County Bridewell, Manchester, Lancashire
According to John Howard, a County Bridewell was built, or rather rebuilt, in Manchester in 1774.
In 1784, Howard wrote:
Separate courts and apartments for men and women. Two rooms for an infirmary (14 feet by 11 feet 8 inches). The men have work-rooms, over which are chambers. Their four night-rooms or cells in a passage 45 feet by 6, are close; 11 feet by 8; 11 steps below the court; but not properly under ground, being on the declivity of a hill. Women have three rooms on the ground-poor, and three chambers: here is a dungeon, down 9 steps, 14 feet by 13; an inconvenient bath, no water in it. The iron-grate door into each court has a lock and fastenings of a contrivance singularly curious. No allowance. Keeper's salary was raised from £25 to £60, in lieu of fees, and is now raised to £80 in lieu of the tap.
The act for preserving the health of prisoners, and the clauses against spirituous liquors, hung up. The keeper is a chandler, and employs some of the prisoners in spinning candle-wick at three-halfpence a pound. In the front of the prison is a stone with an aperture into a box, having this inscription;—"Sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not." Matt. xxv. 43.
1774, Nov. 5, | Prisoners 21. | 1779, May 12, | Prisoners 1. Impressed 6. |
1775, Nov. 16, | 6, | 1782, Nov. 22, | 14. |
1776, Sep. 15, | 12. |
The bridewell closed in around 1788, following the opening of the New Bailey Gaol and House of Correction.
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
- 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.