Portsmouth Borough Gaol

Overview

Details

Records

Overview

Alternative Names   Portsmouth Town Gaol, Portsmouth Gaol, Portsmouth Common Gaol and House of Correction

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

Jurisdiction   Municipality

Date opened   1808

Date closed   1878

Location   Penny Street   Portsmouth

Map location   exact or closely approximate

County   Hampshire

Prison Info

Alternative Names   Portsmouth Town Gaol, Portsmouth Gaol, Portsmouth Common Gaol and House of Correction

Prison Type   Local Prison

Jurisdiction   Municipality

Date opened   1808

Date closed   1878

Location   Penny Street   Portsmouth

Map location   exact or closely approximate
Lat.   50.7898358  Long.   -1.1029775

County   Hampshire

Prisoner Statistics

 

Year 1818

Annual Committed   -   472

Daily Greatest number   -   64

 

Year 1823

Annual Committed   -   457

Daily Census   -   49

 

Year 1828

Annual Committed   -   416

Daily Census   -   57

 

Year 1833

Annual Committed   -   412

Daily Census   -   57

 

Year 1838

Annual Confined   -   524

Daily Census   -   75

 

Year 1843

Annual Confined   -   641

Daily Census   -   54

 

Year 1848

Annual Confined   -   619

Daily Daily average   -   59

 

Year 1853

Annual Confined   -   644

Daily Daily average   -   70

 

Year 1858

Annual Committed   -   1004

Daily Daily average   -   80

 

Year 1863

Annual Committed   -   1377

Daily Greatest number   -   139

 

Year 1868

Annual Committed   -   1241

Daily Daily average   -   83

 

Year 1873

Annual Committed   -   914

Daily Daily average   -   78

 

Year 1878

Annual Committed   -   107

Daily Daily average   -   0

Principal Primary Sources

  • James Neild, The State of the Prisons of England, Scotland and Wales (London, 1812), p.481
  • Account of Gaols, Houses of Correction or Penitentiaries in the United Kingdom, 1818 (Parl. Papers, 1819, XVII.371), p.18
  • 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.37; Sixth Report of the Committee of the Society for the Improvement of Prison Discipline and for the Reformation of Juvenile Offenders (London, 1824), Appendix, p.43; Seventh Report of the Committee of the Society for the Improvement of Prison Discipline and for the Reformation of Juvenile Offenders (London, 1827), Appendix, p.51; Eighth Report of the Committee of the Society for the Improvement of Prison Discipline and for the Reformation of Juvenile Offenders (London, 1832), Appendix, p.16
  • Reports and Schedules Pursuant to Gaol Acts (Parl. Papers, 1824, XIX.359), p.296; Reports and Schedules Pursuant to Gaol Acts (Parl. Papers, 1825, XXIII.1), p.376; Reports and Schedules Pursuant to Gaol Acts (Parl. Papers, 1826, XXIV.1), p.366; Reports and Schedules Pursuant to Gaol Acts (Parl. Papers, 1826-27, XIX.365), p.322; Reports and Schedules Pursuant to Gaol Acts (Parl. Papers, 1828, XX.327), p.378; Reports and Schedules Pursuant to Gaol Acts (Parl. Papers, 1829, XIX.1), p.338; Reports and Schedules Pursuant To Gaol Acts (Parl. Papers, 1830, XXIV.1), p.342; Reports and Schedules Pursuant to Gaol Acts (Parl. Papers, 1830-31, XII.1), p.335; Reports and Schedules Pursuant to Gaol Acts (Parl. Papers, 1831-32. XXXIII.197), p.335; Reports and Schedules Pursuant to Gaol Acts (Parl. Papers, 1833, XXVIII.1), p.361; Reports and Schedules Pursuant to Gaol Acts (Parl. Papers, 1834, XLVI.1), p.346; Reports and Schedules Pursuant to Gaol Acts (Parl. Papers, 1835, XLIV.225), p.330; Reports and Schedules Pursuant to Gaol Acts (Parl. Papers, 1836, XLII.1), p.221; Reports and Schedules Pursuant to Gaol Acts (Parl. Papers, 1837, XLV.1), p.223; Reports and Schedules Pursuant to Gaol Acts (Parl. Papers, 1837-8, XLIII.227), p.224; Reports and Schedules Pursuant to Gaol Acts (Parl. Papers, 1839, XXXVIII.17), p.222; Reports Pursuant to Gaol Acts (Parl. Papers, 1840, XXXVIII.1), p.239; Reports and Schedules Pursuant to Gaol Acts (Parl. Papers, 1841, XVIII.1), p.252; Reports and Schedules Pursuant to Gaol Acts (Parl. Papers, 1842, XXXII.1), p.253; Reports and Schedules Pursuant to Gaol Acts (Parl. Papers, 1843, XLIII.1), p.254; Reports and Schedules Pursuant to Gaol Acts (Parl. Papers, 1844, XXXIX.403), p.244; Reports and Schedules Pursuant to Gaol Acts (Parl. Papers, 1845, XXXVII.417), p.282; Reports and Schedules Pursuant to Gaol Acts (Parl. Papers, 1846, XXXIV.187), p.292; Reports and Schedules Pursuant to Gaol Acts (Parl. Papers, 1847, XLVII.297), p.297; Reports and Schedules Pursuant to Gaol Acts (Parl. Papers, 1847-48, LII.465), p.300
  • Royal Commission of Inquiry into Municipal Corporations of England and Wales, First Report, Appendices: Part 2 (Parl. Papers, 1835, XXIII.133), p.815
  • Inspectors of Prisons of Great Britain III. Southern and Western District, Third Report (Parl. Papers, 1837-38, XXXI.177), p.62; Inspectors of Prisons of Great Britain III. Southern and Western District, Fifth Report (Parl. Papers, 1840, XXV.721), p.84; Inspectors of Prisons of Great Britain III. Southern and Western District, Sixth Report (Parl. Papers, 1841 Session 2, V.177), p.91; Inspectors of Prisons of Great Britain III. Southern and Western District, Ninth Report (Parl. Papers, 1844, XXIX.391), p.221; Inspectors of Prisons of Great Britain III. Southern and Western District, Eleventh Report (Parl. Papers, 1846, XXI.565), p.197; Inspectors of Prisons of Great Britain III. Southern and Western District, Twelfth Report (Parl. Papers, 1847-8, XXXV.1), p.206; Inspectors of Prisons of Great Britain I. Home District, Fourteenth Report (Parl. Papers, 1850, XXVIII.1), p.81; Inspectors of Prisons of Great Britain I. Home District, Fifteenth Report (Parl. Papers, 1851, XXVII.1), p.34; Inspectors of Prisons of Great Britain I. Southern District, Twenty-fourth Report (Parl. Papers, 1859, Session 1, XI.169), p.29; Inspectors of Prisons of Great Britain I. Southern District, Twenty-sixth Report (Parl. Papers, 1861, XXIX.1), p.32; Inspectors of Prisons of Great Britain I. Southern District, Twenty-eighth Report (Parl. Papers, 1863, XXIII.1), p.75; Inspectors of Prisons of Great Britain I. Southern District, Thirtieth Report (Parl. Papers, 1865, XXIII.1), p.212; Inspectors of Prisons of Great Britain I. Southern District, Thirty-first Report (Parl. Papers, 1866, XXXVII.1), p.184; Inspectors of Prisons of Great Britain I. Southern District, Thirty-second Report (Parl. Papers, 1867-68, XXXIV.203), p.252; Inspectors of Prisons of Great Britain I. Southern District, Thirty-third Report (Parl. Papers, 1868-69, XXIX.1), p.175; Inspectors of Prisons of Great Britain I. Southern District, Thirty-fourth Report (Parl. Papers, 1870, XXXVII.1), p.92; Inspectors of Prisons of Great Britain I. Southern District, Thirty-fifth Report (Parl. Papers, 1871, XXIX.241), p.110; Inspectors of Prisons of Great Britain I. Southern District, Thirty-sixth Report (Parl. Papers, 1872, XXXI.1), p.70; Inspectors of Prisons of Great Britain I. Southern District, Thirty-seventh Report (Parl. Papers, 1873, XXXII.1), p.128; Inspectors of Prisons of Great Britain I. Southern District, Thirty-eighth Report (Parl. Papers, 1874, XXIX.1), p.147; Inspectors of Prisons of Great Britain I. Southern District, Thirty-ninth Report (Parl. Papers, 1875, XXXVII.1), p.164; Inspectors of Prisons of Great Britain I. Southern District, Fortieth Report (Parl. Papers, 1876, XXXV.1), p.164; Inspectors of Prisons of Great Britain I. Southern District, Forty-first Report (Parl. Papers, 1877, XLIII.1), p.167; Inspectors of Prisons of Great Britain I. Southern District, Forty-second Report (Parl. Papers, 1878, XLI.1), p.167

Additional Primary Sources

  • William White, History, Gazetteer and Directory of Hampshire and the Isle of Wight (Sheffield, 1859), p. 263.

Management

Archive name: Hampshire Archives and Local Studies

Catalogue ref: 76M86/7

Collection: None

Description: Portsmouth New Gaol Act (George III, cap 44)

Dates: 1805


Archive name: Hampshire Archives and Local Studies

Catalogue ref: 88M96W/A3/1

Collection: Winchester Prison

Description: Photocopy of extract from the fifteenth report of Inspectors of Prisons of Great Britain. Includes a small part of the report covering Portsmouth Gaol and House of Correction

Dates: 1850


Archive name: Portsmouth History Centre

Catalogue ref: S/12

Collection: Portsmouth Sessions

Description: Proceedings of the Mayor and Justices relating to the building of a new Gaol (largely concerned with rating) 

Dates: 1805-1819


Archive name: Portsmouth History Centre

Catalogue ref: S/14

Collection: Portsmouth Sessions

Description: Papers relating to Gaols: (Z) Including Inquiries into Prison Discipline (printed), 1818, with draft replies, Rules and Orders 1821, Contract for enlarging the Gaol, 1843 etc.

Dates: 1818-1884


Finance

Archive name: Portsmouth History Centre

Catalogue ref: S/13

Collection: Portsmouth Sessions

Description: Gaol rate books (for building the new gaol)

Dates: 1805-1820


Archive name: Portsmouth History Centre

Catalogue ref: S/18

Collection: Portsmouth Sessions

Description: Maintenance accounts for prisoners (half yearly returns) (1860-1863, 1870-1875)

Dates: 1860-1863, 1870-1875


Staff

Archive name: Hampshire Archives and Local Studies

Catalogue ref: 21M65/E6/13/323

Collection: Winchester Diocese

Description: Copy curate's licence - John Mitchell BA, Gaol and House of Correction, Portsmouth

Dates: 1840


Archive name: Hampshire Archives and Local Studies

Catalogue ref: 21M65/E6/13/987

Collection: Winchester Diocese

Description: Copy curate's licence - Alexander Lowry, Gaol and House of Correction of the Borough of Portsmouth 

Dates: 1855


Archive name: Hampshire Archives and Local Studies

Catalogue ref: 5M62/24 page 173

Collection: Winchester Probate District Registers

Description: Registered copy will of John Astridge of Portsmouth, late of 4 Park Villas, Cosham. Governor of Gaol.

Dates: 1888