Worcester Castle Gaol and Bridewell

Overview

Details

Records

Overview

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

Jurisdiction   County

Date opened   medieval

Date closed   1813

Location   Worcester Castle   Worcester

Map location   exact or closely approximate

County   Worcestershire

Prison Info

Prison Type   Local Prison

Jurisdiction   County

Date opened   medieval

Date closed   1813

Location   Worcester Castle   Worcester

Map location   exact or closely approximate
Lat.   52.1867  Long.   -2.2223

County   Worcestershire

Principal Primary Sources

  • James Neild, The State of the Prisons of England, Scotland and Wales (London, 1812), p.594

Secondary Sources

  • http://www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/worcs/vol4/pp390-394

Management

Archive name: Worcestershire Archive and Archaeology Service

Catalogue ref: 1/3/3/3 (122 BA48/1-9)

Collection: Worcestershire Quarter Sessions

Description: Includes County Gaol rules and regulations (1794-1827), with award to Beazley and Dance for construction of new Bridewell or House of Correction (1804). Also, agreement with William Firmadge of Leicester, Builder, for erection of new Gaol and House of Correction (1809), letters and testimonials relating to vacancy of post of Governor of the County Gaol (1793, 1820), papers relating to earnings of prisoners (1793, 1822), letter from prisoners relating to ill treatment (1798), returns of prisoners (1815-1829), lists and calendars of prisoners (1815-1817, 1833), report of visiting Magistrates (1818), list of Magistrates (1820), letter relating to treadmill (1824), declaration of staff of county Gaol (1825), and other papers (1781-1835). Agreements relating to contract, bills for work done, Committee minutes, specification, and other papers relating to the construction of a treadmill in the County Gaol (1824-1825). Papers relating to juvenile offenders (1880-1881), papers relating to condition of Worcester City Prison, the Worcester Prison Act, and the amalgamation of the City and County Prisons, including contract for the maintenance of City prisoners in the County Gaol (1866-1869). Copies of printed rules for the county Gaol (1861), papers relating to Gaol nuisances and encroachments, including cesspool of Herbert Cole near boundary wall, with list of property, inhabitants and cesspools in Easy Row, Worcester (1847-1849), papers relating to rules for prisoners committed for non-payment of rates (1867).

Dates: 1781-1881


Land & Buildings

Archive name: Worcestershire Archive and Archaeology Service

Catalogue ref: 1230/2/1/5/1 (009:1 BA2602/2-3,7,31-32,58,67-69,76, BA5369/4,6,7,9,36)

Collection: Worcester St Michael in Bedwardine and Cathedral Precincts and Elsewhere in Worcester

Description: Counterpart leases, leases, agreements, assignments, abstracts of title, mortgage, other deeds, land tax redemption certificate, certificate of sale and other records. Property includes messuage called the Storehouse, site of Old Castle and buildings used as a Gaol, Castle Place.

Dates: 1752-1885