Woking Female Prison

Overview

Details

Records

Overview

Prison Type   Convict Prison

Date opened   1859

Date closed   1895

Location   Knaphill   Woking

Map location   exact or closely approximate

County   Surrey

Critical Remarks

The first purpose-built female convict prison, opened April 1869, bringing to a close the use of prisons at Brixton (ID 1006) and Parkhurst (1002) for women. The prison closed in November 1895 when the female prisoners were transferred to the new female prison at Aylesbury (ID 1017) and the buildings were handed over to the War Office.

Related Prisons

Prison Info

Prison Type   Convict Prison

Date opened   1859

Date closed   1895

Location   Knaphill   Woking

Map location   exact or closely approximate
Lat.   51.31322  Long.   -0.6070572

County   Surrey

Critical Remarks

The first purpose-built female convict prison, opened April 1869, bringing to a close the use of prisons at Brixton (ID 1006) and Parkhurst (1002) for women. The prison closed in November 1895 when the female prisoners were transferred to the new female prison at Aylesbury (ID 1017) and the buildings were handed over to the War Office.

Related Prisons

Prisoner Statistics

 

Year 1873

Annual Confined   -   997

Daily Census   -   666

 

Year 1878

Annual Confined   -   940

Daily Census   -   721

 

Year 1883

Annual Confined   -   732

Daily Census   -   496

 

Year 1888

Annual Confined   -   556

Daily Census   -   358

 

Year 1893

Annual Confined   -   311

Daily Census   -   195

Principal Primary Sources

  • Directors of Convict Prisons: Reports on Discipline and Management of Pentonville, Parkhurst, Millbank, Portland, Portsmouth, Dartmoor, and Brixton Prisons, and Convict Establishments at Gibraltar, W. Australia and Tasmania, 1869 (Parl. Papers, 1870, XXXVIII.1), p.367; Directors of Convict Prisons: Reports on Discipline and Management of Pentonville, Parkhurst, Millbank, Portland, Portsmouth, Dartmoor, and Brixton Prisons, and Convict Establishments at Gibraltar, W. Australia and Tasmania, 1870 (Parl. Papers, 1871, XXXI.1), p.474; Directors of Convict Prisons: Reports on Discipline and Management of Pentonville, Parkhurst, Millbank, Portland, Portsmouth, Dartmoor, and Brixton Prisons, and Convict Establishments at Gibraltar, W. Australia and Tasmania, 1871 (Parl. Papers, 1872, XXXI.385), p.444; Directors of Convict Prisons: Reports on Discipline and Management of Pentonville, Parkhurst, Millbank, Portland, Portsmouth, Dartmoor, and Brixton Prisons, and Convict Establishments at Gibraltar, W. Australia and Tasmania, 1872 (Parl. Papers, 1873, XXXIV.1), p.466; Directors of Convict Prisons: Reports on Discipline and Management of Pentonville, Parkhurst, Millbank, Portland, Portsmouth, Dartmoor, and Brixton Prisons, and Convict Establishments at Gibraltar, W. Australia and Tasmania, 1873 (Parl. Papers, 1874, XXX.55), p.456; Directors of Convict Prisons: Reports on Discipline and Management of Pentonville, Parkhurst, Millbank, Portland, Portsmouth, Dartmoor, and Brixton Prisons, and Convict Establishments at Gibraltar, W. Australia and Tasmania, 1874 (Parl. Papers, 1875, XXXIX.1), p.503; Directors of Convict Prisons: Reports on Discipline and Management of Pentonville, Parkhurst, Millbank, Portland, Portsmouth, Dartmoor, and Brixton Prisons, and Convict Establishments at Gibraltar, W. Australia and Tasmania, 1875 (Parl. Papers, 1876, XXXVII.1), p.548; Directors of Convict Prisons: Reports on Discipline and Management of Pentonville, Parkhurst, Millbank, Portland, Portsmouth, Dartmoor, and Brixton Prisons, and Convict Establishments at Gibraltar, W. Australia and Tasmania, 1876 (Parl. Papers, 1877, XLV.1), p.577; Directors of Convict Prisons: Reports on Discipline and Management of Pentonville, Parkhurst, Millbank, Portland, Portsmouth, Dartmoor, and Brixton Prisons, and Convict Establishments at Gibraltar, W. Australia and Tasmania, 1877 (Parl. Papers, 1878, XLIII.1), p.547; Directors of Convict Prisons: Reports on Discipline and Management of Pentonville, Parkhurst, Millbank, Portland, Portsmouth, Dartmoor, and Brixton Prisons, and Convict Establishments at Gibraltar, W. Australia and Tasmania, 1878 (Parl. Papers, 1878-79, XXXV.1), p.531; Directors of Convict Prisons: Reports on Discipline and Management of Pentonville, Parkhurst, Millbank, Portland, Portsmouth, Dartmoor, and Brixton Prisons, and Convict Establishments at Gibraltar, W. Australia and Tasmania, 1879-80 (Parl. Papers, 1880, XXXVI.1), p.855; Directors of Convict Prisons: Reports on Discipline and Management of Pentonville, Parkhurst, Millbank, Portland, Portsmouth, Dartmoor, and Brixton Prisons, and Convict Establishments at Gibraltar, W. Australia and Tasmania, 1880-81 (Parl. Papers, 1881, LI.1, 51), p.523; Directors of Convict Prisons: Reports on Discipline and Management of Pentonville, Parkhurst, Millbank, Portland, Portsmouth, Dartmoor, and Brixton Prisons, and Convict Establishments at Gibraltar, W. Australia and Tasmania, 1881-82 (Parl. Papers, 1882, XXXIV.1), p.531; Directors of Convict Prisons: Reports on Discipline and Management of Millbank, Pentonville, Borstal, Brixton, Chatham, Dartmoor, Parkhurst, Portland, Portsmouth, Wormwood Scrubs, Fulham and Woking Prisons and Convict Establishments in W. Australia, 1882-83 (Parl. Papers, 1883, XXXIII.1, 43), p.474; Directors of Convict Prisons: Reports on Discipline and Management of Millbank, Pentonville, Borstal, Brixton, Chatham, Dartmoor, Parkhurst, Portland, Portsmouth, Wormwood Scrubs, Fulham and Woking Prisons and Convict Establishments in W. Australia, 1883-84 (Parl. Papers, 1884, XLIII.1, 41), p.205; Directors of Convict Prisons: Reports on Discipline and Management of Millbank, Pentonville, Borstal, Brixton, Chatham, Dartmoor, Parkhurst, Portland, Portsmouth, Wormwood Scrubs, Fulham and Woking Prisons and Convict Establishments in W. Australia, 1884-85 (Parl. Papers, 1884-85, XXXIX.1, 49), p.191; Directors of Convict Prisons: Reports on Discipline and Management of Millbank, Pentonville, Borstal, Brixton, Chatham, Dartmoor, Parkhurst, Portland, Portsmouth, Wormwood Scrubs, Fulham and Woking Prisons and Convict Establishments in W. Australia, 1885-86 (Parl. Papers, 1886, XXXV.457, 505), p.200; Directors of Convict Prisons: Reports on Discipline and Management of Millbank, Pentonville, Borstal, Brixton, Chatham, Dartmoor, Parkhurst, Portland, Portsmouth, Wormwood Scrubs, Fulham and Woking Prisons and Convict Establishments in W. Australia, 1886-87 (Parl. Papers, 1887, XLI.725, 773), p.77; Directors of Convict Prisons: Reports on Discipline and Management of Millbank, Pentonville, Borstal, Brixton, Chatham, Dartmoor, Parkhurst, Portland, Portsmouth, Wormwood Scrubs, Fulham and Woking Prisons and Convict Establishments in W. Australia, 1887-88 (Parl. Papers, 1888, LVIII.615, 651), p.70; Directors of Convict Prisons: Reports on Discipline and Management of Millbank, Pentonville, Borstal, Brixton, Chatham, Dartmoor, Parkhurst, Portland, Portsmouth, Wormwood Scrubs, Fulham and Woking Prisons and Convict Establishments in W. Australia, 1888-89 (Parl. Papers, 1889, XLI.657, 711), p.63; Directors of Convict Prisons. Reports, 1889-90 (Parl. Papers, 1890, XXXVII.515, 565), p.53; Directors of Convict Prisons, Reports, 1890-91 (Parl. Papers, 1890-91, XLIII.449, 497), p.60; Directors of Convict Prisons, Reports, 1891-92 (Parl. Papers, 1892, XLII.467, 539), p.64; Directors of Convict Prisons, Reports, 1892-93 (Parl. Papers, 1893-94, XLVII.427, 473), p.61; Directors of Convict Prisons, Reports, 1893-94 (Parl. Papers, 1894, XLIV.491, 541), p.55; Directors of Convict Prisons, Reports, 1894-95 (Parl. Papers, 1895, LVI.1177, 1227), p.60

Prisoners

Archive name: Centre for Buckinghamshire Studies

Catalogue ref: HMP/A/Box 1

Collection: Aylesbury Gaol

Description: Register of deaths in females prisons, Woking Female Prison (1871-1895).

Dates: 1871-1895


Archive name: The National Archives

Catalogue ref: HO 8/140-207

Collection: Home Office

Description: Quarterly returns of prisoners in Hulks and Convict Prisons, Woking, Surrey (including invalid convicts and female convicts)

Dates: 1859-1876


Land & Buildings

Archive name: Surrey History Centre

Catalogue ref: 1216/13/20-37

Collection: None

Description: Papers relating to proposed new railway station at St John's, Woking, including discussion of input provided by the male and female Prisons

Dates: 1882-1883