Lincoln gaol Flashcards
Why was Lincoln Castle ideal as a prison
The nature of a castle - high walls and gates
What criminals were kept in Lincoln Gaol
Mainly debtors
Why was a new prison constructed in the castle in 1787 (called the Georgian Prison)
Because John Howard was shocked at the conditions and included it in his State of Prisons book (bad sanitation, genders mixing)
Who was treated more leniently in the Georgian Prison
Debtors - they had rooms looking onto the castle grounds at the front of the building
What was added to the Georgian Prison in 1820
A new debtors yard next to the separate exercise yards for males and females
Where were prisoners held before their trials since it was built
The Victorian Prison (an H shaped building)
What was the system in the Victorian prison
It was a separate system prison - the prisoners couldn’t talk to anyone other than the prison chaplain
What were some teething problems with the Victorian Prison when it was first built
The hot air blowing through the prison may have been responsible for a typhoid outbreak in 1851 and the sewers got blocked
Where did executions at Lincoln Castle originally take place
Outside the castle walls on Burton Road
How many would come to executions
As many as 15000
What was the new form of hanging and area set up inside the castle
The Cobb Hall Gallows had the short drop - seen as more humane as there was a trap door underneath the persons feet so death might be quicker
What did most prisons not have for executions
Their own hangman - it was common for convicted criminals to be used as executioners
What was the way of hanging developed after the short drop which Lincoln Castle was the first to use
The long drop - the persons height and weight would be measured to figure out the most effective hanging
Where did hangings take place after public hangings were banned in 1868
Inside Cobb Hall with only journalists present
What prison was built in Lincoln after the Lincoln Castle Prison was closed down
HMP Lincoln on Greetwell Road
When was Lincoln’s Victorian Prison closed
1878
Who were some of the most notorious prisoners held in Lincoln Castle County Gaol
The Witches of Belvoir
What were John Howard’s criticisms on the conditions for the prisoners in Lincoln Castle Gaol
He said that none of the rooms or court had fresh water or sewage and there wasn’t a chapel or an infirmary
Why was Lincoln’s Victorian Prison never able to completely implement the separate system
Concerns on the effect on mental health
There was often so many inmates that separating them all would be impossible
Magistrates were also reluctant to enforce it
Why did the gaol close
It was becoming too expensive to run
What did the 1823 Gaols Act say
Prisons should be made secure, gaolers should be paid, genders should be separate, doctors and chaplains should visit and try to reform inmates
What was the Victorian Prison built as a result of
The 1839 Prison Act
Which act was one of the reasons why the Victorian Prisons population dropped in the 1870s
The 1869 Debtors Act which limited the ability of courts to give a prison sentence to debtors
