County Bridewell, Hereford, Herefordshire
By at least the 1750s, a County Bridewell, or House of Correction, existed at the western edge of Castle Green in a building now known as Castle Cliffe, originally the castle's Water Gate.
In 1784, John Howard wrote of the establishment:
On the castle-green, is quite out of repair. Indeed it is not only ruinous, but dangerous: a cross wall is parted a great way from the wall against which it abutted. In the day-room there was a large quantity of water from the roof. No fire-place: offensive sewers: no court: no stated allowance: no employment.
Keeper's salary, £10. He told me that a little before I came, a prisoner died after three weeks confinement. Six prisoners, whom I saw there at my first visit, complained of being almost famished. They were sent hither from the assize a few days before to bard labour (as the sentence usually runs) for six months. The justices had ordered the keeper to supply each of them daily with a two-penny loaf: but he had neglected them. They broke out soon after.
The above was the state of this prison in 1776.—In 1779 they were repairing it; for the cross wall had fallen in. But the spot on which it is built is so confined, that it cannot be convenient. There are only two rooms for work and lodging for both sexes, 22 feet 9 inches by 21: no chimney's: no straw: as there is no court, the sewers make the rooms very unhealthy. It might have been better, if the gentlemen had erected the bridewell in one of the two very spacious gardens joining to the county gaol, and occupied by the gaoler; then, if they had no chapel, the prisoners (as those in Shrewsbury bridewell) might have had the privilege of public worship in the county gaol.—The women in irons.
1774, Aug. 9, | Prisoners 6. | 1779, May 17, Prisoners in county-gaol. | |
1775, Dec. 3, | 0. | 1782, April 26, | 4. |
1776, Sep. 9, | 1. |
In 1796, a replacement bridewell was incorporated into the new Hereford County Gaol on Commercial Street.
The former Castle Green bridewell site is indicated on the 1888 map below.
The Castle Cliffe building is now used as holiday 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.
- Herefordshire Archives and Record Centre, Fir Tree Lane, Hereford HR2 6LA.
- 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.