Identity area
Reference code
Title
Date(s)
- 1804-1991 (Creation)
Level of description
Extent and medium
19.78 linear metres
Context area
Name of creator
Biographical history
Wandsworth Prison was built in 1849 as a Surrey House of Correction and was intended for those serving short sentences. It was designed by D R Hill of Birmingham to hold 1000 prisoners, and the first male prisoners were admitted in 1851 and the first female prisoners in 1852. In 1877, when prisons were nationalised, it became a short-term prison and in 1878, it took over from Horsemonger Lane as the hanging prison for South London. It came to be used for recidivists and, after the First World War, part was taken over as the Boys' Prison for London, under a separate governor and regime from the main block. Boys were assessed here and, if appropriate, allocated to Borstals. In 1929, this function was transferred to Wormwood Scrubs. More recently, the prison has been used to hold convicted persons awaiting sentence and as the centre for allocating long-term prisoners to other prisons outside the London area.
Repository
Archival history
GB 0074 ACC/3444 1804-1991 Collection 19.78 linear metres Surrey House of Correction x HM Prison, Wandsworth
Wandsworth Prison was built in 1849 as a Surrey House of Correction and was intended for those serving short sentences. It was designed by D R Hill of Birmingham to hold 1000 prisoners, and the first male prisoners were admitted in 1851 and the first female prisoners in 1852. In 1877, when prisons were nationalised, it became a short-term prison and in 1878, it took over from Horsemonger Lane as the hanging prison for South London. It came to be used for recidivists and, after the First World War, part was taken over as the Boys' Prison for London, under a separate governor and regime from the main block. Boys were assessed here and, if appropriate, allocated to Borstals. In 1929, this function was transferred to Wormwood Scrubs. More recently, the prison has been used to hold convicted persons awaiting sentence and as the centre for allocating long-term prisoners to other prisons outside the London area.
The collection was deposited at London Metropolitan Archives in October 1994, with a further accession in 2000.
Records of HM Prison, Wandsworth. The records relate to prison administration, the prisoners, and, to a much a lesser extent, the prison staff. The earliest records are a minute and letter book, 1847-1850, and a letter book, 1848-1852, of the Committee for building a new prison in Surrey (ACC/3444/AD/01/001-002).
With regard to records relating to prisoners, the main series is the nominal registers (ACC/3444/PR/01), giving details of the name, age, trade, education, and religion of the prisoner, the date of committal, details of the offence and sentence and the date of discharge. These are in chronological order and run from 1879 to 1956, with several volumes produced each year. Unfortunately, there are only a few indexes to these registers. Those that survive run from 1940 to 1956 only (ACC/3444/PR/02).
The other important series giving details about individual prisoners are the registers of executions, 1892-1961 (ACC/3444/PR/03), and files on condemned prisoners, 1933-1954 (ACC/3444/PR/04).
Also of interest is a series of glass plates of prison officers and prisoners from 1920 to the 1930s.
PLEASE NOTE: In accordance with Home Office regulations, the entire collection is subject to a 30 year closure period, with the exception of some particularly sensitive series, which are subject to longer closure periods. These are all marked on the catalogue.
ACC/3444/AD: Administration;
ACC/3444/B: H.M. Institution Borstal;
ACC/3444/CT: Corrective Training Allocation Centre;
ACC/3444/IN: Prison Industries;
ACC/3444/ME: Medical Records;
ACC/3444/PD: Preventative Detention Allocation Centre;
ACC/3444/PH: Photographic Negatives;
ACC/3444/PR: Prisoners;
ACC/3444/SS: Surrey and South London Discharged Prisoners' Aid Society;
ACC/3444/ST: Staff.
These records are available for public inspection, although records containing personal information are subject to access restrictions under the UK Data Protection Act, 1998.
Copyright to these records rests with the depositor.
English
Fit
Please see online catalogues at: http://search.lma.gov.uk/opac_lma/index.htm
See also records of HM Young Offender Institute and Remand Centre, Feltham LMA/4465.
The Public Record Office currently holds registers of prisoners for Wandsworth Prison 1858-1879 (PCOM2/230-289) two volumes of photograph albums 1872-1873 (PCOM2/290-291), and a register of deaths 1914-1951 (PCOM2/472).
Surrey Record Office has records of the Surrey Sessions of the Peace which include material on the Surrey House of Correction.
The Criminal Prisons of London and Scenes of Prison Life, by Henry Mayhew and John Binny (London, 1862) [Library 21.31 MAY]
Prisons and Punishments of London, by Richard Bryne (Harrap, 1989) [Library 21.31 BYR].
Compiled in compliance with General International Standard Archival Description, ISAD(G), second edition, 2000; National Council on Archives Rules for the Construction of Personal, Place and Corporate Names, 1997.
June to August 2010. Imprisonment Death penalty Executions Organisation and management Administration Prison administration Penal institutions Criminals Social problems Young offenders Disadvantaged groups Prisoners Administration of justice Penal sanctions Borstal institutions Sociology Social control, formal Law enforcement Prison services Prisons Crime Surrey House of Correction x HM Prison , Wandsworth Wandsworth (district) Wandsworth London England UK Western Europe Europe
Immediate source of acquisition or transfer
The collection was deposited at London Metropolitan Archives in October 1994, with a further accession in 2000.
Content and structure area
Scope and content
Records of HM Prison, Wandsworth. The records relate to prison administration, the prisoners, and, to a much a lesser extent, the prison staff. The earliest records are a minute and letter book, 1847-1850, and a letter book, 1848-1852, of the Committee for building a new prison in Surrey (ACC/3444/AD/01/001-002).
With regard to records relating to prisoners, the main series is the nominal registers (ACC/3444/PR/01), giving details of the name, age, trade, education, and religion of the prisoner, the date of committal, details of the offence and sentence and the date of discharge. These are in chronological order and run from 1879 to 1956, with several volumes produced each year. Unfortunately, there are only a few indexes to these registers. Those that survive run from 1940 to 1956 only (ACC/3444/PR/02).
The other important series giving details about individual prisoners are the registers of executions, 1892-1961 (ACC/3444/PR/03), and files on condemned prisoners, 1933-1954 (ACC/3444/PR/04).
Also of interest is a series of glass plates of prison officers and prisoners from 1920 to the 1930s.
PLEASE NOTE: In accordance with Home Office regulations, the entire collection is subject to a 30 year closure period, with the exception of some particularly sensitive series, which are subject to longer closure periods. These are all marked on the catalogue.
Appraisal, destruction and scheduling
Accruals
System of arrangement
ACC/3444/AD: Administration;
ACC/3444/B: H.M. Institution Borstal;
ACC/3444/CT: Corrective Training Allocation Centre;
ACC/3444/IN: Prison Industries;
ACC/3444/ME: Medical Records;
ACC/3444/PD: Preventative Detention Allocation Centre;
ACC/3444/PH: Photographic Negatives;
ACC/3444/PR: Prisoners;
ACC/3444/SS: Surrey and South London Discharged Prisoners' Aid Society;
ACC/3444/ST: Staff.
Conditions of access and use area
Conditions governing access
These records are available for public inspection, although records containing personal information are subject to access restrictions under the UK Data Protection Act, 1998.
Conditions governing reproduction
Copyright to these records rests with the depositor.
Language of material
- English
Script of material
- Latin
Language and script notes
English
Physical characteristics and technical requirements
See also records of HM Young Offender Institute and Remand Centre, Feltham LMA/4465.
Finding aids
Please see online catalogues at: http://search.lma.gov.uk/opac_lma/index.htm
Allied materials area
Existence and location of originals
Existence and location of copies
Related units of description
The Public Record Office currently holds registers of prisoners for Wandsworth Prison 1858-1879 (PCOM2/230-289) two volumes of photograph albums 1872-1873 (PCOM2/290-291), and a register of deaths 1914-1951 (PCOM2/472).
Surrey Record Office has records of the Surrey Sessions of the Peace which include material on the Surrey House of Correction.
Notes area
Alternative identifier(s)
Access points
Subject access points
- Administration of justice » Penal sanctions » Death penalty
- Administration
- Social problems
- Disadvantaged groups
- Disadvantaged groups » Prisoners
- Administration of justice
- Administration of justice » Penal sanctions
- Sociology
- Law enforcement
- Administration of justice » Penal sanctions » Prisons
- Crime
Place access points
Name access points
Genre access points
Description control area
Description identifier
Institution identifier
Rules and/or conventions used
Compiled in compliance with General International Standard Archival Description, ISAD(G), second edition, 2000; National Council on Archives Rules for the Construction of Personal, Place and Corporate Names, 1997.
Status
Level of detail
Dates of creation revision deletion
Language(s)
- English