King's Bench Debtors Prison
The Massacre of St George's Fields was started here
Location: Borough, Southwark, London
Description: The King's Bench Prison was a prison from medieval times until it was closed and demolished in 1880.
It took its name from the King's Bench court of law in which cases of defamation, bankruptcy and other misdemeanour's were heard; as such, the prison was often used as a debtor's prison until the practice was abolished in the 1860s.
Although one of the largest London prisons at the time, it still gained a reputation for being dirty, overcrowded and prone to outbreaks of typhus.
On 10 May 1768 the imprisonment here of radical John Wilkes for writing an article that severely criticized King George III prompted a riot - the Massacre of St George's Fields - in which five people were killed.
Also, this prison was also badly damaged in a fire started in the 1780 Gordon Riots.
In 1842, it was renamed the Queen's Prison, and later became the Southwark Convict Prison.
Notable inmates included English dramatist Thomas Dekker, Emma Lady Hamilton, Marc Isambard Brunel, John Mytton, John Pell, and John Wilkes.
Historical
|
The Massacre of St George's Fields was started here |
Ranking This Month: 2010/3019
Pages Hit This Month: 5
Your Comments:
Other places nearby:
Poor Lazarus Isaacs», 1.5km
Famous Drinkers to die for», 3.6km
Home to a Murderer», 6.5km
Lord Lucan's Murder House», 2.1km
Handbag Gang Strike Again», 2.2km
Gunpowder Plot was foiled here», 1.1km
Moll King's Houses of Ill Repute», 4.1km
Ted Terry dealt a Red Card», 16.km
Iranian Embassy Siege», 3.2km
Charles Peace, The Devil Man», 2.9km
Location Pinpointed:
pinpointing the forgotten and lost history of London
Shady Old Lady »» Car Reviews »» Classic Telly »» Peckish © 2023 The Shady Old Lady, Privacy Policy
