Bristol City Bridewell

Overview

Details

Records

Overview

Alternative Names   Bristol Bridewell, Bristol City House of Correction, Bristol New City Bridewell,

Prison Type   Local Prison -  House of Correction/Bridewell

Jurisdiction   Municipality

Date opened   16th century [1771]

Date closed   1878

Location   Bridewell Street, Broadmead   Bristol

Map location   exact or closely approximate

County   Somersetshire

Critical Remarks

A bridewell on this site from the sixteenth century, rebuilt in 1771.

Prison Info

Alternative Names   Bristol Bridewell, Bristol City House of Correction, Bristol New City Bridewell,

Prison Type   Local Prison

Jurisdiction   Municipality

Date opened   16th century [1771]

Date closed   1878

Location   Bridewell Street, Broadmead   Bristol

Map location   exact or closely approximate
Lat.   51.4571817  Long.   -2.5930278

County   Somersetshire

Critical Remarks

A bridewell on this site from the sixteenth century, rebuilt in 1771.

Prisoner Statistics

 

Year 1818

Annual Committed   -   235

Daily Greatest number   -   48

 

Year 1823

Annual Committed   -   187

Daily Census   -   187

 

Year 1828

Annual Committed   -   303

Daily Census   -   203

 

Year 1833

Annual Committed   -   140

Daily Census   -   140

 

Year 1838

Annual Confined   -   851

Daily Census   -   26

 

Year 1843

Annual Confined   -   1744

Daily Census   -   50

 

Year 1848

Annual Confined   -   1741

Daily Daily average   -   61

 

Year 1853

Annual Confined   -   873

Daily Daily average   -   48

 

Year 1858

Annual Committed   -   973

Daily Daily average   -   54

 

Year 1863

Annual Committed   -   1186

Daily Greatest number   -   65

 

Year 1868

Annual Committed   -   1219

Daily Daily average   -   46

 

Year 1873

Annual Committed   -   1409

Daily Daily average   -   50

 

Year 1878

Annual Committed   -   88

Daily Daily average   -   0

Principal Primary Sources

  • James Neild, The State of the Prisons of England, Scotland and Wales (London, 1812), p.80
  • Account of Gaols, Houses of Correction or Penitentiaries in the United Kingdom, 1818 (Parl. Papers, 1819, XVII.371), p.42
  • Sixth Report of the Committee of the Society for the Improvement of Prison Discipline and for the Reformation of Juvenile Offenders (London, 1824), Appendix, p.123; Seventh Report of the Committee of the Society for the Improvement of Prison Discipline and for the Reformation of Juvenile Offenders (London, 1827), Appendix, p.131; 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.39
  • Reports and Schedules Pursuant to Gaol Acts (Parl. Papers, 1824, XIX.359), p.258; Reports and Schedules Pursuant to Gaol Acts (Parl. Papers, 1825, XXIII.1), p.320; Reports and Schedules Pursuant to Gaol Acts (Parl. Papers, 1826, XXIV.1), p.304; Reports and Schedules Pursuant to Gaol Acts (Parl. Papers, 1826-27, XIX.365), p.275; Reports and Schedules Pursuant to Gaol Acts (Parl. Papers, 1828, XX.327), p.316; Reports and Schedules Pursuant to Gaol Acts (Parl. Papers, 1829, XIX.1), p.284; Reports and Schedules Pursuant To Gaol Acts (Parl. Papers, 1830, XXIV.1), p.284; Reports and Schedules Pursuant to Gaol Acts (Parl. Papers, 1830-31, XII.1), p.279; Reports and Schedules Pursuant to Gaol Acts (Parl. Papers, 1831-32. XXXIII.197), p.280; Reports and Schedules Pursuant to Gaol Acts (Parl. Papers, 1833, XXVIII.1), p.305; Reports and Schedules Pursuant to Gaol Acts (Parl. Papers, 1834, XLVI.1), p.291; Reports and Schedules Pursuant to Gaol Acts (Parl. Papers, 1835, XLIV.225), p.277; Reports and Schedules Pursuant to Gaol Acts (Parl. Papers, 1836, XLII.1), p.187; Reports and Schedules Pursuant to Gaol Acts (Parl. Papers, 1837, XLV.1), p.188; Reports and Schedules Pursuant to Gaol Acts (Parl. Papers, 1837-8, XLIII.227), p.189; Reports and Schedules Pursuant to Gaol Acts (Parl. Papers, 1839, XXXVIII.17), p.189; Reports Pursuant to Gaol Acts (Parl. Papers, 1840, XXXVIII.1), p.205; Reports and Schedules Pursuant to Gaol Acts (Parl. Papers, 1841, XVIII.1), p.218; Reports and Schedules Pursuant to Gaol Acts (Parl. Papers, 1842, XXXII.1), p.221; Reports and Schedules Pursuant to Gaol Acts (Parl. Papers, 1843, XLIII.1), p.221; Reports and Schedules Pursuant to Gaol Acts (Parl. Papers, 1844, XXXIX.403), p.214; Reports and Schedules Pursuant to Gaol Acts (Parl. Papers, 1845, XXXVII.417), p.254; Reports and Schedules Pursuant to Gaol Acts (Parl. Papers, 1846, XXXIV.187), p.263; Reports and Schedules Pursuant to Gaol Acts (Parl. Papers, 1847, XLVII.297), p.266; Reports and Schedules Pursuant to Gaol Acts (Parl. Papers, 1847-48, LII.465), p.270
  • Royal Commission of Inquiry into Municipal Corporations of England and Wales, First Report, Appendices: Part 2 (Parl. Papers, 1835, XXIII.133), p.1179
  • Abstract Return of Establishment and Expenditure of Gaols and Houses of Correction in England and Wales (Parl. Papers, 1840, XXXVIII.241), p.52
  • Inspectors of Prisons of Great Britain III. Southern and Western District, Third Report (Parl. Papers, 1837-38, XXXI.177), p.11; Inspectors of Prisons of Great Britain III. Southern and Western District, Fourth Report (Parl. Papers, 1839, XXII.217), p.58; Inspectors of Prisons of Great Britain III. Southern and Western District, Sixth Report (Parl. Papers, 1841 Session 2, V.177), p.137; Inspectors of Prisons of Great Britain III. Southern and Western District, Ninth Report (Parl. Papers, 1844, XXIX.391), p.394; Inspectors of Prisons of Great Britain III. Southern and Western District, Eleventh Report (Parl. Papers, 1846, XXI.565), p.374; Inspectors of Prisons of Great Britain III. Southern and Western District, Twelfth Report (Parl. Papers, 1847-8, XXXV.1), p.373; Inspectors of Prisons of Great Britain III. Southern and Western District, Thirteenth Report (Parl. Papers, 1847-8, XXXVI.133), p.190; Inspectors of Prisons of Great Britain III. Southern and Western District, Fifteenth Report (Parl. Papers, 1850, XXVIII.579), p.175; Inspectors of Prisons of Great Britain III. Southern and Western District, Seventeenth Report (Parl. Papers, 1852, XXIV.1), p.82; Inspectors of Prisons of Great Britain III. Southern and Western District, Nineteenth Report (Parl. Papers, 1854, XXXIV.1), p.34; Inspectors of Prisons of Great Britain III. Southern and Western District, Twenty-first Report (Parl. Papers, 1856, XXXIII.485), p.21; Inspectors of Prisons of Great Britain I. Southern District, Twenty-third Report (Parl. Papers, 1857-58, XXIX.69), p.40; Inspectors of Prisons of Great Britain I. Southern District, Twenty-fifth Report (Parl. Papers, 1860, XXXV.153), p.25; Inspectors of Prisons of Great Britain I. Southern District, Twenty-eighth Report (Parl. Papers, 1863, XXIII.1), p.37; Inspectors of Prisons of Great Britain I. Southern District, Thirtieth Report (Parl. Papers, 1865, XXIII.1), p.103; Inspectors of Prisons of Great Britain I. Southern District, Thirty-first Report (Parl. Papers, 1866, XXXVII.1), p.90; Inspectors of Prisons of Great Britain I. Southern District, Thirty-second Report (Parl. Papers, 1867-68, XXXIV.203), p.121; Inspectors of Prisons of Great Britain I. Southern District, Thirty-third Report (Parl. Papers, 1868-69, XXIX.1), p.82; Inspectors of Prisons of Great Britain I. Southern District, Thirty-fourth Report (Parl. Papers, 1870, XXXVII.1), p.86; Inspectors of Prisons of Great Britain I. Southern District, Thirty-fifth Report (Parl. Papers, 1871, XXIX.241), p.103; Inspectors of Prisons of Great Britain I. Southern District, Thirty-sixth Report (Parl. Papers, 1872, XXXI.1), p.66; Inspectors of Prisons of Great Britain I. Southern District, Thirty-seventh Report (Parl. Papers, 1873, XXXII.1), p.121; Inspectors of Prisons of Great Britain I. Southern District, Thirty-eighth Report (Parl. Papers, 1874, XXIX.1), p.139; Inspectors of Prisons of Great Britain I. Southern District, Thirty-ninth Report (Parl. Papers, 1875, XXXVII.1), p.144; Inspectors of Prisons of Great Britain I. Southern District, Fortieth Report (Parl. Papers, 1876, XXXV.1), p.144; Inspectors of Prisons of Great Britain I. Southern District, Forty-first Report (Parl. Papers, 1877, XLIII.1), p.147; Inspectors of Prisons of Great Britain I. Southern District, Forty-second Report (Parl. Papers, 1878, XLI.1), p.146

Management

Archive name: Bristol Archives

Catalogue ref: 43484/RC/2/17

Collection: Brice and Burges

Description: RC-Riots Compensation (1831-1834). Rough notes of losses in Mansion House, Gaol, Bridewell and Custom House.

Dates: 1831-1834


Archive name: Bristol Archives

Catalogue ref: F/AC/Box/125/4

Collection: Bristol City Council

Description: Chamberlain's vouchers. Improvements including to Bridewell, and also expenses of Lawford Gate Prison.

Dates: 1813


Archive name: Bristol Archives

Catalogue ref: JQS/P/753

Collection: Bristol Quarter Sessions

Description: List of Visitors of the Gaol and House of Correction

Dates: 1835


Finance

Archive name: Bristol Archives

Catalogue ref: F/AC/Box/128-168

Collection: Bristol City Council

Description: Payment for goods and services, including for / within the City Gaols

Dates: 1815-1855


Images

Archive name: Bristol Archives

Catalogue ref: M4111

Collection: None

Description: Bristol Riots - The Burning of Bridewell, with St Michael's Church (Bridewell Bridge). Oil on paper, William Walter Wheatley.

Dates: 1831


Other

Archive name: Bristol Archives

Catalogue ref: 26154/11

Collection: None

Description: Documents once the property of the Reverend F. W. Potto Hicks. Miscellaneous papers. Printed broadsheet with illustrations concerning the Bristol Riots. A description of the trial and 'Lament of the Unhappy Prisoners'.

Dates: 1832