The Inspector of State Prisons was a statewide elective office created by the New York State Constitution of 1846. At the 1847 New York state election, three Inspectors were elected and then, upon taking office, so classified that henceforth every year one Inspector would be elected to a three-year term. The Prison Inspectors appointed wardens and keepers and supervised the prison administration in general. They were required to visit jointly four times a year each one of the state prisons. Besides, each one of the Inspectors was allotted the special care to one of the then existing three state prisons (Auburn State Prison, Sing Sing State Prison and Clinton State Prison) where he had to attend to business for at least one week per month.
In 1876, a constitutional amendment abolished the office of State Prison Inspector, pending the appointment of a New York Superintendent of State Prisons who would take over the duties of the Prison Inspectors. The first Superintendent was Louis D. Pilsbury, appointed by Governor Lucius Robinson on February 17, 1877.
List of Inspectors of State Prisons
Name Took office Left office Party NotesJohn B. GedneyJanuary 1, 1848December 31, 1848Whigdrew the one-year termIsaac N. ComstockJanuary 1, 1848December 31, 1849Whigdrew the two-year termDavid D. SpencerJanuary 1, 1848December 31, 1850Whig/Anti-Rentdrew the three-year termAlexander H. WellsJanuary 1, 1849December 31, 1851WhigDarius ClarkJanuary 1, 1850December 31, 1855Democratictwo terms; elected on the Democratic and Anti-Rent tickets in 1849, on the Democratic ticket in 1852William P. AngelJanuary 1, 1851December 31, 1853Democratic/Anti-RentHenry StormsJanuary 1, 1852December 31, 1854DemocraticThomas KirkpatrickJanuary 1, 1854December 31, 1856WhigNorwood BowneJanuary 1, 1855December 31, 1857Whig/Anti-Nebraska/Anti-RentWilliam A. RussellJanuary 1, 1856December 31, 1858AmericanWesley BaileyJanuary 1, 1857December 31, 1859RepublicanWilliam C. RhodesJanuary 1, 1858December 31, 1860DemocraticJosiah T. EverestJanuary 1, 1859December 31, 1861RepublicanDavid P. ForrestJanuary 1, 1860December 31, 1862RepublicanJames K. BatesJanuary 1, 1861December 31, 1866Republicantwo terms; elected on the Republican ticket in 1860, on the Union ticket in 1863Abraham B. TappenJanuary 1, 1862December 31, 1864Unionelected on the Independent People's and Republican ticketsGaylord J. ClarkeJanuary 1, 1863December 31, 1865DemocraticDavid P. ForrestJanuary 1, 1865December 31, 1867Unionsecond termHenry A. BarnumJanuary 1, 1866December 31, 1868RepublicanJohn HammondJanuary 1, 1867December 31, 1869RepublicanSolomon ScheuJanuary 1, 1868December 31, 1873Democratictwo termsDavid B. McNeilJanuary 1, 1869December 31, 1871DemocraticFordyce L. LaflinJanuary 1, 1870December 31, 1872DemocraticThomas KirkpatrickJanuary 1, 1872December 31, 1874Republicansecond termEzra GravesJanuary 1, 1873December 31, 1875RepublicanMoss K. PlattJanuary 1, 1874March 1, 1876Republicandied in officeGeorge WagenerJanuary 1, 1875February 17, 1877Democraticlegislated out of office by Amendment of 1876, office taken over by Superintendent of State PrisonsRodney R. CrowleyJanuary 1, 1876February 17, 1877Democraticlegislated out of office by Amendment of 1876, office taken over by Superintendent of State PrisonsBenjamin S. W. ClarkMarch 2, 1876December 31, 1876Democraticappointed to fill vacancy in place of PlattRobert H. AndersonJanuary 1, 1877February 17, 1877Democraticlegislated out of office by Amendment of 1876, office taken over by Superintendent of State Prisons
References
Further reading The New York Civil List compiled by Franklin Benjamin Hough (pages 45f; Weed, Parsons and Co., 1858) The New York Civil List compiled by Franklin Benjamin Hough, Stephen C. Hutchins and Edgar Albert Werner (1867; pages 410f)