County Bridewell, Dartford, Kent
In 1720, a County Bridewell, or House of Correction, was erected on Lowfield Street, Dartford.
In 1784, John Howard wrote of the establishment:
This county bridewell, built in 1720, consists of two rooms: one for men 20 feet by 17 feet 10 inches: one for women, 14 feet square: both 10 feet high. No chimneys: offensive sewers; and the rooms dirty: no water: no straw: mats, but quite worn out. No court; though the keeper has a garden. His salary, £20: fees, 3s.6d, no table. Allowance to those committed on suspicion of felony, two pence halfpenny a day.
The keeper told me, they had about two years ago, a bad fever; which him self and family, and every fresh prisoner caught. Three died of it.—The prisoners were well, and at work, upon a manufacture of flax-dressing and weaving sacks.
The above was the account of this prison in 1776; but in 1779, there were two courts taken from the keeper's garden, one for each sex, with pumps and sewers, and a room in the men's court for the sick: but the women had no mats or any kind of bedding.
Here are three dungeons (12 feet by 5), damp, and not secure. The floors should be boarded. At my last visit I found one prisoner, who had been committed for three months from July 18th, still in confinement for the court fees, 9s. 4d. and the keeper's fees, 3s. 6d.—Committed in 1780, one hundred and seven prisoners;—in 1781, ninety-two;—and in 1782, one hundred and three.
1776, April 24, | Prisoners 6. |
1779, April 15, | 5. |
1782, Dec. 3, | 5. |
In 1812, James Neild wrote:
Gaoler, Thomas Okill; now Robert Okill. Salary, 55l.
Fees; Felons, 13s. 4d. Misdemeanors, 6s. 8d. No Table.
No religious attentions. Surgeon, Mr. Peet; makes a Bill.
Number of Prisoners,
1801, Sept, 24th, | 7 | 1808, July 13th, | 36. |
1804, Sept. 26th | 7 | 1810, July 8th, | 17. |
Allowance, three half-quartern loaves per week. Those Prisoners, who are committed for more than one month, have the fourth-part.
The Men's court-yard here is 40 feet long by 22 feet, and has a fire-place for cooking their provision in dry weather; but in wet weather it is dressed in the infirmary-room, which is at the upper end of the Court. The latter is 14 feet 7 inches by 11 feet 6, with glazed windows, and a fire-place, barrack bedsteads, straw-in-sacking bed, one blanket, and a rug; to which an addition is made in case of sickness, if ordered by the Surgeon. Their common-ward, or day-room, is 26 feet by 17; and they have likewise two sleeping-cells; one of which, 12 feet by 11, with two iron-grated windows, has only loose straw on the boarded floor to sleep upon: the other, 11 feet by 7, and totally dark, is to confine the refractory.
Here is also another ward, 22 feet by 11 feet 6 inches, for faulty Apprentices, and other servants.
The Women have a court-yard, of 25 feet by 18; adjoining to which is their first ward, or day-room, 13 feet 8 inches square, with wooden bedsteads, straw-in-sacking beds, one blanket to each, and a rug. The second ward is 14 feet 6 inches square, and 9 feet 6 inches high, with straw-in-sacking laid on the floor. All the sleeping-rooms are on the ground-floor.
I have seldom met with any of the Prisoners here in irons, the Keeper very justly observing, "that he finds mildness to do better than harsh severity of treatment." Their employment is generally to pick oakum. They have a pump and sewer in each court-yard.
The prison closed in in around 1832.
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.
- Kent History and Library Centre, James Whatman Way, Maidstone, Kent ME14 1LQ Holdings include: Survey of Dartford Bridewell by Daniel Alexander (1813); Keepers journal (1814-22).
- 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.