A new county gaol for Shropshire was built by Thomas Telford, the County Surveyor for Shropshire, between 1787 and 1793 to the design of architect John Hiram Haycock, at a cost of £30,000.
The main buildings are principally three- and four-storey brick structures.
It opened in 1793 with 204 cells, 179 for males and 25 for females, plus a debtors’ ward and an infirmary.
The governor’s house was a two-storey building just inside the main gate which later became the execution rooms.
There was an imposing stone gatehouse, in the centre of which was a large bust of prison reformer John Howard, who had been involved in design improvements.
The prison stood on the Dana and Howard Street and was known locally as “The Dana”.
In 1877 the control of all county gaols, including Shrewsbury, was transferred from the Quarter Sessions to the Home Office. As a result, the interior of the prison was modernised.
One of the few original features of the earlier 18th-century building surviving today is the gatehouse.
In later years, as H.M. Prison Shrewsbury, it had become a Category B/C men’s facility until its closure in March 2013.
In all, 71 men and two women were hanged here between 1795 and 1961.
The Five 18th-Century Executions at Shrewsbury
The first execution at the new gaol took place on Saturday, the 15th of August 1795, when John Smith, aged 25, was hanged for stealing 10 cotton handkerchiefs in the shop of John Miner in the parish of Whitchurch on the 27th of March of that year.
Edward Quilt for theft and John Hill for being at large in the Kingdom (returning from transportation) were executed together on Saturday the 26th of March 1796.
Thomas Micklewright was hanged on Saturday, the 8th of April 1797, for cattle stealing, and Adam Humphreys on Saturday, the 7th of April 1798, for arson.
19th-Century Executions at Shrewsbury (60)
Fifty-eight men and two women were executed here in the 19th century.
The first of these women was Sarah Jones, a single woman aged 27, who was hanged on Thursday, the 11th of August 1803, having been found guilty of the murder of her “female bastard”, who was born on the 19th of February 1803 and which:
“she threw into an Iron Stone Pit, 10 yards deep, in the Hill Top Field in the parish of Benthall”
on the 18th of May 1803. This was the first execution for murder at Shrewsbury.
Between 1800 and 1812, 15 men were hanged for what we would now consider relatively minor crimes, such as sheep and horse theft, burglary, and highway robbery (street mugging).
On the 24th of August 1811, five men were hanged together for a burglary at the premises of a Mr. Norcross at Betton.
They were George Taylor, aged 43, William Turner, aged 53, Abraham Whitehouse, aged 23, James Baker, aged 19, and Isaac Hickman, aged 19, who were convicted of burglariously breaking into a dwelling-house, and stealing some banknotes and other articles of value.
This was Shrewsbury’s largest execution in a single day and was carried out on a gallows set up in front of the Gaol.
The next hanging for murder was that of John Griffiths on Monday the 23rd of March 1812.
Griffiths had been convicted of the murder of Mr. William Bailey at Ketley, near Wellington on the 31st of January 1812.
It appears that Griffiths was trying to borrow money from Mr. Bailey and when he did not get what he wanted battered him to death with an adze, a woodworking tool similar to a pickaxe.
A lot of blood was found in Griffiths’ house where the killing had taken place, together with a bloodstained shirt with Mr. Bailey’s initials on it.
Griffiths was tried at Shrewsbury on Friday the 20th of March and upon being found guilty was sentenced to be hanged and then dissected.
The following year Rowland Preston shared his fate, having been convicted of the murder of Francis Bruce and his servant Ann Taylor at Longford.
On the 9th of April 1814 William Wheeler was hanged for sodomising 6-year-old Ann Vandrell. Strangely this case was not considered newsworthy.
Thomas Jesson was executed on the 27th of March 1815 for the murder of his stepdaughter, Mary Birch, in the parish of Halesowen, by picking the little girl up by the legs and smashing her head against the floor.
The other woman to hang at Shrewsbury was 50-year-old Ann Harris, as an accessory to the murder of James Harrison at Drayton.
She was executed on the 16th of August 1828.
John Cox and James Pugh who had actually committed this murder were hanged on Monday the 4th of August 1828 as required by the Murder Act of 1751.
With them on the gallows was William Stephenson who had been convicted at the same Assize of the murder of John Horton.
On Saturday the 31st of March 1832, 32-year-old James Lea and 20-year-old Joseph Grindley were hanged in front of the prison for arson, probably by Samuel Burrows, Chester’s hangman. They had been convicted of setting fire to haystacks at Whitchurch, the property of a Mr. Nunnerly.
At noon on Saturday the 13th of August 1836, England’s last hangings for robbery took place here when 21-year-old Lawrence Curtis, 30-year-old Patrick Donelly, and 42-year-old Edward Donelly, all from Ireland, were hanged atop the gatehouse of the prison.
The trio had robbed a Mr. Woodward and a Mr. Urwick at Burlton, near Shrewsbury.
The hanging reportedly drew an “unprecedented crowd”.
Both prior to execution and on the gallows the men also confessed to other robberies. The hangman was Samuel Burrows. Soon after this, robbery ceased to be a capital crime.
John Williams was hanged at noon on Saturday the 2nd of April 1842.
The 24-year-old was to suffer for the robbery and murder of Emma Evans at Chirk.
According to his published confession, he, with an accomplice named Williams, had gone to Emma’s house with the intention of stealing her purse.
He knocked on her door and asked her for tobacco. She went to fetch him some and as she turned away from him he hit her over the head twice and then cut her throat.
He was hanged by William Calcraft and reportedly died without a struggle.
Twenty-seven-year-old John Lloyd was hanged on Friday the 4th of April 1854, by George Smith from Dudley, for the murder of blacksmith John Gittins at Nesscliffe on the 28th of February 1854.
Lloyd had lodged with the Gittins family but had been evicted by John for being over-familiar with his wife.
Lloyd shot John Gittins through the kitchen window in revenge for this. He made a full confession to the Chaplain and reportedly died without a struggle.
Thirty-year-old Edward Cooper was executed on the 11th of April 1863 for the murder of his son at Baschurch. This hanging reportedly drew a huge crowd. George Smith officiated at this execution.
The Last Public Hanging: John Mapp (1868)
Shrewsbury’s last public hanging was that of 35-year-old John Mapp for the murder of ten-year-old Catherine Lewis at Longdon, near Shrewsbury.
It is unclear from contemporary newspaper reports whether the motive was sexual, but it seems that Catherine refused Mapp’s advances and when she did so a second time he cut her throat and hid the body under a hedge.
Mapp was an obvious suspect for the killing of Catherine as he had previously been convicted and sentenced to transportation for the rape of a 60-year-old woman in 1859.
He was tried on the 23rd of March at Shrewsbury Assizes before Sir Fitzroy Kelly. The jury had little trouble in reaching their verdict.
In the condemned cell he maintained his innocence, but on the eve of his execution made a full confession.
He was hanged by William Calcraft at 8:00 a.m. on Thursday the 9th of April 1868, in what would be England and Wales’ pre-penultimate public execution, as detailed in our gazetteer of execution sites from the late 18th century to abolition in 1964.
An estimated 5,000 witnessed the spectacle carried out on the gatehouse roof.
Calcraft made the usual preparations, operating with the older short drop, but just as the drop fell, Mapp turned his head and displaced the noose so that the eyelet was under his chin.
He reportedly struggled hard for about 30 seconds.
Private Gallows and Execution Facilities
The Victorian Execution Shed (1869–1899)
After the ending of public hanging following the Capital Punishment Amendment Act 1868, an execution shed was constructed in an alcove against the back wall of the prison. Most county prisons had execution sheds built around this time.
In the period 1869 to 1899, just two men were hanged at Shrewsbury:
- William Samuels (27/07/1886): Hanged on Monday the 27th of July 1886, having been convicted of poisoning William Mabbotts with strychnine at Welshpool.
- William Arrowsmith (28/03/1888): Executed on Wednesday the 28th of March 1888 for the murder of his 80-year-old uncle, George Pickerill, whom he had battered to death for financial gain at Prees Lower Heath on the 11th of November 1887.
In both cases, James Berry was the executioner, applying the newly developed principles of the evolution of the long drop in the 20th century.
The 20th-Century Condemned Suite
At some point in the early 20th century, a new condemned cell and execution suite was constructed at the far end of what had been the women’s wing.
The upper two windows belonged to the gallows room, the lower windows were the drop room, and the last window on the right was the autopsy room.
The marble autopsy table was destroyed when it was being removed. Note the unusually large windows, left over from its former role.
The condemned cell was located in the three-storey building behind it, and access was created by turning the last cell on the left into a lobby to join what had originally been two separate buildings.
The gallows room was much larger than usual, and the big windows were fitted with shutters.
This facility remained in use until the last hanging in 1961. The white safety line around where the trapdoors had been can still be discerned.
20th-Century Executions at Shrewsbury (8)
It is interesting that all eight 20th-century execution cases at Shrewsbury involved the murder of a woman:
| Name | Date of Execution | Age | Crime and Victim | Executioner / Assistant |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Richard Wigley | 18/03/1902 | 34 | Murder of Mary Ellen Bowen at Westbury | Henry Pierrepoint & John Ellis |
| Thomas Cox | 24/10/1917 | 50 | Murder of wife Elizabeth at Ludlow | John Ellis & William Willis |
| William Everitt | 04/04/1923 | 25 | Murder of Sarah Ann Roberts at Wellington | Thomas Pierrepoint & Robert Baxter |
| Harry Rowley | 31/03/1931 | 35 | Murder of wife Ada at Scarth Hill | Thomas Pierrepoint & Thomas Phillips |
| Edward Davies | 22/10/1940 | 36 | Murder of wife Florence at Trench | Thomas Pierrepoint & Harry Allen |
| Harry Higgins | 12/03/1941 | 36 | Murder of wife Florence at Ketley Bank | Thomas Pierrepoint & Syd Dernley |
| Frank Griffin | 04/01/1951 | 40 | Murder of Jane Edge at Wellington | Albert Pierrepoint & Syd Dernley |
| George Riley | 25/04/1961 | 21 | Murder of Adeline Smith at Shrewsbury | Harry Allen & Samuel Plant |
Notable 20th-Century Cases
Richard Wigley: “Murder for Love” (18/03/1902)
The first man to hang here in the 20th century was 34-year-old Richard Wigley.
Wigley was in a long-term relationship with 28-year-old Mary Ellen Bowen.
She had worked as a barmaid at the Lion Inn at Westbury in Shropshire (which is still in business) but moved to the village of Berrington to be closer to Wigley, who worked as a slaughterman there.
For reasons unknown, Mary decided to end the relationship after some years and moved back to Westbury and back to her old job.
Wigley visited her when he could, but Mary did not want to continue seeing him.
On Saturday the 30th of November 1901, Wigley arrived at the Lion Inn around 10:00 a.m.
He was wearing his work apron, and a pouch containing two of his butcher’s knives was on his belt.
He was served a first pint of beer, but Mary refused to serve him another, turned her back on him, and left the bar.
Wigley followed her into the passageway where he grabbed her from behind with one hand and drew a knife across her throat with the other hand. Mary died almost immediately.
Wigley was quickly arrested and told the police that he had killed Mary for “love” and that if he could not have her, no one else could.
Searching his possessions, police found a letter detailing his intentions and saying that he was willing to die for killing Mary.
He was tried at Shrewsbury before Mr. Justice Phillimore on the 27th of February 1902. The usual defence of insanity was offered but rejected by the jury.
He was hanged on Tuesday the 18th of March 1902.
This was Henry Pierrepoint’s first job as Principal Executioner (No. 1), and he was assisted by John Ellis.
Henry gave the 200-lb, bull-necked Wigley a drop of 4 feet 10 inches, which proved sufficient to cause dislocation of the cervical vertebrae.
Thomas Cox: Wife Murder (24/10/1917)
Thomas Cox cut his wife’s throat at Ludlow on Saturday the 11th of August 1917.
Thomas, aged 50, and Elizabeth, aged 49, lived at 37 Upper Galeford in Ludlow and argued constantly over everything.
They had two children, 13-year-old Henry and 8-year-old Benjamin.
All four slept in the same room, and Henry did his best to protect his mother and his brother from his father’s often violent outbursts.
During a final altercation, Cox attacked Elizabeth with a razor, fatally slashing her throat.
He was tried at the Shropshire Assizes, convicted of murder, and executed on October 24th, 1917, by John Ellis and William Willis.
William Everitt (04/04/1923)
Twenty-five-year-old William Everitt was hanged on April 4th, 1923, by Thomas Pierrepoint and Robert Baxter for the murder of Sarah Ann Roberts at Wellington.
Everitt had attacked Roberts following a bitter dispute, inflicting fatal injuries.
Harry Rowley (31/03/1931)
Thirty-five-year-old Harry Rowley was executed on March 31st, 1931, by Thomas Pierrepoint and Thomas Phillips for the murder of his wife Ada at Scarth Hill.
Rowley cut her throat after she refused to resume cohabitation following marital breakdown.
Edward Davies and Harry Higgins (1940–1941)
During the Second World War, two domestic wife murders led to executions at Shrewsbury:
- Edward Davies (22/10/1940): Aged 36, hanged by Thomas Pierrepoint and Harry Allen for the murder of his wife Florence at Trench.
- Harry Higgins (12/03/1941): Aged 36, hanged by Thomas Pierrepoint, assisted by Syd Dernley, for the murder of his wife Florence at Ketley Bank.
Frank Griffin (04/01/1951)
Forty-year-old Frank Griffin was executed on January 4th, 1951, by Albert Pierrepoint, assisted by Syd Dernley, for the robbery-murder of 74-year-old widow Jane Edge at her home in Wellington.
Griffin had broken into her residence, bludgeoned her to death, and ransacked the property for money.
George Riley: The Final Execution (25/04/1961)
Twenty-one-year-old George Riley became the final person executed at Shrewsbury Prison on Tuesday, the 25th of April 1961.
Riley was convicted of the capital murder of 62-year-old neighbour Adeline Smith during a break-in at her home in Shrewsbury.
He had battered her with a blunt instrument while seeking cash to pay off gambling debts.
Riley was hanged by Harry Allen, assisted by Samuel Plant.
Following Riley’s execution, the gallows at Shrewsbury remained unused until the Murder (Abolition of Death Penalty) Act 1965 brought about the abolition of capital punishment in Britain.
Frequently Asked Questions
When was Shrewsbury Prison (The Dana) built?
Shrewsbury Prison was constructed between 1787 and 1793 by Thomas Telford, County Surveyor for Shropshire, to designs by architect John Hiram Haycock. It opened in 1793 at a cost of £30,000, replacing the older county gaol.
How many executions took place at Shrewsbury Prison?
Between 1795 and 1961, 73 people (71 men and two women) were executed at Shrewsbury: 5 in the 18th century, 60 in the 19th century, and 8 in the 20th century.
Who were the two women executed at Shrewsbury?
- Sarah Jones (11/08/1803): Hanged for the murder of her newborn infant by throwing it into a 10-yard-deep ironstone pit at Benthall.
- Ann Harris (16/08/1828): Hanged as an accessory to the murder of James Harrison at Drayton.
What was England’s last hanging for robbery?
On August 13, 1836, Lawrence Curtis, Patrick Donelly, and Edward Donelly were hanged on the gatehouse roof at Shrewsbury Prison for armed highway robbery at Burlton. This was the final execution for robbery in English legal history before the offence ceased to be capital.
Who was the last person executed at Shrewsbury Prison?
Twenty-one-year-old George Riley was the last person hanged at Shrewsbury on April 25, 1961, executed by Harry Allen for the capital murder of 62-year-old Adeline Smith.
What happened to Shrewsbury Prison after it closed?
HMP Shrewsbury closed in March 2013. The historic prison site—including its Victorian cell blocks, condemned suite, and original Telford gatehouse—was preserved and opened to the public as a heritage and tourist attraction.
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