Town Gaol, Chipping Norton, Oxfordshire
Chipping Norton manor probably had a prison by 1302. It was in about 1567 by a new prison in an adapted butcher's shop, rebuilt in around 1605 with a shop and a meeting room above. The establishment came under the control of the town corporation by a 1607 charter of 1607, and was still in use in 1722, when it adjoined the market place at the south end of Middle Row.
In 1818, it was reported that the gaol had two rooms and could house up to three prisoners. Deserters, and prisoners for re-examination, were confined here. Felons were sent to the County Gaol for trial. The premises were kept in repair by the town's Bailiffs.
In 1833, the prison was described as a ground-floor lock-up in the guildhall and used to hold prisoners before their transfer to Oxford Gaol. After the guildhall was sold in 1842, a lock-up continued to be provided either there or elsewhere until two new cells, together with an adjoining constable's room, were created in 1852 in the open area beneath the replacement town hall. Their use was shared with the county until 1865 when the county magistrates took over the cells and magistrates' rooms in the new police station. In 1867, it was agreed that the borough magistrates could share the police station facilities, the town hall cells then being replaced by a reading room and other accommodation.
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.
- Oxfordshire History Centre, St Luke's Church, Temple Road, Cowley, Oxford OX4 2EX. Has Notes on Chipping Norton Borough Prison (1852).
- 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.