Borough Compter

Borough Compter

The Borough Compter was a small compter or debtor's prison located in Mill Lane, off Tooley Street, Southwark, from the mid-16th century until 1855. It took its name from 'The Borough', a historic name for the Southwark area of London on the south side of the River Thames from the City of London. This replaced a lock-up as part of the City's court house under the jurisdiction of the Lord Mayor and Court of Aldermen of the City, and their High-Bailiff of Southwark. This first court house was built onto the former site of the old parish church of St Margaret's, and destroyed in the Great Fire of Southwark in 1676.

When the first Compter burned down a replacement court room was built on the site and was in use from 1685. Its front was adorned with a statue of James II, just after his accession, the City's coat of arms and the Bridge House Mark. The court room was on the first floor, the ground floor was leased out as a tavern, 'The King's Arms'. The site is located at the fork junction of Borough High Street and Southwark Street, occupied now by the building which is named 'Town Hall Chambers' being licensed premises at the ground floor and apartments above. It is commemorated by the alley-way behind named Counter Court, ie 'Compter Court'.

As well as debtors, the Compter also held persons committed for trial for felonies and misdemeanors, and others tried and sentenced to imprisonment, but not to hard labour.

Borough Compter was one of the prisons visited and described by prison reformer John Howard who described it as in a deplorable condition: "out of repair and ruinous, without an infirmary and even without bedding; while most of the inmates were poor creatures from the 'Court of Conscience,' who lay there till their debts were paid." [From: 'Bermondsey: Tooley Street', Old and New London: Volume 6 (1878), pp. 100-17. URL: http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.asp?compid=45269. Date accessed: 01 February 2007.] Defects in the discipline and management of this prison were strongly criticised by a Committee of the House of Commons in 1829. [ [http://www.oldtowns.co.uk/Middlesex/london-pt6.htm Old Towns of England, London in 1839: Part Six - Police and Prisons] ] It finally closed in 1855.

References

ee also

* Compter


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Поможем написать реферат

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Borough High Street — with Tower 42 in the background …   Wikipedia

  • Compter — A compter, sometimes referred to as a counter, was a type of small English prison controlled by a sheriff. The inmates were usually civil prisoners, for example dissenters and debtors. Examples of compters include London s Wood Street Counter,… …   Wikipedia

  • Giltspur Street Compter — The Giltspur Street Compter was a small Compter or prison, mainly used to hold debtors. It was situated in Giltspur Street, Smithfield, close to Newgate, in the City of London, between 1791 and 1853.The Compter was adjacent to Christ s Hospital… …   Wikipedia

  • Marshalsea — The prison occupied two locations, the first c. 1329–1811, and the second 1811–1842. The image above is of the first Marshalsea in the 18th century …   Wikipedia

  • Wood Street Counter — The Wood Street Counter, or Wood Street Compter, was a small prison within the City of London in England. It was primarily a debtors prison, and also held people accused of such misdemeanors as public drunkness, although some wealthier prisoners… …   Wikipedia

  • Southwark — For other places with the same name, see Southwark (disambiguation). Coordinates: 51°29′56″N 0°05′24″W / 51.4988°N 0.0901°W / 51.4988; …   Wikipedia

  • Guildable Manor — formally The City of London’s Guildable Manorof the Town and Borough of Southwark is an institution of the City of London which is not a Livery Company as it is territorially rather than trade based, being the organisation of the Juror freemen of …   Wikipedia

  • Tower of London — For other uses, see Tower of London (disambiguation) Coordinates: 51°30′29″N 0°4′34″W / 51.50806°N 0.07611°W / 51 …   Wikipedia

  • Clerkenwell Bridewell — was a prison located in the Clerkenwell area, immediately north of the City of London (in the modern London Borough of Islington), between c.1615 and 1794, when it was superseded by the nearby Coldbath Fields Prison in Mount Pleasant. It was… …   Wikipedia

  • Newgate Prison — For the Irish prison of the same name, see Newgate Prison, Dublin. For the prison in East Granby, Connecticut, see Old Newgate Prison. Newgate, the old city gate and prison …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”