Clerkenwell Prison
Encyclopedia
Clerkenwell Prison, also known as the Clerkenwell House of Detention or Middlesex House of Detention was a prison in Clerkenwell
, London
. It held prisoners awaiting trial.
It stood on Bowling Green Lane conveniently close to the Middlesex Sessions House
, where prisoners would be tried, on Clerkenwell Green to the south.
for convicted prisoners and the New Prison
for those awaiting trial. The Bridewell closed in 1794 and its functions were taken over by the Coldbath Fields Prison
at Mount Pleasant. The New Prison was rebuilt in 1818 and in 1847, at which time its name changed to the House of Detention.
On 13 December 1867 its exercise yard was the target of a gunpowder explosion instigated by members of the Fenian
Society in an attempt to aid the escape of Richard Burke
, an arms supplier to the Fenians. The blast killed bystanders in Corporation Row; some of those responsible were executed, with ringleader Michael Barrett
the last person to be publicly executed outside Newgate Prison
.
It was demolished in 1890. The site is occupied by the Hugh Myddleton School building, now converted into flats. The vaults were reopened as air-raid shelters during the Blitz, and can still be accessed via an entrance on Clerkenwell Close.
Clerkenwell
Clerkenwell is an area of central London in the London Borough of Islington. From 1900 to 1965 it was part of the Metropolitan Borough of Finsbury. The well after which it was named was rediscovered in 1924. The watchmaking and watch repairing trades were once of great importance...
, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. It held prisoners awaiting trial.
It stood on Bowling Green Lane conveniently close to the Middlesex Sessions House
Middlesex Sessions House
The Former Middlesex Sessions House is a building on Clerkenwell Green in the London Borough of Islington in London, England.It was built in 1780 for the Middlesex Quarter Sessions of the justices of the peace, replacing nearby Hicks Hall which had fallen into disrepair...
, where prisoners would be tried, on Clerkenwell Green to the south.
History
The House of Detention was built on the site of two earlier prisons, the Clerkenwell BridewellClerkenwell Bridewell
Clerkenwell Bridewell was a prison located in the Clerkenwell area, immediately north of the City of London , between c.1615 and 1794, when it was superseded by the nearby Coldbath Fields Prison in Mount Pleasant...
for convicted prisoners and the New Prison
New Prison
The New Prison was a prison located in the Clerkenwell area of central London between c.1617 and 1877 ....
for those awaiting trial. The Bridewell closed in 1794 and its functions were taken over by the Coldbath Fields Prison
Coldbath Fields Prison
Coldbath Fields Prison was a prison in the Mount Pleasant area of Clerkenwell, London. Founded during the reign of James I , the prison was completely rebuilt in 1794 and extended in 1850. It was used to house prisoners on short sentences of up to two years...
at Mount Pleasant. The New Prison was rebuilt in 1818 and in 1847, at which time its name changed to the House of Detention.
On 13 December 1867 its exercise yard was the target of a gunpowder explosion instigated by members of the Fenian
Fenian
The Fenians , both the Fenian Brotherhood and Irish Republican Brotherhood , were fraternal organisations dedicated to the establishment of an independent Irish Republic in the 19th and early 20th century. The name "Fenians" was first applied by John O'Mahony to the members of the Irish republican...
Society in an attempt to aid the escape of Richard Burke
Richard Burke
Richard Burke is a former senior Irish Fine Gael politician and a European Commissioner.Dick Burke was born in New York in the United States in 1932. He was raised in Tipperary and educated at the Christian Brothers School, Thurles, University College Dublin and King's Inns. He worked as a...
, an arms supplier to the Fenians. The blast killed bystanders in Corporation Row; some of those responsible were executed, with ringleader Michael Barrett
Michael Barrett (Fenian)
Michael Barrett was born in Drumnagreshial in the Ederney area of County Fermanagh. In his adult years he became a member of the Fenians....
the last person to be publicly executed outside Newgate Prison
Newgate Prison
Newgate Prison was a prison in London, at the corner of Newgate Street and Old Bailey just inside the City of London. It was originally located at the site of a gate in the Roman London Wall. The gate/prison was rebuilt in the 12th century, and demolished in 1777...
.
It was demolished in 1890. The site is occupied by the Hugh Myddleton School building, now converted into flats. The vaults were reopened as air-raid shelters during the Blitz, and can still be accessed via an entrance on Clerkenwell Close.
See also
- Coldbath Fields PrisonColdbath Fields PrisonColdbath Fields Prison was a prison in the Mount Pleasant area of Clerkenwell, London. Founded during the reign of James I , the prison was completely rebuilt in 1794 and extended in 1850. It was used to house prisoners on short sentences of up to two years...
, the Clerkenwell House of Correction - Clerkenwell BridewellClerkenwell BridewellClerkenwell Bridewell was a prison located in the Clerkenwell area, immediately north of the City of London , between c.1615 and 1794, when it was superseded by the nearby Coldbath Fields Prison in Mount Pleasant...
- New PrisonNew PrisonThe New Prison was a prison located in the Clerkenwell area of central London between c.1617 and 1877 ....
- Fenian Rising#Clerkenwell explosion