The new County Gaol for Worcestershire opened in 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 anatomical dissection.
The later gallows was in the coach house. 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 in 1902.
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 First World War, the inmate population was greatly reduced, as prisoners 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.
Ten death masks from Worcester executions are on display at the George Marshall Medical Museum in the Charles Hastings Education Centre, Worcester.
All twelve bodies of those executed in private were exhumed in 1925 when the prison was demolished, and re-buried at Winson Green Prison in Birmingham.
Public Executions at Worcester (26)
Before the abolition of public executions in 1868, 26 men were publicly hanged at Worcester, reflecting the broader transitions recorded in our gazetteer of execution sites from the late 18th century to abolition in 1964:
- William Seale (20/03/1812): Aged 21, Seale 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.
- William White (21/07/1815): Became the first to be hanged at the completed prison when he suffered for the rape of Ann Davis on the 21st of July 1815.
- William Clements, John Batty, and John Rower (22/03/1816): A triple hanging took place when Clements and Batty were executed for burglary, and Rower for uttering forged notes.
- Thomas Eastbury (01/08/1817): Hanged opposite the Gaol for cutting and maiming John Gilson.
- William Corfield (31/07/1818): The first to die on the “New Drop” gallows erected over the entrance to the County Gaol, having been condemned for burglary, moving away from older short drop cart methods.
- John Harris (19/03/1819): Hanged for uttering forged banknotes at Bromsgrove.
- Robert Hollick (17/03/1820): Hanged for highway robbery at Claines.
- Thomas Dyer (23/03/1821): Executed for housebreaking.
- William Bird and William Mantle (24/08/1821): A double hanging in which Bird was executed for housebreaking and Mantle for stealing sheep.
- James Davis and Joseph Rutter (21/03/1823): Another double hanging; Davis was hanged for horse theft and Rutter for housebreaking.
- John Hobday (21/07/1826): Hanged for a burglary at the Bell Inn in Kidderminster.
- Michael Toll (12/03/1830): Executed for the murder of Ann Cook, with whom he co-habited and had thrown into a pit at Oldswinford (part of present-day Stourbridge).
- Charles Wall (30/07/1830): Aged 23, Wall was hanged for the murder of a little girl named Sally Chance, also at Oldswinford. The execution took place at 6:00 p.m. as it was election day. His body was sent to a surgeon in Stourbridge for dissection.
- Thomas Turner (13/08/1830): Aged 17, Turner was executed for the rape of nine-year-old Louise Blissett at New Wood near Kidderminster.
- Thomas Slaughter (25/03/1831): Hanged for arson, having set fire to a hayrick at Elmley Lovett.
- Joseph Carter and James Carter (22/03/1833): Brothers aged 20 and 22, executed together for robbery.
- Robert Lilly (12/03/1834): Hanged at noon for the murder of Jonathan Wall at Bromsgrove.
- William Lightband (23/03/1837): Executed by Samuel Haywood for the murder of Joseph Hawkins, a shopkeeper, at Areley Kings.
- Robert Pulley (26/03/1849): Aged 49, Pulley was hanged by George Smith at noon for the murder of 15-year-old Mary Straight at Broughton on the 5th of December 1848.
- Joseph Meadows (04/08/1855): Executed by William Calcraft for the murder of his girlfriend, Mary Ann Mason, at Kate’s Hill near Dudley.
- William Ockold (02/01/1863): Worcester’s last public hanging took place when 70-year-old William Ockold from Oldbury was hanged by William Calcraft for the murder of his wife, Sophie.
Private Executions at Worcester (12)
Following the Capital Punishment Amendment Act 1868, twelve private executions took place behind the walls of Worcester Gaol, utilizing the long drop method:
| Name | Date of Execution | Age | Crime and Location | Executioner / Assistant |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Charles Holmes | 12/08/1872 | 38 | Murder of wife Maria at Eachway, Bromsgrove | William Calcraft |
| Enoch Whiston | 10/02/1879 | 21 | Robbery-murder of Alfred Meredith at Whiteside, Dudley | William Marwood |
| Moses Shrimpton | 25/05/1885 | 65 | Murder of PC Davies at Alvechurch (near-decapitation) | James Berry |
| Thomas Wyre | 08/07/1888 | 30 | Murder of 3-year-old son James at Wolverley | James Berry |
| Samuel Crowther | 12/12/1888 | 71 | Murder of John Willis | James Berry |
| Joseph Boswell | 11/03/1890 | — | Murder of gamekeeper Frank Stephens | James Berry |
| Samuel Boswell | 11/03/1890 | — | Murder of gamekeeper Frank Stephens | James Berry |
| Amie Meunier (male) | 19/07/1893 | 25 | Murder of Charlotte Pearcey | James Billington |
| Samuel Middleton | 15/07/1902 | 46 | Murder of wife Hannah at Foxlydiate, Redditch | William Billington |
| William Yarnold | 05/12/1905 | 48 | Murder of wife Annie | Henry Pierrepoint & John Ellis |
| Thomas Fletcher | 09/07/1913 | 28 | Murder of girlfriend Lillian Wharton at Fountain Inn, Dudley | John Ellis & Thomas Pierrepoint |
| Djang Djing Sung | 03/12/1919 | 33 | Murder of Zee Ming Wu at Warley Woods | John Ellis & Edward Taylor |
Notable Private Execution Cases
Charles Holmes (12/08/1872)
Thirty-eight-year-old Charles Holmes was the first person hanged in private at Worcester. He was executed by London hangman William Calcraft for the murder of his wife, Maria, at Eachway near Bromsgrove.
Enoch Whiston (10/02/1879)
Twenty-one-year-old Enoch Whiston was hanged by William Marwood for the brutal robbery-murder of Alfred Meredith on December 6th, 1878, at Whiteside near Dudley.
Moses Shrimpton (25/05/1885)
Sixty-five-year-old poacher and habitual criminal Moses Shrimpton was executed by James Berry for the murder of Police Constable Davies at Alvechurch. Berry miscalculated the drop for a man of Shrimpton’s advanced age and physical condition, resulting in a near-decapitation that provoked fierce controversy in the press.
Thomas Wyre and Samuel Crowther (1888)
Thirty-year-old Thomas Wyre was hanged by James Berry on July 8th, 1888, for the murder of his three-year-old son, James, at Wolverley. Later that year, on December 12th, 71-year-old Samuel Crowther followed him to the gallows for the murder of John Willis, with Berry again officiating.
Joseph and Samuel Boswell (11/03/1890)
A double execution was carried out when James Berry hanged Joseph and Samuel Boswell for the murder of gamekeeper Frank Stephens during an armed poaching affray.
Amie Meunier (19/07/1893)
Twenty-five-year-old Amie Meunier (male) was executed by James Billington on July 19th, 1893, for the murder of Charlotte Pearcey.
Samuel Middleton (15/07/1902)
Forty-six-year-old Samuel Middleton was executed by William Billington on July 15th, 1902, for the murder of his wife, Hannah, at Foxlydiate, near Redditch. His execution took place in the converted coach house gallows.
William Yarnold (05/12/1905)
Forty-eight-year-old William Yarnold was hanged by Henry Pierrepoint, assisted by John Ellis, for the murder of his wife, Annie.
Thomas Fletcher (09/07/1913)
Twenty-eight-year-old Thomas Fletcher was executed by John Ellis and Thomas Pierrepoint on July 9th, 1913, for the jealousy murder of his 21-year-old girlfriend, Lillian Wharton, at the Fountain Inn in Dudley.
Djang Djing Sung (03/12/1919)
Thirty-three-year-old Chinese national Djang Djing Sung became the final person executed at Worcester Prison when he was hanged by John Ellis and Edward Taylor on December 3rd, 1919, for the murder of fellow countryman Zee Ming Wu at Warley Woods.
Following the prison’s closure in 1922, capital cases for Worcestershire were transferred to Birmingham’s Winson Green Prison, remaining there until the abolition of capital punishment in Britain.
Frequently Asked Questions
When was Worcester County Gaol built?
The new County Gaol for Worcestershire was built in 1813 on Salt Lane (subsequently renamed Castle Street due to its castellated architecture), designed by a Mr. Sandy. It originally contained 90 cells, expanding with an additional 80 cells 25 years later.
How many executions took place at Worcester Prison?
Between 1812 and 1919, a total of 38 men were executed at Worcester: 26 by public hanging (between 1812 and 1863) and 12 in private behind prison walls (between 1872 and 1919).
Who was the last person publicly executed at Worcester?
Seventy-year-old William Ockold of Oldbury was the final person publicly hanged at Worcester, executed by William Calcraft on January 2, 1863, for the murder of his wife, Sophie.
What happened during the execution of Moses Shrimpton in 1885?
On May 25, 1885, executioner James Berry miscalculated the drop distance for 65-year-old Moses Shrimpton, convicted of murdering PC Davies. The drop resulted in a severe laceration of the neck and near-decapitation, sparking nationwide scrutiny over execution drop tables.
Who was the last person executed at Worcester Prison?
Djang Djing Sung, a 33-year-old Chinese national convicted of the murder of Zee Ming Wu at Warley Woods, was the final prisoner executed at Worcester, hanged by John Ellis on December 3, 1919.
What became of the bodies of prisoners buried at Worcester Gaol?
When Worcester Prison was closed in 1922 and largely demolished, all twelve bodies buried in the prison grounds following private executions were exhumed in 1925 and reinterred at Winson Green Prison in Birmingham.
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