Origins and Early History Like some other cities, Oxford found itself with a redundant castle, which it turned into a prison in the 14th century, when the military need for castles had passed. After the Civil War, the remains of the castle continued to be used as a prison and also as an administrative and … Read more
England & Wales Prison Total hanged Last execution Prison Total hanged Last execution London – Newgate 9 06/05/02 Knutsford 4 19/03/12 London – Pentonville 120 (includes6 spies & 2 traitors) 06/07/61 Lancaster 1 15/11/10 London – Wandsworth 117 (includes 10 spies & 2 traitors) 08/09/61 Leicester 8 17/11/53 London – Holloway 5 (female) 13/07/55 Lewes 4 11/08/14 Manchester – (Strangeways) 71 13/08/64 … Read more
The Staffordshire County Gaol was designed by William Blackburn and construction began in 1787. The new prison opened in May 1793, on Gaol Road in Stafford, to replace the previous gaol in the North Gate. The original building consisted of a central quadrangle with four wings radiating from it. In 1834, a four-story crescent shaped cell block was added which remains … Read more
The New Drop gallows was first used on the 9th of December 1783 and was erected adjacent to the Debtor’s Door of Newgate prison. It stood about 60 feet northward of the Debtor’s Door and was reached by a covered passage so that the prisoners were not visible to the public until they came up the … Read more
It is not possible to determine when Newgate first became a prison or when exactly the new gatehouse itself was originally built. Newgate was to be London’s 5th gate into the city. There are reliable records going back to 1218 of it being used to house criminals. It was finally demolished in 1904 having been rebuilt … Read more
