- Bridewell Palace
Bridewell Palace,
London , originally a residence of Henry VIII, later became a poorhouse and prison. Its name has come to be synonymous with police stations and detention facilities in England and Ireland.It was built on the site of the medieval St Bride's Inn at a cost of £39,000 for Henry VIII, who lived there between 1515–1523. Standing on the banks of the
Fleet River , it was named for a nearby well dedicated toSt Bride . The papal delegation had preliminary meetings here in 1528 to discuss the King's divorce fromCatherine of Aragon . A pet project ofThomas Cardinal Wolsey , it was abandoned by the king after Wolsey's fall in 1530. It was leased to the French ambassador 1531–1539.In 1553, Edward VI gave the palace over to the
City of London for the housing of homeless children and for the punishment of 'disorderly women'. The City took full possession in 1556 and turned the palace into a prison, hospital, and workrooms. The name 'Bridewell' was also adopted for other prisons in London, including theClerkenwell Bridewell (opened in 1615) andTothill Fields Bridewell inWestminster .Similar institutions throughout England, Ireland, and Canada [http://ace.acadiau.ca/soci/agt/justice/csaaprison86.htm] also borrowed the name Bridewell. Nowadays, the term frequently refers to a city's main detention facility, usually in close proximity to a courthouse, as in
Nottingham ,Leeds ,Gloucester ,Bristol ,Dublin and Cork.Eventually, the site of Bridewell Palace became a school known as Bridewell Royal Hospital. Most of the palace was destroyed in the
Great Fire of London , and rebuilt in 1666–1667. In 1700 it became the first prison to appoint medical staff (a doctor). The prison was closed in 1855, and the buildings destroyed 1863–1864. The school moved to a new site inSurrey , and changed its name toKing Edward's School, Witley . It celebrated its 450th year in 2003.The main site of the palace is now occupied by the
Unilever Building, (built 1931).ee also
*
King Edward's School, Witley
*Henry VIII
*Edward VI
*Village lock-up References
* Tom Jones,
Henry Fielding (1749)External links
* [http://www.kesw.surrey.sch.uk King Edward's School Witley]
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