Ipswich Borough Gaol

Overview

Details

Records

Overview

Prison Type   Local Prison -  Common Gaol

Jurisdiction   Municipality

Date opened   1820

Date closed   1878

Location   Rope Walk   Ipswich

Map location   exact or closely approximate

County   Suffolk

Critical Remarks

The primary sources all agree that the borough purchased the old County House of Correction (ID 288) in 1820 and converted the premises into the new Borough Gaol.

Prison Info

Prison Type   Local Prison

Jurisdiction   Municipality

Date opened   1820

Date closed   1878

Location   Rope Walk   Ipswich

Map location   exact or closely approximate
Lat.   52.055594  Long.   1.160958

County   Suffolk

Critical Remarks

The primary sources all agree that the borough purchased the old County House of Correction (ID 288) in 1820 and converted the premises into the new Borough Gaol.

Prisoner Statistics

 

Year 1832

Annual Committed   -   97

Daily Greatest number   -   41

 

Year 1838

Annual Confined   -   157

Daily Census   -   38

 

Year 1843

Annual Confined   -   230

Daily Census   -   29

 

Year 1848

Annual Confined   -   214

Daily Daily average   -   18

 

Year 1853

Annual Confined   -   182

Daily Daily average   -   26

 

Year 1858

Annual Committed   -   269

Daily Daily average   -   27

 

Year 1863

Annual Committed   -   204

Daily Greatest number   -   32

 

Year 1868

Annual Committed   -   283

Daily Daily average   -   24

 

Year 1873

Annual Committed   -   255

Daily Daily average   -   28

 

Year 1878

Annual Committed   -   49

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.104
  • Return of Places of Confinement Outside Gaol Acts in England and Wales (Parl. Papers, 1833, XXVIII.425), p.56
  • Royal Commission of Inquiry into Municipal Corporations of England and Wales, First Report, Appendices: Part 4 (Parl. Papers, 1835, XXV.1), p.2318
  • Abstract Return of Establishment and Expenditure of Gaols and Houses of Correction in England and Wales (Parl. Papers, 1840, XXXVIII.241), p.56
  • Inspectors of Prisons of Great Britain II. Northern and Eastern District. First Report (Parl. Papers, 1836, XXXV.161), p.89; Inspectors of Prisons of Great Britain I. Home District, Second Report (Parl. Papers, 1837, XXXII.1), p.45; Inspectors of Prisons of Great Britain II. Northern and Eastern District, Fourth Report (Parl. Papers, 1839, XXII.1), p.161; Inspectors of Prisons of Great Britain II. Northern and Eastern District, Fifth Report (Parl. Papers, 1840, XXV.565), p.141; Inspectors of Prisons of Great Britain II. Northern and Eastern District, Seventh Report (Parl. Papers, 1842, XXI.1), p.163; Inspectors of Prisons of Great Britain II. Northern and Eastern District, Ninth Report (Parl. Papers, 1844, XXIX.227), p.49; Inspectors of Prisons of Great Britain II. Northern and Eastern District, Eleventh Report (Parl. Papers, 1846, XXI.483), p.23; Inspectors of Prisons of Great Britain II. Midland and Eastern District, Fourteenth Report (Parl. Papers, 1849, XXVI.1), p.62; Inspectors of Prisons of Great Britain II. Northern and Eastern District, Fifteenth Report (Parl. Papers, 1850, XXVIII.291), p.83; Inspectors of Prisons of Great Britain II. Northern and Eastern District, Sixteenth Report (Parl. Papers, 1851, XXVII.461), p.54; Inspectors of Prisons of Great Britain II. Northern and Eastern District, Eighteenth Report (Parl. Papers, 1856, XXXIII.1), p.57; Inspectors of Prisons of Great Britain II. Northern and Eastern District, Twentieth Report (Parl. Papers, 1857, Session 1, VII.313), p.53; Inspectors of Prisons of Great Britain II. Northern and Eastern District, Twenty-first Report (Parl. Papers, 1857, Session 2, XXIII.1), p.47; Inspectors of Prisons of Great Britain II. Northern and Eastern District, Twenty-second Report (Parl. Papers, 1857-58, XXIX.1), p.55; Inspectors of Prisons of Great Britain II. Midland District, Twenty-third Report (Parl. Papers, 1859, Session 1, XI.1), p.129; Inspectors of Prisons of Great Britain II. Midland District, Twenty-fifth Report (Parl. Papers, 1860, XXXV.229), p.122; Inspectors of Prisons of Great Britain II. Midland District, Twenty-sixth Report (Parl. Papers, 1861, XXIX.45), p.121; Inspectors of Prisons of Great Britain II. Midland District, Twenty-seventh Report (Parl. Papers, 1862, XXV.93), p.112; Inspectors of Prisons of Great Britain I. Southern District, Twenty-eighth Report (Parl. Papers, 1863, XXIII.1), p.79; Inspectors of Prisons of Great Britain I. Southern District, Thirtieth Report (Parl. Papers, 1865, XXIII.1), p.220; Inspectors of Prisons of Great Britain I. Southern District, Thirty-first Report (Parl. Papers, 1866, XXXVII.1), p.194; Inspectors of Prisons of Great Britain I. Southern District, Thirty-second Report (Parl. Papers, 1867-68, XXXIV.203), p.266; Inspectors of Prisons of Great Britain I. Southern District, Thirty-third Report (Parl. Papers, 1868-69, XXIX.1), p.185; Inspectors of Prisons of Great Britain I. Southern District, Thirty-fourth Report (Parl. Papers, 1870, XXXVII.1), p.191; Inspectors of Prisons of Great Britain I. Southern District, Thirty-fifth Report (Parl. Papers, 1871, XXIX.241), p.241; Inspectors of Prisons of Great Britain I. Southern District, Thirty-sixth Report (Parl. Papers, 1872, XXXI.1), p.139; Inspectors of Prisons of Great Britain I. Southern District, Thirty-seventh Report (Parl. Papers, 1873, XXXII.1), p.284; Inspectors of Prisons of Great Britain I. Southern District, Thirty-eighth Report (Parl. Papers, 1874, XXIX.1), p.326; Inspectors of Prisons of Great Britain I. Southern District, Thirty-ninth Report (Parl. Papers, 1875, XXXVII.1), p.352; Inspectors of Prisons of Great Britain I. Southern District, Fortieth Report (Parl. Papers, 1876, XXXV.1), p.351; Inspectors of Prisons of Great Britain I. Southern District, Forty-first Report (Parl. Papers, 1877, XLIII.1), p.354; Inspectors of Prisons of Great Britain I. Southern District, Forty-second Report (Parl. Papers, 1878, XLI.1), p.351

Additional Primary Sources

  • William White, History, Gazetteer and Directory of Suffolk (2nd edn, Sheffield, 1855), p. 73

Secondary Sources

  • http://www.pastscape.org.uk/hob.aspx?hob_id=1109345&sort=2&type=&rational=a&class1=11&period=&county=&district=&parish=&place=Wing&recordsperpage=10&source=text&rtype=&rnumber=&p=54&move=n&nor=609&recfc=0

Management

Archive name: Suffolk Record Office, Ipswich Branch

Catalogue ref: B/100/1/24/54

Collection: Suffolk Quarter Sessions

Description: Chaplain's report, City Gaol

Dates: 1846


Archive name: Suffolk Record Office, Ipswich Branch

Catalogue ref: C/2/9/1/2/1/1

Collection: Ipswich Borough Quarter Sessions

Description: Letters addressed to the Clerk of the Peace, or forwarded to him, for action, by the Bailiffs, Recorder and Gaoler. Chiefly from the Home Office concerning returns of offenders.

Dates: 1820-1833


Archive name: Suffolk Record Office, Ipswich Branch

Catalogue ref: C/2/9/1/1/6/24

Collection: Ipswich Borough Quarter Sessions

Description: Coroner's inquisitions (1822). Includes accounts of bread supplied for Gaol.

Dates: 1821-1822


Finance

Archive name: Suffolk Record Office, Ipswich Branch

Catalogue ref: C/2/9/1/2/6/2

Collection: Ipswich Borough Quarter Sessions

Description: Treasurer of the Marshalsea Rate, vouchers, general series. Later bundles include salaries of Officers such as the Recorder, Gaoler, Keeper of the Bridewell, Gaol Surgeon, Gaol Chaplain and his Clerk, Also, repair of the Gaol and Bridewell, and the welfare of the prisoners, including weekly subsistence payments, detailed accounts of bread supplied to each named prisoner, provision of clothing, shaving them and cutting their hair, and an annual Christmas dinner. Occasional bills and orders for escorting convicted felons to the Hulks to await transportation to the colonies.

Dates: 1696-1832


Archive name: Suffolk Record Office, Ipswich Branch

Catalogue ref: C/2/9/1/2/6

Collection: Ipswich Borough Quarter Sessions

Description: Treasurer of the Marshalsea Rate. Includes information on rates for the maintenance of the Gaol and House of Correction

Dates: 1632-1835


Prisoners

Archive name: Suffolk Record Office, Ipswich Branch

Catalogue ref: C/2/9/1/2/5/1

Collection: Ipswich Borough Quarter Sessions

Description: Register of 'prisoners under confinement in the Town and Borough Gaol'

Dates: 1800-1824