Life in Madras Prison, in the 1860s

Over much of last year I managed to complete reading Isaac Tyrrell’s From England to the Antipodes & India, 1846 to 1902, with startling revelations, or 56 years of my life in the Indian Mutiny, Police & jails, printed at the ALV Press, Madras, in 1904. There is an excellent online edition of the same, available at archive.org. The book was heavy going and the racism inherent in the text can set your teeth on edge. What made it an unusual work was that it focused, especially in its second half, on life in the Madras Prison, in the 1860s.

From Soldier to Jailor at Madras Prison

Tyrrell was from Suffolk and enlisted in the army in 1846, joining the 46th Regiment of Foot. He travelled to India, was posted at many places and saw action including during the first war of Indian independence, 1857. When his regiment was transferred to New Zealand he opted to resign and joined the police force in Madras. His first assignment was as Police Inspector, Chintadripet division. The majority of his service however was in prisons and penitentiaries, including his role as Jailor, Madras Penitentiary, and later as superintendent of the Rajahmundry prison.

The Underbelly of the Raj

For those who imagine that the British Raj was something of a halcyon period, with the Cooum flowing fragrantly, streets being clean, and law and order valued above all else, this book will come as something of a shock. Tyrrel describes what can at best be considered the underbelly of the city. Murderers, pickpockets, cheats, and felons of various kinds appear, especially in chapters titled Prisoners I Have Known. Their treatment within prison does not make for edifying reading, with the most common punishment being lashes using a cat of nine tails.

Contraband and Corruption in Madras Prison

Prison life today is often spoken of in hushed terms, where those inside manage to get what they want, from narcotics to deadly weapons. It is interesting that it was no different in the 1860s. Supplies were kept up by prison staff and visitors, who met the inmates without even the customary barred window in between. If these methods failed, packets were tossed over the wall from the Chintadripet side. Tyrrel records items such as tobacco, snuff, betel and ganja being smuggled in with precision.

The Cooum and Its Stench

Now for the Cooum. Tyrrel has it that the sewers from Chintadripet emptied themselves into the river just by the prison walls and the stench there was unbearable. The space was also used as a public latrine by residents. The atmosphere, he writes, was so thick that a stick held up would stick. Things have not changed all that much in the 150 years since, for that particular area, even today, remains just as bad, Swacch or any other Bharath notwithstanding.

Public Executions as Spectacle

It comes as a shock to read that the public of Madras, rather in the manner of those in medieval London, enjoyed witnessing hangings. The public gallows were on the northern side of the prison, facing the Central Station, and large crowds would gather on the appointed day. Later, Tyrrel had the gibbet shifted into the prison, but it could still be seen from Chintadripet. According to him, some people even swam into the river to get a closer view.

Small Steps Toward Reform at Madras Prison

Much of the book is dark but there is progress. Segregation of women and juveniles from the men is a good start. A workshop run by prisoners creates products for sale. A vegetable garden is begun which, after internal consumption, has enough surplus for sale. When returns touch Rs 600 in one year, there is jubilation. The Government allows ten percent to be retained by the jailor as his incentive, and a printing press is shifted outside the prison walls.The book gives us a Madras that we don’t easily see in other and more conventional accounts.

This article appeared in The Hindu-https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/chennai/darker-side-of-madras-in-the-1860s/article70530360.ece

My book, Chennai, A Biography can be ordered- http://-http://- https://sriramv.com/2021/12/27/how-to-buy-autographed-copies-of-chennai-a-biography-from-outstation/