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Ancestry UK

Female Convict Prison, Woking, Surrey

In 1869, the first prison exclusively for female convicts was opened at Victoria Road, Knaphill (or Knapp Hill), near Woking, on a site adjacent to the existing prison for male invalid convicts. Its opening allowed the closure of the female accommodation at Brixton and Parkhurst.

The new prison was constructed entirely by convict labour, at a cost of £45,000 and contained accommodation for 780 women, plus all the requirements for divine service, stores, quarters for officers, offices, &c.

In 1889, a lengthy account of conditions in the prison was published under the title Female Convict Life At Woking.

In 1895, when the number of inmates had fallen to 205, the prison was closed. On 1st October, the existing prisoners were either released if having reached the end of their sentence, or transferred to the prison at Aylesbury, which was redesignated as a women's convict prison.

In 1895, the Knaphill site was taken over by War Office. The only surviving buildings are a row of former prison staff houses.

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.

Census

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.