City Bridewell, Chester, Cheshire
In 1777, the Chester City Bridewell, or House of Correction, was the subject of a report by John Howard:
Out of repair; and not safe : no yard : no water : no allowance : no employment. They are building a large Works-shop, and rooms over it. Below are two new Dungeons about nine feet under ground . I told the Keeper that I wished the Contriver of these might be the first who lodged in them. I heard they intend to enclose a Court yard : I hope they will not forget a Pump.
Here were several leaden weights marked 30, 40, 60 pounds, with a ring and chains to each : these are fastened, as the Magistrates order, or the Keeper finds needful, to the legs of refractory Prisoners, that they may not walk without carrying the weight. The Keeper said he had some Women so turbulent that it was extremely difficult to make them behave orderly, while they were kept together.
Howard made a further report on the establishment in 1792:
Over Howard's five visits between 1775 and 1783, the number of inmates had varied between zero and twelve.
The prison was closed in 1807 after the opening of the new City Gaol and Bridewell on what is now City Walls Road.
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.
- Cheshire Archives and Local Studies, Cheshire Record Office, Duke Street, Chester, Cheshire CH1 1RL.
- 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.