County Bridewell, Warwick, Warwickshire

This prison, the only county bridewell, is too small. For men, a work-room (19 feet by 16) and two lodging-rooms. For women, two rooms in a little separate No water: the handle of the pump is on the outside of the wall. The whole prison close and offensive: might be enlarged on the ground adjacent. Allowance, one pound and a half of bread a day. Keeper's salary now, £40: fees, 4s. 8d. table now hung up. Clauses against spirituous liquors hung up. Mr. Mussen (chaplain to the county gaol) formerly read prayers here once a week.

Committed in the year 1772, prisoners eighty-five-1773, one hundred and eleven-1774, one hundred and twenty-three-1775, one hundred and twelve 1776, eighty-nine-1777, one hundred and three—1778, one hundred and two 1779, one hundred and thirty — 1780, one hundred and twenty-fix-1781, one hundred and eleven.

At my last visit, the prisoners were all at work; beating hemp, spinning flax or jersey, or carding wool. Their earnings for the county amounted, in one quarter, to £4 :  12 :  3. And

Keeper, Joseph Chaplin. Salary, 80l. No Fees.

Chaplain, Rev. Hugh Laugharne. Duty, Prayers and Sermon once a week.

Salary, 50l. for this Prison, and the County Gaol.

Surgeon, Mr. Birch. Salary, for Bridewell and Gaol, 40l.

Number of Prisoners,

Allowance, one pound and half of bread per day,

REMARKS.

The Keeper's house has his garden in front, and commands a view of the two court-yards. That for Men is 99 feet by 36; that for Women, 87 feet by 15; and both are well supplied with hard and soft water.

Here are likewise two courts for Male and Female Vagrants, of about 21 feet by 12, with a sleeping cell in each, about 10 feet square.

On the basement story of the Men's-Side is a weaver's shop, containing a loom, six spinning wheels, a carding machine, and a twisting mill; and close to it, a combing and sorting room. In another room, above stairs, are seven other looms, ten spinning wheels, a small carding machine, and a warping mill. On the basement story also, in a new adjacent building, are a dye-house, with stoves, and a wash-house, with a staircase at each end.

On a second and principal story is a spinning room, extending the whole length of the building; and capable of containing about thirty spinning wheels, of which fifteen were at work when I made my last visit. The upper or attick story has a room for depositing the manufactured goods, and an Infirmary for the Women.

The centre-building, on the basement story, has a warm and cold bath, an oven and boiler; with pipes to convey water from the reservoir. The principal story has two day-rooms, one for the Men, the other for the Women, which open into their several court-yards; and to each of which the County allow one hundred weight of coals per day in the winter, and half that quantity in the summer months. Likewise a room set apart for Male-Convalescents, to which firing is allowed; and one solitary cell, about 7 feet square.

Over these is the Chamber story; in which are the Chapel, three sleeping-cells, and a sleeping-room, about 15 feet square: And on the same floor, two other lodging-rooms for Women, of about 16 feet by 14, and two cells, 7 feet square. The Gaoler supplies those Prisoners who pay 1s. 6d. per week with a bed, sheets, blankets, and a rug.

The attick-story, on the Men's-Side, has a sleeping-room, of 30 feet by 16, with partitions on the floor; and a sick room, 16 feet by 14., furnished with wooden turn-up bedsteads, chaff-beds, and two rugs each. Adjoining to the latter room is a small one, about 7 feet square, with a fire-place, to prepare and warm their victuals.

The Women's-Side contains two rooms, of 16 feet by 14 each; and a smaller, like that for the Men, 7 feet square.

The Chapel is partitioned off for the Sexes, but is too small for so populous, and sometimes crowded, a Prison. The Prisoners are all required to attend Divine Service, unless prevented by sickness.

The County allows to each Prisoner a chaff bed, or sacking filled with straw, changed every quarter, and two rugs.

The Men have their Barber weekly, and clean linen once a week, which is washed and mended by Women Prisoners. The County supplies soap and towels for all. In sickness the Surgeon orders whatever is proper, at the County expence.

The Women are generally supplied with clothing from the Prison Manufactures; which is given to them when discharged.

The following Document is worthy of record, and highly exemplary.

"Various Articles manufactured in the House of Correction at Warwick.

The Combing of Wool: Carding ditto; spinning it; and also Jerseys and Linen from Flax: Weaving of Carpets; Linsey for Petticoats; Tammies and Linen Cloth; Horse-girth Webbing; Horse clothing, rugs, and blankets."

The average number of working hands is about fifty. All Prisoners who work have twopence or threepence in a shilling out of their earnings, which is paid them weekly.

The Number of Commitments, for seven years, was as follows:

When a Prisoner is discharged, a Donation is issued, according to the distance from home, and behaviour during confinement: and one or two shirts or shifts, a pair of shoes, or a jacket, are presented to such as have been six months imprisoned, and conducted themselves properly.

The Act for Preservation of Health, and Clauses against Spirituous Liquors, are exemplarily hung up. The Prison is white-washed once a year, and kept very clean. There were seven Prisoners on the Sick List in 1809, when I made my last visit

Construction.—All the Yards are paved here. The windows open and shut most freely ; none are broken, and all are clean and neat. There are no outer walls to this house, but it is not overlooked by other buildings. The Matron's apartment is very appropriate, and well constructed for inspection.

The Magistrates had recently proposed to Make several new solitary cells for the Felons' Yard. They had received plans to this effect, and intended to make 100 new cells, which was to be accomplished by subdividing the cells existing at present. They also intended to make from 40 to 60 compartments in the Yard, in which the Felons were to be received om leaving work; protected each in front by a light iron grating, through which the Turnkey might observe ; there was also to be a Privy in each compartment. This plan has been suspended for the present, in consequence of the receipt of the Circular Letter from the Home Office.

The Walls of the Yards are too low, and favour communication.

There are no single Sleeping Cells, and none in which work is performed.

The dimensions of some of the cells are 12 ft. by 6, and 10 ft. high ; some 12 ft. by 8, and about 12 ft. high ; others12 ft. by12, and about 16 ft. high ; the Women's 14 ft. by 12, and about 16 ft. high.

Management.—The Gaoler maintains quiet, but no order has yet been received by him for the enforcement of Silence. Nine months ago a system of partial silence commenced, especially in the Felons' Yard, which is the most numerous.

Above 60 Prisoners are now sleeping two in a bed, but never alone in one cell ; there is always another bed in the same cell for one or two more. This only occurs from want of room. Tobacco is forbidden.

The Officers consist of a Governor, Clerk, Matron, five Turnkeys, one Miller, Baker and a Night Watchman, all residing in the house. They are all in constant attendance during the clay. Three of the Turnkeys, who are married, sleep out alternately; the others have apartments within the Prison, excepting the Clerk, for whom no provision is made within the walls.

There are no Untried Prisoners, except occasionally one to give evidence for the Crown. There are no employments for such. When there are any Untried here they are placed with those who are confined for want of sureties to keep the peace.

In regard to the Convicted Prisoners, they associate in the Day Rooms, each relay in a separate room, and sleep three and four in a cell.

They are not required to keep strict silence at their meals, but sit in single files or lines round the Day Room with a Turnkey, who prevents all boisterous conversation and profane language. At locking, unlocking, washing, at chapel and at work, they are under the vigilant superintendence of the Turnkeys, Governor and Clerk, who maintain strict silence.

They take their meals in the Day Rooms; breakfast at nine o'clock, dinner at 12 o'clock, supper immediately after work. They may write letters on Mondays and Thursdays in each week. All letters to or from prisoners are inspected. No regulation is made as to Visits except on the Sunday, when no one can see a prisoner.

When Whipping is ordered, apprentices on their first commitment receive 25 lashes ; afterwards 36. Among the Felons sentenced by Court, the boys receive from 25 to 50, and the men from 40 to 90. Whip has nine cords; the small whip has one knot in each cord, the other three knots. It is performed in the presence of the Governor; but if a public whipping in the Prison Yard, the Surgeon also attends.

The cleanliness, neatness and good economy of this Prison are very conspicuous.

Diet.—The following is the general allowance of food : The Untried Prisoners receive the same as the Convicted, with the additional privilege of expending 1s. 9d. per week in tea, coffee, sugar, bacon, &c. &c.

The Convicted receive 3 pints of gruel, made from 3 ounces of oatmeal, 1¾lb. bread, and 11b. potatoes, each day, except Sunday, on which day they have 1¾ lb. bread, and 1 quart of soup, made from half a pound of meat, which is boiled down in it. The Females have 1½lb. bread per day.

Clothes and Bedding are distributed in the following proportions:

The Male Convicts are provided with a cap, jacket, waistcoat, trowsers, shoes, shirts and socks, a straw bed, enclosed in linen tick, two blankets and one rug. The Females have sheets, as do the Males, when sick. The Untried prisoners wear their own clothes.

Prisoners admitted under summary convictions are occasionally supplied with jackets, trowsers, shoes and shirts.

Labour.—The harder kind is the Crank and Tread-wheels. The Boys' head pins. Females wash for the Prison, make and repair the prisoners' linen, also sew for hire. One or two prisoners are employed as tailors to make up the clothing for the Prison; one or two as shoemakers to mend the shoes; and one as a carpenter to do the repairs about the Prison.

The labour is only productive, by saving the expense of others who must be engaged to do such work.

Whatever profits arise are paid to the County Treasurer.

Part of old Bridewell (left), Warwick, c.1970.

The prison was closed in 1860 following the opening of the new County Gaol and House of Correction on Cape Road. Part of the old bridewell building, at the southern end of the town's police station complex, now the site of county offices, survived until 1972.

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.

• Birmingham Archives and Heritage Service, Library of Birmingham, Centenary Square, Broad Street, Birmingham B1 2ND. Holdings include Lists by Sheriff of the County of Warwick of all prisoners in his custody (1854-55).
• 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.

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