| York Debtor's Prison | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Location | Eye of York, York, North Yorkshire, England |
| Coordinates | 53°57′20″N1°04′53″W / 53.955564°N 1.0812864°W |
| OS grid reference | SE 60384 51443 |
| Built | 1701–1705 |
Listed Building – Grade I | |
| Designated | 14 June 1954 |
| Reference no. | 1259360 |
  Location in Yorkshire | |
York Debtor's Prison is a former debtor's prison and Grade I Listed building located in York, North Yorkshire. Since 1952 it has been part of the York Castle Museum.
The Debtor's Prison was originally built as the County Gaol in 1701–05 [1] due to an act of Parliament, the Insolvent Debtors Relief Act 1702 (1 Ann. c. 19). [lower-alpha 1] [ citation needed ][ dubious ] It is located to the south of Clifford's Tower, within the former castle bailey. It is a three-storey building with a central range and clock turret flanked by projecting wings built with Tadcaster limestone and brick walls, and a lead and slate roof. [2] Some of the original building stone came from ruined parts of Clifford's Tower and King's Manor. It was extended between 1824 and 1835. [3]
The prison's most notable inhabitant was Dick Turpin, who was incarcerated in the 1730s before his trial at the York assizes. His cell forms part of the exhibition in the current museum. [4]
The castle area became the regular place of executions in York in the early 1800s, replacing the Tyburn on the Knavesmire. [3] The new gallows were completed on 8 March 1801 at a cost of £10 and 15 shillings and were first used for the execution of a cattle thief, Samuel Lundy, on 11 April 1801. [5] Condemned criminals were hanged in this space, known as 'the Drop', between the Assize Courts and the bailey wall (immediately adjacent to the Debtor's Prison) until 1868. From 1868 to 1896 executions took place inside the prison walls at the north end of the Female prison. [3] A total of 153 men and 7 women were hanged in the Castle precincts between April 1801 and December 1896. [5]
The Debtor's Prison was added to the York Castle Museum in 1952. [6] The building was partially restored in 1966. [2] The Debtor's Prison was joined to the Female Prison, through the addition of a link building connecting the two, in 1969. [3] An Edwardian Street, called Half Moon Court, was constructed in the eastern end of the building in 1963. [6] By 1981 the cells in the basement of the Debtor's Prison were used to recreate Victorian and Edwardian workshops, including a jet workshop, a comb maker, a wheelwright, and a pipe-maker. It also included a 'condemned cell' where, by tradition, Dick Turpin was held before his execution in 1739. [6]
Tyburn was a manor (estate) in the county of Middlesex, England, one of two which were served by the parish of Marylebone. Tyburn took its name from the Tyburn Brook, a tributary of the River Westbourne. The name Tyburn, from Teo Bourne, means 'boundary stream'.
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Albert Pierrepoint was an English hangman who executed between 435 and 600 people in a 25-year career that ended in 1956. His father Henry and uncle Thomas were official hangmen before him.
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HM Prison Cardiff is a Category B men's prison, located in the Adamsdown area of Cardiff, Wales. The prison is operated by His Majesty's Prison Service.
HM Prison Maidstone is a Category C men's prison, located in Maidstone, Kent, England and operated by His Majesty's Prison Service.
The York Castle Museum is a museum located in York, North Yorkshire, England, on the site of York Castle, which was originally built by William the Conqueror in 1068. The museum itself was founded by John L. Kirk in 1938, and is housed in prison buildings which were built on the site of the castle in the 18th century, the debtors' prison and the female prison.
HMP Shepton Mallet, sometimes known as Cornhill, is a former prison in Shepton Mallet, Somerset, England. When it closed in 2013, it was the United Kingdom's oldest operating prison, following the closure of HMP Lancaster Castle in 2011. Before closure, Shepton Mallet was a category C lifer prison holding 189 prisoners. The prison building is Grade II* listed, while the former gatehouse and perimeter walls are Grade II.
Museum of Underground Prisoners is a museum in Jerusalem, commemorating the activity of the Jewish underground—Haganah, Irgun and Lehi—during the period leading up the establishment of the State of Israel.
The Female Prison is a former women's prison and a Grade I Listed building located in York, North Yorkshire, England. Since 1938 it has been part of the York Castle Museum.
