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meanors committed therein, the master
keeper and prisoners chuse from among
themselves a reader of divine service; an
upper steward, called the master of the
box; an under steward; seven assistants,
who by turns officiate daily; a running
assistant; two church-wardens; a sca-
venger; a chamberlain; a running post;
and the criers or beggars at the grates,
who are generally six in number.
The reader is chosen by the master
keeper, stewards, and assistants, and not
at a general election, as the other officers
are. Besides reading prayers, he was for-
merly obliged to ring the bell twice a day
for prayers, and also for the space of a
quarter of an hour before nine at night,
as a warning for all strangers to depart the
prison; but on account of the dignity of
his office, he is now exempted from these
servile employments, and others in his
stead are appointed to perform them. The
reader's salary is 2s. 8d. per month; a
penny of every prisoner at his entrance, if
his garnish amount to sixteen pence; and
a dish of meat out of the Lord Mayor's
basket.
The upper steward, or master of the
box, is by all the prisoners held in equal
esteem with the keeper of the prison. To
him is committed the keeping of all the
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several orders of the house, with the
accounts of cash received upon legacies;
the distribution of all the provisions sent
in by the Lord Mayor, and others; and
the cash received by garnish and begging
at the grates, which he weekly lays out
in bread, candles, and other necessaries.
He also keeps a list of all the prisoners, as
well those that are upon the charity, as
those that are not; to each of whom, by
the aid of the assistant for the day, he dis-
tributes their several proportions of bread
and other provisions. He receives the
gifts of the fishmongers, poulterers, and
other market people, sent in by the clerk
of the market, by the running post, for
which he gives a receipt; and afterwards,
in the presence of the assistant for the day,
exposes all to sale to the charity men, by
way of market; and the money arising
thereby is deposited in the common stock.
This officer, with the under steward,
assistants, and church-wardens, are elected
monthly by the suffrages of the prisoners;
but all the other officers, except the cham-
berlain, are appointed by the master
keeper, stewards, and assistants. These
frequent elections are designed to prevent
frauds and abuses in the respective officers;
but when they are known to be men of
probity, they are generally re-elected,
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