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Ancestry UK

Tower of London, Tower Hill, Whitechapel, London

Pre-eminent amongst London's prisons was the Tower of London. The Tower, whose construction was begun in 1066 by William the Conqueror, served as a fortress, royal residence, ordnance depot, and mint, but was also used as a prison for more than 800 years. As the securest stronghold in the kingdom, its main function was the confinement of what were considered the most dangerous class of offenders — those accused of high treason.

The Tower's first inmate was Ranulf Flambard, imprisoned in the White Tower by Henry I after the suspicious death of Henry's predecessor William Rufus. Flambard was also the first person ever to escape from the Tower. In February 1101, a rope was smuggled into him in a large flagon of wine which he invited his guards to share. After they became drunk and fell asleep, he climbed down the rope to the foot of the tower where his friends had horses waiting to make his escape.

In 1305, Scottish resistance leader William Wallace, now famous as Braveheart, was imprisoned in the Tower prior to his execution for treason by Edward I. He was one of the first to undergo the fate of being hung, drawn, and quartered. His dismembered limbs were despatched separately for display in Perth, Stirling, Berwick, and Newcastle.

Other well known detainees at the Tower included the 'little princes' (Edward V and his brother Richard, the Duke of York), Guy Fawkes, Sir Walter Raleigh, and Samuel Pepys. In 1820, after the failure of their plan to assassinate the entire British cabinet, the Cato Street Conspirators were held in the Tower. Their gang, led by Arthur Thistlewood, were the last persons to be beheaded by the axe in Britain.

The Tower of London site is shown on the 19th-century illustration below.

Key: the Bloody Tower (B), St Peter's Chapel (C), the Green (G), the Jewel House (J), the Lieutenant's Lodgings (L), the Queen's Lodgings (Q), the site of the Scaffold (S), and the White Tower (W).

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.

  • The National Archives, Kew, Richmond, Surrey, TW9 4DU. Holdings include: State Prisoners: commitments and orders (1660-1818); Commitment books (1660-1820); Entry books (1722-99); Letters and orders (1722-1858); Order books (1889-1920); Prisoners of war and executions (1914-18).
  • 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.