Town Gaol, Henley-on-Thames, Oxfordshire
A Town Gaol or Lock-up in Henley was authorized under a charter of 1568 charter. By the 18th century it stood in Middle Row, just west of the guildhall.
It was replaced in 1796 by a provision beneath the new town hall, described in 1812 by James Neild:
Keeper, Charles Stokes, the Town Sergeant. Salary, 5l.
Fees, 1s. the first night, and 6d. every night after.
Allowance, eightpence per day.
REMARKS.
Under the Town-Hall are two rooms, or cages, of 11 feet by 4 feet 10, with lofty arched roofs, and straw for sleeping on the boarded floors: a sewer in one comer. The rooms ventilated by iron gratings over the doors, which open to the cornmarket. No court-yard. August 18th, 1803, no Prisoners.
In 1835, the facility was described as a 'small dungeon... used merely for purposes of temporary restraint or security.' Longer-term prisoners were sent to Oxford.
Exactly when the gaol ceased use is uncertain. The town hall was replaced by a new building on the same site which was opened in 1901.
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.
- Oxfordshire History Centre, St Luke's Church, Temple Road, Cowley, Oxford OX4 2EX. Has only a couple of legal documents.
- 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.