Imperial London sketches from the history of a great city
London Prisons

London's Prisons: Pentonville

Antiques from London on eBay

925 Sterling Silver London Spoon with Crest Not Scrap
13 Apr 2011 at 9:51am

US $71.10
End Date: Tuesday Feb-07-2012 6:56:59 PST
Buy It Now for only: US $71.10
Buy it now | Add to watch list

Arthur H. Beavan, in Imperial London, first published 1901, made a brief survey of London's Prisons at the time, continuing with a look at Pentonville:

Pentonville is in the Caledonian Road, close to the Copenhagen Fields cattle-market.

It is one of the early model prisons, erected about the year 1840, and consists of a central or inspection hall, with five radiating wings, containing in the aggregate a thousand cells, each one of which is said to have originally cost £180 to construct, being thirteen and a half feet by seven and a half; and nine feet in height.

Wandsworth, or the Surrey County prison, is quite modern, built of uncompromisingly ugly brick, and arranged on the up-to-date system of perfect hygiene, which provides for a constant personal inspection of each convict, and a moderate dietary.

Next: London's Prisons in 1900: Wormwood Scrubs

1900 London (Home) | History of London