Wormwood Scrubs

Overview

Details

Records

Overview

Prison Type   Convict Prison

Date opened   1874

Date closed   1890 [post 1900 (still open)]

Location   Du Cane Road   London

Map location   exact or closely approximate

County   Middlesex

Critical Remarks

The Scrubs was first occupied in December 1874 by a party of male convicts sent to labour on its construction. While construction continued until 1890, by the early 1880s enough work had been completed for the prison to be used to confine other classes of male convicts, including those completing their probation in separate confinement, and those for labour at public works who were not required for the construction. On 1 October 1890, with the completion of the building work, the convict establishment was broken up and the institution converted into a local prison, taking over from Millbank which was finally closed (see ID 1000).

Prison Info

Prison Type   Convict Prison

Date opened   1874

Date closed   1890 [post 1900 (still open)]

Location   Du Cane Road   London

Map location   exact or closely approximate
Lat.   51.516667  Long.   -0.240278

County   Middlesex

Critical Remarks

The Scrubs was first occupied in December 1874 by a party of male convicts sent to labour on its construction. While construction continued until 1890, by the early 1880s enough work had been completed for the prison to be used to confine other classes of male convicts, including those completing their probation in separate confinement, and those for labour at public works who were not required for the construction. On 1 October 1890, with the completion of the building work, the convict establishment was broken up and the institution converted into a local prison, taking over from Millbank which was finally closed (see ID 1000).

Prisoner Statistics

 

Year 1878

Annual Confined   -   646

Daily Census   -   522

 

Year 1883

Annual Confined   -   1587

Daily Census   -   928

 

Year 1888

Annual Confined   -   1225

Daily Census   -   604

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, 1875 (Parl. Papers, 1876, XXXVII.1), p.571; 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.599; 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.567; 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.557; 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.902; 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.553; 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.559; 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.502; 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.220; 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.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, 1885-86 (Parl. Papers, 1886, XXXV.457, 505), p.215; 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.81; 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.74; 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.67; Directors of Convict Prisons. Reports, 1889-90 (Parl. Papers, 1890, XXXVII.515, 565), p.57; Directors of Convict Prisons, Reports, 1890-91 (Parl. Papers, 1890-91, XLIII.449, 497), p.65

Additional Primary Sources

  • Edmund Du Cane, A Description of the Prison of Wormwood Scrubs with an account of the circumstances attending its erection (London, 1887)

Management

Archive name: The National Archives

Catalogue ref: PCOM 7/224

Collection: Prison Commission

Description: Warrants constituting and appointing Convict Prisons etc. Wormwood Scrubs

Dates: 1856-1885


Prisoners

Archive name: The National Archives

Catalogue ref: PCOM 2/154-158

Collection: Prison Commission

Description: Wormwood Scrubs Prison, Middlesex, register of prisoners under separate confinement

Dates: 1882-1890


Archive name: The National Archives

Catalogue ref: PCOM 2/152-153

Collection: Prison Commission

Description: Register and Index of Prisoners' Working Parties

Dates: 1874-1890