Worcester prison

The new County Gaol for Worcestershire opened 1813. It was designed by a Mr. Sandy in the style of a medieval castle, and originally had 90 cells, but an extra 80 were added 25 years later. The road outside the prison was renamed from Salt Lane to Castle Street, due to the architectural appearance. The Gaol was a general prison, housing convicted and condemned criminals, those awaiting transportation plus debtors and remand inmates.

Between 1814 and 1919, 38 men were executed at Worcester. Prior to 1834 the bodies of murderers were typically sent to the Worcester Royal Infirmary for dissection.

Public executions at Worcester (26).

William Seale, aged 21 became the first to be hanged here on Friday the 20th of March 1812 for the rape of Elizabeth Everin at Norton, near Worcester.
The execution took place in a field adjacent to the New Gaol as it was being constructed. The hangman was not identified in the press as was typical at the time.

Willian White became the first to be hanged at the prison when he suffered for the rape of Ann Davis. The execution took place on the 21st of July 1815.

The following year there would be a triple hanging on the 22nd of March 1816, when William Clements and John Batty were executed for burglary and John Rower for uttering.

On the 1st of August 1817 Thomas Eastbury was hanged opposite the Gaol for cutting & maiming John Gilson.

The first to die on the New Drop gallows erected over the entrance to the County Gaol, was William Corfield on the 31st of July 1818 who had been condemned for a burglary.

John Harris was hanged on the 19th of March 1819 for uttering forged banknotes at Bromsgrove.

Robert Hollick was hanged on the 17th of March 1820 for highway robbery at Claines.

On the 23rd of March 1821 Thomas Dyer suffered for housebreaking.

A double hanging took place on the 24th of August 1821 when William Bird was executed for housebreaking and William Mantle for stealing sheep.

Another double hanging took place on the 21st of March 1823 when James Davis was hanged for horse theft and Joseph Rutter was executed for housebreaking.

John Hobday was hanged on the 21st of July 1826, for a burglary at the Bell Inn in Kidderminster.

On the 12th of March 1830 Michael Toll was executed for the murder of Ann Cook with whom be co-habited and had thrown into a pit at Oldswinford (part of present day Stourbridge).

23 year old Charles Wall was hanged on the 30th of July 1830 for the murder of a little girl named Sally Chance, also at Oldswinford. The execution took place at 6 p.m. as it was election day.
His body was sent to a surgeon in Stourbridge for dissection.

On the 13th of August 1830, 17 year old Thomas Turner was executed for the rape of nine year old Louise Blissett at New Wood near Kidderminster.

Thomas Slaughter was hanged on the 25th of March 1831 for arson, having set fire to a hay rick at Elmley Lovett.

On the 22nd of March 1833, brothers 20 year old Joseph Carter and 22 year old James Carter were executed for a robbery.

Robert Lilly was hanged at noon on the 12th of March 1834 for the murder of Jonathan Wall at Bromsgrove.

William Lightband was executed by Samuel Haywood on the 23rd of March 1837 for the murder of Joseph Hawkins, a shopkeeper, at Areley Kings.

49 year old Robert Pulley was hanged by George Smith at noon on the 26th of March 1849 for the murder of 15 year old Mary Straight at Broughton, on the 5th of December, 1848.

Joseph Meadows was executed on the 4th of August 1855 for the murder of his girlfriend Mary Ann Mason at Kate’s Hill near Dudley. William Calcraft was the hangman.

Worcester’s last public hanging took place on the 2nd of January 1863 when 70 year old William Ockold from Oldbury was hanged by Calcraft for the murder of his wife, Sophie.

Private executions at Worcester (12).

On the 12th of August 1872, 38 year old Charles Holmes was executed by Calcraft for the murder of his wife, Maria at Eachway near Bromsgrove.

21 year old Enoch Whiston was executed by William Marwood on the 10th of February 1879 for the robbery murder of Alfred Meredith on the 6th of December 1878 at Whiteside near Dudley.

On the 25th of May 1885, 65 year old Moses Shrimpton was hanged by James Berry for the murder of Police Constable Davis at Alverchuch. This hanging resulted in a near decapitation.

30 year old Thomas Wyre was hanged by James Berry on the 8th of July 1888 for the murder of his three year old son, James, at Wolverley.

Samuel Crowther, aged 71, followed him to the gallows on the 12th of December 1888 for the murder of John Willis. James Berry was the hangman.

A double execution was carried out on the 11th of March 1890 when Joseph & Samuel Boswell were hanged by James Berry for the murder of gamekeeper, Frank Stephens.

25 year old Amie Meunier (male) was hanged by James Billington on the 19th of July 1893 for the murder of Charlotte Pearcey.

Samuel Middleton, aged 46 was executed by William Billington on the 15th of July 1902 for the murder of his wife, Hannah at Foxlydiate, near Redditch.

48 year old William Yarnold was hanged by Henry Pierrepoint and John Ellis on the 5th of December 1905 for the murder of his wife, Annie.

Thomas Fletcher, aged 28 was executed by John Ellis and Thomas Pierrepoint on the 9th of July 1913 for the jealousy murder of his girlfriend, 21 year old Lillian Wharton, at the Fountain Inn in Dudley.

33 year old Chinese national Djang Djing Sung became the last to be executed here when he was hanged by John Ellis and Edward Taylor on the 3rd of December 1919 for murdering Zee Ming Wu at Warley Woods.

All twelve bodies were exhumed in 1925 when the prison was demolished, and re-buried at Winson Green Prison in Birmingham.

Ten death masks are on display at the George Marshall Medical Museum in the Charles Hastings Education Centre, Worcester. Photo

The later gallows was in the coach house, the small shed like building in the top left of the photo. There was a linking door from the wing behind where the condemned cell was situated. It is not known exactly when this arrangement was adopted but it was used for the execution of Samuel Middleton.

Worcester prison closed in 1922 as it was considered to be uneconomic by the Prison Commission, having only 100 prisoners and 24 staff. During the 1st World War the inmate population was greatly reduced as prisoners were could apply for and be granted release on condition of serving abroad in the armed forces. In the 1930s the front of the building including the castle like turrets was demolished.

The prison was so secure that only one prisoner is reported to have escaped in its 125 years. He hid under sacks in a coal cart and was driven out through the front gate. On arrival home he was rejected by his wife and returned to the Gaol.

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