In 1788 a new Hampshire County Gaol opened in Jewry Street, Winchester at a cost of £10,000 to the design of architect George Moneypenney.
A debtor’s prison was added in 1805.
These continued in service until the mid-1850s when the magistrates decided that a new, larger prison was needed.
Charles Pearce was appointed to design and build the new prison on a six-acre site off Romsey Road.
Construction commenced in 1846 and was completed in September 1849 by a local builder, Thomas Stopher.
The new prison was designed on the then-fashionable “Panopticon” principal, with five four-storey wings radiating from a central hub topped by a tall ventilation tower.
Inmates were transferred into this building from Jewry Street and from the Bridewells (local lockups) in Winchester, Southampton, Portsmouth, and Gosport.
In 1871 the prison had a capacity of 321 males and 31 female prisoners. It also had the capacity for 29 male and 4 female debtors who were held in a separate building.
As built, each wing had a large window at the end which was the height of two stories, and there were roof skylights.
Every cell had a gas mantle to augment the natural light from the windows.
Water for the prison was obtained from a well in the grounds, and ventilation air was ducted from the central tower.
In 1908 a prison hospital was added.
A new condemned suite was completed in February 1937, to replace the previous execution shed.
It was constructed at the end of D wing, on D2 landing, taking up the last two cells on the right.
The drop room was on D1 landing, which is a kitchen now.
What is now the outside wash area (for pots and pans) is where the bodies would have been wheeled out the door across to the mortuary, about 30 feet away, which was No. 5 workshop (mailbags).
From there they were buried in the confines of the prison, with a number and an arrow to indicate where the graves were.
An official memo dated 1950 gave dimensions of 7 feet 6 inches by 4 feet 6 inches for the trapdoors, built for the evolution of the long drop in the 20th century.
Between 1856 and 1963, 42 men were hanged here.
Today, as HMP Winchester, the facility remains operational as a Category B/C prison for adult males.
Public Executions at Winchester Prison (11)
Between 1856 and 1867, 11 men were hanged in public outside the prison gatehouse on Romsey Road, all executed by William Calcraft, reflecting the era before private executions detailed in our gazetteer of execution sites from the late 18th century to abolition in 1964:
- Abraham Baker (08/01/1856): The first person executed at the Romsey Road gaol, hanged for the murder of Naomi Kingswell.
- Thomas Jones (22/03/1856): Executed for the murder of Dr. Hope.
- Giuseppe Lagava, Giovanni Barbalano, and Matteo Pettrici (23/12/1856): Three Italian seamen hanged simultaneously for the mutinous murders of two officers aboard the ship Globe in the Black Sea.
- James Johnson (01/01/1861): Executed on New Year’s Day for the murder of Corporal Coler.
- Thomas Jackson (27/12/1861): Hanged for murdering Sgt. John Dickson.
- George Gilbert (04/08/1862): Executed for the murder of 23-year-old Mary Ann Hall.
- Ferdinando Petrina (30/12/1862): Hanged for murder on the high seas.
- John Hughes (04/08/1865): Executed for the murder of Maria Clements.
- Frederick Baker (24/12/1867): Became the last person to be hanged in public at Winchester when he was executed for the abduction and gruesome murder of eight-year-old Fanny Adams at Alton.
19th-Century Private Executions (15)
Following the passage of the Capital Punishment Amendment Act 1868 ending public hangings, 15 men were executed within the prison from 1869 to 1899:
- William Dixon (06/09/1869): Executed by William Calcraft for the murder of Corporal Brett.
- Thomas Smith (16/11/1874): Hanged by William Calcraft for the murder of Captain Bird.
- James Caffyn (11/02/1878): Went to the gallows set up in one of the prison’s yards for the murder of his ex-girlfriend, Maria Barber. William Marwood was the executioner.
- Albert Brown and James Whelan (31/05/1886): Hanged by James Berry for the murders of two sailors, George Richardson and James Parker, on board the SS Emma J. Shore.
- George Clarke (27/03/1888): Aged 42, Clarke was executed by James Berry for the murder of his stepdaughter, Ann Vaughan.
- Edward Fawcett (25/08/1891): Hanged by James Berry for the murder of his wife, Ester.
- George Mason (06/12/1893): Aged 19, Mason was executed by James Billington for the murder of army Sgt. James Robinson.
- Samuel Elkins (28/07/1894): Hanged by James Billington for the murder of William Mitchell.
- Frederick Burden, Philip Matthews, and Samuel Smith (21/07/1896): Winchester’s only triple execution took place when James Billington, assisted by William Warbrick, hanged 24-year-old Frederick Burden for murdering Angelina Faithful, 32-year-old Philip Matthews for the murder of his daughter, and 18-year-old Samuel Smith for the murder of Cpl. Robert Payne. The gallows were set up in the shed used to house the governor’s coach, and a new split beam had been obtained for this hanging.
- Cyrus Knight and William Rogers (12/12/1898): Two murderers were hanged together by James Billington, assisted by William Warbrick. Cyrus Knight died for the murder of his wife, Frances, and William Rogers died for the murder of Sarah Jupe.
- Charles Maidment (12/07/1899): Aged 22, Maidment became the last person to die here in the 19th century when he was hanged for the murder of his girlfriend, Dorcas Houghton. James Billington was the hangman.
20th-Century Executions at Winchester (16)
In the 20th century, 16 men were hanged at Winchester Prison:
| Name | Date of Execution | Age | Crime and Victim | Executioner / Assistant |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| William Churcher | 22/07/1902 | 35 | Murder of girlfriend Sophia Jane Hepworth | William Billington |
| William Brown | 16/12/1903 | 27 | Murder of Esther Atkins | William & John Billington |
| Thomas Cowdrey | 16/12/1903 | 36 | Murder of Esther Atkins | William & John Billington |
| Augustus Penny | 26/11/1913 | 30 | Murder of mother Matilda Penny | John Ellis |
| Walter White | 16/06/1914 | 22 | Murder of girlfriend Frances Priscilla Hunter | John Ellis |
| Leo O’Donnell | 29/03/1917 | 26 | Murder of William F. Watterton | John Ellis & Robert Baxter |
| Thomas Henry Allaway | 19/08/1922 | 36 | Murder of Irene May Wilkins (Bournemouth) | John Ellis & Robert Baxter |
| Abraham Goldenberg | 30/07/1924 | 22 | Murder of William Edward Hall | Thomas Pierrepoint & William Willis |
| Charles Finden | 12/08/1928 | 22 | Murder of John Richard Thompson | Thomas Pierrepoint & Robert Baxter |
| William Podmore | 22/04/1930 | — | Murder of Vivian Messiter (Southampton garage) | Thomas Pierrepoint & Alfred Allen |
| Sydney Chamberlain | 28/07/1949 | 32 | Murder of girlfriend Doreen Messinger | Albert Pierrepoint & Harry Allen |
| Zbigniew Gower | 07/07/1950 | — | Robbery-murder of Robert Taylor | Albert Pierrepoint, Harry Kirk & Harry Allen |
| Roman Redel | 07/07/1950 | — | Robbery-murder of Robert Taylor | Albert Pierrepoint, Harry Kirk & Harry Allen |
| William Shaughnessy | 09/05/1951 | — | Murders of wife Marie and daughter Joyce | Albert Pierrepoint & Harry Allen |
| Michael Tatum | 14/05/1959 | 24 | Murder of Charles Barrett | Robert Stewart & Thomas Cunliffe |
| Dennis Whitty | 17/12/1963 | 22 | Murder of William Garfield Rowe | Robert Stewart & Harry Robinson |
Notable 20th-Century Cases
Thomas Henry Allaway (19/08/1922)
Thirty-six-year-old chauffeur Thomas Henry Allaway was executed by John Ellis and Robert Baxter for the murder of Irene May Wilkins.
Wilkins, a 31-year-old cook from London, had advertised for a post and was lured to Bournemouth by a decoy telegram. Her battered body was discovered in a field at Iford.
The case was notable for the forensic handwriting analysis of telegram counterfoils that decisively linked Allaway to the crime.
William Podmore (22/04/1930)
William Podmore was convicted of the sensational 1928 murder of oil company representative Vivian Messiter, whose body was discovered hidden behind oil drums in a locked garage in Southampton ten weeks after he disappeared.
Podmore had bludgeoned Messiter with a heavy hammer to conceal a series of bogus customer commission frauds.
He was hanged by Thomas Pierrepoint and Alfred Allen.
Zbigniew Gower and Roman Redel (07/07/1950)
Polish nationals Zbigniew Gower and Roman Redel were executed together by Albert Pierrepoint, Harry Kirk, and Harry Allen for the violent robbery-murder of elderly farmer Robert Taylor at his remote Hampshire home.
Dennis Whitty (17/12/1963)
Twenty-two-year-old Dennis Whitty became the final person to be executed at Winchester Prison on December 17th, 1963, hanged by Robert Stewart and Harry Robinson.
Whitty had been convicted of the murder of 64-year-old reclusive farmer William Garfield Rowe at an isolated farm in Cornwall during a robbery.
His co-defendant, Russell Pascoe, was simultaneously hanged at Horfield Prison in Bristol on the exact same morning.
These dual executions were among the very last carried out in the United Kingdom prior to the abolition of capital punishment in Britain in 1965.
Frequently Asked Questions
When was the Romsey Road Winchester Prison built?
Construction of the Romsey Road prison began in 1846 and was completed in September 1849 by builder Thomas Stopher to replace the older 1788 gaol on Jewry Street. It was constructed on a radial panopticon plan with five four-storey wings.
How many executions took place at Winchester Prison?
Between 1856 and 1963, a total of 42 men were executed at Winchester Prison: 11 public hangings outside the gatehouse (1856–1867), 15 private hangings in the 19th century (1869–1899), and 16 private hangings in the 20th century (1902–1963).
Who was the last person publicly hanged at Winchester?
Frederick Baker was the final person publicly hanged at Winchester on December 24, 1867, executed by William Calcraft for the abduction, murder, and dismemberment of eight-year-old Fanny Adams.
Where was the execution suite located inside Winchester Prison?
Executions initially took place on the gatehouse roof, followed by an execution shed in the prison yards. In February 1937, a modern execution suite was built on the D2 landing of D Wing (occupying the last two cells on the right), with the trapdoors and drop room situated directly below on D1 landing.
Who was the last person executed at Winchester Prison?
Dennis Whitty, aged 22, was the last person hanged at Winchester Prison on December 17, 1963, executed by Robert Stewart for the robbery-murder of Cornish farmer William Garfield Rowe. His accomplice Russell Pascoe was executed at Bristol on the same day.
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