York Debtor's Prison is a former

Debtor's prison A debtors' prison is a prison for people who are unable to pay debt. Until the mid-19th century, debtors' prisons (usually similar in form to locked workhouses) were a common way to deal with unpaid debt in Western Europe.Cory, Lucinda"A Histori ...

and

Grade I Listed building In the United Kingdom, a listed building or listed structure is one that has been placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Historic Environment Scotland in Scotland, in Wales, and the Northern Irel ...

located in

York York is a cathedral city with Roman origins, sited at the confluence of the rivers Ouse and Foss in North Yorkshire, England. It is the historic county town of Yorkshire. The city has many historic buildings and other structures, such as a ...

, North Yorkshire. Since 1952 it has been part of the

York Castle Museum 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 b ...

History

The Debtor's Prison was originally built as the County Gaol in 1701–05 due to an Act of Parliament. 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. Some of the original building stone came from ruined parts of Clifford's Tower and

King's Manor The King's Manor is a Grade I listed building in York, England, and is part of the University of York. It lies on Exhibition Square, in the city centre. History King's Manor was originally built to house the abbots of St Mary's Abbey, York. ...

. It was extended between 1824 and 1835.

Prisoners

The prison's most notable inhabitant was

Dick Turpin Richard Turpin (bapt. 21 September 1705 – 7 April 1739) was an English highwayman whose exploits were romanticised following his execution in York for horse theft. Turpin may have followed his father's trade as a butcher ea ...

, who was incarcerated in the 1730s before his trial at the York assizes. His cell forms part of the exhibition in the current museum.

Executions

The castle area became the regular place of executions in York in the early 1800s, replacing the Tyburn on the Knavesmire. 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. 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. A total of 153 men and 7 women were hanged in the Castle precincts between April 1801 and December 1896.

Museum

The Debtor's Prison was added to the York Castle Museum in 1952. The building was partially restored in 1966. The Debtor's Prison was joined to the Female Prison, through the addition of a link building connecting the two, in 1969. An Edwardian Street, called Half Moon Court, was constructed in the eastern end of the building in 1963. 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.

Notes

References

External links

York Castle prison records at the National Archives
{{Prisons in Yorkshire and the Humber 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