Barnstaple Borough Gaol and Bridewell

Overview

Details

Records

Overview

Alternative Names   Barnstaple Borough Gaol

Prison Type   Local Prison -  Common Gaol

Jurisdiction   Municipality

Date opened   [1828]

Date closed   1878

Location   in The Square   Barnstaple

Map location   exact or closely approximate

County   Devon

Critical Remarks

Rebuilt in 1828, original foundation date unknown.

Prison Info

Alternative Names   Barnstaple Borough Gaol

Prison Type   Local Prison

Jurisdiction   Municipality

Date opened   [1828]

Date closed   1878

Location   in The Square   Barnstaple

Map location   exact or closely approximate
Lat.   51.0779982  Long.   -4.0588145

County   Devon

Critical Remarks

Rebuilt in 1828, original foundation date unknown.

Prisoner Statistics

 

Year 1818

Annual Committed   -   16

Daily Greatest number   -   7

 

Year 1828

Annual Committed   -   32

Daily Census   -   5

 

Year 1832

Annual Committed   -   38

Daily Greatest number   -   9

 

Year 1838

Annual Confined   -   68

Daily Census   -   4

 

Year 1843

Annual Confined   -   88

Daily Census   -   8

 

Year 1848

Annual Confined   -   65

Daily Daily average   -   0

 

Year 1853

Annual Confined   -   50

Daily Daily average   -   6

 

Year 1858

Annual Committed   -   43

Daily Daily average   -   9

 

Year 1863

Annual Committed   -   65

Daily Greatest number   -   13

 

Year 1868

Annual Committed   -   87

Daily Daily average   -   11

 

Year 1873

Annual Committed   -   87

Daily Daily average   -   10

 

Year 1878

Annual Committed   -   0

Daily Daily average   -   0

Principal Primary Sources

  • James Neild, The State of the Prisons of England, Scotland and Wales (London, 1812), p.27
  • Account of Gaols, Houses of Correction or Penitentiaries in the United Kingdom, 1818 (Parl. Papers, 1819, XVII.371), p.10
  • Eighth Report of the Committee of the Society for the Improvement of Prison Discipline and for the Reformation of Juvenile Offenders (London, 1832), Appendix, p.9
  • Reports and Schedules Pursuant to Gaol Acts (1829, XIX.401), p.31
  • Return of Places of Confinement Outside Gaol Acts in England and Wales (Parl. Papers, 1833, XXVIII.425), p.6
  • Royal Commission of Inquiry into Municipal Corporations of England and Wales, First Report, Appendices: Part 1 (Parl. Papers, 1835, XXIII.1), p.431
  • Abstract Return of Establishment and Expenditure of Gaols and Houses of Correction in England and Wales (Parl. Papers, 1840, XXXVIII.241), p.8
  • Inspectors of Prisons of Great Britain III. Southern and Western District, Second Report (Parl. Papers, 1837, XXXII.659), p.34; Inspectors of Prisons of Great Britain III. Southern and Western District, Fourth Report (Parl. Papers, 1839, XXII.217), p.18; Inspectors of Prisons of Great Britain III. Southern and Western District, Ninth Report (Parl. Papers, 1844, XXIX.391), p.102; Inspectors of Prisons of Great Britain III. Southern and Western District, Eleventh Report (Parl. Papers, 1846, XXI.565), p.93; Inspectors of Prisons of Great Britain III. Southern and Western District, Twelfth Report (Parl. Papers, 1847-8, XXXV.1), p.93; Inspectors of Prisons of Great Britain III. Southern and Western District, Thirteenth Report (Parl. Papers, 1847-8, XXXVI.133), p.65; Inspectors of Prisons of Great Britain III. Southern and Western District, Sixteenth Report (Parl. Papers, 1851, XXVII.669), p.145; Inspectors of Prisons of Great Britain III. Southern and Western District, Eighteenth Report (Parl. Papers, 1852-53, LII.113), p.48; Inspectors of Prisons of Great Britain III. Southern and Western District, Twentieth Report (Parl. Papers, 1854-55, XXVI.1), p.83; Inspectors of Prisons of Great Britain I. Southern District, Twenty-third Report (Parl. Papers, 1857-58, XXIX.69), p.22; Inspectors of Prisons of Great Britain I. Southern District, Twenty-fifth Report (Parl. Papers, 1860, XXXV.153), p.17; Inspectors of Prisons of Great Britain I. Southern District, Twenty-seventh Report (Parl. Papers, 1862, XXV.5), p.29; Inspectors of Prisons of Great Britain I. Southern District, Twenty-ninth Report (Parl. Papers, 1864, XXVI.1), p.26; Inspectors of Prisons of Great Britain I. Southern District, Thirtieth Report (Parl. Papers, 1865, XXIII.1), p.69; Inspectors of Prisons of Great Britain I. Southern District, Thirty-first Report (Parl. Papers, 1866, XXXVII.1), p.62; Inspectors of Prisons of Great Britain I. Southern District, Thirty-second Report (Parl. Papers, 1867-68, XXXIV.203), p.75; Inspectors of Prisons of Great Britain I. Southern District, Thirty-third Report (Parl. Papers, 1868-69, XXIX.1), p.50; Inspectors of Prisons of Great Britain I. Southern District, Thirty-fourth Report (Parl. Papers, 1870, XXXVII.1), p.52; Inspectors of Prisons of Great Britain I. Southern District, Thirty-fifth Report (Parl. Papers, 1871, XXIX.241), p.63; Inspectors of Prisons of Great Britain I. Southern District, Thirty-sixth Report (Parl. Papers, 1872, XXXI.1), p.38; Inspectors of Prisons of Great Britain I. Southern District, Thirty-seventh Report (Parl. Papers, 1873, XXXII.1), p.74; Inspectors of Prisons of Great Britain I. Southern District, Thirty-eighth Report (Parl. Papers, 1874, XXIX.1), p.86; Inspectors of Prisons of Great Britain I. Southern District, Thirty-ninth Report (Parl. Papers, 1875, XXXVII.1), p.92; Inspectors of Prisons of Great Britain I. Southern District, Fortieth Report (Parl. Papers, 1876, XXXV.1), p.92; Inspectors of Prisons of Great Britain I. Southern District, Forty-first Report (Parl. Papers, 1877, XLIII.1), p.94; Inspectors of Prisons of Great Britain I. Southern District, Forty-second Report (Parl. Papers, 1878, XLI.1), p.94

Additional Primary Sources

  • William White, History, Gazetteer and Directory of Devonshire (Sheffield, 1850), p. 567.

Management

Archive name: Dorset History Centre

Catalogue ref: DC/BTB/W5

Collection: Bridport Borough

Description: Questionnaire with return about Barnstaple Gaol

Dates: 1836


Archive name: North Devon Record Office

Catalogue ref: B1/0/4031

Collection: Barnstaple Borough Council

Description: Corporation and Parishioners Covenant regarding Barnstaple Prison

Dates: 1828


Archive name: North Devon Record Office

Catalogue ref: B102/0/58

Collection: None

Description: Minute book of Barnstaple Borough Gaol Sessions (1866-1878), and statistics for cases dealt with

Dates: 1866-1908


Finance

Archive name: North Devon Record Office

Catalogue ref: B456/11

Collection: None

Description: Tradesman's bill, W. Searle & Son, 15 High Street, Barnstaple, to Barnstaple Town Council, for printing and binding of Surgeon's journal and Chaplain's diary for Borough Gaol

Dates: 1842


Archive name: North Devon Record Office

Catalogue ref: B296/12/2

Collection: None

Description: Receipt from Samuel Linnington, Barnstaple to Barnstaple Town Council for rat poison to be used in prison

Dates: 1841


Land & Buildings

Archive name: North Devon Record Office

Catalogue ref: 2654A/0/Box/19

Collection: Barnstaple Town Council

Description: Contract, plan etc. Building of or enlarging prison, Castle Street.

Dates: 1865-1872