Duties of County Jailer 1875

Being the Jailer in 1875 in Lyon County, Kentucky consisted of more than carrying the keys to the cells. Other duties were required and were spelled out in a document found  among loose county court papers in the courthouse in Eddyville. How do these rules compare to the duties of present-day jailers?

Rules for the government of the Jailer

"The Jailer is required to Keep the Jail perfectly clean, & suffer no filth of any Kind to accumulate in or about it.

He is required to clean out the privy valt [sic], or Sink, under the Jail, immediately and as often as may be necessary to prevent a stench in the Jail.

He is required to whitewash both the upper and lower cells and to use in the cells and in the Sink under the Jail, chloride of lime or other disinfect out in such quantities and often enough to destroy the Scent and purify the air of the Jail.

He is required to Keep the clothing and bedding of prisoners perfectly clean.

He is directed to feed the prisoners confined in the Jail at regular intervals three times a day with a sufficiency of wholesome food and to keep them supplied with fresh water."

Filed in open Court and ordered to be spread at large upon the order book of this court and delivered to the Jailer April 26, 1875.

Published 20 Feb 2020, Western Kentucky Genealogy Blog, http://wkygenealogy.blogspot.com/

Jailor's Bond 1842

One of the duties of the county court was to make the appointment of county jailer. The first jailer of Crittenden County, Kentucky was John H . Bruff, who was appointed 12 December 1842. Crittenden County was still new, having been created from Livingston County in early 1842. Because several sessions of the Crittenden County Court are missing from 1842, the document below is the only extant record of Bruff's appointment as jailer. In order to qualify as a county official, he was required to sign a performance bond to guarantee he would "well, truly & faithfully perform and discharge" the duties of jailer. This document was located in a bundle marked "Officers Bonds" in the Crittenden County Clerk's Office.

"Know all men by these presents that we John H. Bruff, John S. Gilliam, Wm. Hoggard & H.W. Bigham are held and firmly bound unto the Commonwealth of Kentucky in the penal sum of one thousand dollars to the payment of which well and truly to be made we do hereby bind ourselves our heirs jointly & severally &c firmly[?] by these presents sealed and dated this twelfth day of December 1842 --

"The condition of the above obligation is such that whereas the above bound Bruff has this day been appointed jailor in & for Crittenden County & Commonwealth of Kentucky by the County Court of said County, Now if the said Bruff shall well, truly & faithfully perform and discharge the duties pertaining to said office so long as he shall continue to hold said appointment, then this obligation to be void, otherwise to be and remain in full force and virtue  Given under our hands and seals the day and date above written.
Teste: H.W. Bigham, Clk  [signed] John H. Bruff, John S. Gilliam, Wm. Hogard, H.W. Bigham."

Published 24 July 2014, Western Kentucky Genealogy Blog, http://wkygenealogy.blogspot.com/