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Ancestry UK

Halton Castle Gaol, Halton, Cheshire

A prison existed in the eighteenth century at Halton (or Haulton) Castle on what is now Castle Road, Halton. After visiting the prison in 1777, when there were no inmates, John Howard reported:

I should scarcely have mentioned this Prison, since for a number of years past no person has been confined in it, had I not found that in an Inscription in the Court-room, dated 1737, it is still called a Gaol with a Court-yard.

The Earl of Cholmondeley is Proprietor under the Crown; and Quarterly Courts are held here for the Manor. Two Cellars in the Building appear to have been uaed for the purpose of confining Prisoners.

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

  • 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.