John Howard: Unterschied zwischen den Versionen

Howard now settled in Cardington, where he had inherited family properties, and started to improve his home and those of his tenants. He married Henrietta Leeds in 1758 and she helped with his work to improve the accommodation of villagers. In 1765 Henrietta gave birth to their only son, John (known as Jack), and died a few days later.

After a spell of ill-health Howard started travelling abroad again and made several trips over the next few years. Eventually he settled back in Cardington and was appointed High Sheriff of Bedfordshire in 1773. One of his duties was to attend the Assizes. Here he saw prisoners being brought to court in shackles. He was particularly concerned to find that debtors, having paid their debt, were sent back to prison because they could not pay the fees that they owed the gaoler.

Driven by curiosity he visited Bedford Gaol to see how it functioned. He found it “foul and fetid” but, as he would discover later, it was not as bad as some. He discovered that the gaoler was not paid but could charge fees. On the wall was a notice that said “All persons that come to this place ... must pay before discharg'd, fifteen shillings and fourpence, to the Gaoler.” Howard asked the justices if the gaoler could be paid a salary instead of relying on the prisoners for their income but they were reluctant to do this. He decided to find out what went on in other gaols starting with Cambridge where he arrived unannounced. He meticulously recorded all the details of the gaol. He must have felt that this was his life's vocation for he immediately set off for Huntingdon to inspect its gaol. This was the beginning of his relentless self-imposed schedule of gaol visits that would continue for the rest of his life.Left a rich man as a result of his father’s death, Howard bought an estate at Cardington, Bedfordshire, which he managed directly. He was an enlightened landlord, improving the labourers’ cottages and encouraging efficiency and order.

John Howard wurde streng calvinistisch erzogen und erbte mit dem Tod seines reichen Vaters im Alter von 16 Jahren ein nennenswertes Vermögen (1742). Nach einer ausgedehnten Tour durch Frankreich und Italien (ab 1748) und einer schweren Krankheit heiratete er seine um 30 Jahre ältere Vermieterin (Sarah Loidore), die drei Jahre danach schon verstarb. Nach dem Erdbeben von Lissabon (1755) schiffte er sich Richtung Portugal ein, doch wurde sein Schiff von französischen Piraten (privateers) aufgebracht und er wurde in Brest und einem weiteren Gefängnis an der französischen Küste inhaftiert. Später wurde er gegen einen von den Briten gefangenen Franzosen ausgetauscht und ließ sich auf einem großen Landgut in Cardington nieder. 1758 heiratete er Henrietta Leeds, die 1765 starb. (Aus dieser Ehe ging ein Sohn, der ebenfalls auf den Vornamen John getauft wurde, hervor; dieser John Howard wurde mit 21 Jahren für geisteskrank erklärt und starb nach 13 Jahren im Irrenhaus im Jahre 1799). John Howard wurde 1773 zum Sheriff von Bedfordshire ernannt. Damit begann sein Wirken als Gefängnisreformer, das ihn weltbekannt und zum Namensgeber der "John Howard Society" (seit 1921: "John Howard League") mit Sitz in London, der "John Howard Society" (Kanada) und der "Howard League for Penal Reform" (Neuseeland) machen sollte.