Alternative Names Gloucester County Gaol, Gloucester Prison, HMP Gloucester
Prison Type Local Prison - Common Gaol, Penitentiary & House of Correction/ Bridewell
Jurisdiction County
Date opened 1791
Date closed post 1900 (2013)
Location Barrack Square Gloucester
Map location exact or closely approximate
County Gloucestershire
The Gaol and Penitentiary are listed separately in 1818 Return, despite being the same institution. I have merged the statistics to keep them as one institution.
Alternative Names Gloucester County Gaol, Gloucester Prison, HMP Gloucester
Prison Type Local Prison
Jurisdiction County
Date opened 1791
Date closed post 1900 (2013)
Location Barrack Square Gloucester
Map location exact or closely approximate
Lat. 51.8652 Long. -2.2517
County Gloucestershire
The Gaol and Penitentiary are listed separately in 1818 Return, despite being the same institution. I have merged the statistics to keep them as one institution.
Year 1818
Annual Committed - 720
Daily Greatest number - 350
Year 1823
Annual Committed - 431
Daily Census - 65
Year 1828
Annual Committed - 564
Daily Census - 81
Year 1833
Annual Committed - 736
Daily Census - 108
Year 1838
Annual Confined - 908
Daily Census - 162
Year 1843
Annual Confined - 1091
Daily Census - 207
Year 1848
Annual Confined - 915
Daily Daily average - 193
Year 1853
Annual Confined - 825
Daily Daily average - 204
Year 1858
Annual Committed - 953
Daily Daily average - 197
Year 1863
Annual Committed - 1726
Daily Greatest number - 311
Year 1868
Annual Committed - 1731
Daily Daily average - 208
Year 1873
Annual Committed - 1721
Daily Daily average - 184
Year 1878
Annual Committed - 1788
Daily Daily average - 221
Year 1883
Annual Committed - 1479
Daily Daily average - 136
Year 1888
Annual Committed - 1285
Daily Daily average - 116
Year 1893
Annual Committed - 977
Daily -
Year 1898
Annual Committed - 1036
Daily -
Archive name: Gloucestershire Archives
Catalogue ref: Q/AG/24
Collection: Gloucestershire Quarter Sessions
Description: Governor's report on profits of trades in Gloucester Gaol (1867-1868).
Dates: 1867-1868
Archive name: Gloucestershire Archives
Catalogue ref: Q/AG/20
Collection: Gloucestershire Quarter Sessions
Description: Answers to Queries from Quarter Sessions as to schedule for hard labour, by Governor and Keepers of Prisons
Dates: 1842
Archive name: Gloucestershire Archives
Catalogue ref: Q/CL/1/1-9
Collection: Gloucestershire Quarter Sessions
Description: Cases for opinion, depositions, correspondence and papers relating to Gaolers' fees (1818). Nuisances near County Gaol, including correspondence from the Surveyor, Fulljames (1829-1838)
Dates: 1818-1849
Archive name: Devon Heritage Centre
Catalogue ref: 152M/C/1812/OH68-69
Collection: Addington Family, Viscounts Sidmouth
Description: Gloucester Prison. Opening of prisoners letter without reasonable cause. Need of access for legal advisors to the prisoners
Dates: 1812
Archive name: Gloucestershire Archives
Catalogue ref: D13150
Collection: Bryan White of Gloucester
Description: Former Prison Officer. Miscellaneous material relating to Gloucester Prison, some from the late 19th century, such as photographs of the interior c.1900
Dates: Late 19th century-1990s
Archive name: Gloucestershire Archives
Catalogue ref: D15/12
Collection: None
Description: Sir Russell Kerr. Comprises correspondence relating to claim for compensation for surplus cell accommodation in Gloucester Gaol (under the Prisons Act 1877)
Dates: 1878-1921
Archive name: Gloucestershire Archives
Catalogue ref: GBR/L/6/7/3
Collection: Gloucester Borough
Description: Contracts and agreements. Contract for reception of City convicted prisoners in County Gaol
Dates: 1846
Archive name: Gloucestershire Archives
Catalogue ref: Q/AG/11-12
Collection: Gloucestershire Quarter Sessions
Description: Copy orders of Quarter Sessions respecting the new Gaol, Penitentiary House and Houses of Correction
Dates: 1789-1823
Archive name: Gloucestershire Archives
Catalogue ref: Q/AG/35a
Collection: Gloucestershire Quarter Sessions
Description: Contract for reception of City prisoners in the County Prison
Dates: 1858
Archive name: Gloucestershire Archives
Catalogue ref: Q/CR/27/1-47
Collection: Gloucestershire Quarter Sessions
Description: Prisoners - cost of maintenance. Gloucester County Gaol.
Dates: 1847-1878
Archive name: Gloucestershire Archives
Catalogue ref: Q/FC/3
Collection: Gloucestershire Quarter Sessions
Description: Auditors' reports. From 1865 they include statistical reports on the County Gaol.
Dates: None
Archive name: Gloucestershire Archives
Catalogue ref: Q/Gc/11
Collection: Gloucestershire Quarter Sessions
Description: Journal for separate Prison Department
Dates: 1871-1879
Archive name: Gloucestershire Archives
Catalogue ref: Q/Gc/20/1
Collection: Gloucestershire Quarter Sessions
Description: Extracts from Quarter Sessions orders relating to Gloucester Gaol (1844-1878)
Dates: 1844-1878
Archive name: Gloucestershire Archives
Catalogue ref: Q/Gc/38/1-4
Collection: Gloucestershire Quarter Sessions
Description: Proceedings (ie. minutes). Specific cases for relief.
Dates: 1792-1925
Archive name: Gloucestershire Archives
Catalogue ref: Q/AG/32
Collection: Gloucestershire Quarter Sessions
Description: Printed return to Home Office under Prisoners Act about claim for compensation for surplus cell accommodation (1878)
Dates: 1878
Archive name: Gloucestershire Archives
Catalogue ref: Q/SO/12-21
Collection: Gloucestershire Quarter Sessions
Description: Order books. Contain material on the administration of the county prisons. The catalogue describes contents of some books in substantial detail.
Dates: 1799-1868
Archive name: Gloucestershire Archives
Catalogue ref: Q/AG/19
Collection: Gloucestershire Quarter Sessions
Description: Reports of Governor of County Gaol and Keepers of the Houses of Correction to Quarter Sessions. Also, draft reports from Chairman of Quarter Sessions to the Secretary of State. With some reports of Visiting Justices
Dates: 1825-1887
Archive name: Gloucestershire Archives
Catalogue ref: D149/X37
Collection: Clifford Family of Frampton-on-Severn
Description: Official - H. C. Clifford, JP. Notice of meeting of Visiting Justices to the County Gaol
Dates: 1853
Archive name: Gloucestershire Archives
Catalogue ref: Q/Gc/1/1-14
Collection: Gloucestershire Quarter Sessions
Description: Visiting Justices' journal (later called minutes)
Dates: 1791-1957
Archive name: Gloucestershire Archives
Catalogue ref: Q/Gc/2/1-2
Collection: Gloucestershire Quarter Sessions
Description: Visiting Justices' order books
Dates: 1859-1873
Archive name: Gloucestershire Archives
Catalogue ref: Q/Gc/31/1-6
Collection: Gloucestershire Quarter Sessions
Description: Chaplain's journals
Dates: 1806-1872
Archive name: Gloucestershire Archives
Catalogue ref: Q/Gc/28
Collection: Gloucestershire Quarter Sessions
Description: Deputy Governor's minute book
Dates: 1844-1845
Archive name: Gloucestershire Archives
Catalogue ref: Q/Gc/3/1-14
Collection: Gloucestershire Quarter Sessions
Description: Governor's journals
Dates: 1795-1976
Archive name: Gloucestershire Archives
Catalogue ref: Q/Gc/32/1-4
Collection: Gloucestershire Quarter Sessions
Description: Surgeon and Medical Officer's journals
Dates: 1791-1820
Archive name: Gloucestershire Archives
Catalogue ref: Q/Gc/16
Collection: Gloucestershire Quarter Sessions
Description: Record of prisoners' petitions to Secretary of State
Dates: 1894-1940
Archive name: Gloucestershire Archives
Catalogue ref: Q/Gc/4
Collection: Gloucestershire Quarter Sessions
Description: Letter book containing copies of outgoing letters
Dates: 1867-1874
Archive name: Gloucestershire Archives
Catalogue ref: Q/Gc/37
Collection: Gloucestershire Quarter Sessions
Description: Subscription register
Dates: 1792-1826
Archive name: Gloucestershire Archives
Catalogue ref: Q/AG/30/1-16, 18-24
Collection: Gloucestershire Quarter Sessions
Description: Applications for posts at the County Gaol Gloucester (governor, deputy governor, chaplain, miller, turnkey, principal warder, under warder, outdoor porter, female searcher, under matron, schoolmaster, laundry officer)
Dates: 1836-1874
Archive name: Gloucestershire Archives
Catalogue ref: D9125/1/1741
Collection: None
Description: Application and testimonials of Hugh Coffin Vaughan for the office of Governor of Gloucester County Prison
Dates: 1874
Archive name: Gloucestershire Archives
Catalogue ref: Q/AG/30/17
Collection: Gloucestershire Quarter Sessions
Description: Advertisements for posts at the County Gaol Gloucester (Underwardress, schoolmistress cum hospital attendant and underwarder)
Dates: 1868
Archive name: Gloucestershire Archives
Catalogue ref: Q/Gc/21/2
Collection: Gloucestershire Quarter Sessions
Description: Prison Officers' monthly salaries books
Dates: 1858-1878
Archive name: Gloucestershire Archives
Catalogue ref: Q/Gc/12/1-30
Collection: Gloucestershire Quarter Sessions
Description: Nominal prisoners' registers
Dates: 1879-1951
Archive name: Gloucestershire Archives
Catalogue ref: Q/Gc/5/1-7
Collection: Gloucestershire Quarter Sessions
Description: Registers of prisoners for trial at Quarter Sessions and Assizes
Dates: 1815-1844
Archive name: Gloucestershire Archives
Catalogue ref: Q/Gc/6/1-7
Collection: Gloucestershire Quarter Sessions
Description: Registers of prisoners for trial at Quarter Sessions and Assizes
Dates: 1844-1879
Archive name: Gloucestershire Archives
Catalogue ref: Q/Gc/7/1
Collection: Gloucestershire Quarter Sessions
Description: Penitentiary register of prisoners
Dates: 1841-1844
Archive name: Gloucestershire Archives
Catalogue ref: Q/Gc/7/2
Collection: Gloucestershire Quarter Sessions
Description: Register of prisoners tried at Quarter Sessions
Dates: 1817-1831
Archive name: Gloucestershire Archives
Catalogue ref: Q/Gc/8/1-2
Collection: Gloucestershire Quarter Sessions
Description: Debtors' registers
Dates: 1838-1879
Archive name: Gloucestershire Archives
Catalogue ref: Q/Gc/9/1-9
Collection: Gloucestershire Quarter Sessions
Description: Registers of summary convictions
Dates: 1853-1879
Archive name: Bristol Archives
Catalogue ref: 40316
Collection: Smyth Family records
Description: Personal account of a trial written by a prisoner whilst in Gloucester Gaol -'The Victim of Fatality, or the Claimant of Ashton Court, A Romantic Tale of the Nineteenth Century...'
Dates: c.1857
Archive name: Gloucestershire Archives
Catalogue ref: D771/A/26-30
Collection: Gloucestershire County Shrievalty
Description: Papers relating to the execution of murderers at Gloucester Gaol
Dates: 1873-1919
Archive name: Gloucestershire Archives
Catalogue ref: Q/CR/10/1
Collection: Gloucestershire Quarter Sessions
Description: Account of number of prisoners imprisoned for Game Law offences
Dates: 1816-1817
Archive name: Gloucestershire Archives
Catalogue ref: Q/Gc/10/1
Collection: Gloucestershire Quarter Sessions
Description: Duplicate returns of habitual criminals
Dates: 1870
Archive name: Gloucestershire Archives
Catalogue ref: Q/Gc/10/2, 4
Collection: Gloucestershire Quarter Sessions
Description: Albums of prisoners' photographs
Dates: 1882-1915
Archive name: Gloucestershire Archives
Catalogue ref: Q/Gc/13/1
Collection: Gloucestershire Quarter Sessions
Description: Record of previous conviction book
Dates: c.1880-c.1906
Archive name: Gloucestershire Archives
Catalogue ref: Q/Gc/15/1
Collection: Gloucestershire Quarter Sessions
Description: Prisoners reception book
Dates: 1886-1891
Archive name: Surrey History Centre
Catalogue ref: 2271/15/1
Collection: None
Description: Health certificate for Maurice Dight, issued by the Medical Officer, Gloucester County Gaol (14 August 1849)
Dates: 1849
Archive name: Gloucestershire Archives
Catalogue ref: Q/Gc/21/1
Collection: Gloucestershire Quarter Sessions
Description: Weekly wages book for labour in erecting the chapel and Governor's house, and other works
Dates: 1847-1850
Archive name: Gloucestershire Archives
Catalogue ref: C/AA/B32-33
Collection: Gloucestershire County Council
Description: Includes details of old Police station, County rifle armoury, militia barracks, drill ground and gas works
Dates: 1888
Archive name: Gloucestershire Archives
Catalogue ref: C/DC/F/7
Collection: Gloucestershire County Council
Description: Gloucester - Barbican gardens, land near County Gaol, with plan of County Gaol and surrounding holdings
Dates: 1816-1906
Archive name: Gloucestershire Archives
Catalogue ref: C/DC/SJ/2
Collection: Gloucestershire County Council
Description: Gloucester - central Police Station, Bearland. Lands adjoining County Gaol (1816). Messuage and land in Bearland (from 1834).
Dates: 1816-1858
Archive name: Gloucestershire Archives
Catalogue ref: D2593/2/51
Collection: Fulljames and Waller of Gloucester, Architects
Description: Erection of separate new Prison (Gloucester County Gaol)
Dates: 1842-1846
Archive name: Gloucestershire Archives
Catalogue ref: D2593/2/69
Collection: Fulljames and Waller of Gloucester, Architects
Description: Gloucester - enlargement of chapel in County Gaol
Dates: 1846-1848
Archive name: Gloucestershire Archives
Catalogue ref: D2593/2/7
Collection: Fulljames and Waller of Gloucester, Architects
Description: Gloucester, County Gaol (Classical)
Dates: 1831-1837
Archive name: Gloucestershire Archives
Catalogue ref: Q/AG/1
Collection: Gloucestershire Quarter Sessions
Description: County Gaol, Gloucester: plans
Dates: 1785-1879
Archive name: Gloucestershire Archives
Catalogue ref: Q/AG/35b
Collection: Gloucestershire Quarter Sessions
Description: Papers relating to County Prison, Barrack Square and Quay Wall (Gloucester Corporation Act 1874)
Dates: 1874-1882
Archive name: Gloucestershire Archives
Catalogue ref: Q/AG/9
Collection: Gloucestershire Quarter Sessions
Description: Contracts and draft contracts for alterations and repairs at Gloucester Gaol
Dates: 1826-1863
Archive name: Gloucestershire Archives
Catalogue ref: Q/RUm/102
Collection: Gloucestershire Quarter Sessions
Description: River Severn horse towing path. Plan and book of reference, Trophimus Fulljames, Surveyor. Includes County Gaol, Gloucester
Dates: 1810-1811
Archive name: Gloucestershire Archives
Catalogue ref: Q/RUm/132/1
Collection: Gloucestershire Quarter Sessions
Description: Birmingham and Gloucester railway. Plan, book of reference and section. Captain W. S. Moorsom, Engineer. Includes County Gaol, Gloucester.
Dates: c.1835
Archive name: Gloucestershire Archives
Catalogue ref: Q/RUm/133
Collection: Gloucestershire Quarter Sessions
Description: Cheltenham to Swindon railway, with branches. Plan and section. Includes County Gaol
Dates: c.1835
Archive name: Gloucestershire Archives
Catalogue ref: Q/RUm/136/2
Collection: Gloucestershire Quarter Sessions
Description: Gloucester water works. Plan of the City of Gloucester showing the line of the pipes and the streets to be supplied with water. Includes County Gaol
Dates: c.1835-c.1836
Archive name: Gloucestershire Archives
Catalogue ref: Q/RUm/396
Collection: Gloucestershire Quarter Sessions
Description: Gloucester Borough extension and improvements. Plan and section (volume, printed), book of reference. Thomas Small, Engineer. Includes County Gaol
Dates: 1873
Archive name: Gloucestershire Archives
Catalogue ref: Q/AG/33
Collection: Gloucestershire Quarter Sessions
Description: Copy rentals of gardens belonging to the County Gaol
Dates: 1803-1813
Archive name: The National Archives
Catalogue ref: PCOM7/122
Collection: Prison Commission
Description: Land. Gloucester Prison: conveyance of strip of land to [?]
Dates: 1894
Archive name: The National Archives
Catalogue ref: PCOM7/123
Collection: Prison Commission
Description: Land. Gloucester Prison: conveyance of strip of land to Gloucester Corporation
Dates: 1895-1899
Archive name: Hampshire Archives and Local Studies
Catalogue ref: 88M96W/K1
Collection: None
Description: Photocopies of photographs of prison scenes
Dates: c.1900
Archive name: Hampshire Archives and Local Studies
Catalogue ref: 44M69/F14/1/11
Collection: None
Description: Letters to Thomas Hall junior from his daughter Elizabeth (Eliza) Hall / Jervoise. Item 16 describes a visit to Gloucester Cathedral and Gaol
Dates: 1801-1808