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Ancestry UK

Westminster Gatehouse, Westminster, London

The Gatehouse Prison, was erected in 1370, at the gateway to Westminster Abbey (also known as St Peter's Abbey), located at the end of Tothill Street, to the west of the church. The Abbey Janitor was appointed warder of the establishment.

The prison had two sections: one for clerics, and one for lay offenders. Lay inmates included those accused of felonies and petty offences who were awaiting trial in Westminster, and, owing to the Gatehouse's proximity to parliament and the royal palace, state prisoners. Sir Walter Raleigh was imprisoned here in October 1618, on the eve of his execution. In 1749, the building was stormed by twenty-four armed Irishmen who released a member of the gang who had been accused of pick-pocketing.

The prison site is shown on the 1746 map below.

Westminster Gatehouse site, Westminster, c.1746.

John Howard, writing just before the prison was closed1776, reported that:

This Prison, the property of the Dean and Chapter, is over two gate-ways. It has three floors, five rooms on each; in which have been sometimes near a hundred Prisoners: but it is now so ruinous, that none are sent to it.

Prisoners previously held in the Gatehouse were then sent to a replacement establishment erected adjacent to the Tothill Fields Bridewell.

The old Gateway Prison buildings was demolished in 1777.

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.

  • London Metropolitan Archives, 40 Northampton Road, London EC1R OHB. Holdings include: Calendars of prisoners (1720-68, with gaps); Calendars of prisoners after trial (1693-1765, with gaps); Keeper's accounts for food and lodging of prisoners (1599-1600).
  • 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.