Borstal Prison

Overview

Details

Records

Overview

Prison Type   Convict Prison

Date opened   1874

Date closed   post 1900 (still open)

Location   Fort Road   Rochester

Map location   exact or closely approximate

County   Kent

Critical Remarks

Opened August 1874 when a small working party of male convicts were sent to the prison to complete its construction. A prison for male convicts labouring at public works. Although best known as a male juvenile prison, it did not acquire that function until 1902.

Prison Info

Prison Type   Convict Prison

Date opened   1874

Date closed   post 1900 (still open)

Location   Fort Road   Rochester

Map location   exact or closely approximate
Lat.   51.37  Long.   0.488611

County   Kent

Critical Remarks

Opened August 1874 when a small working party of male convicts were sent to the prison to complete its construction. A prison for male convicts labouring at public works. Although best known as a male juvenile prison, it did not acquire that function until 1902.

Prisoner Statistics

 

Year 1878

Annual Confined   -   522

Daily Census   -   418

 

Year 1883

Annual Confined   -   718

Daily Census   -   511

 

Year 1888

Annual Confined   -   555

Daily Census   -   325

 

Year 1893

Annual Confined   -   382

Daily Census   -   256

 

Year 1898

Annual   -  

Daily Daily average   -   280

Principal Primary Sources

  • Report of Coms. of Prisons and Directors of Convict Prisons, 1895-96 (Parl. Papers, 1896, XLIV.235), p.257; Report of Coms. of Prisons and Directors of Convict Prisons, 1896-97 (Parl. Papers, 1897, XL.105), p.399; Report of Coms. of Prisons and Directors of Convict Prisons, 1897-98 (Parl. Papers, 1898, XLVII.23), p.454; Report of Coms. of Prisons and Directors of Convict Prisons, 1898-99 (Parl. Papers, 1899, XLIII.65), p.481; Report of Coms. of Prisons and Directors of Convict Prisons, 1899-1900 (Parl. Papers, 1900, XLI.1), p.533
  • Directors of Convict Prisons: Reports on Discipline and Management of Pentonville, Parkhurst, Millbank, Portland, Portsmouth, Dartmoor, and Brixton Prisons, and Convict Establishments at Gibraltar, W. Australia and Tasmania, 1874 (Parl. Papers, 1875, XXXIX.1), p.1; Directors of Convict Prisons: Reports on Discipline and Management of Pentonville, Parkhurst, Millbank, Portland, Portsmouth, Dartmoor, and Brixton Prisons, and Convict Establishments at Gibraltar, W. Australia and Tasmania, 1875 (Parl. Papers, 1876, XXXVII.1), p.1; Directors of Convict Prisons: Reports on Discipline and Management of Pentonville, Parkhurst, Millbank, Portland, Portsmouth, Dartmoor, and Brixton Prisons, and Convict Establishments at Gibraltar, W. Australia and Tasmania, 1876 (Parl. Papers, 1877, XLV.1), p.1; Directors of Convict Prisons: Reports on Discipline and Management of Pentonville, Parkhurst, Millbank, Portland, Portsmouth, Dartmoor, and Brixton Prisons, and Convict Establishments at Gibraltar, W. Australia and Tasmania, 1877 (Parl. Papers, 1878, XLIII.1), p.1; Directors of Convict Prisons: Reports on Discipline and Management of Pentonville, Parkhurst, Millbank, Portland, Portsmouth, Dartmoor, and Brixton Prisons, and Convict Establishments at Gibraltar, W. Australia and Tasmania, 1878 (Parl. Papers, 1878-79, XXXV.1), p.1; Directors of Convict Prisons: Reports on Discipline and Management of Pentonville, Parkhurst, Millbank, Portland, Portsmouth, Dartmoor, and Brixton Prisons, and Convict Establishments at Gibraltar, W. Australia and Tasmania, 1879-80 (Parl. Papers, 1880, XXXVI.1), p.3; Directors of Convict Prisons: Reports on Discipline and Management of Pentonville, Parkhurst, Millbank, Portland, Portsmouth, Dartmoor, and Brixton Prisons, and Convict Establishments at Gibraltar, W. Australia and Tasmania, 1880-81 (Parl. Papers, 1881, LI.1, 51), p.3; Directors of Convict Prisons: Reports on Discipline and Management of Pentonville, Parkhurst, Millbank, Portland, Portsmouth, Dartmoor, and Brixton Prisons, and Convict Establishments at Gibraltar, W. Australia and Tasmania, 1881-82 (Parl. Papers, 1882, XXXIV.1), p.3; Directors of Convict Prisons: Reports on Discipline and Management of Millbank, Pentonville, Borstal, Brixton, Chatham, Dartmoor, Parkhurst, Portland, Portsmouth, Wormwood Scrubs, Fulham and Woking Prisons and Convict Establishments in W. Australia, 1882-83 (Parl. Papers, 1883, XXXIII.1, 43), p.3; Directors of Convict Prisons: Reports on Discipline and Management of Millbank, Pentonville, Borstal, Brixton, Chatham, Dartmoor, Parkhurst, Portland, Portsmouth, Wormwood Scrubs, Fulham and Woking Prisons and Convict Establishments in W. Australia, 1883-84 (Parl. Papers, 1884, XLIII.1, 41), p.3; Directors of Convict Prisons: Reports on Discipline and Management of Millbank, Pentonville, Borstal, Brixton, Chatham, Dartmoor, Parkhurst, Portland, Portsmouth, Wormwood Scrubs, Fulham and Woking Prisons and Convict Establishments in W. Australia, 1884-85 (Parl. Papers, 1884-85, XXXIX.1, 49), p.1; Directors of Convict Prisons: Reports on Discipline and Management of Millbank, Pentonville, Borstal, Brixton, Chatham, Dartmoor, Parkhurst, Portland, Portsmouth, Wormwood Scrubs, Fulham and Woking Prisons and Convict Establishments in W. Australia, 1885-86 (Parl. Papers, 1886, XXXV.457, 505), p.3; Directors of Convict Prisons: Reports on Discipline and Management of Millbank, Pentonville, Borstal, Brixton, Chatham, Dartmoor, Parkhurst, Portland, Portsmouth, Wormwood Scrubs, Fulham and Woking Prisons and Convict Establishments in W. Australia, 1886-87 (Parl. Papers, 1887, XLI.725, 773), p.3; Directors of Convict Prisons: Reports on Discipline and Management of Millbank, Pentonville, Borstal, Brixton, Chatham, Dartmoor, Parkhurst, Portland, Portsmouth, Wormwood Scrubs, Fulham and Woking Prisons and Convict Establishments in W. Australia, 1887-88 (Parl. Papers, 1888, LVIII.615, 651), p.3; Directors of Convict Prisons: Reports on Discipline and Management of Millbank, Pentonville, Borstal, Brixton, Chatham, Dartmoor, Parkhurst, Portland, Portsmouth, Wormwood Scrubs, Fulham and Woking Prisons and Convict Establishments in W. Australia, 1888-89 (Parl. Papers, 1889, XLI.657, 711), p.3; Directors of Convict Prisons. Reports, 1889-90 (Parl. Papers, 1890, XXXVII.515, 565), p.3; Directors of Convict Prisons, Reports, 1890-91 (Parl. Papers, 1890-91, XLIII.449, 497), p.8; Directors of Convict Prisons, Reports, 1891-92 (Parl. Papers, 1892, XLII.467, 539), p.8; Directors of Convict Prisons, Reports, 1892-93 (Parl. Papers, 1893-94, XLVII.427, 473), p.8; Directors of Convict Prisons, Reports, 1893-94 (Parl. Papers, 1894, XLIV.491, 541), p.8; Directors of Convict Prisons, Reports, 1894-95 (Parl. Papers, 1895, LVI.1177, 1227), p.8

Management

Archive name: The National Archives

Catalogue ref: PCOM 7/224

Collection: Prison Commission

Description: Warrants constituting and appointing Convict Prisons etc. Borstal

Dates: 1856-1885


Staff

Archive name: Medway Archives Centre

Catalogue ref: 06a_DE_SERIES_1001_1200/DE1049

Collection: None

Description: Miss Hilda Jacobs of 113 Richmond Road, Gillingham. Records of career of Charles Edwin Jacobs (1858-1949) including as Assistant Warder, HM Convict Prisons Service, serving firstly at HM Convict Prison, Chatham (from 1884), and then at HM prison, Borstal (until 1899).

Dates: c.1884


Prisoners

Archive name: The National Archives

Catalogue ref: HO 8/201-207

Collection: Home Office

Description: Quarterly returns of prisoners in Convict Prisons and Criminal Lunatic Asylums, Borstal, Kent 

Dates: 1874-1876