1

Willie Gormelly, a young offender imprisoned in the York County Jail.
1 January 1888
668 Brunswick Street, Fredericton, N.B

2

Young Offenders - Youth were frequently arrested for theft and other petty crimes. In 1888, ten year old Willie Gormelly was arrested for stealing two jack-knives and a gold pencil. He pled guilty and was set free with a warning that a second offence would be harshly punished. Within a week, he was again charged with theft. He should have heeded the Magistrate's warning, for he would spend 70 days in the York County Jail.

3

Harry Bolter, a young offender imprisoned in the York County Jail.
1 January 1888
668 Brunswick Street, Fredericton, N.B

4

Three boys who pled guilty to entering the residence of Mr. N. Cameron and Mr. Joseph Walker and stealing a number of articles were sentenced by Judge Marsh. Harry Bolter, aged ten years, was sent back to jail for five months; his brother George, seven years old, was given one month in jail; and Oscar Magee, aged nine, was sent to jail for two months.

5

19th century magazine sketch depicting an era when debtors were incarcerated.
21 September 2004

6

In the nineteenth century, failure to pay a debt was grounds for incarceration in the County Jail. How long a debtor remained locked up depended upon his creditor. So long as the latter was prepared to pay "board", the debtor would sit behind bars. According to jail returns, debtors were kept in separate quarters from criminals and the two classes of inmates did not interact on a regular basis.

7

1731 British document outlining charges against a debtor.
21 September 2004
TEXT ATTACHMENT


8

"The confinement… of any man in the sloth and darkness of a prison is a loss to the nation, and no gain to the creditor. For of the multitudes who are pining in those cells of misery, a very small part is suspected of any fraudulent act by which they retain what belongs to others. The rest are imprisoned by the wantonness of pride, the malignity of revenge, or the acrimony of disappointed expectations."

September 15, 1758

9

A picture of the former cell used for holding female prisoners.
6 June 1999
668 Brunswick Street, Fredericton, N.B
AUDIO ATTACHMENT


10

Holding cell for women - Cell # 1 was used to house female inmates, but today the former cell is now Science East's Community Access Centre. According to some of York County Jail's former guards, this cell was one of the hardest to supervise.

Terrance William Leopky on the segregation of female inmates.
Question - "What was the system of segregation among inmates, for instance, if you had women inmates in the jail?"
Answer - "Well, we had women for two or three years back in the period [pause], probably the early eighties, and they used to use the dormitory which was for men. That's the only form of segregation you had and you always had one female in the building at the time...[an] officer, which was usually a casual."
Question - "Only when there were women present? Women inmates?"
Answer - "Cause the male officers were not allowed to go near them except for the shift supervisor. It changed: one man couldn't do all that work. Women are ten times as hard to handle as men."
Question - "Is that right? Why do you say that?"
Answer - "Well, don't take this wrong, [but] women are dirtier, physically. Their mouths are a lot worse then men and they use their sex. I mean, nothing to go in there and they'd all be nude just to shock you. Put them in segregation and they would, like I mean they were fifty men and eight women, it would take 3 officers to take care of eight women and the men would take care of themselves...just because we weren't set up to have both."

11

A renovated cell in the former York County Jail.
21 September 2004
668 Brunswick Street, Fredericton, N.B

12

An inside look at the Community Access Center gives you a warmer, more inviting sense than when it was used to house female inmates.

13

A likeness of Henry Moore Smith (Lunar Rogue) which appeared in a book by Sherrif Walter Bates.
8 October 1827
New Brunswick

14

The Lunar Rogue- Although Henry More Smith is one of the most interesting reprobates in New Brunswick history he was never actually incarcerated in York County Jail on Brunswick Street. He was a fugitive from Nova Scotia who came to New Brunswick in 1812. Records show that he was sentenced to death for stealing a horse and was sent to Kingston Jail, Kings County. More Smith, however, had other plans. The wily thief faked a grave illness as part of a cunning escape plan, a plan that was ultimately successful.
Once free, More Smith traveled up the St. John River to Fredericton and continued his life of crime. Though he was arrested and remanded to Kingston, the authorities were not able to keep a hold on the slippery More Smith, for he escaped en route to the jail. Having once again obtained his freedom, More Smith gambled it again. He had the nerve to slip his way, undetected, into the official residence of Thomas Wetmore, Attorney General of New Brunswick, during a dinner party. The Lunar Rogue made off with top-hats, cloaks, and other articles belonging to the guests.
More Smith's adventures in Fredericton eventually came to an end. He was arrested and sent to the York County Jail, then on King street, and eventually escorted back to Kingston by the Sheriff of York County.