in the southwest end of the public lot. The second jail is located on the same foundation as the first. The first jail was probably only a lock-up with sentenced prisoners being sent to Antigonish or Guysborough jails. In 1896, the second lock-up in Sherbrooke became legalized as a jail. John Grant, in his report on the Sherbrooke Jail (1870), commented that "the distinction the dictionary makes between a jail and a lock-up is as follows: "A jail is a building or a place for the confinement of arrested or sentenced persons. A lock-up is a place used for temporarily imprisoned persons under arrest." The second jail was built to accommodate the jailor and his family. It had five cells, three downstairs and two upstairs. The three cells downstairs were for male prisoners and the two cells upstairs were for women prisoners or debtors. The new jail building was not only a secure jail, but an attractive residence, looking very much like some of the houses in the village. The jail cells were lined with sheet metal, in the ceilings, floors, and walls. In the downstairs cells, 1/8 inch metal can be seen in the doorway. The bars on the windows and doors were probably made by a local blacksmith. Thus, possibility of escape was very unlikely. The cells were moderately furnished with bunks, a chair, a slop bucket, and eating utensils. Heat for the cells was provided by a stove in the halls. There was also a stove in the kitchen. The cells had thick wooden doors to help block the noise from rowdy prisoners. The northern half of the building housed the living quarters for the jailor and his family. When the upstairs cells were empty they were used as spare bedrooms for the family. The padlocks for the lower cells were as big as saucers and the keys might have been at least three inches long. According to Mrs. Arch Jordan, pedlars, backpackers, and hobos also stayed at the jail. The jailor's job was to supervise the prisoners. The jailor's wife was expected to do all of the cooking. In return, the family received a place to live and a small payment for each prisoner's upkeep. The Municipality, on April 17th, 1872, resolved that the jailor receive the rate of $1.75 for board of debtors and $1.25 per week for criminals. On June 13, 1932, rate for board at jail was fixed at $0.90 per day for those that were lodged there for a week, or shorter. For those whose stay was for more than a week the rate was fixed at $0.75 per day. When the jail was closed in 1968, the rate was only $1.50. As a result of this low income, the jailor often held another job to help support his family. J.J. Kingwell, during his time as jailor (1902-1906),also operated a photography studio on the top floor of Cumminger's Store. Other jailors might have served as constables for the area. Arch Jordan worked at the mill during the time in which he was jail and constable. He also drove travellers from Sherbrooke to Halifax. As a result, his wife was sworn in as a jailor. This enabled her to take over in her husband's absences. Sometimes the wives also had to work to bring in extra money. Mrs. Arch Jordan did laundry for the Village doctor, banker, and others. In other cases the wife worked as a seamstress to earn extra money. The room above the entrance way was set aside as a sewing room. Mrs. George Stewart served as a midwife for the area, using the extra cells upstairs to house expecting mothers. George Stewart served as jailor and sextant in 1881. They had six children. The jail was not equipped with a well and as a result the jailor and his family carried water from the center of the village. They also collected rain water in barrels outside the jail house. Many of the prisoners were in jail for not paying bills or for other minor offences. The prisoners would sometimes eat dinners at the jailor's table. Later during the depression the jail also provided a room and a warm meal for the many welfare cases. Many people from Sherbrooke and surrounding areas were brought in on minor offenses. These minor offences included such things as disorderly conduct. However, prisoners as a rule were not allowed out of their cells unless they were to use the outhouses (accompanied by the jailor) The more serious prisoners were sent to Guysborough, so the jail was basically safe for the jailor and his family. Although the jailor did have to cope with attempted escapes and suicides, these were few. The five cells were seldom full at the same time. Very few female offenders were put in jail. County jails throughout the province were under the supervision of a committee appointed annually by the Municipal Council. The immediate charge of the jail was in the hands of the jailor appointed by the law. The jailor and his family would occupy the jail or apartments nearby. He was responsible for discipline, good order and cleanliness of the jail as well as the safe guarding of the prisoners. The jailor was expected to be accompanied by a female before entering a cell occupied by a female. The prisoners received food free of charge. The jail was provided with suitable straw mattresses and blankets. Sunday was observed in the jail as a day of rest and repose, and for the worship of God. Meals usually consisted of gruel or porridge, bread and tea for breakfast. Dinners usually consisted of boneless cooked meat, bread, potatoes, gruel or soup. Supper was bread and gruel. Prisoners were not served unnecessarily strong and heavy food since they were confided in a room without exercise. According to the rules and regulations of the Sherbrooke Jail, passed on April 13, 1898, the middle cell was kept for lunatics and other insane people. Restoration The jail was re-shingled with wooden shingles. The foundation was repaired and new sills were put under the building. Most of the clapboard was replaced. The front steps were rebuilt and new flues were installed. The outhouse is a reproduction of the old one. The jail has a partial basement. In the interior of the building, the wallpaper was cleaned and scraped off the upstairs cells. The boards in these cells are of plain oiled wood. Some of the wall boards are 19 inches wide. The two bunks in the front cell may be original, but the others were remade. None of the stoves or furniture now in the building were originally in it. The door on the last cell was remade in the blacksmith shop, but the others are original. The upstairs cells have sheet metal under the floor boards. The windows have bars but there are none on the doors. Downstairs the cells are painted grey. The paint is matched as close as possible to the original color. The style of the jail is one of Gothic Revival.
This is taken from the Judy Boss report on the Sherbrooke Jail as recorded in the minutes of General Sessions, District of St. Mary's 1846-1878, and the minutes of the Municipality of St. Mary's 1879-1978. |
