Description R.H. Sherwood's Flashback May 31 1978

1. H. Sherwood’s

Flashback

                                TO EARLY JAILS

                In the basement of the Town Office in Pictou may be seen some portions of the Town lockup. While some have been removed there are a couple of small cells that reveal what prisoners in the early days of Pictou had to live and suffer in.

                The large cells that held two or three men were removed over a year ago, and are now located at the Town Dump, where they are used for the detention of stray dogs, which are held until called for or the animals destroyed.

                But the dogs have conditions in the old cells far better than early prisoners who, by some mischief, or misfortune, were the inmates of the iron cages. The cages for the dogs have a floor, and are sheeted on the sides, while prisoners of long ago had only a dirt floor and brick walls on two sides.

                Still in the basement, and referred to as “The Women’s Cell” are three individual enclosures. All are six feet height, three feet wide and the walls on three sides are solid brick, the front being a narrow barred door. When inspecting these three small cells, it was found that anyone locked in them would have little space in which to move, for in that three foot of width were bunks, about a foot and a half wide, and just two feet off the floor

                In a search of old records nothing could be found that revealed that any female was ever placed in these tiny cells. But from the construction of these three cells it appears they were used for solitary confinement for dangerous, or trouble making prisoners who were not “fit” for the larger general-area cells.

                How tough those prisoners of the old days were may be seen in a long-ago town council report, “that a shilling was paid for a lock broken by Mr. Merriman.” Even in those early days, the Fathers of the town, were courteous even to the prisoners and in the minutes of council refer to the lock-breaker as “Mr. Merriman.”

                Whether “Mr. Merriman” paid for the lock or not was not recorded in the minutes. But no doubt “Mr. Merriman” found himself in solitary confinement for his lock-breaking spree. And most likely with a daily supply of one loaf of bread and a jug of water.

                These three small cells are located across a small passageway from the large room where once the bigger cages were located. While the large cells are now at the Town Dump, and in use, the three solitary cells remain in the basement of the Town office, for if they were to be removed the only thing that could come out would be the cell doors. And perhaps the bunks. The rest is solid brick.

                The huge door that led into the main portion of the cell block has been salvaged and will be fitted to be a mock-up of an old time jail cell at the Museum portion of the Pictou Community Recreation Centre, along with a bunk and maybe a manikin to represent a prisoner. Visitors will be able to look through the bars and see the interior of an old-time prisoner cell, and be glad they didn’t live in the days when prisoners were treated like animals.

                Although nothing has been found to date, it is in the records that common use was made of such things as the branding iron, where the letter “T” was burnt into the thumb of a thief. There were leg irons, handcuffs, and prisoners suffered floggings. Pictou never had a whipping post, but a gun-wheel on Coleraine Street served that purpose just as well. Records show that three blacks, one man and two women were flogged at the Coleraine site.

                Pictou did have “stocks” or “Pillory”, and these were located on Water Street, just about where the Pictou Pharmacy is located, but across the street. A replica of the old town stocks was made for me, and I had them placed, with council permission, at the foot of Hector Park, facing Water Street for picture taking purposes, and every summer they are used daily by tourists.

by Roland H. Sherwood (D. Litt.)

Historical writer