Ancestry UK

City Bridewell, Bristol, Gloucestershire

In the late sixteenth century, a Bridewell, or House of Correction, was established on what became known as Bridewell Street, Bristol. The original building is said to have been a fortified tower. The premises were rebuilt in 1721.

In 1784, John Howard recorded:

Part of it is in the keeper's house, on one side of a common footway: and part on the other side. In the keeper's house, the master's-side, are three rooms: one a day-room; in the other two are beds at six pence a night. The common-side, the bridewell, over the way, consists of two parts separated by a court of about 50 feet by 17. Each part has two rooms on the ground-floor, and two chambers. Total eight rooms (22 feet by 17½); windows to the court; no chimneys. The court being quite out of sight of the keeper's house, he does not suffer prisoners to use it; nor the pump in it. They have no water but what is handed to them; and all the rooms are very dirty, and made offensive by sewers. Little or no straw: no employment. Keeper's salary raised from £20 to £30. He receives the money for bread allowance, two pence a day: but the prisoners often assured me, that what he gave them from his own loaf was far short of two-penny-worth. In Dec. 1775, I released an acquitted woman prisoner detained for fees 3s. 6d.

1774, Aug. 23,Prisoners 6.1779, Feb. 8,Prisoners 8.
1775, Dec. 8,5.1782, Mar. 1,19.

In 1812, James Neild recorded his visits to the prison:

Keeper, John Parsons; now Thomas Evans. Salary, 50l. Fees, 3s. 6d.

Chaplain, none; nor any religious attention paid to the Prisoners.

Surgeon, Mr. Safford, who makes a Bill.

No. of Prisoners, 1801, Dec. 17th, 8. 1803, Oct. 4th 16. 1806, Sept. 20th, 5.

Allowance, a threepenny loaf of household bread, which I weighed,—1 lb. 5 oz.

This Prison was built in 1721. Part of it is in the Keeper's house, on one side of the street, and part on the other side. In the Keeper's house, the Master's-Side Criminals have a day-room on the ground-floor, 15 feet square, 10 feet high; and up-stairs, two rooms supplied with beds by the Keeper, at 1s. per night. In these three rooms the following notice is painted: "Whoever shall write against, or daub the walls in any manner, will be punished as the Magistrates shall think proper."

The Common-Side, (the Bridewell) over the way, consists of two parts, separated by a court 50 feet by 15, in which there are a pump and cistern for hard and soft water, which is laid on by a pipe from the quay. The first part has, on the right hand, two cells for Vagrants on the ground-floor, each 16½. feet by 6½ feet, an iron-grated window facing the court, and a most offensive sewer in one corner: The sleeping-room above is large and airy, but the straw upon the floor was short, dirty, and almost worn to dust. On the left hand is a room for fines, 22 feet by 17, and 10 feet high, with an iron-grated window to the court; and the room is not rendered offensive. Above stairs is an apartment of the same size.

The second part of the Common-Side has upon the ground-floor, on the right-hand, two cells, 16½ feet by 6½, and 9 feet high to the crown of the arch; with an aperture 12 inches square, to admit light and ventilation, and an iron-grating over each door. The sewers, being near the river, are not very offensive; but on my visit in 1803, they were so terribly infested by rats, that a cat was kept in each cell, to prevent their gnawing the prisoners' feet. On my next call, however, in 1806, and the appointment of a new Keeper, I found the rats prevented from such annoyance. The floors were mended, cells white-washed, and the whole Prison very clean.

Over the cells is the Infirmary, 22 feet by 17, and 10 feet high, with a fire-place and glazed window. On the left-hand is the Female Vagrants' day-room, 18 feet by 16, and 10 feet high, with an iron-grated window toward the court; and over this a sleeping-room of the same size. The court itself being quite out of sight from the Keeper's house, he does not permit prisoners to use it, nor the pump there, except three times a week, in the middle of the day; yet some offenders are confined here for three years together, and, during that time, kept in irons.

No employment here. Neither the Act for preserving Health, nor the Clauses against Spirituous Liquors, hung up. No fuel allowed. Those who are imprisoned for a term have a rug allowed them by the Mayor.

In October 1831, the bridewell was attacked by a mob during the Bristol Riots, which were provoked by the House of Lords' rejection of the second Reform Bill. The protesters broke into the building, liberated the prisoners, then set it on fire. The establishment was rebuilt and resumed operation in March 1836.

A major problem with the new building became apparent in January 1837 after two prisoners, George Brown, aged 24, and John Brooks Knight, aged 17, were found dead in their cell in the early morning. The third occupant, John Belcher, was doubled up and groaning. It transpired that because the prisoners had complained that the new cells were cold and damp, a metal pot containing burning wood and coal had, for the preceding few days, been used to heat them. On previous nights, the pot had placed for around fifteen minutes in each cell and then removed. On the night of the question, it appeared somehow to have been returned to the dead inmates' cell and continued to burn during the night. At the same time, the cell's window shutters had been closed to help keep out the cold. An inquest into the two men's deaths found that "they died from suffocation, caused by the carbonic acid gas, produced by fire intended to warm the cell, and that the Bridewell is not in a fit state for prisoners to sleep in." A system of warm-air heating was subsequently introduced into the prison.

In 1838, the Inspectors of Prisons reported on the new premises:

Construction.—This building is new, neat, and clean; but it is too contracted in its dimensions, and occupies too small a space of ground.

The total cost, by estimates and extra work, of erecting this bridewell was 6,276l. 0s. 11d. The number of cells is 48:

3 yards for males,
6 day-rooms for ditto,
3 yards for women,
6 day-rooms for ditto,
1 wash-house, and
2 infirmary rooms.

One of the front yards is not secure. The male cells are usually good; but are not suitable to solitary confinement during day and night. Some of the female cells are ill-ventilated, and are too dark, but these are rarely necessary to be used; the others are good. There are two very good dark cells for the refractory; and some other cells, not intended for that purpose, would answer as well.

The wash-house is too dark; the windows might be enlarged. The doors of the female privies have no handles, and they open and shut by a pulley-cord, with a very improper heavy thick iron appended to it; this should be removed, and the doors should be made to open more freely.

There is a fixed stone bath, and also a bathing tub.

Management.—The keeper was appointed in March 1836, on the opening of the prison. The prisoners are together in the yards and day-rooms, and, on the whole, a considerable degree of communication and conversation seems to prevail, which might be thoroughly checked by the engagement of an additional turnkey. The longest time that any woman has remained here has only been two months, except a girl, who is now in custody for the purpose of giving evidence. The women are not suffered to make a noise, but here, as elsewhere, the communication among the female prisoners is less restricted than among the males. No visits are ordinarily permitted to be made to the prisoners, and all letters are opened and read by the keeper. He has known no attempt at suicide, nor has there been any alarm from fire. He weighs the broad daily; it is sent in from a baker; the prisoners have occasionally complained of and did so to myself. Silence is moderately well observed, but, with the present scanty complement of only one turnkey, its strict observance is scarcely to be anticipated. No rules exist, either in printed form or in manuscript, or in verbal order, except that the magistrates have directed the gaoler to enforce the rules recommended in the circular of the Home Secretary, transmitted in 1835.

The longest term of imprisonment here is for three months; the greater part remain only seven days. All the prisoners are sent hither by the city magistrates. No convictions from assizes and quarter sessions remain here. No whippings take place here; the punishment for the refractory is 24 hours in a solitary cell. The bedding consists of a mattress and one rug in summer, and of a mattress and two rugs in winter; the rugs are large and thick. There is no stock of clothing; when a prisoner has been destitute (which has twice happened) the magistrates have supplied him with clothes.

Diet.—At the time of my visit, only l½lb. of seconds bread was daily allowed to each prisoner. This bread appeared to me very indifferent at all events very badly baked. Every Sunday each prisoner was allowed to receive a meal from his friends without, brought in a basin. Since my visit, and perhaps at my suggestion to one of the visiting magistrates, a small addition has been made to the diet in the shape of 1½ pint daily of gruel. This addition, however, falls short of the extent of my suggestion, which went so far as three pints of gruel, and an allowance of potatoes daily. No beer nor spirits are suffered to be introduced.

Labour.—The labour consists in breaking stones, and in reducing oyster-shells to powder. There is no profit derived from it. The women all wash for themselves, and for the male prisoners.

Religious and other Instruction.—The chaplain performs Divine service once on Sundays, and preaches a sermon. The rector of the out-parish of St. Philip is the chaplain to the city gaol, and, in virtue of that appointment, he (or his curate) performs Divine service here; but no salary is specially allotted to him as chaplain to this bridewell. One of these gentlemen makes a visit every Wednesday, and goes into the wards or yards. There is a ladles' committee; one of these two ladies comes on Sundays, and the other on Wednesdays, to teach the female prisoners. These ladies have taught one young woman (who is now here) to read. On Sundays, also, some dissenters belonging to the Strangers' Friend Society come to instruct the prisoners. The matron is always present at chapel.

General Statistics.

No. I. The total number of commitments, from the opening of the prison in March 1836 up to June 22, 1837, has been

Assaults353
Wilful damage  36
Vagrants298 (including disorderly women.)
Miscellaneous cases128

But many other cases have been sent hither during that time on charges.

No. II. Number of prisoners confined at the date of my visit in June 1837:—

Male prisoners31 (of whom are on hard labour 20.)
Female prisoners10 (all on hard labour.)

Another female is placed here to give evidence; she had been here already for 10 weeks.

No. III. Greatest number at one time88
of women23
No. IV. Lowest number at one time16

(During the winter, for a few days, not one female was in confinement.)

No. V. Ordinary number of prisoners is about30

But from the Saturday to the Monday there are usually about double that number here.

Care of the Sick, Disease, and Mortality.—Thee surgeon has never seen any disease here arising apparently from low diet; but the prisoners remain so short a time, that the operation of the diet is scarcely tested. Prisoners who have been used to a stimulating diet seem to suffer. He has witnessed no case of scurvy. The cells are not damp in winter at present, in his opinion; at all events they are now becoming drier. He visits twice a-week, or daily, if a case occurs. He has no allowance made to him for leeches, which are sometimes necessary. It would certainly be just to allow him the price of such leeches and such sulphate of quinine as he may occasionally deem it necessary to order. He has seen no instance of suicide. There is no lunatic prisoner here.

From September 29th 1836 to September 29th 1837 the number of invalids in the house, that came under his care, was 174; of this number, 14 were of a sufficiently severe character to oblige him to remove them from their cells to the infirmary, where they all ultimately recovered; the largest number of sick at one period was 10.

For the generality of prisoners he deems the diet sufficient, both in quantity of food and quality. He has the power of ordering anything extra that may be necessary.

Suggestions towards Improvement.

  1. A water-closet or night-stool is wanted in the female infirmary.
  2. Sheets for the sick should be provided.
  3. The quality of bread sent in should be watched.
  4. The small stock of clothes requires to be increased.
  5. The upper day-rooms in some wards might be converted into sleeping-cells; two day-rooms are not necessary in each ward.
  6. No salt is provided at present for the prisoners.
  7. Another turnkey is wanted; he might sleep in the room adjoining the chapel.
  8. A wooden door would be useful, instead of a gate, to No. 2, Women's Yard; they see the men when going to get water, and look into the turnkey's room.
  9. The diet requires to be improved; it is too low at present.
  10. More light and air should be admitted into the wash-house.

The bridewell was closed following the nationalisation of the prison system in 1878.

Records

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Bibliography

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