John Howard (September 2, 1726 - January 20, 1790) was a philanthropist and the first English prison reformer. September 2 is the 245th day of the year (246th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Events George Friderich Handel becomes a British subject. ... January 20 is the 20th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1790 was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... A philanthropist is someone who devotes his/her time, money or effort towards helping others. ... Motto: (French for God and my right) Anthem: Multiple unofficial anthems Capital London Largest city London Official language(s) English (de facto) Unification    - by Athelstan AD 927  Area    - Total 130,395 km² (1st in UK)   50,346 sq mi  Population    - 2005 est. ... Prison reform is the attempt to improve conditions inside prisons, aiming at a more effective penal system. ...

Birth and early life

He was born in Lower Clapton, London. His father was a wealthy upholsterer at Smithfield Market in the city. His mother died when he was five years old, and, described as a "sickly child", he was sent to live at Cardington, Bedfordshire, some forty miles from London, where his father owned property. His father, a strict disciplinarian with strong religious beliefs, sent the young John to a school in Hertford and then to John Eames' Dissenting Academy in London. Lower Clapton is an area of the London Borough of Hackney. ... London (pronounced ) is the capital city of England and the United Kingdom(coming from Roman Londinium ). An important settlement for around two millennia, London is today one of the worlds most important business and financial centres, [1] and its involvement in politics, culture, education, entertainment, media, fashion, sport and... Upholstery is the work of providing furniture, especially seats with padding, springs, webbing, and fabric or leather covers. ... Smithfield is an area in the north-west part of the City of London (which is itself the historic core of a much larger London). ... Cardington is a village in Bedfordshire in England. ... London (pronounced ) is the capital city of England and the United Kingdom(coming from Roman Londinium ). An important settlement for around two millennia, London is today one of the worlds most important business and financial centres, [1] and its involvement in politics, culture, education, entertainment, media, fashion, sport and... Hertford (Hartford or, in local pronunciation, /[h]ɑːʔֽfəd/) is the county town of Hertfordshire, England, and is in the East Hertfordshire district of that county. ...

After school, John was apprenticed to a wholesale grocer to learn business methods, but he was unhappy. When his father died in 1742, he was left with a sizeable inheritance but no true vocation. His Calvinist faith and quiet, serious disposition meant he had little desire for the fashionable endeavours of an English aristocratic lifestyle. In 1748, he left England to tour France and Italy. If youre looking for the TV show, see The Apprentice. ... A grocer is a dealer in staple foodstuffs, such as meats, produce or dairy products, and other household supplies. ... // Events January 24 - Charles VII Albert becomes Holy Roman Emperor. ... In an unadorned church, the 17th century congregation stands to hear the sermon. ... Events April 24 - A congress assembles at Aix-la-Chapelle with the intent to conclude the struggle known as the War of Austrian Succession - at October 18 - The Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle is signed to end the war Adam Smith begins to deliver public lectures in Edinburgh Building of... Motto: (French for God and my right) Anthem: Multiple unofficial anthems Capital London Largest city London Official language(s) English (de facto) Unification    - by Athelstan AD 927  Area    - Total 130,395 km² (1st in UK)   50,346 sq mi  Population    - 2005 est. ...

Upon his return, he lived in lodgings in Stoke Newington, where he again became seriously ill. He was nursed back to health by his landlady, Sarah Loidore, whom he then married despite her being thirty years older than him. She died within three years, and he distributed her meagre belongings amongst her remaining family and poor neighbours. The Castle Climbing Centre, once the main Water Board pumping station. ...

Howard as a prisoner

He then set out for Portugal following the 1755 Lisbon earthquake, travelling on the Hanover, which was captured by French privateers. He was imprisoned in Brest for six days before being transferred to another prison on the French coast. He was later exchanged for a French officer held by the British, and he quickly travelled to the Commissioners of Sick and Wounded Seamen in London to seek help on behalf of his fellow capitves. It is widely regarded that this personal experience generated Howard's interest in prisons. This 1755 copper engraving shows the ruins of Lisbon in flames and a tsunami overwhelming the ships in the harbor. ... Brest is the name of several cities: City in Belarus: Brest, Belarus, formerly in Russia and the Soviet Union and formerly known as Brest-Litovsk. ...

Howard at Cardington

Having returned from France, he settled again at Cardington to live on a 200 acre estate which was formerly two farms, the larger of which he had inherited from his grandparents. His grandmother, Martha Howard, was a relation of the Whitbread family, and he became a neighbour and close friend of his cousin, Samuel Whitbread. He spent the next two years building properties and trying to improve the lives of the tenants living on his land. Later, a survey of Cardington in 1782 found that he was paying for the teaching of 23 children. Cardington is a village in Bedfordshire in England. ... Samuel Whitbread II by John Opie Samuel Whitbread (1758 - June 6, 1815) was an English politician. ... Cardington is a village in Bedfordshire in England. ... 1782 was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ...

In 1758, Howard married Henrietta Leeds who died in 1765, a week after giving birth to a son, also named John, who was sent to boarding school at a very young age. The younger John was sent down from Cambridge for homosexual offences, was judged insane at the age of 21, and died in 1799 having spent thirteen years in an asylum. 1758 was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... 1765 was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... The University of Cambridge is the second-oldest university in the English-speaking world, with one of the most selective sets of entry requirements in the United Kingdom. ... Since its coinage, the word homosexuality has acquired multiple meanings. ... 1799 was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ...

High Sheriff of Bedfordshire

John Howard was appointed High Sheriff of Bedfordshire in 1773, initially for a one-year period. Such was his dedication, rather than delegating his duties to the under-sheriff as was customary, Howard inspected the county prison himself. He was shocked by what he found, and spurred into action to inspect prisons throughout England. Of particular concern to Howard were those prisoners who were held because they could not pay the jailer's fee - an amount paid to the owner or keeper of the prison for upkeep. He took this issue to parliament, and in 1774 Howard was called to give evidence on prison conditions to a House of Commons select committee. Members of that committee were so impressed that, unusually, Howard was called to the bar of the House of Commons and publicly thanked for his 'humanity and zeal'. Bedfordshire is a county in England and forms part of the East of England region. ... 1773 was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... Motto: (French for God and my right) Anthem: Multiple unofficial anthems Capital London Largest city London Official language(s) English (de facto) Unification    - by Athelstan AD 927  Area    - Total 130,395 km² (1st in UK)   50,346 sq mi  Population    - 2005 est. ... Chesma Column in Tsarskoe Selo, commemorating the end of the Russo-Turkish War. ... The House of Commons is the lower house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. ... A Select Committee is a committee made up of a small number of parliamentary members appointed to deal with particular areas or issues originating in the Westminster System of parliamentary democracy. ...

Having visited several hundred prisons across England, Scotland, Wales and wider Europe, Howard published the first edition of The State of the Prisons in 1777. It included very detailed accounts of the prisons he had visited, including plans and maps, together with detailed instructions on the necessary improvements. The following account, of the Bridewell at Abingdon, Oxfordshire, is typical: Motto: , traditionally rendered in Scots as Wha daur meddle wi me?[1] and in English as No one provokes me with impunity. ... Motto: (Welsh for Wales forever) Anthem: Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau Capital Cardiff Largest city Cardiff Official language(s) English, Welsh Government Constitutional monarchy  - Queen Queen Elizabeth II  - Prime Minister Tony Blair MP  - First Minister Rhodri Morgan AM Unification    - by Gruffudd ap Llywelyn 1056  Area    - Total 20,779 km² (3rd in... European redirects here. ... 1777 was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... The Bridewell Palace was rebuilt for Henry VIII in 1515-1520 on the site of an earlier palace. ... Statistics Population: 36,000 Ordnance Survey OS grid reference: SU497973 Administration Parish: Abingdon District: Vale of White Horse Shire county: Oxfordshire Region: South East England Constituent country: England Sovereign state: United Kingdom Other Ceremonial county: Oxfordshire Historic county: Berkshire Services Police force: Thames Valley Police Ambulance service: South Central Post...

Two dirty day-rooms; and three offensive night-rooms: That for men eight feet square: one of the women's, nine by eight; the other four and a half feet square: the straw, worn to dust, swarmed with vermin: no court: no water accessible to prisoners. The petty offenders were in irons: at my last visit, eight were women.

Howard viewed his work as humanitarian. Terry Carlson, in his 1990 biographical tract on Howard, remarks:

Howard's detailed proposals for improvements were designed to enhance the physical and mental health of the prisoners and the security and order of the prison. His recommendations pertaining to such matters as the prison location, plan and furnishings, the provision of adequate water supply, and prisoner's diet promoted hygiene and physical health. Recommendations concerning the quality of prison personnel, rules related to the maintenance of standards of health and order and an independent system of inspection, reflect the need for prison personnel to set a moral example.

In April 1777, Howard's sister died leaving him £15,000 and her house. He used this inheritance and the revenue from the sale of her house to further his work on prisons. In 1778 he was again examined by the House of Commons, who were this time inquiring into 'hulks', or prison ships. Two days after giving evidence, he was again travelling Europe, beginning in Holland. 1777 was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... 1778 was a common year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ... A Prison Ship is a boat or ship that is used as a prison. ... European redirects here. ... Holland is a region in the central-western part of the Netherlands. ...

By 1784, Howard calculated that he had travelled over 42,000 miles visiting prisons. He had been awarded an honorary LLD by the University of Dublin and had been given the Freedom of the City of London. His fourth and final tour of English prisons began in March 1787 and two years later he published The State of the Prisons in England, and An Account of the Principal Lazarettos of Europe. 1784 was a leap year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ... Legum Doctor (English: Doctor of Laws; abbreviated to LL.D.) In the UK and Canada the LL.D. is a doctorate usually awarded on the basis of exceptionally insightful and distinctive publications, containing significant and original contributions to the science or study of law. ... The University of Dublin, located in Dublin, Ireland, was founded in 1592 by Queen Elizabeth I, making it Irelands oldest university. ... Freedom of the City is an award made by towns and cities, to esteemed members of its community; such people may then be termed Freemen or Freewomen of the City. ... 1787 was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ...

Death

His final journey took him into Eastern Europe, and into the Crimea. Whilst at Kherson, in what is now Ukraine, Howard contracted typhus and died. He was buried on the shores of the Black Sea. Despite requesting a quiet funeral without pomp and ceremony, the event was elaborate and attended by the Prince of Moldovia. When news of his death reached England, in February 1790, several John Howard halfpennies were struck, including one with the engraving "Go forth, Remember the Debtors in Gaol". Motto: Процветание в единстве - Prosperity in unity Anthem: Нивы и горы твои волшебны, Родина - Your fields and mounts are wonderful, Motherland Capital Simferopol Largest cities Simferopol, Eupatoria, Kerch, Theodosia, Yalta Official language Ukrainian. ... Kherson (Ukrainian and Russian Херсон) is a city in southern Ukraine, the capital of Kherson Oblast, with 303,900 inhabitants (2004). ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Epidemic typhus. ... Map of the Black Sea. ... Motto: (French for God and my right) Anthem: Multiple unofficial anthems Capital London Largest city London Official language(s) English (de facto) Unification    - by Athelstan AD 927  Area    - Total 130,395 km² (1st in UK)   50,346 sq mi  Population    - 2005 est. ... February is the second month of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1790 was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ...

Howard became the first civilian to be honoured with a statue in St. Paul's Cathedral, London. A statue was also erected in Bedford, and a further one in Kherson. His bust features in the architecture of a number of Victorian prisons across the UK, such as at Shrewsbury. St Pauls Cathedral is a cathedral on Ludgate Hill, in the City of London in London, and the seat of the Bishop of London. ... London (pronounced ) is the capital city of England and the United Kingdom(coming from Roman Londinium ). An important settlement for around two millennia, London is today one of the worlds most important business and financial centres, [1] and its involvement in politics, culture, education, entertainment, media, fashion, sport and... Statistics Population: 82,488 Ordnance Survey OS grid reference: TL055495 Administration District: Bedford Shire county: Bedfordshire Region: East of England Constituent country: England Sovereign state: United Kingdom Other Ceremonial county: Bedfordshire Historic county: Bedfordshire Services Police force: Bedfordshire Police Ambulance service: East of England Post office and telephone Post town... Kherson (Ukrainian and Russian Херсон) is a city in southern Ukraine, the capital of Kherson Oblast, with 303,900 inhabitants (2004). ... Queen Victoria (shown here on the morning of her Ascension to the Throne, 20 June 1837) gave her name to the historic era The Victorian Era of Great Britain marked the height of the British industrial revolution and the apex of the British Empire. ... Statistics Population: 70,059 Ordnance Survey OS grid reference: SJ495123 Administration District: Shrewsbury and Atcham Shire county: Shropshire Region: West Midlands Constituent country: England Sovereign state: United Kingdom Other Ceremonial county: Shropshire Historic county: Shropshire Services Police force: West Mercia Ambulance service: West Midlands Post office and telephone Post town...

Howard's legacy

Almost eighty years after his death, the Howard Association was formed in London, with the aim of ""promotion of the most efficient means of penal treatment and crime prevention" and to promote "a reformatory and radically preventive treatment of offenders". In its first annual report in 1867, the Association stated that its efforts had been focused on "the promotion of reformatory and remunerative prison labour, and the abolition of capital punishment." The Association merged with the Penal Reform League in 1921 to become the Howard League for Penal Reform. Today, the Howard League is Britain's biggest penal reform organisation. 1921 (MCMXXI) was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ... The logo of the Howard League for Penal Reform The Howard League for Penal Reform is a London-based registered charity in the United Kingdom. ... Life in prison Prison reform is the steady improvement of conditions inside prisons, aiming at a more effective penal system. ...

John Howard is also the namesake of the John Howard Society, a Canadian non-profit organization that seeks to develop understanding and effective responses to the problem of crime. The Howard Association, a benevolent organisation, was also named after him. There is also a Howard League for Penal Reform in New Zealand. The John Howard Society is a Canadian non-profit organization that seeks to develop understanding and effective responses to the problem of crime and penal reform. ... A nonprofit organization (abbreviated NPO, or non-profit or not-for-profit) is an organization whose primary objective is to support some issue or matter of private interest or public concern for non-commercial purposes. ... Howard Association, a benevolent organization, was formed in Norfolk, Virginia during the 1855 Yellow Fever Epidemic which killed 1 of 3 residents of Norfolk and sister city Portsmouth in Hampton Roads. ...

See also

• Elizabeth Fry
• Howard League for Penal Reform
• Prison reform

Elizabeth Fry Elizabeth Fry (née Gurney; May 21, 1780 – October 12, 1845) was an English prison reformer, social reformer and philanthropist. ... The logo of the Howard League for Penal Reform The Howard League for Penal Reform is a London-based registered charity in the United Kingdom. ... Prison reform is the attempt to improve conditions inside prisons, aiming at a more effective penal system. ...

External links

• Howard League for Penal Reform (England & Wales)
• Howard League for Penal Reform (Scotland)
• Howard League for Penal Reform (New Zealand)
• John Howard Society of Canada

References

• John Howard - by the Howard League for Penal Reform.