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Newgate was built in 1188 but was rebuilt in 1770 after it had been destroyed in the Gordon riots
In the first half of
the 19th century Newgate Prison was London's chief prison and
was where prisoners were held before execution. In 1783 the
gallows were moved from Tyburn to Newgate. There was a Common
area for poor prisoners and a State area for those who could
afford more comfortable accommodation. These sections on the
prison were further divided between debtors and felons.
The first King's Bench Prison in Borough High Street, Southwark, was demolished in 1754. The rebuilt prison was mainly used for debtors or for people who had been convicted of libel. King's Bench was a much hated prison and had a reputation for being filthy and overcrowded. King's Bench Prison was a profit making institution Prisoners had to pay the marshall and his gaolers for their keep. By paying a large sum prisoners could serve their sentence within a three mile radius outside the prison walls. Prisoners also had to pay a release fee at the end of their sentence and if they could not afford it they had to remain in prison.
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This site last updated March 2003 by webmaster