Leeds news on today's date (August 24) in 1835 and 1843.

[Leodian]

The following are from John Mayhall’s ‘Annals of Yorkshire’ vol 1:-August 24 1835. “During a tremendous thunderstorm, Mr. Thomas Dalby, of the New Inn, Bramley, near Leeds, whilst standing in front of his kitchen fire, with a lighted candle in his hand, surrounded by his family, was struck by the lightning, and died in a few hours after the shock. On the same day an explosion of fire damp occurred at the Osmondthorpe colliery, one man was severely scorched, and two others slightly burnt”.August 24 1843. “The first prize of £150 for plans of a new gaol at Armley was awarded to Messrs. Hirst and Moffatt of Leeds and Doncaster; and the second prize of £75 was awarded to Messrs. Perkin and Backhouse of Leeds. The latter gentlemen were on the 9th of November following, appointed architects for the erection of the gaol. They estimated that the land, the building, and the fitting up of the gaol might amount to £40,560, (see 1847.)”.The following is just part of a long record I found on looking up 1847:-“The Leeds Borough Gaol was completed in July, at a cost of £43,000. It is pleasantly situated near Armley, on the south side of the picturesque valley of the Aire, about a mile and a half west of the town. It is a noble castellated stone structure, presenting a massive pile of masonry, and is visible from many distant points… Each inmate has a separate cell, (of which there are about 334), where he follows the occupation to which he may have been accustomed. Those who have no defined calling are employed in picking oakum, or making matting, the proceeds of which are applied in aid of the establishment. In addition to the persons committed from the sessions, convicts are also confined here, at the cost of the government, preparatory to their departure for the penal settlements…”.I assume “the penal settlements” probably means Australia. According to an inflation calculator in the Bank of England website £43,000 in 1847 was equivalent to about £3,660,128 in 2011 at an average inflation rate of 2.7% a year.