County Bridewell, Oundle, Northamptonshire
A County Bridewell, or House of Correction, stood on Mill Road, Oundle.
In 1742 John Southwell was appointed Keeper; and in 1772 , George Ball, of Oundle, Fellmonger, was appointed Keeper, his salary was £12 a year and the prison fees were 3s. 6d.
In 1784, John Howard described the establishment as comprising:
Separate work-rooms, lodging-rooms, and courts for men and women; the whole is in a ruinous insecure state. It is rented by the county at £12 a year. Keeper's salary, £12. Fees, 3s. 6d. no table.
1779, Sep. 22, | Prisoners 0. |
Oct. 12, | 0. |
1782, May 4, | 1. |
In 1791, Howard reported that:
The house is now purchased by the county. It is in a ruinous condition: never white-washed : no possibility of keeping the prisoners, but in heavy irons : no employment. Allowance in bread &c. 6d. a day.
1788, Aug. 8, | Prisoner 1. |
The Bridewell subsequently became a short-term lock-up, finally closing in about 1842.
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.