Leicester Borough Gaol and House of Correction

Overview

Details

Records

Overview

Alternative Names   Leicester Borough Gaol, Leicester City Gaol

Prison Type   Local Prison -  Common Gaol

Jurisdiction   Municipality

Date opened   1830

Date closed   1878

Location   Highcross Street, corner of Causeway Lane (former County Gaol site)   Leicester

Map location   exact or closely approximate

County   Leicestershire

Critical Remarks

From 1830, the Borough Gaol occupied new premises further up High Cross Street, namely the buildings formerly used by the County Gaol (ID 491) and County House of Correction (ID 675). From 1836, the Borough Gaol officially merged with the Borough House of Correction (ID 109) which was located on an adjacent site.

Prison Info

Alternative Names   Leicester Borough Gaol, Leicester City Gaol

Prison Type   Local Prison

Jurisdiction   Municipality

Date opened   1830

Date closed   1878

Location   Highcross Street, corner of Causeway Lane (former County Gaol site)   Leicester

Map location   exact or closely approximate
Lat.   52.6374024  Long.   -1.138475

County   Leicestershire

Critical Remarks

From 1830, the Borough Gaol occupied new premises further up High Cross Street, namely the buildings formerly used by the County Gaol (ID 491) and County House of Correction (ID 675). From 1836, the Borough Gaol officially merged with the Borough House of Correction (ID 109) which was located on an adjacent site.

Prisoner Statistics

 

Year 1833

Annual Committed   -   735

Daily Census   -   28

 

Year 1838

Annual Confined   -   873

Daily Census   -   70

 

Year 1843

Annual Confined   -   968

Daily Census   -   64

 

Year 1848

Annual Confined   -   711

Daily Daily average   -   40

 

Year 1853

Annual Confined   -   478

Daily Daily average   -   42

 

Year 1858

Annual Committed   -   567

Daily Daily average   -   73

 

Year 1863

Annual Committed   -   477

Daily Greatest number   -   81

 

Year 1868

Annual Committed   -   513

Daily Daily average   -   63

 

Year 1873

Annual Committed   -   757

Daily Daily average   -   83

Principal Primary Sources

  • Reports and Schedules Pursuant to Gaol Acts (Parl. Papers, 1830-31, XII.1), p.320; Reports and Schedules Pursuant to Gaol Acts (Parl. Papers, 1831-32. XXXIII.197), p.320; Reports and Schedules Pursuant to Gaol Acts (Parl. Papers, 1833, XXVIII.1), p.345; Reports and Schedules Pursuant to Gaol Acts (Parl. Papers, 1834, XLVI.1), p.330; Reports and Schedules Pursuant to Gaol Acts (Parl. Papers, 1835, XLIV.225), p.316; Reports and Schedules Pursuant to Gaol Acts (Parl. Papers, 1836, XLII.1), p.212; Reports and Schedules Pursuant to Gaol Acts (Parl. Papers, 1837, XLV.1), p.213; Reports and Schedules Pursuant to Gaol Acts (Parl. Papers, 1837-8, XLIII.227), p.214; Reports and Schedules Pursuant to Gaol Acts (Parl. Papers, 1839, XXXVIII.17), p.214; Reports Pursuant to Gaol Acts (Parl. Papers, 1840, XXXVIII.1), p.228; Reports and Schedules Pursuant to Gaol Acts (Parl. Papers, 1841, XVIII.1), p.242; Reports and Schedules Pursuant to Gaol Acts (Parl. Papers, 1842, XXXII.1), p.244; Reports and Schedules Pursuant to Gaol Acts (Parl. Papers, 1843, XLIII.1), p.246; Reports and Schedules Pursuant to Gaol Acts (Parl. Papers, 1844, XXXIX.403), p.236; Reports and Schedules Pursuant to Gaol Acts (Parl. Papers, 1845, XXXVII.417), p.273; Reports and Schedules Pursuant to Gaol Acts (Parl. Papers, 1846, XXXIV.187), p.283; Reports and Schedules Pursuant to Gaol Acts (Parl. Papers, 1847, XLVII.297), p.287; Reports and Schedules Pursuant to Gaol Acts (Parl. Papers, 1847-48, LII.465), p.291
  • Royal Commission of Inquiry into Municipal Corporations of England and Wales, First Report, Appendices: Part 3 (Parl. Papers, 1835, XXIV.1), p.1898
  • Abstract Return of Establishment and Expenditure of Gaols and Houses of Correction in England and Wales (Parl. Papers, 1840, XXXVIII.241), p.28
  • Inspectors of Prisons of Great Britain III. Southern and Western District. First Report (Parl. Papers, 1836, XXXV.269), p.39; Inspectors of Prisons of Great Britain III. Southern and Western District, Fourth Report (Parl. Papers, 1839, XXII.217), p.222; Inspectors of Prisons of Great Britain III. Southern and Western District, Sixth Report (Parl. Papers, 1841 Session 2, V.177), p.206; Inspectors of Prisons of Great Britain III. Southern and Western District, Ninth Report (Parl. Papers, 1844, XXIX.391), p.274; Inspectors of Prisons of Great Britain III. Southern and Western District, Eleventh Report (Parl. Papers, 1846, XXI.565), p.251; Inspectors of Prisons of Great Britain III. Southern and Western District, Twelfth Report (Parl. Papers, 1847-8, XXXV.1), p.255; Inspectors of Prisons of Great Britain II. Midland and Eastern District, Thirteenth Report (Parl. Papers, 1847-8, XXXVI.1), p.74; Inspectors of Prisons of Great Britain III. Southern and Western District, Seventeenth Report (Parl. Papers, 1852, XXIV.1), p.136; Inspectors of Prisons of Great Britain III. Southern and Western District, Nineteenth Report (Parl. Papers, 1854, XXXIV.1), p.57; Inspectors of Prisons of Great Britain III. Southern and Western District, Twenty-first Report (Parl. Papers, 1856, XXXIII.485), p.36; Inspectors of Prisons of Great Britain II. Midland District, Twenty-third Report (Parl. Papers, 1859, Session 1, XI.1), p.50; Inspectors of Prisons of Great Britain II. Midland District, Twenty-fourth Report (Parl. Papers, 1860, XXXV.1), p.48; Inspectors of Prisons of Great Britain II. Midland District, Twenty-fifth Report (Parl. Papers, 1860, XXXV.229), p.46; Inspectors of Prisons of Great Britain II. Midland District, Twenty-sixth Report (Parl. Papers, 1861, XXIX.45), p.44; Inspectors of Prisons of Great Britain II. Midland District, Twenty-seventh Report (Parl. Papers, 1862, XXV.93), p.48; Inspectors of Prisons of Great Britain III. Northern District, Twenty-eighth Report (Parl. Papers, 1863, XXIII.109), p.69; Inspectors of Prisons of Great Britain II. Northern District, Twenty-ninth Report (Parl. Papers, 1864, XXVI.89), p.27; Inspectors of Prisons of Great Britain II. Northern District, Thirtieth Report (Parl. Papers, 1865, XXIII.257), p.48; Inspectors of Prisons of Great Britain II. Northern District, Thirty-first Report (Parl. Papers, 1866, XXXVII.233), p.52; Inspectors of Prisons of Great Britain II. Northern District, Thirty-second Report (Parl. Papers, 1867-68, XXXIV.1), p.37; Inspectors of Prisons of Great Britain II. Northern District, Thirty-fourth Report (Parl. Papers, 1871, XXIX.1), p.40; Inspectors of Prisons of Great Britain II. Northern District, Thirty-fifth Report (Parl. Papers, 1871, XXIX.529), p.53; Inspectors of Prisons of Great Britain II. Northern District, Thirty-sixth Report (Parl. Papers, 1872, XXXI.169), p.30; Inspectors of Prisons of Great Britain II. Northern District, Thirty-seventh Report (Parl. Papers, 1873, XXXII.337), p.52; Inspectors of Prisons of Great Britain II. Northern District, Thirty-eighth Report (Parl. Papers, 1874, XXIX.389), p.70; Inspectors of Prisons of Great Britain II. Northern District, Thirty-ninth Report (Parl. Papers, 1875, XXXVII.417), p.72; Inspectors of Prisons of Great Britain II. Northern District, Fortieth Report (Parl. Papers, 1876, XXXV.417), p.72; Inspectors of Prisons of Great Britain II. Northern District, Forty-first Report (Parl. Papers, 1877, XLIII.421), p.72; Inspectors of Prisons of Great Britain II. Northern District, Forty-second Report (Parl. Papers, 1878, XLI.417), p.72

Additional Primary Sources

  • William White, History, Gazetteer and Directory of Leicestershire and the small county of Rutland, together with the adjacent towns of Grantham and Stamford (Sheffield, 1846), p. 76

Management

Archive name: Record Office for Leicestershire, Leicester and Rutland

Catalogue ref: 31D71/1 -3

Collection: Leicester Borough Quarter Sessions

Description: Court order books . Likely to contain material relevant to the administration of the borough gaol

Dates: 1847-1859, 1889-1896, 1896-1904


Archive name: Record Office for Leicestershire, Leicester and Rutland

Catalogue ref: BR IV/2/1-3

Collection: Leicester Borough

Description: Proceedings at Gaol Sessions, reports to Justices

Dates: 1838-1875


Archive name: Record Office for Leicestershire, Leicester and Rutland

Catalogue ref: DE4384/336,337

Collection: Leicester Borough Quarter Sessions

Description: Court minute books. Likely to contain material relevant to the administration of the borough gaol

Dates: 1836-1846, 1876-1888


Prisoners

Archive name: Record Office for Leicestershire, Leicester and Rutland

Catalogue ref: DE3370

Collection: None

Description: Borough Gaol Leicester, register of prisoners

Dates: 1876-1877


Archive name: Record Office for Leicestershire, Leicester and Rutland

Catalogue ref: 8D43/5

Collection: Information regarding the escape of prisoners from the Borough Gaol and various papers relating to the Gaol

Description: Copy of letters from W. Forster and James Allen regarding plan to escape from imprisonment

Dates: 1856


Archive name: Record Office for Leicestershire, Leicester and Rutland

Catalogue ref: 8D43/4

Collection: Information regarding the escape of prisoners from the Borough Gaol and various papers relating to the Gaol

Description: Order signed by Thomas Burbidge, Clerk of the Peace, for the transportation of John Smith, convicted of felony

Dates: 1836


Images

Archive name: Record Office for Leicestershire, Leicester and Rutland

Catalogue ref: DE3736 Boxes 17 and 30

Collection: Topographical series: Leicester streets 

Description: Topographical series - Leicester streets. Includes images of Borough Gaol and Welford Road Prison.

Dates: 1830-1890


Archive name: Record Office for Leicestershire, Leicester and Rutland

Catalogue ref: DE8251/1/22/140-145

Collection: None

Description: Leicestershire, Leicester and Rutland postcards, including postcards of the Borough Gaol

Dates: 1850s-1900