Alternative Names Lewes County Gaol, Lewes Prison, HMP Lewes
Prison Type Local Prison - Common Gaol
Jurisdiction County
Date opened 1854
Date closed post 1900 (still open)
Location Brighton Road Lewes
Map location exact or closely approximate
County Sussex
Alternative Names Lewes County Gaol, Lewes Prison, HMP Lewes
Prison Type Local Prison
Jurisdiction County
Date opened 1854
Date closed post 1900 (still open)
Location Brighton Road Lewes
Map location exact or closely approximate
Lat. 50.8725 Long. -0.0059
County Sussex
Year 1858
Annual Committed - 1316
Daily Daily average - 209
Year 1863
Annual Committed - 1351
Daily Greatest number - 258
Year 1868
Annual Committed - 1542
Daily Daily average - 203
Year 1873
Annual Committed - 1383
Daily Daily average - 184
Year 1878
Annual Committed - 1760
Daily Daily average - 275
Year 1883
Annual Committed - 1651
Daily Daily average - 240
Year 1888
Annual Committed - 1852
Daily Daily average - 240
Year 1893
Annual Committed - 1624
Daily -
Year 1898
Annual Committed - 1720
Daily -
Archive name: East Sussex Record Office
Catalogue ref: AMS 6762
Collection: Courthope papers
Description: Correspondence notes numbers of prisoners in the east and west divisions, visits to the new Gaol, comments on individual cases, and other 'criminal business'
Dates: 1845-1852
Archive name: East Sussex Record Office
Catalogue ref: DR/B 32/3
Collection: Rother District Council
Description: Duplicate contract between the Justices of the eastern division of Sussex and the Justices of the Borough of Rye for the receiving, supporting and maintaining of prisoners committed from Rye in the Gaol and House of Correction at Lewes
Dates: 1868
Archive name: East Sussex Record Office
Catalogue ref: QAP/2/10/1-2
Collection: Sussex Quarter Sessions
Description: Miscellaneous papers. Including reports on the new prison, staffing, correspondence etc
Dates: 1815-1887
Archive name: East Sussex Record Office
Catalogue ref: QAP/2/27
Collection: Sussex Quarter Sessions
Description: Orders of Quarter Sessions to build a new Gaol and House of Correction, Minutes of the Committee, accounts
Dates: 1847-1884
Archive name: East Sussex Record Office
Catalogue ref: QAP/2/29
Collection: Sussex Quarter Sessions
Description: Memoranda, draft letters and contracts
Dates: 1848-1855
Archive name: East Sussex Record Office
Catalogue ref: QAP/2/30/1-3
Collection: Sussex Quarter Sessions
Description: Correspondence
Dates: 1848-1854
Archive name: East Sussex Record Office
Catalogue ref: QAP/2/35
Collection: Sussex Quarter Sessions
Description: Minutes of Building Committee
Dates: 1860-1869
Archive name: East Sussex Record Office
Catalogue ref: QAP/2/4/7-10
Collection: Sussex Quarter Sessions
Description: Reports and returns
Dates: 1853-1879
Archive name: East Sussex Record Office
Catalogue ref: QAP/2/6
Collection: Sussex Quarter Sessions
Description: Contracts for supplies and maintenance
Dates: 1849-1856
Archive name: East Sussex Record Office
Catalogue ref: QCC/6
Collection: Sussex Quarter Sessions
Description: Copy case and opinion as to contract for maintenance of Brighton Borough prisoners in Lewes Gaol
Dates: 1866
Archive name: East Sussex Record Office
Catalogue ref: SEA 130
Collection: Seaford Corporation
Description: Agreement for the receiving, supporting and maintaining such prisoners from Seaford as are committed to the House of Correction at Lewes.
Dates: 1868
Archive name: East Sussex Record Office
Catalogue ref: ACC 3609
Collection: None
Description: Lewes Prison, Visiting Justices' minute books
Dates: 1875-1878
Archive name: East Sussex Record Office
Catalogue ref: QAP/2/9
Collection: Sussex Quarter Sessions
Description: Appointment of Visiting Justices
Dates: 1862-1878
Archive name: East Sussex Record Office
Catalogue ref: AMS 5743
Collection: Davey and Son of Lewes, Plumbers, Painters and Glaziers
Description: The estimate books (1870-1950) contain the detail and terms of the more important contracts, including Lewes Prison
Dates: 1855-1964
Archive name: East Sussex Record Office
Catalogue ref: HC 4/37
Collection: None
Description: Printed sessions papers - account for building new Gaol and House of Correction (the present Lewes House of Correction)
Dates: 1854-1866
Archive name: East Sussex Record Office
Catalogue ref: HOOK 22/12/21, 22
Collection: Archive of Poole Family
Description: Papers concerning Lewes Gaol, including a note of money borrowed for extensions and the general financial situation
Dates: 1870
Archive name: East Sussex Record Office
Catalogue ref: QAP/2/34/1-2
Collection: Sussex Quarter Sessions
Description: Treasurer's accounts with vouchers (for construction of the new prison)
Dates: 1849-1854
Archive name: East Sussex Record Office
Catalogue ref: WIN 1661-1687
Collection: Winchelsea Corporation
Description: Quarterly accounts and receipts for sums paid for the maintenance of Winchelsea prisoners in the County Gaols at Lewes and Battle
Dates: 1823-1866
Archive name: East Sussex Record Office
Catalogue ref: DL/D 293/11/7
Collection: Lewes District Council
Description: Printed abstract of accounts relating to the new Gaol and House of Correction at Lewes, issued by William V. Langridge, Clerk to the Committee
Dates: 1854
Archive name: East Sussex Record Office
Catalogue ref: G/8/13/5
Collection: None
Description: Clerk of the Peace to E. Paine, Clerk of the Union, concerning the cost of the new Prison at Lewes. Estimated at £1,000 yearly over 30 years.
Dates: 1849
Archive name: East Sussex Record Office
Catalogue ref: QAP/2/33/1-2
Collection: Sussex Quarter Sessions
Description: Bills (contractor; of clerk to committee)
Dates: 1848-1854
Archive name: East Sussex Record Office
Catalogue ref: DH/B 136/661
Collection: Hastings Borough Council
Description: Letter from John Sanders, Governor of the Sussex County Prisons, Lewes regarding accommodation of Hastings prisoners in Lewes County Gaol and House of Correction
Dates: 1856
Archive name: East Sussex Record Office
Catalogue ref: DH/B 136/824
Collection: Hastings Borough Council
Description: Application to join the Police force from John Thomas Ancell, Lewes Gaol, to the Hastings Watch Committee
Dates: 1857
Archive name: East Sussex Record Office
Catalogue ref: QAP/1/5
Collection: Sussex Quarter Sessions
Description: Letters concerning pensions of Prison officers. Letters from Prison Commissioners stating amount due from the County on service done before 1878.
Dates: 1878-1910
Archive name: East Sussex Record Office
Catalogue ref: AMS 6930/6
Collection: Brighton Money Advice and Community Support
Description: Applications for relief. Includes applications from former prisoners at Lewes Gaol
Dates: 1872-1928
Archive name: East Sussex Record Office
Catalogue ref: AMS 6995
Collection: None
Description: Lewes Prison, photographs of prisoners. The prisoner's number has been quoted in the description.
Dates: 1897-1913
Archive name: East Sussex Record Office
Catalogue ref: OBIT/1/37/101
Collection: None
Description: Obituaries / reports of inquests of prisoners, including at Lewes, from the Sussex Agricultural Express
Dates: 1870s-1880s
Archive name: West Sussex Record Office
Catalogue ref: Add Mss 19152
Collection: Stone family of Capel, Surrey, and Horsham and Warnham
Description: Letter from Eli Walder, a prisoner in Lewes Gaol, written on the back of Prison rules and regulations, and copy of correspondence concerning his plight
Dates: 1872
Archive name: Birmingham Archives & Collections
Catalogue ref: MS 1421
Collection: Records of Daniel Rowlinson Hill and Daniel Shenton Hill, Architects, of Birmingham
Description: Includes the the diaries of Daniel Rowlinson Hill, with some papers relating to his designs for Prisons in Birmingham, Lewes and Surrey. Also, pencil sketches and watercolours by both D. R. Hill and his son Daniel Shenton Hill.
Dates: 1800-1900
Archive name: East Sussex Record Office
Catalogue ref: ABE/26K
Collection: None
Description: Pasturage rights at Spital Laine, Lewes, sold to the Prison Commissioners
Dates: 1881
Archive name: East Sussex Record Office
Catalogue ref: ACC 3412/3/853
Collection: None
Description: Plan and sections of land for the new Prison at Lewes
Dates: c.1850
Archive name: East Sussex Record Office
Catalogue ref: ACC 5611/2/611
Collection: None
Description: Plan of land in Lewes showing proposed enlargement of County Gaol for Mr I. Gell
Dates: 1880
Archive name: East Sussex Record Office
Catalogue ref: ACC 5611/2/99
Collection: None
Description: Tracing of proposed road from County Gaol to Winterbourne Stream (Lewes St Anne) for Mr Jeffrey the younger
Dates: 1868
Archive name: East Sussex Record Office
Catalogue ref: ACC 6497/4/7
Collection: None
Description: Estimates for building new Gaol at Lewes, submitted by 18 firms for brick and flint work
Dates: c.1848-1850
Archive name: East Sussex Record Office
Catalogue ref: C/R 4/1
Collection: East Sussex County Council
Description: Surveyors' department. Memoranda and accounts relating to work, including for the County Gaol
Dates: 1888
Archive name: East Sussex Record Office
Catalogue ref: QAP/2/28
Collection: Sussex Quarter Sessions
Description: Committee minutes and papers (architect's reports, tenders, correspondence)
Dates: 1848-1853
Archive name: East Sussex Record Office
Catalogue ref: QAP/2/31-32
Collection: Sussex Quarter Sessions
Description: Tenders and contracts (regarding construction of new prison)
Dates: 1848-1853
Archive name: East Sussex Record Office
Catalogue ref: R/A 2/516/Â
Collection: East Sussex County Council
Description: Including Lewes new Prison, Brighton Road. Plans of premises and grounds.
Dates: 1820-1867
Archive name: East Sussex Record Office
Catalogue ref: R/A 2/516/20-30
Collection: East Sussex County Council
Description: Lewes new Prison, Brighton Road. Plans and elevations of the interior and exterior of the Prison, one with annotations stating that the design is based on the 'Model Prison Pentonville'.
Dates: 1848-1852
Archive name: East Sussex Record Office
Catalogue ref: ACC 11890/15/3/7/3
Collection: None
Description: Postcard showing Lewes Prison and surrounding fields
Dates: c.1901
Archive name: East Sussex Record Office
Catalogue ref: ACC 9581/1
Collection: None
Description: Panoramic photograph of Lewes. Inclused Lewes Prison
Dates: c.1880-1890
Archive name: East Sussex Record Office
Catalogue ref: ACC 9657/1/7
Collection: None
Description: Joseph Shelley's windmill and Lewes Prison
Dates: c.1870
Archive name: East Sussex Record Office
Catalogue ref: ACC 9657/9
Collection: None
Description: Lewes Sheep Fair in front of Lewes Prison
Dates: 1888
Archive name: Surrey History Centre
Catalogue ref: 7408/1
Collection: None
Description: Account book of George Carew Gibson of Bradstone Brook House, Shalford. Includes account of a visit to the County Prison (Lewes, built 1854).
Dates: 1853-1855
