Shire Hall, Monmouth

Shire Hall
Henry V on the Shire Hall
General information
Architectural style	Baroque
Town or city	Monmouth
Country	United Kingdom
Coordinates	51°48′43″N 2°42′55″W / 51.811973°N 2.715404°W / 51.811973; -2.715404
Completed	1724
Cost	£1,700
Design and construction
Architect	Philip Fisher, Bristol

The Shire Hall in Monmouth was the centre for the Assize Courts and Quarter Sessions for Monmouthshire. It was also used as a market place. Shire Hall is currently used as the offices for Monmouth Town Council.

History

It was erected in 1724, on the site of an original Elizabethan court built in 1536. This in turn was replaced in 1571 by a timber-framed construction. The timbers from the original building were used in the construction of the latter, which provided an open trading area on the ground floor with rooms above.

The figure of Henry V was added in 1792 by Charles Peart who was born in Monmouthshire but established himself as a professional sculptor.^[1]

The County Gaol was located a short distance from the court rooms. It was here that the Chartist leader Henry Vincent was imprisoned before being tried at the assizes. Vincent was convicted but the unpopularity of the verdict led to protests that eventually led to miners being killed in a clash with the military near Newport.^[2] After these deaths, John Frost and others were arrested and charged with high treason. In 1840, Frost, William Jones and Zephaniah Williams were tried here.^[3] All three were found guilty and became the last men in Britain to be sentenced to be hanged, drawn and quartered. ^[4] There sentences were commuted to transportation.

References

1. ^ Deborah Graham-Vernon, ‘Peart, Charles (1759–1798)’, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004 accessed 26 Oct 2011
2. ^  "Vincent, Henry". Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co. 1885–1900. 
3. ^ John Frost, NewportPast.com, accessed October 2011.
4. ^ newportpast