Leeds Borough Gaol and House of Correction

Overview

Details

Records

Overview

Alternative Names   Leeds Borough Gaol, Leeds Prison, HMP Leeds, Armley Gaol

Prison Type   Local Prison -  Common Gaol & House of Correction/Bridewell

Jurisdiction   Municipality

Date opened   1847

Date closed   post 1900 (still open)

Location   Gloucester Terrace in Armley area of Leeds   Leeds

Map location   exact or closely approximate

County   Yorkshire

Prison Info

Alternative Names   Leeds Borough Gaol, Leeds Prison, HMP Leeds, Armley Gaol

Prison Type   Local Prison

Jurisdiction   Municipality

Date opened   1847

Date closed   post 1900 (still open)

Location   Gloucester Terrace in Armley area of Leeds   Leeds

Map location   exact or closely approximate
Lat.   53.7961618  Long.   -1.5754417

County   Yorkshire

Prisoner Statistics

 

Year 1848

Annual Confined   -   1220

Daily Daily average   -   157

 

Year 1853

Annual Confined   -   1603

Daily Daily average   -   263

 

Year 1858

Annual Committed   -   1883

Daily Daily average   -   255

 

Year 1863

Annual Committed   -   2417

Daily Greatest number   -   352

 

Year 1868

Annual Committed   -   2865

Daily Daily average   -   362

 

Year 1873

Annual Committed   -   2848

Daily Daily average   -   354

 

Year 1878

Annual Committed   -   4080

Daily Daily average   -   513

 

Year 1883

Annual Committed   -   5083

Daily Daily average   -   492

 

Year 1888

Annual Committed   -   4575

Daily Daily average   -   419

 

Year 1893

Annual Committed   -   5085

Daily   -  

 

Year 1898

Annual Committed   -   6438

Daily   -  

Principal Primary Sources

  • Inspectors of Prisons of Great Britain IV. Northern District, Thirteenth Report (Parl. Papers, 1847-8, XXXVI.361), p.43; Inspectors of Prisons of Great Britain IV. Northern District, Fourteenth Report (Parl. Papers, 1849, XXVI.167), p.51; Inspectors of Prisons of Great Britain II. Northern and Eastern District, Fifteenth Report (Parl. Papers, 1850, XXVIII.291), p.61; Inspectors of Prisons of Great Britain II. Northern and Eastern District, Sixteenth Report (Parl. Papers, 1851, XXVII.461), p.85; Inspectors of Prisons of Great Britain II. Northern and Eastern District, Seventeenth Report (Parl. Papers, 1852-53, LII.1), p.94; Inspectors of Prisons of Great Britain II. Northern and Eastern District, Seventeenth Report (Parl. Papers, 1852-53, LII.1), p.62; Inspectors of Prisons of Great Britain II. Northern and Eastern District, Nineteenth Report (Parl. Papers, 1856, XXXIII.385), p.69; Inspectors of Prisons of Great Britain II. Northern and Eastern District, Twentieth Report (Parl. Papers, 1857, Session 1, VII.313), p.59; Inspectors of Prisons of Great Britain II. Northern and Eastern District, Twenty-first Report (Parl. Papers, 1857, Session 2, XXIII.1), p.53; Inspectors of Prisons of Great Britain III. Northern District, Twenty-third Report (Parl. Papers, 1857-58, XXIX.209), p.69; Inspectors of Prisons of Great Britain III. Northern District, Twenty-fourth Report (Parl. Papers, 1859, Session 1, XI.213), p.57; Inspectors of Prisons of Great Britain III. Northern District, Twenty-fifth Report (Parl. Papers, 1860, XXXV.381), p.42; Inspectors of Prisons of Great Britain III. Northern District, Twenty-eighth Report (Parl. Papers, 1863, XXIII.109), p.93; Inspectors of Prisons of Great Britain II. Northern District, Thirtieth Report (Parl. Papers, 1865, XXIII.257), p.103; Inspectors of Prisons of Great Britain II. Northern District, Thirty-first Report (Parl. Papers, 1866, XXXVII.233), p.112; Inspectors of Prisons of Great Britain II. Northern District, Thirty-second Report (Parl. Papers, 1867-68, XXXIV.1), p.107; Inspectors of Prisons of Great Britain II. Northern District, Thirty-fourth Report (Parl. Papers, 1871, XXIX.1), p.114; Inspectors of Prisons of Great Britain II. Northern District, Thirty-fifth Report (Parl. Papers, 1871, XXIX.529), p.174; Inspectors of Prisons of Great Britain II. Northern District, Thirty-sixth Report (Parl. Papers, 1872, XXXI.169), p.88; Inspectors of Prisons of Great Britain II. Northern District, Thirty-seventh Report (Parl. Papers, 1873, XXXII.337), p.172; Inspectors of Prisons of Great Britain II. Northern District, Thirty-eighth Report (Parl. Papers, 1874, XXIX.389), p.209; Inspectors of Prisons of Great Britain II. Northern District, Thirty-ninth Report (Parl. Papers, 1875, XXXVII.417), p.211; Inspectors of Prisons of Great Britain II. Northern District, Fortieth Report (Parl. Papers, 1876, XXXV.417), p.216; Inspectors of Prisons of Great Britain II. Northern District, Forty-first Report (Parl. Papers, 1877, XLIII.421), p.214; Inspectors of Prisons of Great Britain II. Northern District, Forty-second Report (Parl. Papers, 1878, XLI.417), p.213
  • Commissioners of Prisons, Second Annual Report (Parl. Papers, 1878-79, XXXIV.1, 97), p.40; Commissioners of Prisons, Third Annual Report (Parl. Papers, 1880, XXXV.1,73), p.50; Commissioners of Prisons, Fourth Annual Report (Parl. Papers, 1881, LI.441, 521), p.52; Commissioners of Prisons, Fifth Annual Report (Parl. Papers, 1882, XXXIII.443, 541), p.57; Commissioners of Prisons, Sixth Annual Report (Parl. Papers, 1883, XXXI.445, 579), p.61; Commissioners of Prisons, Seventh Annual Report (Parl. Papers, 1884, XLII.461, 551), p.58; Commissioners of Prisons, Eighth Annual Report (Parl. Papers, 1884-85, XXXVII.527, 651), p.59; Commissioners of Prisons, Ninth Annual Report (Parl. Papers, 1886, XXXV.1, 93), p.53; Commissioners of Prisons, Tenth Annual Report (Parl. Papers, 1887, XLI.203, 335), p.49; Commissioners of Prisons, Eleventh Annual Report (Parl. Papers, 1888, LVIII.1, 209), p.48; Commissioners of Prisons, Twelfth Annual Report (Parl. Papers, 1889, XLI.1, 181), p.48; Commissioners of Prisons, Thirteenth Annual Report (Parl. Papers, 1890, XXXVII.1, 183), p.48; Commissioners of Prisons, Fourteenth Annual Report (Parl. Papers, 1890-91, XLIII.1, 125), p.46; Commissioners of Prisons, Fifteenth Annual Report (Parl. Papers, 1892, XLII.1, 147), p.45; Commissioners of Prisons, Sixteenth Annual Report (Parl. Papers, 1893-94, XLVII.1, 121), p.44; Commissioners of Prisons, Seventeenth Annual Report (Parl. Papers, 1894, XLIV.1, 183), p.43; Commissioners of Prisons, Eighteenth Annual Report (Parl. Papers, 1895, LVI.727, 865), p.44
  • Report of Coms. of Prisons and Directors of Convict Prisons, 1895-96 (Parl. Papers, 1896, XLIV.235), p.109; Report of Coms. of Prisons and Directors of Convict Prisons, 1896-97 (Parl. Papers, 1897, XL.105), p.251; Report of Coms. of Prisons and Directors of Convict Prisons, 1897-98 (Parl. Papers, 1898, XLVII.23), p.277; Report of Coms. of Prisons and Directors of Convict Prisons, 1898-99 (Parl. Papers, 1899, XLIII.65), p.279; Report of Coms. of Prisons and Directors of Convict Prisons, 1899-1900 (Parl. Papers, 1900, XLI.1), p.319

Additional Primary Sources

  • William White, Directory and Topography of the Boroughs of Leeds, Halifax, Huddersfield and Wakefield... (Sheffield, 1858), p. 20

Management

Archive name: West Yorkshire Archive Service, Leeds

Catalogue ref: LLC3/1/1-2

Collection: Leeds Corporation and County Borough Council

Description: New Gaol Committee minute books

Dates: 1837-1847


Archive name: West Yorkshire Archive Service, Leeds

Catalogue ref: LLD1/1/A8777

Collection: Leeds Corporation and County Borough Council

Description: Agreements, contracts etc for Leeds New Gaol

Dates: 1839-1846


Archive name: West Yorkshire Archive Service, Leeds

Catalogue ref: P36/C/3/3

Collection: Leeds Petty Sessions and Magistrates Court

Description: Minutes of Justices' meetings, including regarding Gaol

Dates: 1871-1872


Archive name: West Yorkshire Archive Service, Leeds

Catalogue ref: P36/C/4/3

Collection: Leeds Petty Sessions and Magistrates Court

Description: Minutes of meetings, including Visiting Justices of Leeds Prison

Dates: 1876-1885


Finance

Archive name: West Yorkshire Archive Service, Leeds

Catalogue ref: LLD3/1/2648

Collection: Leeds Corporation and County Borough Council

Description: Various accounts and papers for Treasurers' Department, Leeds Borough Gaol

Dates: c.1879


Prisoners

Archive name: The National Archives

Catalogue ref: HO23/9

Collection: Home Office

Description: Registers of Prisoners from national prisons lodged in County Prisons, Leeds

Dates: 1848-1864


Archive name: West Yorkshire Archive Service, Wakefield

Catalogue ref: C187/3/2/1

Collection: Leeds Prison, Armley

Description: Nominal register

Dates: 1851-1853


Archive name: West Yorkshire Archive Service, Wakefield

Catalogue ref: WYP/LE/A137/292

Collection: Leeds City Police

Description: Registers of prisoners to be tried at the Assizes

Dates: 1842-1890


Archive name: West Yorkshire Archive Service, Wakefield

Catalogue ref: WYP/LE/A137/293

Collection: Leeds City Police

Description: Registers of prisoners to be tried at Quarter Sessions

Dates: 1861-1885


Archive name: West Yorkshire Archive Service, Wakefield

Catalogue ref: WYP/LE/A83/119

Collection: Leeds City Police

Description: Register of prisoners, with photographs

Dates: 1896-1899


Archive name: Sheffield City Archives

Catalogue ref: MD 5021

Collection: Records of Charles Peace

Description: Letter from Charles Peace, Sheffield murderer, to 'my poor Sue', from Leeds Prison

Dates: 1879


Archive name: Sheffield City Archives

Catalogue ref: MD 7297

Collection: Records of Charles Peace

Description: Letter written from Charlie Peace to Reverend J. H. Littlewood, Sunday School Master, four days before Peace's execution at Armley Gaol, Leeds.

Dates: 1879


Archive name: Sheffield City Archives

Catalogue ref: X144

Collection: Records of Charles Peace

Description: Legal records of Charles Peace, including last will and testament

Dates: c.1870s


Archive name: West Yorkshire Archive Service, Wakefield

Catalogue ref: C187/3/3/1

Collection: Leeds Prison, Armley

Description: Orders for remission of sentence

Dates: 1879-1926


Land & Buildings

Archive name: West Yorkshire Archive Service, Wakefield

Catalogue ref: C187/1/11/1-2

Collection: Leeds Prison, Armley

Description: Buildings. Elevations of Leeds Gaol, interior and exterior

Dates: 1844


Archive name: West Yorkshire Archive Service, Wakefield

Catalogue ref: C187/1/11/3

Collection: Leeds Prison, Armley

Description: Treadwheel house

Dates: 1881


Images

Archive name: West Yorkshire Archive Service, Wakefield

Catalogue ref: C187/1/12/2

Collection: Leeds Prison, Armley

Description: Drawing of men on treadmill

Dates: undated


Archive name: West Yorkshire Archive Service, Wakefield

Catalogue ref: C187/1/12/3

Collection: Leeds Prison, Armley

Description: Drawing of boys in workhouse

Dates: undated


Archive name: West Yorkshire Archive Service, Wakefield

Catalogue ref: C187/1/12/4

Collection: Leeds Prison, Armley

Description: Drawing of man in cell with guards

Dates: 1896


Archive name: West Yorkshire Archive Service, Wakefield

Catalogue ref: C187/1/12/5

Collection: Leeds Prison, Armley

Description: Drawing of arriving prisoners in a wagon

Dates: 1896