Galleries of Justice
Encyclopedia
Museum
A museum is an institution that cares for a collection of artifacts and other objects of scientific, artistic, cultural, or historical importance and makes them available for public viewing through exhibits that may be permanent or temporary. Most large museums are located in major cities...
is a tourist attraction
Tourist attraction
A tourist attraction is a place of interest where tourists visit, typically for its inherent or exhibited cultural value, historical significance, natural or built beauty, or amusement opportunities....
on High Pavement
High Pavement
High Pavement is a street in Nottingham, England. It is one of the earliest streets in the city, and most of its buildings are listed.-History:...
in the Lace Market
Lace Market
The Lace Market is an historic quarter-mile square area of Nottingham, England.Once the heart of the world's lace industry during the days of the British Empire, it is full of impressive examples of 19th century industrial architecture and thus is a protected heritage area...
area of Nottingham
Nottingham
Nottingham is a city and unitary authority in the East Midlands of England. It is located in the ceremonial county of Nottinghamshire and represents one of eight members of the English Core Cities Group...
, England. It is home to The Villainous Sheriff of Nottingham where you will discover Nottingham's horrible history and delve into the dark and disturbing past of Crime and Punishment
The courtrooms date back to the 14th century and the gaol dates back to at least 1449. The prisons are still there. There was also a working police station from 1905 to 1985, and the courts closed in 1991.
The museum is housed in what was once a fully functioning Victorian
Victorian era
The Victorian era of British history was the period of Queen Victoria's reign from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901. It was a long period of peace, prosperity, refined sensibilities and national self-confidence...
courtroom
Courtroom
A courtroom is the actual enclosed space in which a judge regularly holds court.The schedule of official court proceedings is called a docket; the term is also synonymous with a court's caseload as a whole.-Courtroom design:-United States:...
and claims to be "The only site in the country where you could be arrested, sentenced and executed." (stated by Tim Desmond, Chief Executive of Galleries of Justice).
History
The Galleries of Justice are housed in a building called Shire Hall, which stands in the Lace Market area of Nottingham.The earliest confirmed use of the site for official purposes was by the Normans, who appointed sheriffs to keep the peace and collect taxes; hence the site was also referred to as the Sheriff's Hall, the County Hall or the Kings Hall.
The first written record of the site being used as a law court dates from 1375. The first written reference to its use as a prison is in 1449.
Eighteenth century
Many different buildings have occupied the site over the centuries. 17th-century documentation relates to the building and a need for it to be re-built. However, no action was taken until 1724, when a courtroom floor collapsed. The Nottingham Courant in March 1724 recorded:On Monday morning, after the Judge had gone into the County Hall, and a great crowd of people being there, a tracing or two that supported the floor broke and fell in and several people fell in with it, about three yards into the cellar underneath. Some were bruised, but one man named Fellingham was pretty much hurt, one leg being stript to the bone, and was much hurt. This caused great consternation in Court, some apprehending the Hall might fall, others crying out "Fire"! etc. which made several people climb out of the windows. The Judge, being also terribly frightened, cried out "A plot! A plot!", but the consternation soon being over the Court proceeded to business.
The Hall was re-built between 1769 - 1772. The architect was James Gandon
James Gandon
James Gandon is today recognised as one of the leading architects to have worked in Ireland in the late 18th century and early 19th century. His better known works include The Custom House, the Four Courts, King's Inns in Dublin and Emo Court in Co...
from London and cost about £2,500 (£ as of ),. The builder was James Pickford of Derby. The inscription on the top of the building reads:
This County Hall was erected in the year MDCCLXX and in the tenth year of the reign of His Majesty George III.
The building was fronted by an iron pallisade to help control unruly crowds on the occasion of a public hanging.
Nineteenth century
Additional wings were added sometime between 1820 and 1840. Changes were made to the nisi prius court in 1833. The judges' retiring room, barristers' robing room and office for a clerk were added in 1844.A new grand jury room was added in 1859 to designs by the architect Richard Charles Sutton
Richard Charles Sutton
Richard Charles Sutton was an architect based in Nottingham. He was born 1834 and died on 18 October 1915.-Personal life:In the 1861 census he is listed as living at Gill Street, Sherwood, Nottingham, with wife Henrietta, daughter Ada and Ernest R .In the 1881 census he is listed as a widow living...
.
In 1876 major improvements were made and the front was redesigned in a style described as Italianate by Mr. Bliss-Sanders of Nottingham. Within a few weeks a fire broke out and nearly destroyed all of the newly completed work.
The courts were largely rebuilt following the fire by Thomas Chambers Hine
Thomas Chambers Hine
Thomas Chambers Hine 1814 - 1899 was an architect based in Nottingham.He was born in Covent Garden into a prosperous middle class family, the eldest son of a hosiery manufacturer. He was articled to the London architect Matthew Habershorn. In 1837 he arrived in Nottingham and formed a partnership...
in 1876 - 1879. The prison gaol closed in 1878.
Twentieth century
A police station was added beside the building in 1905.The current building houses two courtrooms, office space, and underground jail and a site used for executions.
The Victorians closed the jail due to appalling conditions and it lay empty between 1878 and 1995; however, the Hall continued in use as Nottingham's civil and criminal courts until 1991, when Nottingham Crown Court
Nottingham Crown Court
Nottingham Crown Court, or more formally the High Court of Justice and Crown Court, Nottingham is a Crown Court and High Court of Justice in Nottingham, England.-Description:...
was constructed at another location in the city.
Records of hanging
- James Gilders - Highway Robbery - Mar 1738
- Henry Parnell - Murder - August 1738
- John Grimes - Highway Robbery - August 1739
- Ignathias Fisher - Highway Robbery - August 1745
- Joseph Millner - Robbery - April 1751
- Woolston Roberts - Cutting and Maiming - April 1752
- Robert Wilson - Highway Robbery - April 1752
- Samuel Ward - Housebreaking - April 1752
- William Horne - Murder of his bastard - November 1753
- William Wagner - Highway Robbery - Sheep Stealing - November 1754
- Liz Morton - Robbery - April 1754
- Thomas Reynolds - Burglary - May 1754
- James Bromwich - Highway robbery - November 1754
- John Spencer - Scrooby Murder - June 1755
- Adam Bagshaw - Housebreaking - June 1755
- Edmund Brinsley - Stealing, Arson - September 1755
- Robert Rushton - Robbery - September 1755
- Thomas William Cook - Murder - October 1755
- Thomas Cobb - Burglary - November 1755
- James Brodie - Murder - July 1799
- David Proctor - Horse Theft, Rape - July 1799