County Bridewell, Winchcombe, Gloucestershire
A Gloucestershire County Bridewell, or House of Correction, was established at Winchcombe (then usually spelled Winchcomb).
In 1784, John Howard wrote:
In this bridewell prisoners were formerly kept all together in the cellar. Now they are in the garrets: men in one, women in another; each about 14 feet square: roof and foors meet: 8 feet high to the ridge in the middle. A close-glazed window in each: no chimney. Prisoners always confined to their rooms: court not secure. The county have never expended any thing upon the house for many years; and the whole is quite out of repair. It was the freehold of the keeper, who was upwards of fourscore: his salary per receipts £12: 10: 0, received only £12. Fees, 13s. 4d. no table. Licence for beer. Clauses against spirituous liquors not hung up. Allowance, if charged with felony, three-pennyworth of bread a day. No straw. The keeper said, that "he should be obliged to put irons on all the prisoners to secure them."
1776, Dec. 14, Prisoners, 1 Felon, and 2 Women.
1779, May 19, No Prisoners.
1782, Dec. 24, One Petty Offender.
The establishment was closed following the passing of the Gloucestershire Act of 1785, which provided for the closure of several existing bridewells and the construction of several new ones, mostly at different locations in the county.
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.
- Gloucestershire Archives, Clarence Row, Alvin Street, Gloucester GL1 3DW.
- 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.