Alternative Names Shrewsbury County Gaol, Shrewsbury Gaol, Shrewsbury Prison, HMP Shrewsbury, 'The Dana Prison'
Prison Type Local Prison - Common Gaol & House of Correction/Bridewell
Jurisdiction County
Date opened 1793
Date closed post 1900 (2013)
Location Howard Street Shrewsbury
Map location exact or closely approximate
County Shropshire
Alternative Names Shrewsbury County Gaol, Shrewsbury Gaol, Shrewsbury Prison, HMP Shrewsbury, 'The Dana Prison'
Prison Type Local Prison
Jurisdiction County
Date opened 1793
Date closed post 1900 (2013)
Location Howard Street Shrewsbury
Map location exact or closely approximate
Lat. 52.712139 Long. -2.747581
County Shropshire
Year 1818
Annual Committed - 175
Daily Greatest number - 142
Year 1824
Annual Committed - 565
Daily Census - 104
Year 1828
Annual Committed - 772
Daily Census - 111
Year 1833
Annual Committed - 795
Daily Census - 169
Year 1838
Annual Confined - 630
Daily Census - 105
Year 1843
Annual Confined - 1472
Daily Census - 176
Year 1848
Annual Confined - 1147
Daily Daily average - 127
Year 1853
Annual Confined - 1022
Daily Daily average - 132
Year 1858
Annual Committed - 1241
Daily Daily average - 149
Year 1863
Annual Committed - 1737
Daily Greatest number - 214
Year 1868
Annual Committed - 1826
Daily Daily average - 156
Year 1873
Annual Committed - 1076
Daily Daily average - 115
Year 1878
Annual Committed - 1472
Daily Daily average - 153
Year 1883
Annual Committed - 1738
Daily Daily average - 141
Year 1888
Annual Committed - 1527
Daily Daily average - 117
Year 1893
Annual Committed - 1519
Daily -
Year 1898
Annual Committed - 1563
Daily -
Archive name: Shropshire Archives
Catalogue ref: Acc 6405
Collection: HM Prison Shrewsbury records
Description: Prisoners' Charity Trustees Minute book
Dates: 1892-1905
Archive name: Shropshire Archives
Catalogue ref: Q/A/11/1/10
Collection: Shropshire Quarter Sessions
Description: Acts relating to the building of a new Gaol and House of Correction, and regulation of prisoners
Dates: 1786-1844
Archive name: Shropshire Archives
Catalogue ref: Q/A/11/1/10
Collection: Shropshire Quarter Sessions
Description: Acts relating to the building of a new Gaol and House of Correction, and regulation of prisoners
Dates: 1786-1844
Archive name: Shropshire Archives
Catalogue ref: Q/A/2/12/1-51
Collection: Shropshire Quarter Sessions
Description: Treatment of prisoners
Dates: 1836-1879
Archive name: Shropshire Archives
Catalogue ref: Q/A/2/12/24
Collection: Shropshire Quarter Sessions
Description: Gaol annual return schedule (12 November 1862)
Dates: 1862
Archive name: Shropshire Archives
Catalogue ref: Q/A/2/3/1-3
Collection: Shropshire Quarter Sessions
Description: Gaol, draft minutes
Dates: 1870-1877
Archive name: Shropshire Archives
Catalogue ref: Q/A/2/5
Collection: Shropshire Quarter Sessions
Description: Printed Prison reports
Dates: 1836-1877
Archive name: Shropshire Archives
Catalogue ref: Q/A/2/8/9/2
Collection: Shropshire Quarter Sessions
Description: Additional pages to history re the Act for building a new Gaol
Dates: 1880
Archive name: Shropshire Archives
Catalogue ref: 146/11-12
Collection: Edwards family of Ness Strange
Description: Appointment of Visiting Justices for the Gaol and House of Correction
Dates: 1816
Archive name: Shropshire Archives
Catalogue ref: Acc 6405
Collection: HM Prison Shrewsbury records
Description: Visiting Justices books (not continuous series)
Dates: 1841-1932
Archive name: Shropshire Archives
Catalogue ref: EDW/146/75/R324069-R324070
Collection: Edwards Collection
Description: Appointment of Visiting Justices for the Gaol and House of Correction
Dates: 1816
Archive name: Shropshire Archives
Catalogue ref: Q/A/2/1/1-5
Collection: Shropshire Quarter Sessions
Description: Gaol Visiting Justices report books
Dates: 1823-1878
Archive name: Shropshire Archives
Catalogue ref: Q/A/2/2/1-3
Collection: Shropshire Quarter Sessions
Description: Gaol Visiting Justices draft report books
Dates: 1839-1878
Archive name: Shropshire Archives
Catalogue ref: Q/A/2/3/4
Collection: Shropshire Quarter Sessions
Description: Draft Gaol minutes and draft visiting Committee minutes (June onwards)
Dates: 1878
Archive name: Shropshire Archives
Catalogue ref: Q/A/2/3/5-6
Collection: Shropshire Quarter Sessions
Description: Draft visiting committee minutes
Dates: 1879
Archive name: Shropshire Archives
Catalogue ref: Q/E/7/1/565A
Collection: Shropshire Quarter Sessions
Description: Appointment of Visiting Justices for the Gaol and House of Correction/Salop County Gaol, Shrewsbury
Dates: 1816-1867
Archive name: Shropshire Archives
Catalogue ref: DA2/1049/3
Collection: Bridgnorth Borough
Description: Bundle of papers re the maintenance of prisoners, correspondence re payments by the Borough for upkeep of the County Gaol. These include a table showing prisoners committed for trial (1840 and 1849). Also, Quarter Sessions returns for the Borough, correspondence re Borough Justices, lists of Magistrates for various years, additional Gaol rules (1839), accounts showing costs of prosecutions at Borough Sessions and covering letters (1839-1850).
Dates: 1835-1945
Archive name: Shropshire Archives
Catalogue ref: 170/2-3
Collection: Records presented by Richard Sandford
Description: An account of the receipts and expenditure of the public stock (1846), by Joshua John Peele, Treasurer. Reference to bridges, roads, House of Correction and Gaol.
Dates: 1846, 1852
Archive name: Shropshire Archives
Catalogue ref: P257/F/6/1-2
Collection: None
Description: Certificate of redemption of tithe rent charge, Castle Ward within and Castle Foregate, by The Prison Commissioners, and covering letter
Dates: 1882-1883
Archive name: Shropshire Archives
Catalogue ref: Q/A/2/8/1-10
Collection: Shropshire Quarter Sessions
Description: Shrewsbury Gaol, Finance
Dates: 1836-1879
Archive name: Shropshire Archives
Catalogue ref: Q/F/3
Collection: Shropshire Quarter Sessions
Description: Gaol accounts
Dates: 1790-1869
Archive name: Shropshire Archives
Catalogue ref: DA2/297/1/1
Collection: Bridgnorth Borough
Description: Bundle of Town Clerk's papers. Includes returns of amount of expenses paid by the Borough from the rate for the maintenance of prisoners sentenced at Assizes, with associated correspondence. Also, letter re provision of new cells at Salop Gaol, and contribution to expenses expected from Bridgnorth (1864)
Dates: 1830-1864
Archive name: Shropshire Archives
Catalogue ref: Acc 6405
Collection: HM Prison Shrewsbury records
Description: Register of Officers
Dates: 1890-1958
Archive name: Shropshire Archives
Catalogue ref: DA2/993/3/2
Collection: Bridgnorth Borough
Description: Duties of the Gaol Surgeon
Dates: 1843
Archive name: Shropshire Archives
Catalogue ref: 665/3/1063
Collection: Eyton family
Description: Memorial of Mr W. H. Griffith. Account of life amd achievements, Officers employed in Goal, time consumed by Mr Griffith's official engagements, other than Gaol. Letter from Henry Hast (1840).
Dates: 1840
Archive name: Shropshire Archives
Catalogue ref: D3651/B/39/4/6/6
Collection: None
Description: Appointment of Dr Edward Burd as Prison Doctor to Shrewsbury Prison
Dates: 1878
Archive name: Shropshire Archives
Catalogue ref: Q/A/2/9/1-11
Collection: Shropshire Quarter Sessions
Description: Prison Officers
Dates: 1845-1881
Archive name: Shropshire Archives
Catalogue ref: Q/S/13/1
Collection: Shropshire Quarter Sessions
Description: Reports on prisoners. Volume contains reports on prisoners, probably made by the prison chaplain. The reports generally contain a brief account of the prisoner, their character, level of literacy, and religious knowledge (1856-1861).
Dates: 1856-1861
Archive name: Shropshire Archives
Catalogue ref: PL5/92/11
Collection: Cleobury Mortimer Poor Law Union
Description: Correspondence and miscellaneous papers. John Bevan, a prisoner in Shrewsbury Gaol, to his wife. Letter relating to conditions for obtaining bail.
Dates: 1844
Archive name: Shropshire Archives
Catalogue ref: 665/3/1181
Collection: Eyton family
Description: Cuttings from Shropshire Times (7 March 1865). Shrewsbury Town Council sewerage slaughter houses extension of Gaol buildings, conduit pipes, cleansing streets, special meeting market question etc.
Dates: 1865
Archive name: Shropshire Archives
Catalogue ref: Acc 8644
Collection: HM Prison Shrewsbury records
Description: Ground plan of Shrewsbury Prison
Dates: 1831
Archive name: Shropshire Archives
Catalogue ref: Q/A/1/2/1
Collection: Shropshire Quarter Sessions
Description: Auditing Committee report book. The volume includes reports on County bridges, Gaol, roads etc.
Dates: 1824-1837
Archive name: Shropshire Archives
Catalogue ref: Q/A/2/6/1-15
Collection: Shropshire Quarter Sessions
Description: Prison Building and Maintenance
Dates: 1823-1878
Archive name: Shropshire Archives
Catalogue ref: Q/A/2/7/1-11
Collection: Shropshire Quarter Sessions
Description: Exchanges of land near the Prison
Dates: 1831-1878
Archive name: Shropshire Archives
Catalogue ref: Q/A/2/8/9/1
Collection: Shropshire Quarter Sessions
Description: Report of the County Surveyor on the ventilation of sewers at the Prison
Dates: 1878
Archive name: Shropshire Archives
Catalogue ref: Q/E/7/1/565
Collection: Shropshire Quarter Sessions
Description: Salop County Gaol, Shrewsbury. Details of interior layout of Prison Edward Haycock, County Surveyor
Dates: 1837
Archive name: Shropshire Archives
Catalogue ref: Q/E/7/1/565A
Collection: Shropshire Quarter Sessions
Description: Salop County Gaol, Shrewsbury. Plan of gardens adjoining the County Prison, showing Gaol Walk, Victoria Street, Terrace Walk, Castle Gates and the towing path (1816). Plan of the Courts in the Gaol and House of Correction (1833). Detail of ironwork for the treadmill.
Dates: 1816-1867
Archive name: The National Archives
Catalogue ref: PCOM7/140
Collection: Prison Commission
Description: Land. Shrewsbury Prison: L.N.W. Railway and G.W. Railway Works - various matters
Dates: 1891-1903
Archive name: Shropshire Archives
Catalogue ref: Acc 8644
Collection: HM Prison Shrewsbury records
Description: Land Record Book (plans, perambulation reports, record of registered deeds, abstract of land records, correspondence)
Dates: 1885-1996
Archive name: Shropshire Archives
Catalogue ref: PH/S/13/C/1/14
Collection: Photograph Collection
Description: View of Dana Prison through an arch on Dana walk (photograph)
Dates: undated
Archive name: Shropshire Archives
Catalogue ref: PH/S/13/S/22/8
Collection: Photograph Collection
Description: View towards Laura's tower and Prison from river path, Shrewsbury
Dates: 1891