County Bridewell, Berkeley, Gloucestershire
By at least 1711, a Gloucestershire County Bridewell, or House of Correction, was in existence at Berkeley, Gloucestershire.
In 1784, John Howard described it as:
Quite out of repair. Only one room for men and women, 18 feet 4 inches by 15 feet 4, and 7 feet 9 inches high: the window (near 4 feet square) not glazed; no straw: no chimney: court not secure. Nothing has been laid out on this prison these twenty years. The sensible old keeper lamented the bad effects of close confinement in idleness, upon the health of even young strong prisoners. Many such, he said, he had known quite incapable of working for some weeks after their discharge. He told me, that some years ago his prisoners used to grind malt for a penny a bushel; and the justices would not licence any victualler whose malt was not ground here: but that of late years they have done no work at all. No allowance. Keeper, Francis Norman: his salary, £20; but he pays out of it £6 to the poor of the parish for ground-rent: fees, 4s. 4d. no table.
1774, Aug. 22, | Prisoners 3 | 1779, June 9, | Prisoners 0. |
1775, Dec. 6, | 0 | 1782, Oct. 25 | 1. |
The establishment was closed following the passing of the Gloucestershire Act of 1785, which provided for the closure of several existing bridewells and the construction of several new ones, mostly at different locations.
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.
- Gloucestershire Archives, Clarence Row, Alvin Street, Gloucester GL1 3DW.
- 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
- Higginbotham, Peter The Prison Cookbook: A History of the English Prison and its Food (2010, The History Press)
- Brodie, A. Behind Bars - The Hidden Architecture of England's Prisons (2000, English Heritage)
- Brodie, A., Croom, J. & Davies, J.O. English Prisons: An Architectural History (2002, English Heritage)
- Harding, C., Hines, B., Ireland, R., Rawlings, P. Imprisonment in England and Wales (1985, Croom Helm)
- McConville, Sean A History of English Prison Administration: Volume I 1750-1877 (1981, Routledge & Kegan Paul)
- Morris, N. and Rothman, D.G. (eds.) The Oxfod History of the Prison (1997, OUP)
- Pugh R.B. Imprisonment in Medieval England (1968, CUP)
Links
- 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.