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Ancestry UK

Town Gaol and Bridewell, Romsey, Hampshire

In 1818, a small Town Gaol and Bridewell, or House of Correction, was in operation in Romsey, its location unclear.

The prison was rebuilt in 1821 and in 1835, it was recorded:

The Gaol at Romsey is a modern building; it contains two apartments, with fireplaces, the rooms are boarded, and in one of them the window is glazed: a yard is attached to the gaol. Formally, prisoners were confined here for considerable periods, but for the last seven years no person has been confined in the borough gaol for more than a week. Prisoners are committed to the county gaol.

The prison appears to have closed by 1837.

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.