Ely Gaol and House of Correction

Overview

Details

Records

Overview

Alternative Names   Ely House of Correction, Ely Gaol

Prison Type   Local Prison -  House of Correction/Bridewell

Jurisdiction   Municipality

Date opened   1821

Date closed   1878

Location   Lynn Road, by Shire Hall   Ely

Map location   exact or closely approximate

County   Cambridgeshire

Critical Remarks

From 1850, female prisoners sent to Wisbeach House of Correction (ID 338).

Prison Info

Alternative Names   Ely House of Correction, Ely Gaol

Prison Type   Local Prison

Jurisdiction   Municipality

Date opened   1821

Date closed   1878

Location   Lynn Road, by Shire Hall   Ely

Map location   exact or closely approximate
Lat.   52.4008498  Long.   0.2632115

County   Cambridgeshire

Critical Remarks

From 1850, female prisoners sent to Wisbeach House of Correction (ID 338).

Prisoner Statistics

 

Year 1828

Annual Committed   -   118

Daily Census   -   118

 

Year 1832

Annual Committed   -   210

Daily Greatest number   -   30

 

Year 1838

Annual Confined   -   202

Daily Census   -   24

 

Year 1843

Annual Confined   -   230

Daily Census   -   32

 

Year 1848

Annual Confined   -   179

Daily Daily average   -   28

 

Year 1853

Annual Confined   -   188

Daily Daily average   -   18

 

Year 1858

Annual Committed   -   119

Daily Daily average   -   21

 

Year 1863

Annual Committed   -   157

Daily Greatest number   -   39

 

Year 1868

Annual Committed   -   150

Daily Daily average   -   23

 

Year 1873

Annual Committed   -   131

Daily Daily average   -   23

 

Year 1878

Annual Committed   -   15

Daily Daily average   -   0

Principal Primary Sources

  • Fifth Report of the Committee of the Society for the Improvement of Prison Discipline and for the Reformation of Juvenile Offenders (London, 1823), Appendix, p.8; 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.4
  • Reports and Schedules Pursuant to Gaol Acts (1829, XIX.401), p.13
  • Return of Places of Confinement Outside Gaol Acts in England and Wales (Parl. Papers, 1833, XXVIII.425), p.41
  • Abstract Return of Establishment and Expenditure of Gaols and Houses of Correction in England and Wales (Parl. Papers, 1840, XXXVIII.241), p.4
  • Inspectors of Prisons of Great Britain II. Northern and Eastern District. First Report (Parl. Papers, 1836, XXXV.161), p.23; Inspectors of Prisons of Great Britain II. Northern and Eastern District, Fourth Report (Parl. Papers, 1839, XXII.1), p.176; Inspectors of Prisons of Great Britain II. Northern and Eastern District, Fifth Report (Parl. Papers, 1840, XXV.565), p.78; Inspectors of Prisons of Great Britain II. Northern and Eastern District, Seventh Report (Parl. Papers, 1842, XXI.1), p.175; Inspectors of Prisons of Great Britain II. Northern and Eastern District, Ninth Report (Parl. Papers, 1844, XXIX.227), p.30; Inspectors of Prisons of Great Britain II. Northern and Eastern District, Tenth Report (Parl. Papers, 1845, XXIV.1), p.197; Inspectors of Prisons of Great Britain II. Northern and Eastern District, Eleventh Report (Parl. Papers, 1846, XXI.483), p.15; Inspectors of Prisons of Great Britain II. Midland and Eastern District, Thirteenth Report (Parl. Papers, 1847-8, XXXVI.1), p.48; Inspectors of Prisons of Great Britain II. Northern and Eastern District, Fifteenth Report (Parl. Papers, 1850, XXVIII.291), p.215; Inspectors of Prisons of Great Britain II. Northern and Eastern District, Sixteenth Report (Parl. Papers, 1851, XXVII.461), p.138; Inspectors of Prisons of Great Britain II. Northern and Eastern District, Seventeenth Report (Parl. Papers, 1852-53, LII.1), p.12; Inspectors of Prisons of Great Britain II. Northern and Eastern District, Eighteenth Report (Parl. Papers, 1856, XXXIII.1), p.10; Inspectors of Prisons of Great Britain II. Northern and Eastern District, Nineteenth Report (Parl. Papers, 1856, XXXIII.385), p.11; Inspectors of Prisons of Great Britain II. Northern and Eastern District, Twentieth Report (Parl. Papers, 1857, Session 1, VII.313), p.13; Inspectors of Prisons of Great Britain II. Northern and Eastern District, Twenty-first Report (Parl. Papers, 1857, Session 2, XXIII.1), p.11; Inspectors of Prisons of Great Britain II. Northern and Eastern District, Twenty-second Report (Parl. Papers, 1857-58, XXIX.1), p.11; Inspectors of Prisons of Great Britain II. Midland District, Twenty-third Report (Parl. Papers, 1859, Session 1, XI.1), p.20; Inspectors of Prisons of Great Britain II. Midland District, Twenty-fourth Report (Parl. Papers, 1860, XXXV.1), p.14; Inspectors of Prisons of Great Britain II. Midland District, Twenty-fifth Report (Parl. Papers, 1860, XXXV.229), p.20; Inspectors of Prisons of Great Britain II. Midland District, Twenty-seventh Report (Parl. Papers, 1862, XXV.93), p.20; Inspectors of Prisons of Great Britain I. Southern District, Twenty-eighth Report (Parl. Papers, 1863, XXIII.1), p.19; Inspectors of Prisons of Great Britain I. Southern District, Thirtieth Report (Parl. Papers, 1865, XXIII.1), p.36; Inspectors of Prisons of Great Britain I. Southern District, Thirty-first Report (Parl. Papers, 1866, XXXVII.1), p.31; Inspectors of Prisons of Great Britain I. Southern District, Thirty-second Report (Parl. Papers, 1867-68, XXXIV.203), p.39; Inspectors of Prisons of Great Britain I. Southern District, Thirty-third Report (Parl. Papers, 1868-69, XXIX.1), p.22; Inspectors of Prisons of Great Britain I. Southern District, Thirty-fourth Report (Parl. Papers, 1870, XXXVII.1), p.22; Inspectors of Prisons of Great Britain I. Southern District, Thirty-fifth Report (Parl. Papers, 1871, XXIX.241), p.24; Inspectors of Prisons of Great Britain I. Southern District, Thirty-sixth Report (Parl. Papers, 1872, XXXI.1), p.17; Inspectors of Prisons of Great Britain I. Southern District, Thirty-seventh Report (Parl. Papers, 1873, XXXII.1), p.31; Inspectors of Prisons of Great Britain I. Southern District, Thirty-eighth Report (Parl. Papers, 1874, XXIX.1), p.35; Inspectors of Prisons of Great Britain I. Southern District, Thirty-ninth Report (Parl. Papers, 1875, XXXVII.1), p.40; Inspectors of Prisons of Great Britain I. Southern District, Fortieth Report (Parl. Papers, 1876, XXXV.1), p.40; Inspectors of Prisons of Great Britain I. Southern District, Forty-first Report (Parl. Papers, 1877, XLIII.1), p.41; Inspectors of Prisons of Great Britain I. Southern District, Forty-second Report (Parl. Papers, 1878, XLI.1), p.41

Secondary Sources

  • http://www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/cambs/vol4/pp28-33

Management

Archive name: Cambridgeshire Archives

Catalogue ref: E/QSO/1-56

Collection: Isle of Ely Quarter Sessions

Description: Minute books for the Isle of Ely Quarter Sessions (likely to contain material on the administration of Ely prisons)

Dates: 1801-1882


Archive name: Cambridgeshire Archives

Catalogue ref: PS/E/AP/1840/29 and 80

Collection: Petty Sessions: Ely and South Witchford division

Description: Includes contract for the supply of bread for the Prison at Ely

Dates: 1839-1840


Finance

Archive name: Cambridgeshire Archives

Catalogue ref: P155/12/46

Collection: Thorney parish church

Description: Thorney parish church accounts. Order for a rate of one penny in the pound, for the new Sessions House and House of Correction at Ely.

Dates: 1827


Prisoners

Archive name: Cambridgeshire Archives

Catalogue ref: E/QAG

Collection: Isle of Ely Quarter Sessions

Description: Index of prisoners' names

Dates: 19th century


Land & Buildings

Archive name: Cambridgeshire Archives

Catalogue ref: 283/P22

Collection: Evans and Sons

Description: Sewerage plan from House of Correction at Ely across Market Street

Dates: 1843


Archive name: Cambridgeshire Archives

Catalogue ref: 515/B63

Collection: Bidwell and Sons

Description: Valuation book (no.33), including report on site and building of Isle of Ely Prison for HM Prison Commissioners 

Dates: 1878-1879