Shropshire Prisons
 

Bridgenorth Gaol
Ludlow Gaol
Shrewsbury Gaol

Shropshire Prisons

Her Majesty's Prison, in the Dana, Shrewsbury, erected in 1787-93, from a design by Mr. Haycock, at a cost of £30,000. The South elevation, forming the Governors house, has a bold castellated appearance, and over the gateway is a niche containing a bust of Howard, the philanthropist, by Bacon. The Prison contains 204 cells, 179 for males and 25 for females, besides the apartments for debtors and infirmaries. The visiting Justices meet at the Prison once a month.

Transportation in 1783-85 p082
The gaol authorities were at this time often seriously incommoded by the number of convicts left in their hands under sentence of transportation to the colonies. 
The attention of the Government was repeatedly called to the  state of affairs, and in 1785 the energetic letter given below was by direction of the Court sent to the Home Secretary on the  subject.
July 1785
Ordered that the Clerk of the Peace write to the Rt Hon Lord Sydney one of His Majesty's Principal Secretaries of State and inform his Lordship of the Number, Ages, and Sentences of the Convicts now confined in the County Gaol and request His Lordship's Assistance in getting the Sentences carried into Execution. - Shrewsbury July 12th 1785.

My Lord.
I am directed by the Justices in Sessions to inform your Lordship of the Great Number of unfortunate Convicts now confined in our County Gaol (which hath been increasing for years past) with their names, ages and sentences, and to represent to your Lordship that it is a very great expense to the Nation to Support them, and hath been a Considerable expense to thsi County, to endeavour to keep them clean and healthy, which hath been blessed
with the desired effect, That the Inhabitants of this town and neighbourhood are alarmed and fearful that so great a Number, confined in so small a Compass, in this Sultry weather, will produce a Gaol-Fever or some putrid disease, and should that be the case, there is no opportunity of keeping the infected from those that are well, the Room appropriated for the Sick being occupied by 19 Convicts, and every part of the Gaol being crowded which may occasion the Distemper to spread and become  epidemical; and earnestly to request your Lordship's Assistance to get their Sentences speedily carried into Execution. I have the honour to subscribe myself, My Lord  Your Lordship's most obedient Servant - Joseph Loxdale.

1 Andrew Malpas 24 Lent 1783 America 7 years
2 Thomas Stretch 31 Summer 1783 Africa 7 years
3 Timothy Care 25 Summer 1783 Africa 7 years
4 John Bailey 23 Summer 1783 Africa 7 years
5 John Fox 29 Summer 1783 America 7 years
6 James Prichard 24 Summer 1783 America 7 years
7 John Sambrook 25 Summer 1783 America 7 years
8 Francis Woodcock 45 Lent 1784 America 14 years
9 Samuel Grainger 31 Lent 1784 America 14 years
10 Thomas Evans 37 Lent 1784 America 7 years
11 Henry Roberts 36 Lent 1784 America 7 years
12 William Twyfield 36 Lent 1784 America 7 years
13 Richard Cartwright 36 Lent 1784 America 7 years
14 Thomas Matthews 58 Summer 1784 Beyond Seas 7 years
15 William Davies 53 Summer 1784 Beyond Seas 7 years
16 Thomas Greenfield 36 Summer 1784 Beyond Seas 7 years
17 Thomas Yardsley 25 Summer 1784 Beyond seas 7 years
18 William Dowley 23 Summer 1784 Beyond Seas 7 years
19 Ann Twyfield 27 Summer 1784 Beyond Seas 7 years
20 Margaret Fownes 43 Summer 1784 Beyond Seas 7 years
21 Richard Jones 40 Summer 1784 Beyond Seas 7 years
22 Robert Richards 29 Summer 1784 Beyond Seas 7 years
23 Joseph Owen 64 Lent 1785 Beyond Seas 14 years
24 William Jones 19 Lent 1785 Beyond Seas 7 years
25 William Griffiths 26 Lent 1785 Condemned & Reprieved
26 William Evans 33 Lent 1785 Condemned & Reprieved
27 William Hotchkiss 24 Lent 1785 Condemned & Reprieved
28 Richard Phyfield 32 Lent 1785 Condemned & Reprieved
29 Robert Phyfield 24 Lent 1785 Condemned & Reprieved
30 Mary Boulton 27 Lent 1785 Condemned & Reprieved
31 Mary Davies 23 Lent 1785 Condemned & Reprieved

Source: Vol 4 2nd Series 1892
p 065 Some leaves from the Records of the Court of
Quarter Sessions for the County of Salop Pt III
by Sir Offley Wakeman Bt
Submitted by Alan Longbottom

Page updated August 06, 2007 by Rossbret