Town Gaol and Bridewell, Hythe, Kent
By 1804, a Town Gaol existence by 1812 and Bridewell, or House of Correction, was in operation on Stade Street, Hythe.
In 1812, James Neild described the establishment:
Keeper, Thomas Sampson; now James Higham. Salary, twenty shillings, and half a chaldron of coals.
Prisoners, 1 804, Sept. 23d, 2. 1806, Aug. 12th, 0. 1809, July 10th, 1 Woman Felon.
Allowance, threepence a day each, in bread.
To this Gaol there is a small court-yard, of 16 feet by 14 feet 4; and two rooms, about 9 feet 6 by 7 feet 5, and 7 feet 6 inches high. One of them has a fire-place; the other straw only on the floor, and two blankets ; with iron-grated windows, about two feet two inches square. No pump. The Keeper fetches the water that is wanted from the town. A tub serves as a sewer, though one might be built in the court-yard. At my visit, in August 1808, I found that the former Keeper was dismissed, on account of a Prisoner's having made his escape.
In 1837, the Inspectors of Prisons reported:
This Prison has three rooms:—No. 1.—15 feet by 10 feet and 13 feet in height, having a window about 3 feet 2 inches square. This is generally used as a day-room for men. No. 2.—9 feet 6 inches by 12 feet 3 inches, and 7 feet 9 inches in height; the Window is 2 feet 2 inches square. No. 3.—9 feet 3 inches by 7 feet 5 inches; the height is 7 feet 6½ inches; the Window is 2 feet 3 inches square.
We found one Female, convicted of shop-lifting, who had been five months in the Prison. The total number of Commitments in 1835 was 12, and in 1836, six. The greatest number at one time in confinement was one man and one woman. No prisoners are sent to the County Gaol.
The Magistrates are about to make an arrangement with the Borough of Dover, for the maintenance of their Prisoners—a very desirable measure. Should this be concluded, the present gaol should only be used as a lock-up house for the separate confinement of persons persons under examination.
As suggested by the Inspectors, the prison became a lock-up, eventually being closed in about 1850.
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 Very few records survive.
- 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.
