John Sutton Moore

[Shogmoor]

According to the 1851 census John Sutton Moore was a schoolmaster at Bacter County Gaol. Can someone tell me is this the main prison in Bierton road in Aylesbury. I am unable to find in with Google. I have tried to email the prison but with no reply. I would really like to find out what he actually did there. Many thanks in advance.

[nanny jan]

Looking at the image I read it as "Bucks County Gaol".


The county archives might be able to help: 

https://www.buckinghamshire.gov.uk/culture-and-tourism/archives/archives-landing-page/

[rosie99]

I agree with Nanny Jan, it is Schoolmaster to Bucks County Gaol

Have you seen mention of this letter which is held at Bucks Archives
https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/27673aab-6e6a-42f2-8cd6-1f9e231ebb7e

also
https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/faccd6bd-aca5-418f-85be-0f4644d5633f
https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/18f8fc68-499d-4554-9327-42c762b495c9

[maddys52]

Of possible interest - a few newspaper reports which mention John Sutton MOORE:

Approval of his continuing employment as Prison Schoolmaster, salary of "£60, per annum, without rations"
Saturday,  July 3, 1847
Publication: Bucks Herald

Report on his suspension and dismissal from the job for being absent without leave (an extra day spent attending his daughter's wedding)
Saturday,  Apr. 10, 1852
Publication: Jackson's Oxford Journal

Inquest into his death aged 57 (assuming this is the same man) after being run over by a hansom cab
Sunday,  Oct. 21, 1866
Publication: Lloyd's Illustrated Newspaper

Happy to send you copies if you haven't seen them.

[maddys52]

An advertisement for his position may help to describe some of  what he did in the prison:

"The person selected must be a Married Man, a Member of the Established Church, and be able to teach Church Psalmody to the Prisoners ..."
Saturday,  Apr. 24, 1852
Publication: Jackson's Oxford Journal

(a similar advertisement was printed in 1853, but said a married man "preferred".
Saturday,  Mar. 26, 1853
Publication: Bucks Herald )

And a mention of the Prison Schoolmaster in this Open University course (which includes the Bucks County Prison ad.  )
https://www.open.edu/openlearn/mod/oucontent/view.php?id=106395&section=4

Also of possible interest:
"Throughout the history of incarceration, the prison schoolmaster has had a hard time. Established under Robert Peel’s Parliamentary Gaol Act of 1823, education came under direct control of the prison chaplain for nearly a century. Religion and morality were about the only subjects on the penal curriculum in Victorian England; it was not uncommon for inmates to have learned by heart the whole of the Old and New Testaments. "
https://www.prospectmagazine.co.uk/magazine/educatingpeter

[Shogmoor]

Hello, Thank you so much for all your kind help. Really appreciated. I will have to go to the archives and read the papers. John was my 3rd great grandfather. So happy now, thank you again.

[Shogmoor]

Maddy - yes it was him who died in 1866 in Kensington. You kindly said you could send a copy. how do I get it ?. How do I pay you for it ?.
So many thanks - Shogmoor

[maddys52]

I'll send you a personal message with my email to send you a copy of the inquest report in the paper. Absolutely my pleasure - no need for payment! 

[Shogmoor]

So kind of you. Thank you so much.