County Bridewell, Gainsborough, Lincolnshire
A County Bridewell, or House of Correction, was in operation in Gainsborough by 1776.
In 1784, John Howard wrote:
Two lodging-rooms,* and a day-room below, and two rooms up stairs: a court 33 feet square, in which is a new work-room: no water: no straw: no allowance: the prisoners were beating hemp at four pence a stone. Conveyance to quarter sessions at keeper's expence. His salary, £30. No fees. Might be improved on the keeper's garden.
1776, Jan. 30, | Prisoners 3. | |
1779, May 6, | - - 5. | Lunatics 3. |
1782, Jan. 31, | - - 4. | - - 2. |
* I was surprised to find a lunatic of the other sex lodge in the room appropriated to the women.
The bridewell appears to have closed in about 1791.
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.
- No individual records identified for this establishment — any information welcome.
- 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.