The story of Middlewich's old 'House of Correction'

However, some towns had full prison buildings to house all the local offenders. Chester had the central Cheshire jail in the castle, and then, in 1808, a large prison was built as part of Chester Northgate. 

This then became the most important prison in Cheshire, although there was a House of Correction that already existed in Middlewich.

Houses of Correction were built after the passing of the Poor Relief Act in 1601, initially 'setting to work' vagrants and beggars who had refused to work.

They evolved to become buildings where people found guilty of minor offences (or held until petty session trials took place) were punished.

They were sent there by Justices of the Peace, and the most common offences at that time were petty theft, prostitution and 'loose, idle and disorderly conduct', a loosely defined offence which could involve a wide range of misbehaviour.

Drawing of the Old Northgate and prison by Randle Holmes, historian circa 1600s (Image: Rose Hurley)

Over two-thirds of the prisoners at that time were female.

Building work on the Middlewich House of Correction commenced in the late 1630s but was not completed until 1641.

It was called the County Bridewell at the time, run by the Magistrates of the County, and was built to hold 60 prisoners, although up to 180 were held there in the late 1810s.

It was built to replace an ancient House of Correction at Northwich that was falling into decay.

The Middlewich House of Correction was built in Queen Street, then known as Dog Lane, on the present police station's site and was a full gaol, although the most serious offenders were sent to Chester.

Middlewich police station, the site of the former prison (Image: Rose Hurley)

It was opened at the start of the English Civil War, which ran from 1642 to 1651. During this period, many families 'squatted' in the building.

After the Civil War, the house's primary duties were to reform the minor criminals with hard labour. One of the lesser crimes that resulted in many of the female prisoners was the offence of 'bastardy'. That was the offence of getting pregnant out of wedlock.

An interesting case involved an escapee from the Middlewich House of Correction on December 19, 1802. Joseph Gibson was charged with killing and stealing a sheep; he lived with his wife and large family at Lane-End in Over.

There was a reward of 10 guineas for his apprehension. This would be paid for by William Harrison, keeper of the Middlewich House of Correction.

Saxon Cross in Winsford opposite George and Dragon (Image: Rose Hurley)

A guinea was £1 and one shilling (5p), and 10 guineas would be worth just under £900 today.

Another further case was as follows: on May 5, 1818, a man attended Macclesfield Market with his wife wearing a horse halter around her neck; he offered her for sale!

A deal was struck, and he sold his wife for between three and four shillings (20p in decimals at the time and worth approximately £70 today).

The Mayor of Macclesfield ordered that all parties, the husband, wife and buyer, be arrested. The three of them were remanded to Middlewich House of Correction until the next Quarter Session. This was the first offence of this kind to be brought to the notice of the police.

On completion of their custodial sentences at the House of Correction, men would be whipped in the nearby bullring as a further punishment before being freed.

In 1818, Knutsford Prison was built, meaning that the Middlewich House of Correction was no longer required.

It remained open for a further few years. An auction was held in the Court House in Middlewich to sell all the House of Correction building materials consisting of hundreds of thousands of good bricks, slates, and timber.

The building was demolished, and that was the end of Middlewich's gaol.

Now, Middlewich houses one of the two new Bridewells/Custody Suites for the Cheshire Police located in Pochin Way, Middlewich, the other one being in Blacon, Chester.