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Ancestry UK

Alnwick Castle, Alnwick, Northumberland

Alnwick had Town Gaol located under the Hotspur Tower on Bondgate. The tower, or rather gatehouse, was completed in about 1450.

In 1812, James Neild reported on the establishment:

At Alnwick Castle are the remains of an ancient prison, which is kept in good preservation by his Grace of Northumberland. It is in the Inner Ward, or Tower, and is called The Dungeon, or Castle Keep. The entrance to it is through a passage 16 feet long, and 3 feet wide, leading to a room of 11 feet 4 inches by 10 feet 4. In the centre of this room is an iron-grated trap-door, nearly a yard square, which covers an aperture 2 feet 4 inches by 1 foot 10. The descent through this aperture is by a ladder into a dark and damp dungeon, 8 feet 6 inches square, and 11 feet high. The Arch appears to be of Saxon architecture. It was certainly built in the feudal times, when the security of prisoners, or captives, was alone considered. The servant who accompanied me said, there was formerly a dungeon in every tower of the Castle, but that this was the only one preserved.

The Keep, Alnwick Castle.

Records

Note: many repositories impose a closure period of up to 100 years for records identifying individuals. Before travelling a long distance, always check that the records you want to consult will be available.

  • No individual records identified for this establishment — any information welcome.
  • The National Archives, Kew, Richmond, Surrey, TW9 4DU. Has a wide variety of crime and prison records going back to the 1770s, including calendars of prisoners, prison registers and criminal registers.
  • Find My Past has digitized many of the National Archives' prison records, including prisoner-of-war records, plus a variety of local records including Manchester, York and Plymouth. More information.
  • Prison-related records on Ancestry UK include Prison Commission Records, 1770-1951, and local records from London, Swansea, Gloucesterhire and West Yorkshire. More information.
  • The Genealogist also has a number of National Archives' prison records. More information.

Bibliography

  • Prison Oracle - resources those involved in present-day UK prisons.
  • GOV.UK - UK Government's information on sentencing, probation and support for families.

Except where indicated, this page () © Peter Higginbotham. Contents may not be reproduced without permission.