Spinning House

Overview

Details

Records

Overview

Alternative Names   Cambridge Town Bridewell, D' Spinning House, Hobson's Bridewell

Prison Type   Local Prison -  House of Correction/Bridewell, Lock Up

Jurisdiction   Municipality & University

Date opened   1628

Date closed   1894

Location   St Andrew's Street   Cambridge

Map location   exact or closely approximate

County   Cambridgeshire

Critical Remarks

By the nineteenth century, used exclusively as the University Vice Chancellor's prison for the correction of prostitutes (though also accepted petty offenders from the borough until 1829). Also began to be used as a police station in 1852. The Vice Chancellor's jurisdiction was abolished in 1894, and the building handed over to the borough in 1897.

Prison Info

Alternative Names   Cambridge Town Bridewell, D' Spinning House, Hobson's Bridewell

Prison Type   Local Prison

Jurisdiction   Municipality & University

Date opened   1628

Date closed   1894

Location   St Andrew's Street   Cambridge

Map location   exact or closely approximate
Lat.   52.2024384  Long.   0.1239886

County   Cambridgeshire

Critical Remarks

By the nineteenth century, used exclusively as the University Vice Chancellor's prison for the correction of prostitutes (though also accepted petty offenders from the borough until 1829). Also began to be used as a police station in 1852. The Vice Chancellor's jurisdiction was abolished in 1894, and the building handed over to the borough in 1897.

Prisoner Statistics

 

Year 1818

Annual Committed   -   170

Daily Greatest number   -   22

Principal Primary Sources

  • James Neild, The State of the Prisons of England, Scotland and Wales (London, 1812), p.93
  • Account of Gaols, Houses of Correction or Penitentiaries in the United Kingdom, 1818 (Parl. Papers, 1819, XVII.371), p.4
  • The Third Report of the Committee of the Society for the Improvement of Prison Discipline and for the Reformation of Juvenile Offenders (London, 1821), Appendix, p.7; 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.10
  • Inspectors of Prisons of Great Britain II. Northern and Eastern District. First Report (Parl. Papers, 1836, XXXV.161), p.15; Inspectors of Prisons of Great Britain II. Northern and Eastern, Third Report (Parl. Papers, 1837-38, XXXI.1), p.169; Inspectors of Prisons of Great Britain II. Northern and Eastern District, Fifth Report (Parl. Papers, 1840, XXV.565), p.87; Inspectors of Prisons of Great Britain II. Northern and Eastern District, Seventh Report (Parl. Papers, 1842, XXI.1), p.174; Inspectors of Prisons of Great Britain II. Northern and Eastern District, Ninth Report (Parl. Papers, 1844, XXIX.227), p.29; Inspectors of Prisons of Great Britain II. Northern and Eastern District, Eleventh Report (Parl. Papers, 1846, XXI.483), p.12; Inspectors of Prisons of Great Britain II. Midland and Eastern District, Thirteenth Report (Parl. Papers, 1847-8, XXXVI.1), p.37; Inspectors of Prisons of Great Britain II. Northern and Eastern District, Fifteenth Report (Parl. Papers, 1850, XXVIII.291), p.213; Inspectors of Prisons of Great Britain II. Northern and Eastern District, Sixteenth Report (Parl. Papers, 1851, XXVII.461), p.137; Inspectors of Prisons of Great Britain II. Northern and Eastern District, Seventeenth Report (Parl. Papers, 1852-53, LII.1), p.11; Inspectors of Prisons of Great Britain II. Northern and Eastern District, Twenty-first Report (Parl. Papers, 1857, Session 2, XXIII.1), p.11; Inspectors of Prisons of Great Britain II. Northern and Eastern District, Twenty-second Report (Parl. Papers, 1857-58, XXIX.1), p.10; Inspectors of Prisons of Great Britain II. Midland District, Twenty-seventh Report (Parl. Papers, 1862, XXV.93), p.19

Secondary Sources

  • http://www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/cambs/vol3/pp116-122#h3-0007; http://www.cambridgeshire.gov.uk/directory_record/4182/prisons; Janet Oswald, 'The Spinning House girls: Cambridge University's distinctive policing of prostitution', Urban History, 39 (2012), pp. 453-470

Management

Archive name: Cambridge University Library: Department of Manuscripts and University Archives

Catalogue ref: Manuscripts/MS Add.7599

Collection: F.C. Wace: Correspondence and Papers

Description: Correspondence and papers concerning the Spinning House controversy and University Jurisdiction within the town of Cambridge

Dates: 1891-1946


Archive name: Cambridge University Library: Department of Manuscripts and University Archives

Catalogue ref: University/CUR 37.6

Collection: University Registry guard books

Description: St Andrew the Great - Taxes. Contains many items on Spinning House in 19th century, especially admin and building plans, personnel, dietary

Dates: 1563-1911


Archive name: Cambridge University Library: Department of Manuscripts and University Archives

Catalogue ref: University/Endow.I.1-23a

Collection: Papers relating to University endowments

Description: Papers relating to Hobson's Charity, in particular the Spinning House, Cambridge

Dates: 1830-1893


Archive name: Cambridge University Library: Department of Manuscripts and University Archives

Catalogue ref: University/Min.VI.1/54

Collection: Minutes and Papers of University Syndicates

Description: Spinning House Syndicate Minutes, 21 Oct 1818 - 31 Jan 1820

Dates: 1818-1820


Archive name: Cambridge University Library: Department of Manuscripts and University Archives

Catalogue ref: University/Min.VI.6/13

Collection: Minutes and Papers of University Syndicates

Description: Spinning House Case Syndicate minutes

Dates: 1860-1863


Archive name: Cambridgeshire Archives

Catalogue ref: CB/10/2/1/3

Collection: Cambridge City

Description: Opinions of Counsel relating to the changing the charity scheme following changes to the jurisdiction rights of the University following Cambridge University and Corporation Act (1894)

Dates: 1836-1896


Archive name: Cambridgeshire Archives

Catalogue ref: CB/2/CL/21/5/11

Collection: Cambridge City

Description: Letter from J Eaden to C H Cooper relating to temporary removal of Spinning House Prisoners to Town Gaol and reply to same

Dates: 1853


Archive name: Cambridgeshire Archives

Catalogue ref: CB/2/CL/7/9/51

Collection: Cambridge City

Description: Papers relating to the use of the Spinning House and adjacent premises as new Police station

Dates: 1850-1852


Archive name: Cambridgeshire Archives

Catalogue ref: City/PB Volume 32 page 383-391

Collection: Cambridge City

Description: Scheme approved by Court of Chancery for Spinning House. For use as Police station and Lock-up, and University. For confinement of prostitutes apprehended by the proctors. (4 Aug 1852)

Dates: 1852


Archive name: Cambridgeshire Archives

Catalogue ref: R59/14/7/1

Collection: Francis & Co, Cambridgeshire manorial records

Description: In Chancery - scheme devised by the University for the future management of Hobson's Trust - The Spinning House (12 June 1838)

Dates: 1838


Prisoners

Archive name: Cambridge University Library: Department of Manuscripts and University Archives

Catalogue ref: University/ T.VIII.1-3

Collection: Records relating to the interactions of the town and University of Cambridge

Description: Spinning House Committal Books

Dates: 1823-1894


Archive name: Cambridge University Library: Department of Manuscripts and University Archives

Catalogue ref: University/ T.VIII.4

Collection: Records relating to the interactions of the town and University of Cambridge

Description: Legal papers in the case of Daisy Hopkins, with assorted news cuttings

Dates: 1891-1892


Archive name: Cambridge University Library: Department of Manuscripts and University Archives

Catalogue ref: University/CCCt.I 123

Collection: Vice ChancellorÂ’s Court Records

Description: The case of Beatrice Cooper, sentenced to one week imprisonment in the Spinning House for prostitution

Dates: 1892