Site of 18th to 19th century County Gaol And House Of Correction, Moulsham Street (EHER 82810)

Now destroyed. The site of 18th to 19th century 'County Gaol and House of Correction' which was demolished in 1859.

Information from the NRHE In October 1767 the Quarter Sessions appointed a committee to determine whether the county gaol could be repaired or whether it should be rebuilt. The Committee reported in 1768 that the gaol was beyond repair and they recommended purchasing another inn, the White Horse in the High Street, although this was not for sale. Until 1772 a debate ensued within the Gaol Committee about the location of the new county gaol. Eventually, in July 1772, the Quarter Sessions ordered that the provisions of the 1770 Gaol Act should be carried out. The new gaol was erected between 1773 and 1777 on a site comprising of the earlier gaol and adjacent plots. By 1789 alterations had already been made in order to comply with the 1784 Gaols Act which specified that men and women must be separated and that convicted felons, charged felons, misdemeanants and debtors must be accommodated separately. Further alterations were completed by 1796 and in 1807. Between 1802 and 1806 a new house of correction was built south of the county gaol, to the designs of John Johnson. In an account of all the gaols and houses of correction in England, published in March 1819, the county gaol was said to be capable of holding 120 felons in six classes and 60 debtors in two classes and the house of correction could hold 200. It was noted of the gaol that "very considerable alterations and improvements are necessary, in order to complete the prison, as to security and classification". A ground plan of the gaol and house of correction dated 2nd April 1819 proposed several alterations and additions. In June 1821 an Act for building a new gaol and for enlarging, improving and altering the existing one was passed by Parliament. The new county gaol was erected at Springfield between 1822 and 1828 (see EHER 82811). While this was in progress alterations were made to the prison at Moulsham. After Springfield opened, Moulsham was used to hold women and debtors. It closed in 1848 and was demolished in 1859. <1> <2>