York Debtor's Prison

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Jump to navigationJump to search

York Debtor's Prison

Location Eye of York, York, North Yorkshire, England

53.955564°N 1.0812864°WCoordinates: 
Coordinates
53.955564°N 1.0812864°W

OS grid SE 60384 51443

reference

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.

Contents
  1History
o 1.1Prisoners
o 1.2Executions
o 1.3Museum
 2Notes
 3References
 4External links

History[edit]
The Debtor's Prison was originally built as the County Gaol in 1701–05 due to an Act
of Parliament.[a] 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.[1] 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. [2]
Prisoners[edit]
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.[3]
Executions[edit]
The castle area became the regular place of executions in York in the early 1800s,
replacing the Tyburn on the Knavesmire.[2] 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. [4] 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.
[2]
 A total of 153 men and 7 women were hanged in the Castle precincts between
April 1801 and December 1896.[4]
Museum[edit]
The Debtor's Prison was added to the York Castle Museum in 1952. [5] The building
was partially restored in 1966.[1] The Debtor's Prison was joined to the Female
Prison, through the addition of a link building connecting the two, in 1969. [2] An
Edwardian Street, called Half Moon Court, was constructed in the eastern end of the
building in 1963.[5] 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. [5]

Notes[edit]
1. ^ 1701: 1 Anne stat 1 c.25: An Act for the Relief of poor
Prisoners for Debt

References[edit]
 1. ^ Jump up to:a b Historic England.  "Castle Museum
(Debtor's Prison) (536704)".  Research records (formerly
PastScape). Retrieved 16 July  2019.
2. ^ Jump up to:a b c d RCHME (1972). "THE DEFENCES OF
THE CITY OF YORK: AN INVENTORY".  An Inventory of
the Historical Monuments in City of York, Volume 2, the
Defences. pp. 57–86.
3. ^ "Dick Turpin's old haunt in York in line for a makeover".
York Press. 18 January 2017. Retrieved 16 July  2019.
4. ^ Jump up to:a b "York Castle Prisons". Capital
Punishment UK. Retrieved 19 July  2019.
5. ^ Jump up to:a b c Graham Nicholson (1981).  The Castle
Museum York. York Castle Museum.
p. 1. ISBN 0900264136.

External links[edit]
 York Castle prison records at the National
Archives
hide
 v

 t

 e
Prisons in Yorkshire and the Humber

 Askham Grange

 Doncaster

 Full Sutton

 Hatfield

 Hull

 Humber

Active  Leeds

 Lindholme

 Moorland

 New Hall

 Wakefield

 Wealstun

 Wetherby

funct  Eden Camp Museum

 Everthorpe

 Little Ease

 Northallerton

 Wolds

 York Castle
 Female Prison, York

 York Debtor's Prison

Categories: 
 Grade I listed buildings in York
 Defunct prisons in North Yorkshire
 History museums in North Yorkshire
 Prison museums in the United Kingdom
 Grade I listed prison buildings
 York Museums Trust
 Debtors' prisons
 18th-century establishments in England
Navigation menu
 Not logged in
 Talk
 Contributions
 Create account
 Log in
 Article
 Talk
 Read
 Edit
 View history

Search Go

 Main page
 Contents
 Current events
 Random article
 About Wikipedia
 Contact us
 Donate
Contribute
 Help
 Learn to edit
 Community portal
 Recent changes
 Upload file
Tools
 What links here
 Related changes
 Special pages
 Permanent link
 Page information
 Cite this page
 Wikidata item
Print/export
  Download as PDF
 Printable version
In other projects
 Wikimedia Commons
Languages
Add links
 This page was last edited on 9 May 2022, at 18:42 (UTC).
 Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0; additional terms may apply. By
using this site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Wikipedia® is a registered trademark of
the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization.
 Privacy policy

 About Wikipedia

 Disclaimers

 Contact Wikipedia

 Mobile view

 Developers

 Statistics

 Cookie statement