Lincoln Castle

• Historical Context - Reformers

  • John Howard
  • George Paul
  • Elizabeth Fry
• Bloody Code


  1815 - 225 crimes punishable by death
• Problems with the Bloody Code


  By 1800 only 10% killed
• Alternatives to the Bloody Code


  Transportation - 1788 to Australia
• State of prisons in 18th century

  • Incarcerating criminals for a long time unusual before 17th century
  • Prisons were temporary
  • Mainly held debtors
  • Bridewells used in 16th century but facilities small
  • Only 4,000 people imprisoned by middle of 18th century
• Changes that put pressure on the prison systemin the 19th century

  • 1. War of independence closed off Transportation
  • 2. Bloody code not liked by judges (preferred transportation)
  • 3. Population growth - 9-42 million
• Conditions in 18th century prisons - No rules, a single room that all prisoners, male, female, young old shared, 25% of prisoners died each year
• John Howard - Sheriff, wrote a book whilst visiting prisons highlighting illness, corruption, lack of separation and medical treatment
• George Paul - Created prison design, separating male and females, improved ventilation and exercise
• Elizabeth Fry - Visited Newgate Prison, set up a chapel and school at prison, Fry's evidence helped influence 1823 Gaols Act
• Jeremy Bentham designed the Panopticon Prison in 1790s, influential after 1820s
• Facts on the Bloody Code


  • 1815 - 225 crimes punishable by death
  • By 1800 only 10% killed
  • Effectiveness debated by MPs (Romilly- argued crime rising so no longer a deterrent)
• Old Gaol and Cobb Hall


  • Dark dungeons used for criminals
  • Debtors could exercise anywhere in castle grounds
• Georgian Prison (1787)


  • Better facilities for exercise
  • Toilet seats suspended over a hole, sewage mixed with ash
  • Washrooms and an infirmary built
• Victorian Prison (1848)


  • Separate system introduced by Joshua Jebb
  • Separate cells and silence so prisoners could contemplate errors
  • Cells arranged around central landing similar to Bentham's Panoptican design
• Her Majesty's Prison Lincoln (1872)

  • Replaced castle prison
  • Had male and female prisoners but reduced to only male prisoners in 1900
  • 18 executions took place between 1883-1961
  • Riot in 2002 - named Britain's most overcrowded prison
• Cobb Hall prison was located in the castle
• The Old Gaol was located in the castle's bailey
• John Howard influenced the 1787 Georgian Prison
• Georgian Prison


  • Better sanitation: sewage system, toilet holes covered in ash, washrooms and infirmary
  • Debtors had access to grills and fires in room
• Separate system


  Introduced in the Victorian Prison, prisoners had separate cells and could only speak to the Prison Chaplain
• Victorian Prison


  • Separate exercise yards
  • Sewage system and drainage outside Castle walls
  • Chapel
• Executions in Lincoln


  • Burton road
  • Cobb Hall
  • Cobb Hall in Private
• Prisoner arrival for execution

  On a cart, attached to noose, horse would move away and they were then hanged until dead
• Family could help make execution less painful


  Pull on legs so they died quicker
• Gallows brought inside Cobb Hall in 1799-1830 when new roof was added
• 15,000 people would attend executions
• Benefit of new Cobb Hall executions

  More humane - trap door and short drop still took a while to kill someone
• Elizabeth Whiting was the first person executed in 1817 - guilty of killing baby with Laudanum overdose
• 38 people were executed at Cobb Hall between 1817-1859
• Ex-convicts were used as executioners in 1784 - 2 convicted horse stealers used to hang 4 men
• William Calcraft


  Sold pies at executions but trained to be a hangman, used short drop method with 3-metre rope
• William Marwood


  Developed 'measured drop' or 'long drop' method, using height and weight to work out how long rope should be
• William Horry, convicted of murdering wife, was first person executed using Marwood's 'measured drop' method
• Public executions were banned in 1868
• Piscella Biggadike, who poisoned her husband with arsenic, was the first to be killed at Cobb Hall with just journalists present. 4 people were executed there between 1868-1877
• Significance of Lincoln Castle

  • Old Gaol
  • Cobb Hall
  • Burton Road
  • Panopticon
  • Georgian Prison
  • Victorian Prison
  • William Marwood
  • William Calcraft
  • More humane executions
• Ella Biggadike


  Poisoned husband with arsenic, killed 4 between 1868-77
• History of executions in Lincoln

  1. Public Execution

  2. Execution at Cobb Hall

  3. Execution at Cobb Hall in Private
• Places of imprisonment in Lincoln

  • OLD GAOL
  • COBB HALL
  • BURTON ROAD
  • PANOPTICON
  • GEORGIAN PRISON
  • VICTORIAN PRISON