Plymouth Borough Gaol and House of Correction

Overview

Details

Records

Overview

Alternative Names   Plymouth Borough Gaol, Plymouth Prison, HMP Plymouth

Prison Type   Local Prison -  Common Gaol

Jurisdiction   Municipality

Date opened   1849

Date closed   post 1900 (1930)

Location   site of former Longfield House, Greenbank, near the Tavistock Road   Plymouth

Map location   exact or closely approximate

County   Devon

Critical Remarks

Identified for closure as part of the rationalisation of prisons by the 1877 Prisons Act, but remained open.

Prison Info

Alternative Names   Plymouth Borough Gaol, Plymouth Prison, HMP Plymouth

Prison Type   Local Prison

Jurisdiction   Municipality

Date opened   1849

Date closed   post 1900 (1930)

Location   site of former Longfield House, Greenbank, near the Tavistock Road   Plymouth

Map location   exact or closely approximate
Lat.   50.377965  Long.   -4.1316706

County   Devon

Critical Remarks

Identified for closure as part of the rationalisation of prisons by the 1877 Prisons Act, but remained open.

Prisoner Statistics

 

Year 1853

Annual Confined   -   493

Daily Daily average   -   50

 

Year 1858

Annual Committed   -   479

Daily Daily average   -   52

 

Year 1863

Annual Committed   -   516

Daily Greatest number   -   78

 

Year 1868

Annual Committed   -   535

Daily Daily average   -   62

 

Year 1873

Annual Committed   -   441

Daily Daily average   -   44

 

Year 1878

Annual Committed   -   728

Daily Daily average   -   48

 

Year 1883

Annual Committed   -   925

Daily Daily average   -   51

 

Year 1888

Annual Committed   -   1066

Daily Daily average   -   66

 

Year 1893

Annual Committed   -   764

Daily   -  

 

Year 1898

Annual Committed   -   903

Daily   -  

Principal Primary Sources

  • Inspectors of Prisons of Great Britain III. Southern and Western District, Seventeenth Report (Parl. Papers, 1852, XXIV.1), p.58; Inspectors of Prisons of Great Britain III. Southern and Western District, Twentieth Report (Parl. Papers, 1854-55, XXVI.1), p.74; Inspectors of Prisons of Great Britain III. Southern and Western District, Twenty-second Report (Parl. Papers, 1857, Session 1, VII.401), p.69; Inspectors of Prisons of Great Britain I. Southern District, Twenty-fifth Report (Parl. Papers, 1860, XXXV.153), p.15; Inspectors of Prisons of Great Britain I. Southern District, Twenty-seventh Report (Parl. Papers, 1862, XXV.5), p.24; Inspectors of Prisons of Great Britain I. Southern District, Twenty-ninth Report (Parl. Papers, 1864, XXVI.1), p.21; Inspectors of Prisons of Great Britain I. Southern District, Thirtieth Report (Parl. Papers, 1865, XXIII.1), p.64; Inspectors of Prisons of Great Britain I. Southern District, Thirty-first Report (Parl. Papers, 1866, XXXVII.1), p.55; Inspectors of Prisons of Great Britain I. Southern District, Thirty-second Report (Parl. Papers, 1867-68, XXXIV.203), p.67; Inspectors of Prisons of Great Britain I. Southern District, Thirty-third Report (Parl. Papers, 1868-69, XXIX.1), p.45; Inspectors of Prisons of Great Britain I. Southern District, Thirty-fourth Report (Parl. Papers, 1870, XXXVII.1), p.47; Inspectors of Prisons of Great Britain I. Southern District, Thirty-fifth Report (Parl. Papers, 1871, XXIX.241), p.54; Inspectors of Prisons of Great Britain I. Southern District, Thirty-sixth Report (Parl. Papers, 1872, XXXI.1), p.34; Inspectors of Prisons of Great Britain I. Southern District, Thirty-seventh Report (Parl. Papers, 1873, XXXII.1), p.65; Inspectors of Prisons of Great Britain I. Southern District, Thirty-eighth Report (Parl. Papers, 1874, XXIX.1), p.76; Inspectors of Prisons of Great Britain I. Southern District, Thirty-ninth Report (Parl. Papers, 1875, XXXVII.1), p.81; Inspectors of Prisons of Great Britain I. Southern District, Fortieth Report (Parl. Papers, 1876, XXXV.1), p.81; Inspectors of Prisons of Great Britain I. Southern District, Forty-first Report (Parl. Papers, 1877, XLIII.1), p.83; Inspectors of Prisons of Great Britain I. Southern District, Forty-second Report (Parl. Papers, 1878, XLI.1), p.83
  • Commissioners of Prisons, Second Annual Report (Parl. Papers, 1878-79, XXXIV.1, 97), p.60; Commissioners of Prisons, Third Annual Report (Parl. Papers, 1880, XXXV.1,73), p.76; Commissioners of Prisons, Fourth Annual Report (Parl. Papers, 1881, LI.441, 521), p.77; Commissioners of Prisons, Fifth Annual Report (Parl. Papers, 1882, XXXIII.443, 541), p.84; Commissioners of Prisons, Sixth Annual Report (Parl. Papers, 1883, XXXI.445, 579), p.85; Commissioners of Prisons, Seventh Annual Report (Parl. Papers, 1884, XLII.461, 551), p.83; Commissioners of Prisons, Eighth Annual Report (Parl. Papers, 1884-85, XXXVII.527, 651), p.83; Commissioners of Prisons, Ninth Annual Report (Parl. Papers, 1886, XXXV.1, 93), p.80; Commissioners of Prisons, Tenth Annual Report (Parl. Papers, 1887, XLI.203, 335), p.76; Commissioners of Prisons, Eleventh Annual Report (Parl. Papers, 1888, LVIII.1, 209), p.75; Commissioners of Prisons, Twelfth Annual Report (Parl. Papers, 1889, XLI.1, 181), p.74; Commissioners of Prisons, Thirteenth Annual Report (Parl. Papers, 1890, XXXVII.1, 183), p.74; Commissioners of Prisons, Fourteenth Annual Report (Parl. Papers, 1890-91, XLIII.1, 125), p.68; Commissioners of Prisons, Fifteenth Annual Report (Parl. Papers, 1892, XLII.1, 147), p.66; Commissioners of Prisons, Sixteenth Annual Report (Parl. Papers, 1893-94, XLVII.1, 121), p.65; Commissioners of Prisons, Seventeenth Annual Report (Parl. Papers, 1894, XLIV.1, 183), p.64; Commissioners of Prisons, Eighteenth Annual Report (Parl. Papers, 1895, LVI.727, 865), p.66
  • Report of Coms. of Prisons and Directors of Convict Prisons, 1895-96 (Parl. Papers, 1896, XLIV.235), p.169; Report of Coms. of Prisons and Directors of Convict Prisons, 1896-97 (Parl. Papers, 1897, XL.105), p.314; Report of Coms. of Prisons and Directors of Convict Prisons, 1897-98 (Parl. Papers, 1898, XLVII.23), p.353; Report of Coms. of Prisons and Directors of Convict Prisons, 1898-99 (Parl. Papers, 1899, XLIII.65), p.366; Report of Coms. of Prisons and Directors of Convict Prisons, 1899-1900 (Parl. Papers, 1900, XLI.1), p.413

Additional Primary Sources

  • William White, History, Gazetteer and Directory of Devonshire (Sheffield, 1850), pp. 650-1.

Secondary Sources

  • British Listed Buildings, http://www.britishlistedbuildings.co.uk/en-504432-central-block-of-greenbank-prison-former#.VqjUdPmLRaQ

Management

Archive name: Plymouth and West Devon Record Office

Catalogue ref: 1/63-65

Collection: Plymouth Borough

Description: Plymouth Quarter Sessions and constitution books. Likely to contain material relevant to the administration of Plymouth prisons

Dates: 1795-1835


Archive name: Plymouth and West Devon Record Office

Catalogue ref: 1648/200

Collection: Plymouth Reformed Corporation

Description: Special Committee report on closure of Plymouth Prison

Dates: 1878-1879


Archive name: Plymouth and West Devon Record Office

Catalogue ref: 3040/17-18

Collection: Plymouth Prison

Description: Prison Inspectors' reports

Dates: 1892-1927


Archive name: Plymouth and West Devon Record Office

Catalogue ref: 3040/19

Collection: Plymouth Prison

Description: Prison letter book

Dates: 1863-1878


Archive name: Plymouth and West Devon Record Office

Catalogue ref: 126/2/22

Collection: Alfred Rooker Mayor of Plymouth

Description: Letter of Thomas Phillips to the Mayor asking him to act with Mr (David) Derry as Visiting Justices of the Gaol in January

Dates: 1851


Archive name: Plymouth and West Devon Record Office

Catalogue ref: 3040/13-16

Collection: Plymouth Prison

Description: Prison Visiting Committee

Dates: 1878-1928


Staff

Archive name: Plymouth and West Devon Record Office

Catalogue ref: 3040/12

Collection: Plymouth Prison

Description: Register of prison officers

Dates: Late 19th century-c.1926


Archive name: Plymouth and West Devon Record Office

Catalogue ref: 126/2/4

Collection: Alfred Rooker Mayor of Plymouth

Description: Letter of Charles L. Lampter of 15 Summerland Place, Plymouth, to Alfred Rooker, Mayor of Plymouth, offering himself as Schoolmaster-Warder in the Borough Prison

Dates: 1851


Archive name: Plymouth and West Devon Record Office

Catalogue ref: 126/2/9

Collection: Alfred Rooker Mayor of Plymouth

Description: Plymouth Borough Prison. Letter of George Roberts of Vennell Street, carpenter and joiner, to [the mayor], offering himself as schoolmaster warder of the Borough prison.

Dates: 1851


Prisoners

Archive name: Devon Heritage Centre

Catalogue ref: 5853H/A/6/1-6, 10

Collection: H.M. Prison, Exeter

Description: Nominal Registers for Plymouth Prison

Dates: 1881-1905


Archive name: Plymouth and West Devon Record Office

Catalogue ref: 3040 1 2

Collection: Plymouth Prison

Description: Plymouth prison registers

Dates: 1867-1891


Archive name: Plymouth and West Devon Record Office

Catalogue ref: 249

Collection: Thomas D. Plimsaul of Plymouth

Description: Plymouth Gaol, lists of prisoners (1854, 1855)

Dates: 1854-1857


Land & Buildings

Archive name: Devon Heritage Centre

Catalogue ref: QS/DP/223

Collection: Devon Quarter Sessions

Description: Plymouth Corporation Water Works proposed reservoir, main pipe. Shows part of borough of Plymouth, prison and workhouse, existing reservoir near Knockersknowle.

Dates: 1852


Archive name: Plymouth and West Devon Record Office

Catalogue ref: 1648/200

Collection: Plymouth Reformed Corporation

Description: Prison Committee, on land adjoining Plymouth Prison

Dates: 1880