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Ancestry UK

Durham Borstal, Durham, County Durham

At the end of 1945, to relieve overcrowding at the Aylesbury Borstal for Girls, a borstal was established in part of the women's prison at H.M.P. Durham, located on Old Elvet, Durham. It was closed, however, in September 1947.

In 1959, when H.M.P. Aylesbury became a men-only establishment, the women's wing at Durham again became a girls' borstal. Local women, unless their sentences were very short, were transferred to Manchester. First offenders and those suitable for an open establishment were transferred to Askham Grange.

In May 1962, a new secure training borstal for girls opened at Bullwood Hall, in Essex, and the borstals at Durham, Manchester and Cardiff were subsequently closed.

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.

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.