Notwithstanding this, he again made it clear that it was the act itself they had to judge: a reason for it was not necessary for a verdict to be reached. William Collins told of Jamess confession to a conspiracy to murder and rob Mr Littlewoods house one that involved his brother and son as well as Holden. Contents show 1 Who was the last person hanged at Lancaster Castle? [43][44][45], The keep is the oldest part of the castle. He was known to all at the Jolly Carter simply as Alec. The first one was installed in 1822. [48] Three storeys high, the apartment on the ground floor would probably have been used by the Constable of the castle; the two floors above had three rooms each. They headed north, where the roads were quieter and habitation sparse, although they failed to make much provision for such a long and arduous journey. There were two other patrons in the bar until about eleven. [52] The remaining Wery Wall measures 4m 3m 3m and consists of only rubble due to the facing stones having been reused elsewhere. [13] Lancaster was one such castle. Like most Norman keeps, Lancaster's would have been entered at first floor level. By the 1950s it was back in use as a prison again and this was finally closed in 2011. Amid sobbing and screaming from wives and family members all four men loudly protested their innocence, so much so that the judge reprimanded them and the bailiffs and to struggle to regain order. During the summer, male and female prisoners sentenced to hard labour on the treadwheel had to work 10 hours per day at a rate of 96 steps per minute. [41][42] This phase created a new teaching centre, as well as more than 5,000 sq ft of space, in which the Duchy has leased a section of the old kitchen to local coffee roasters and tea merchants, J. Atkinson & Co. (established 1837) to run a caf. In 1322 and 1389 the Scots invaded England, progressing as far as Lancaster and damaging the castle. The buildings were returned to being under the control of the Queen,in her role as the Duke of Lancaster. England. Faraday had both men bound. RM C12F7B - Lancaster Castle Prison. For more serious crimes the assizes courtswere held twice a year and defendants would bekept in prison for months, awaiting the time when the next assize came around. He ran the business with his brother Michael, who was five years his junior. Guided tours of the Castle include visits to its 18th century cells, Pentonville-style male penitentiary, dedicated debtors prison area and female penitentiary based on Benthams famous panopticon design. On the evening of Monday May 22nd 1826, between five and six oclock, a stranger entered the Jolly Carter and asked for a glass of beer. The pub was at Winton, a small village on the road to Manchester, just outside Patricroft Bridge. He also made it clear that although James Ashcroft snr had never been inside the Littlewoods home he would, if found guilty, be just as culpable as the men who had actually committed the crime, and therefore as subject to the death penalty as they were. He later wrote to his brother: I had such a turnit made me tremble to think of the danger he had been in and he clearly believed that this act of bravery entitled him to the fifty guinea reward. Among the Quaker prisoners held in the Castle was the poet, Mary Southworth, later Molyneax. This shed remained until the mid-20th Century, allegedly still containing the Gallows. The law as it stood in 1826 was very clear on the first of these two points: if the brothers intention had been to murder Elizabeth Bate it did not matter that Michael was not present in the time it was committed. It had been a busy assize, one which resulted in a higher than usual number of executions. Lancaster Castle is a medieval castle and former prison in Lancaster in the English county of Lancashire. There were two beds in the room and the second was the one intended for the McKeans. Get all the latest updates from Lancaster Castle. A survey in 1578 led to repairs to the keep costing 235. This role morphed into that ofJustices of the Peace who would work at the castlepresiding over the trying of minor crimes, in four sessions a year. Alexander, who was 30, was already known at the Jolly Carter. He was a draper by trade and lived with his mother in Manchester. Part of the prison is used as a major drugs rehabilitation unit. Alexander and Michael were both dressed in blue coats and black cravats, and Alexander wore a black waistcoat, while Michaels was brown and white striped. [13] The Rolls show that John spent over 630 on digging a ditch outside Lancaster's south and west walls, and for the construction of "the King's lodgings". [40], The latest phase, started in September 2017 and completed in November 2019, has opened up the former prison kitchen yard. Still a crown court, the majority of the castle is now open . Alexander and Michael were well known in Manchester and must have realised that it was impossible for them to remain in the area. The prison closed in 1916 as the number of prisoners detained nationally was diminishing. Stephen secured his northern frontier by allowing DavidI of Scotland to occupy the Honour in 1141. And why risk so much for such a relatively small sum of money as 30?So, what if the motive had not been robbery? A more serious class of convict started to be housed at Lancaster in Georgian times felons. 10,144 enrolled on this course. England. At the August assizes in Lancaster in 1835 just fourteen prisoners were tried and nine causes were entered in the civil court - the church bells rang a "muffled peal" (Lancaster Gazette, 15 August 1835). They were sentenced to five days hard labour or a fine of 7s 6d. Quakerism was founded by George Fox who first visited Lancashire in 1652 and subsequently made Swarthmoor Hall (the home of Judge Fell), near Ulverston, the headquarters of the Religious Society of Friends, more commonly known as the Quakers. Michael claimed that Bleares struck Alexander at the same time for no reason. RM EPHG7C - Inside a cell at Lancaster Prison, part of the Castle in the city of Lancaster, England. He intimated that, had the victim been Joseph Bleares it might have made some kind of sense. The castle role as a prison was becoming increasingly important, with the Gatehouse rooms being occupied by debtors. He may have wished he had been able to though, as during his tenure the number of debtors increased tenfold. Lancaster Castles other function as a defendable stronghold is discussed on our page here. An inquest was held at the Jolly Carter at four oclock the next afternoon and a verdict of Wilful Murder was returned. Borstal Prison, later Borstal Institution (Young Offenders) Canterbury, County Gaol 1808 Chatham Convict Prison 1853 Maidstone, County Gaol 1817 Rochester Convict Prison, now a Prison for Women 1873 Lancashire Lancaster Castle 17 th C; Liverpool City Gaol 1854 Manchester, County Gaol 1869 Preston, County Gaol 1799 Strangeways (Manchester) Prison Ten people convicted of witchcraft at the Summer Assize in Lancaster Castle went to the gallows on the moors above the town. Although the exterior was refaced in the 18thcentury, medieval stonework is visible in the interior. Convicted felons awaiting transportation were, in law, entitled to the Kings Allowance of 2s/6d a week, but few ever received it. [28], Those sentenced to death before c. 1800 at the castle were usually taken to Lancaster Moor, near where the Ashton Memorial now stands, to be hanged. The turnkey (prison officer) in charge of the wheelhouse was in full control and shouted out his orders each time the wheelhouse clock chimed the five-minute interval. As the court and prison were so close, and contained within the castle walls, Lancaster was used for high-security trials. Women and men in poor health often never left at all since the County did not transport those thought unable to support the rigours of the voyage or unlikely to find employment at its destination. Theirs was the last case to be heard. Between 60 and 73AD, a Roman fort was built at Lancaster on a hill commanding a crossing over the River Lune. Improvements were also made to sanitation; in the 18thcentury more people died from gaol fever than by hanging. The trial of Alexander and Michael McKean for the murder of Elizabeth Bate began in the castle on Friday August 18th 1826. It deals with trials of the more serious criminal offences, the sentencing of offenders committed for sentence by magistrates courts and appeals from lower courts. After the English Civil War, most of the gatehouse rooms were filled with debtors. The Lancaster Martyrs: During this period of history fifteen Catholics were executed in Lancaster for their faith. Large amounts of money are being spent in improving the fabric of the whole building with a view to open more of it up to tourists. One by one the men were brought out onto the scaffold and one by one they reiterated their innocence. And Joseph Bleares found himself, at last, the master of what was undoubtedly a going concern.. There wasalso a separate group of people deemed to be insane who were detained indefinitely, until the county asylum was built. These ranged from encounters in the local public house and the butchers shop, to sightings to the men sitting talking, or walking in the vicinity of the Littlewood house. [10], The main entrance is through a 20-metre-high (66ft) gatehouse built at the start of the 15th century. Lancaster Castle was one of the first gaols in England to segregate its inmates by age and gender. Why attack her while leaving Joseph, albeit asleep, in the bar? The castle buildings are owned by the British sovereign as Duke of Lancaster; part of the structure is used to host sittings of the Crown Court. Includes the Shire Hall and courtrooms. This was a particularly busy assize, with ninety-seven people up for trial. Lancaster Gaol housed one of the largest Debtor's prisons in Mr Williams called a good number of witnesses, mostly to testify to the character of the men accused, or to place them well away from the scene of the crime, but a great many of the people called had criminal records themselves, and their evidence counted for very little. [36] In the meantime, while access to the keep, towers, battlements and dungeons is currently denied to visitors, the castle operates limited guided tours seven days a week. Todays title of Justice of the Peace dates back to 1361, to the reign of Edward III, and JPs still retain and use some of the powers conferred on them at that time to bind over unruly persons to be of good behaviour. Until 2011 it was a fully functioning HM Prison and was also Europe's longest-serving prison. Lancaster Castle was used as the main gaol in the city. [26] The Shire Hall and Crown Court were complete by 1798. Clearly visible, in profile, were the outline and features of a womans face. They were James Ashcroft (53) his son, also James (32) David Ashcroft (48) brother and uncle respectively to the aforementioned men, and William Holden (47). He offered him a drink, saying that it was a hot day and that he looked tired. On Wednesday 26th April, the tours will consist of the courtyards only as A-Wing is being used for a private event. Lancasters Custom House and Maritime Museum, Lancaster Castle: A Brief History, John Champness (1993), Lancashire County Books, Life In Georgian Lancaster, Andrew White (2004) Carnegie Publishing, Lancaster Castle: 1000 Years of Royal Heritage, Justice, Felony and Incarceration, leaflet (undated circa 2016) available from Lancashire Tourist Information office, printed by Lancaster Castle, http://www.lancastercastle.com/history-heritage/a-dark-history/crime-punishment/, http://www.quakersintheworld.org/quakers-in-action/12/George-Fox, If you would like to know each time a new piece is published, just enter your email below and click 'Follow', Lancaster Castle : The Prisons andCourts, Lancaster Castle : The Fortress Lancashire Past, Lancasters Lost Roman Fort Lancashire Past, Lancaster Roman Baths and Wery Wall Lancashire Past, The Customs House : Lancaster Maritime Museum Lancashire Past, Upholland Priory, a Benedictine Monastery, near Wigan Lancashire Past, The Strange Tale of Edward Kelley at Walton-le-Dale Lancashire Past, Greenhalgh Castle, Garstang Lancashire Past, The Ruskin Library and Museum, Lancaster Lancashire Past, Galgate Silk Mill, Galgate near Lancaster Lancashire Past, A History of the Ashton Memorial, Lancaster Lancashire Past. Lancaster was once again designated for use as a prison from 1954 onwards when the council leased the castle to the Home Office. [3] After the Norman Conquest in the second half of the 11thcentury, Lancaster was part of the Earldom of Northumbria; it was claimed by the kings of England and Scotland. People couldnow be convicted for making covenant with an evil spirit, using a corpse for magic, hurting life or limb, procuring love or injuring cattle by means of charms. The second world war saw the armed forces taking over the castle, and the Royal Observer Corps used it as a local control room. 2 Is Lancaster Castle still a court? He told them of his future plans and invited them both to stay the night. The landlord of the Jolly Carter was Mr Joseph Blears, who ran the establishment with his wife Martha. Until 1835 the only Assize for the county, Lancaster Castle saw a vast number of accused people pass through its doors, many of whom would have been on trial for their life. . The judge left this for the Jury to reflect upon, but then touched on the question of motive. As Joseph Hall wrote the grave has closed over them (and) the searcher of all hearts can only adjudicate. It is well worth walking around the exterior (at any time) and also the interior courtyard (during opening times) to see the various remaining Medieval buildings and Georgian and Victorian prisons. Just then the maid appeared and Mrs Bleares told her to fetch a candle and show the men where they were to sleep. During the reigns of Elizabeth I and James I, another targeted out group were Catholic priests. The last execution (of Thomas Rawcliffe, murderer) at Lancaster took place in 1910. The prison was closed in 1916 due to the decrease in the number of prisoners, although in the first part of the First World War, it used to hold German prisoners of war and civilians . March 25th 1865. The prison reformer John Howard visited Lancaster Castle in 1776. Before Mrs Blears could do anything he attacked her and tried to stab her in the neck. The Lancaster Martyrs: During this period of history fifteen Catholics were executed in Lancaster for their faith. Ten people convicted of witchcraft at the Summer Assize in Lancaster Castle went to the gallows on the moors above the town. James jnr and William Holden were seen later in the day in Hanover Street in Manchester betting large amounts (5 shillings a throw) on the toss of a coin. Lancasters use of the treadwheels was almost unique as most prisons did not harness the energy in any useful way. Mr and Mrs Littlewood, as was their custom, left early for their shop in Manchester, leaving the two servants alone in the house. After the war the castle was used to train police cadets, up until 1931 when the new college was opened in Preston. The scene inside the pub was one of carnage. Given this fact, Michaels crime was murder in the second degree, which carried the same penalty as Alexanders crime. In the aftermath of the Civil War the castle was never made fully defendable again, and its curtain walls were either demolished or left unrepaired. The debtors were not criminals, but usually small business men and women who could not afford to pay off their creditors. Ten people convicted of witchcraft at the Summer Assize in Lancaster Castle went to the gallows on the moors above the town. Ten people convicted of witchcraft at the Summer Assize in Lancaster Castle went to the gallows on the moors above the town. The castle has around a thousand years of rich history. The castle was used as a prison ever since the late 12th century. Mel Dod has been working at Lancaster Castle for 25 years Visitors - which have included Prince Charles, Princess Alexandra, Tom Conti and Leslie Crowther - are always fascinated by the. This consists of a metal holdfast designed to immobilise the wrist and fingers, whilst a red-hot branding iron embossed with the letter M was applied to the brawn of the thumb. On Wednesday 26th April, the tours will consist of the courtyards only as A-Wing is being used for a private event. James was seen once more, this time by Elizabeth Williams, coming out of the Black Horse with his father at 4:30pm. No doubt they all purchased refreshment from the good landlord after they had done so. [8], On the death of HenryII, the Honour passed to his son, Richard the Lionheart, who gave it to his brother, Prince John, in the hope of securing his loyalty. The men arrested for the crimes seemed to have little defence. Since being established by the Romans the castle has been a home to monarchs, a place of trial and execution, and a working prison right up until 2012. Part of the agreement was that the King of Scotland would relinquish the Honour of Lancaster, which would be held by William, Stephen's son. He watched as they stopped by a stream to drink and cool their feet. Get all the latest updates from Lancaster Castle. Insolvent debtors were required to work within the prison and, in return, received, 3ozs bread and 4ozs oatmeal daily, and 1oz salt and 10lb potatoes weekly. He seems to have given a cogent and simple account of what must have been a terrifying ordeal. The events that brought the two men to trial and execution took place at the Jolly Carter public house on the evening of May 22nd 1826. In 1612, local magistrate Roger Nowell of Read Hall had accusations of witchcraft brought before him. [34], The Crown Court continues to sit at the castle. With 1000 years of records, this is one of the world's oldest prison and longest-serving criminal court. (Image: Manchester Evening News) The castle also served as a prison from the 17th century, housing prisoners up to the year 2011. Hear about the Castle's famous and infamous prisoners from highwayman, George Lyon to Peterloo speaker, Henry 'Orator' Hunt. They returned just two minutes later and pronounced that they had found all four men guilty. Lancaster Castle provides a unique snapshot of the history of the judiciary and prison reform in the UK. Terrified, the boy rushed past him, vaulted over the banister and, evading the arms of Michael McKean who was waiting at the foot of the stairs, headed outside, and ran away to hide in a ditch.Downstairs, Mrs Bleares, who was sitting in the bar with her sleeping husband, heard Betty scream and immediately took a candle and went into the hall, where she was confronted by Michael McKean. As a result, the king confiscated the Honour of Lancaster, which included the castle. Are there prisoners at Lancaster Castle? (See our page on Broughton Tower for a story of another one of the priests who was put on trialat Lancaster here). This is partly due to its former use as a prison, which has prevented extensive archaeological investigation. Ely Dyson saw James Ashcroft jnr and his uncle leaving the house at around 4 oclock, carrying small bundles. Alexander was very anxious to speak to the landlord. Looking at the drawings made at the trial, the scars left by the attack were still clearly visible on the left side of her face. From 1833 to 1862 Captain James Hansbrow was Governor of the Castle, and he frequently received letters addressed to debtors, c/o Hansbrows Hotel- giving us a clue about the conditions that existed with the building, for some of the inmates at least. After William's death in 1164, the Honour of Lancaster again came under royal control when HenryII gained possession of the Honour. Limited tours, lasting 30 minutes, take place throughout the day but only cover the external courtyards and one of the prison buildings. Other infamous inmates included serial killer Frederick Bailey Deeming - suspected by some to be Jack the Ripper - and vicious gangster Squizzy Taylor. Women and men would spend 10 hour days working them in teams of four. They even named the tower after the famous Roman Emperor Hadrian. Joseph Gandy, whohad provided the interior decoration for the court and hall, returned in 1821 to construct something much more grim: a panoptican prison for women. Visitors to Lancaster Castle are advised to check opening times by telephoning 01524 64998. Limited tours, lasting 30 minutes, take place throughout the day but only cover the external courtyards and one of the prison buildings. A rule of total silence was strictly enforced and the spaces on the wheel were partitioned to frustrate communication between the prisoners. They had, it was said, the ordinary appearance of decent journeymen tradesmen Both men pleaded not guilty to the charge. The crowd pressed so close that the gentlemen escorting the brothers had to physically shield them. Alexander asked her whether her husband slept soundly when he got liquor, although why he should want to know this puzzled her. Forensic science did not exist, and in many cases eye-witness testimony or the most circumstantial of evidence was enough to secure a conviction. While most of this sum would have been spent on the gatehouse, some may have been used to make alterations to the top storey of the keep. [19] During the period 1584-1646 fifteen Catholics were executed in Lancaster for their faith. The large internal courtyard is now accessible to the public, for the first time in decades. Mouth, nose and eyes could all be made out, as could the hair, and streaming from a slash across the throat, copious amounts of blood. England. Alexander was named as the perpetrator of the bloody deed, and Michael was wanted for aiding and abetting him in the crime. The first one was installed in 1822. The Shire Hall is currently not accessible for tours while work is undertaken to upgrade the Fire Alarm. The gatehouse Henry replaced was probably a simple structure, no more than a passage between two towers, but the rebuilt structure rivalled the keep as the strongest part of the castle. Faraday knocked him down but Michael realised what was happening and attacked Faraday with a stick. Justice Park addressed this question next in the following terms: During this trial a thought came into my mind, and I dare say it struck the learned counsel too, from the method of his examination, whether it might not be supposed that at first Alexander had some criminal view or intention against this woman, an intent upon her person; but even supposing that were the case, if in endeavouring to effect his purpose he put her to death, it would be equally murder in him, although it would not be so for the other prisoner. In a time of civilunrest, what we would now recognise as political prisoners were held at the castle. His records show thatwomen slept in the day room while men slept in the now demolished dungeon tower. He described his incarceration: Then I was put into a tower where the smoke of the other prisoners came up so thick that I could scarcely see the candle that it burned, Besides it rained in upon my bed in this manner did I lie all that long cold winter till the next assizes; in which time I was so starved with cold and rain, and my body so greatly swelled and my limbs benumbed.. Battlements project over the gatehouse, and would have allowed defenders to rain missiles on attackers immediately below. Two tread wheels were used as punishment for prisoners sentenced to hard labour in mid 1800s. Out of 200 executions at Lancaster Castle, only 43 were for murder; other crimes included burglary, passing forged notes, robbery and cattle-stealing. He obtained help from a local publican and auctioneer, a Mr Richard Faraday- described as a spirited individual- and together they set off in pursuit of the McKeans. Under his auspices, the Gaoler's House was built in 1788 in a Gothic style. The outer defences fell in March; a siege of the castle lasted just two days as Parliamentarian reinforcements were heading to Lancaster from Preston. Murder trials in particular excited enormous public interest, with newspapers always keen to highlight cases that involved brutality, or ones which had sexual undertones. The men would die in two days time, on Monday 8th September. On March 25th 1865 Stephen Burke was hanged for the murder of his wife, this was the last public execution at the Castle. In 1195, Richard I commissioned certain knights to preserve the peace in unruly areas they were known as Keepers of the Peace. Another renovated building adjoining the caf is leased to Lancaster University as a campus in the city with small conference facilities. Read more. This was the crux of the matter as far as Michaels fate was concerned. Often they were mixed in with other categories of prisoners and overcrowding began to be a real problem. Self-procalimed 'King of the Robbers' George Lyon was not quite the romantic figure that local legend would have us believe.
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