Here you will find a selection of articles, reviews and various information sources, that can be used by genealogists to assist in their research. Contact us if you require any further details about any information on this page.
Among the correspondence sent to the Sheriff of the Colony can be found the following regulations set out by the Colonial Secretary, Alexander McLeay, regarding Gaol Clothing on 10 th August 1830:-
1 . A suit of Gaol Clothing is to consist of the articles enumerated in the margin [a frock and pair of trousers of parti coloured cloth, a pair of shoes, and a woollen cap] and is to be worn by all males confined in gaol, with the exception of debtors, during the whole period of such confinement, but to be considered exclusively as the property of the Establishment, and to be returned accordingly on quitting it.
2 . Whenever therefore an individual is received into gaol, whether Free or Convict, his own clothes are to be declared to the gaoler for the purpose of being disposed of as hereinafter directed, and he is to be furnished with a suit of gaol clothing in lieu, under such regulations as the Sheriff may find it necessary to adopt.
3 . To prevent an accumulation of rags in the gaoler’s store, the clothes so brought into gaol are to be inspected on the first day of every month by a Board consisting of The Principal Gaoler; the Chief Constable; and The Store-keeper of the Hyde Park Barracks, in order that such articles as so found useless may be burned, or otherwise disposed of as the Sheriff may direct. Copies of the report accompanied by a certificate of the manner in which the useless articles have been disposed of, are to be transmitted to the Sheriff and kept in his office.
4 . When an individual is discharged from gaol, if it be to Freedom or Private Service, he is to receive such of his own clothes as were not condemned by the Board mentioned in the last paragraph, together with such extra articles of Slop Clothing as may be absolutely necessary to complete a Suit. If discharged as a Convict to the Service of Government or Penal Settlement, he will receive Slop Clothing under the Regulations which follow.
5 . The supplies of gaol clothing required for carrying the regulations into effect will be furnished from time to time by the Deputy Commissary General in requisitions submitted by the Sheriff in the usual Forms through the Commissary of Accounts, and, when approved by the Governor, circumscribed to the Deputy Commissary General by the Colonial Secretary.
6 . The extra articles alluded to in paragraph 4 as to be furnished at the discretion of the Sheriff to Free Persons, and others who may need them, will be provided from the slop clothing obtained as undermentioned.
7 . In order that the Gaol Clothing supplied as above may be duly accounted for, a Board of Survey will assemble on, to ascertain a report, in the usual form, the number and description of the articles in Store and in current use, and to condemn such as are no longer serviceable. This report is to be submitted as usual through the Commissary of Accounts, and when approved by the Governor, will be returned to the Sheriff in order that it may accompany the Quarterly Statement directed to be furnished by paragraph 15.
8 . On the same dates, namely on the last days of April and October respectively, the Principal Gaoler will prepare and submit to the Sheriff, in order that they may be countersigned by him and forwarded to the Commissary of Accounts, statements accounting for gaol clothing received and issued during the past half year, and showing those which remain on hand and in use. The respective numbers specified in these statements and in the Reports of Survey mentioned in the last paragraph must of course agree.
9 . The Principal Gaoler will also prepare and submit to the Sheriff for countersignature and transmission, quarterly abstracts containing the same particulars with regard to the issues of gaol clothing as are directed later in paragraph 15 for Slop Clothing.
10 . A list of Slop Clothing is to consist of the articles enumerated in the margin [a frock of Parramatta cloth, a pair of trousers, a striped cotton shirt, and a pair of shoes] being those which are issued half yearly to all convicts in Government employ on 1 st May and 1 st November respectively, and is to be supplied to every convict discharged from gaol to the Service of Government or to a Penal Settlement, except such as received a similar suit on the last issuing day immediately preceding. In that case a convict so discharged is to receive only the articles brought by him into gaol and not condemned by the Board mentioned in paragraph 3, together with any extra articles which the Sheriff may deem necessary to complete a suit.
11 . Articles of Slop Clothing may also be issued at the discretion of the Sheriff to such Free Persons, convicts discharged to Private Service, or others as may absolutely require them as mentioned in paragraph 4.
12 . In order to procure the requisite supplies of Slop Clothing, the Sheriff will obtain them from the gaoler and forward to the Principal Superintendent of Convicts under his own countersignature on the first day of May and November respectively, a nominal list of every convict then in gaol, including the wardsmen entitled to clothing, accompanied by a requisition for a suit for each prisoner. These articles will be supplied to the Sheriff by the Deputy Commissary General in the same manner as all other clothing issued to Government convicts on the stated days, but they are not to be issued to the parties who are under confinement.
13 . It is calculated that the Slop Clothing obtained in the manner stated in the preceding paragraph for Convicts who may have good clothing of their own in the gaoler’s hands, or who remaining in confinement from one of the stated issuing days to another, will receive Gaol Clothing in lieu will be sufficient to supply the extra articles, to be issued at the discretion of the Sheriff as mentioned in paragraphs 4 and 11. But should this prove not to be the case, the articles of Slop Clothing required in addition will be supplied on requisitions submitted for approval in the usual manner through the Principal Superintendent of Convicts, and accompanied with an explanation for the information of His Excellency the Governor of the circumstances which render them necessary.
14 . In order to account for the Slop Clothing obtained from the Deputy Commissary General, a return of the Issues is to be made up on the last day of every month by the Principal Gaoler, and when countersigned by the Sheriff, is to be transmitted for the information of the Principal Superintendent of Convicts.
15 . Quarterly abstracts of Gaol and Slop Clothing received and issued, accompanied by lists exhibiting the names of the persons to whom the issues of slop clothing were made, their condition and the circumstances which caused the issue, are likewise to be prepared by the Principal Gaoler, and when countersigned by the Sheriff, are to be transmitted in like manner through the Principal Superintendent of Convicts in order that, when approved by the Governor, they may be returned to the Sheriff, and form the gaoler’s discharge voucher as directed in the Government Order of 30 May 1829 No. 27.