They had, it was said, the ordinary appearance of decent journeymen tradesmen Both men pleaded not guilty to the charge. 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. Heraldry Archive | Lancaster Castle : Lancaster Castle However, work on royal castles was often documented in Pipe Rolls, which began in 1155. If Alexander had gone further than he intended in killing Betty then Michael could not be held responsible for his actions, as he had not agreed to them. When new gaoler John Higgin started in 1785 he received an annual salary of 200 guineas , in compensation for being no longer allowed to collect fees from debtors (as part of John Howards reforms). Far from accompanying his brother up the stairs as she had assumed, he seemed to be waiting at the bottom, almost as if on guard. 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. King Charles was executed in January 1649 and shortly after Parliament again ordered the slighting of the castle, apart from buildings necessary for administration and use as a county gaol. [47] The medieval hall stood south-west of the keep and was dismantled in 1796 during the remodelling of the castle. Harrison had to divide his time between Lancaster and designing and building Chester Castle's Shire Hall and Courts; work at Lancaster slowed, partly because of dwindling funds due to war with France, and Harrison was released from the work as the Justices of the Peace felt it was taking too long. He had instigated widespread changes to allgaols which included segregating prisoners on the basis of their crime and gender. Orders were given that "all the walls about [Lancaster Castle] should be thrown down". 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. It is uncertain when the keep was built, although it probably dates to the 12th century[9] when it was the residence for the lord of the castlethe owner or his representative. 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. Thomas Holden sentenced to 7 years Transportation to Australia for 'Administering An Illegal Oath' to Isaac Crompton. The castle has a long judicial history. The most famous trial and detention in the castles history is that of the Pendle Witches. 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. Based on a semi-circle, five tiers of cells could be surveyed from a central control room. This probably referred to what is now known as Adrian's Tower. . Executions | Lancaster Castle : Lancaster Castle Ely Dyson saw James Ashcroft jnr and his uncle leaving the house at around 4 oclock, carrying small bundles. David and James jnr were taken at James house in St Georges Road in Manchester, James snr at his home in Silk Street, and Holden at his lodgings. The business was not prosperous, and Blears regretted taking having taken it on. [21], At the outbreak of the Civil War Lancaster was lightly garrisoned. [52] The remaining Wery Wall measures 4m 3m 3m and consists of only rubble due to the facing stones having been reused elsewhere. Ten people convicted of witchcraft at the Summer Assize in Lancaster Castle went to the gallows on the moors above the town. Lancaster Castle opens fully to the public - BBC News The outer defences fell in March; a siege of the castle lasted just two days as Parliamentarian reinforcements were heading to Lancaster from Preston. The next person to catch sight of anyone was a friend of Hannahs, Harriet Trowel, who called at the house around 4pm. In response, the Royalists dispatched an army to retake Lancaster. Limited tours, lasting 30 minutes, take place throughout the day but only cover the external courtyards and one of the prison buildings. RF DXFE9F - Lancaster Castle is a medieval castle located in Lancaster in the English county of Lancashire. Four prisoners were allocated to every three spaces on the wheel, thereby allowing one to rest for five minutes while the rest of the team continued to turn the wheel. 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 Bentham's famous panopticon design. Prison | Lancaster Castle : Lancaster Castle Ordained a Roman Catholic priest at the age of 27, Father Edmund Arrowsmith ministered and said Mass in the Brindle area between Blackburn and Preston. England. It was designed by Thomas Harrison who was the architect of nearby Skerton Bridge, and built to be sympathetic to the Medieval style of theadjoining structures. Counsel for the Crown, Mr Cross, opened proceedings by informing the jury that the evidence in this case would be largely circumstantial, but argued that it was no less compelling for that. The female felons prison, the male felons prison, the female penitentiary, debtors prison andGaolers Houseare all very clearly intact. He was hung, drawn and quartered, and part of his body exposed on top of the John O Gaunt Gateway. At that time, the saying of Mass was an offence punishable by death and Father Arrowsmith was arrested in 1628 and condemned to die as a traitor. 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. After the English Civil War, most of the gatehouse rooms were filled with debtors. Her cry of murder was cut short as McKean cut her throat, but it was enough to rouse William. 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 . Read more. Also missing were items of clothing and some plate. 10,144 enrolled on this course. Thomas Holden sentenced to 7 years Transportation to Australia for 'Administering An Illegal Oath' to Isaac Crompton. The crowd pressed so close that the gentlemen escorting the brothers had to physically shield them. A glimpse into the history of Lancaster Castle and its use as a place of punishment offers a revealing insight into the nations changing attitudes towards crime and punishment, as well as religious and cultural beliefs through the centuries. However, all four of the men accused vociferously pleaded their innocence from the moment of their arrest, during their trial, and even onto the scaffold itself. Title: High Sheriff of Lancaster Name: Nicholas le Botelier, Earl of Chester's man Herald date: 1197-1199 Azure, a bend between six garbs Or Title: High Sheriff of Lancaster Name: Stephen de Turneham, the King's Marshal Herald date: 1199 Gules, a lion passant Or between two Mascles Argent 6 reviews of Lancaster Castle "True tales of witchcraft, murder, madness and 'justice' await you within the wall of the UK's oldest working prison. 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. A History of Lancaster - Local Histories 4 What is When Was The Last Execution At Lancaster Castle? As Joseph Hall wrote the grave has closed over them (and) the searcher of all hearts can only adjudicate. [10] His successor, HenryIII also spent large sums on Lancaster: 200 in 1243 and 250 in 1254 for work on the gatehouse and creating a stone curtain wall. It may well have been that their first thought was to make for Scotland. After the Georgian remodelling of the castle, it was decided it would be more convenient to perform executions nearer the castle. According to Faraday it was a little after ten oclock when the McKeans reached the public house. [34], The Crown Court continues to sit at the castle. Their rooms were searched, and cash was found, but although Nadin searched for any bloodied clothing, and pressed the men to disclose where such garments might be, none was ever found beyond a handkerchief with some blood on it, lying beneath David Ashcrofts bed. Lancaster Castle has long been associated with both the trial of criminals and their detention. A recent extension of the Home Office lease means that the use of the castle as . They were moved to the castle itself in an area that became known as hanging corner, near the churchyard. [16] Records show that between 1402 and 1422, the year Henry V died, over 2,500 was spent on building work. (Image: Manchester Evening News) The castle also served as a prison from the 17th century, housing prisoners up to the year 2011. Records indicate that one prisoner was sentenced to transportation for maliciously destroying cotton goods in a process of manufacture.. 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 Bentham's famous panopticon design. The gaolers received a set fee per mile for each prisoner, no matter how many convicts they took at a time, and could make a good profit by conveying prisoners in groups. They were allowed to rest for five minutes in every twenty. Self-procalimed 'King of the Robbers' George Lyon was not quite the romantic figure that local legend would have us believe. As many as eight or nine condemned prisoners and their coffins would be carried in the bottom of a cart. He had little to add except by way of identification, but cross-examined by Mr Jones, Bleares was asked where he kept the strongboxes containing the money from the two clubs that met at the Jolly Carter. 1788 saw a new Gaolers House constructed between the Gatehouse and the Well Tower and this still stands. RF CP6TGD - Lancaster Castle main entrance. Before the Jury retired to consider the verdict Mr Justice Park summed up. There were two beds in the room and the second was the one intended for the McKeans. Lancaster Castle was one of the first gaols in England to segregate its inmates by age and gender. The only question here was what the intent had been on his part: did he know that his brother intended murder? 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. The History of Lancaster Debtors could have beer, wine and tobacco but not spirits. Lancaster Castle is one of England's best-preserved castles. 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. Ten people convicted of witchcraft at the Summer Assize in Lancaster Castle went to the gallows on the moors above the town. A survey in 1578 led to repairs to the keep costing 235. In 1166 the first assizes courtwas recorded and in 1196 therewas the first written reference to a gaol. These were a group ofprisoners that were not going to be flogged, branded, killed, transported or sent to a house of correction. What Has Been Filmed At Lancaster Castle? - Tovisorga.com In 1092, WilliamII established a permanent border with Scotland further to the north by capturing Carlisle. Faraday went on ahead of the constable and spotted the McKeans trudging along the road to Appleby. Because of the legend, a statue of John of Gaunt was placed in the empty niche in the 19thcentury. Its latest incarnation was as HMP Lancaster, a Category C prison which was operational on this site right up until March 2011. Though the region was generally peaceful, the Scots invaded in 1322 and 1389, reaching Lancaster and damaging the castle. It is 20 metres (66 feet) high with four storeys; each floor divided into two rooms. Self-procalimed 'King of the Robbers' George Lyon was not quite the romantic figure that local legend would have us believe. He was the second English monarch who came from the House of Lancaster. However, the Judge hit upon an interesting point at this stage in his summing-up: it appeared, he said, that the brothers showed no express malice against this unfortunate woman and this is one of the most striking things about the whole case. It also addressed other matters that must still appear relevant to anyone who reads this case today. Research Report 35/2016", "Atkinsons make a move into Lancaster Castle - North West FDMB", "Lancaster Castle Restored and Re-Opened! 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. The castle became a prison in 1196, and still houses male prisoners to this day, although of course, the guided tour does not take you in to the parts of the building which are still a working prison, which is a shame as some of the most . Lancaster, Lancashire | History, Photos & Visiting Information The last Assizes were held at Lancaster in 1972. Lancashire's High Sheriff and Justices of the Peace petitioned the king to repair the castle. Just then the maid appeared and Mrs Bleares told her to fetch a candle and show the men where they were to sleep. Before the introduction of the Borstal System, children were regularly imprisoned alongside adult offenders. The second world war saw the armed forces taking over the castle, and the Royal Observer Corps used it as a local control room. He intimated that, had the victim been Joseph Bleares it might have made some kind of sense. One witness, Mary Hollows, passed by the window between 1 and 2pm and saw a man inside, who she later identified as William Holden. It looked for a time as though the pair would not live long enough to see the gaol as the mood of the crowd had grown darker on seeing the two accused. [22] After the slighting of the castle, including the demolition of the Well Tower, it was militarily redundant. After execution their bodies would be given to the surgeons for dissection. Find out more Executions Until 1800, condemned criminals at Lancaster were executed at a place called Gallows Hill, on the moors close to Williamson Park Its early history is unclear, but it may have been founded in the 11th century on the site of a Roman fort overlooking a crossing of the River Lune. A lot of the evidence hinged around the shutters on the kitchen window. Since the 12thcentury, the monarch appointed a sheriff to maintain the peace in Lancashire, a role usually filled by the duke and based at the castle. On Monday August 21st 1826 two brothers, Alexander and Michael McKean went to the gallows in Lancaster for the murder of Elizabeth Bate. Alexander was very anxious to speak to the landlord. This would have been significant, as there was a belief at the time that a corpse would bleed anew at the touch of its killer. 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. [33] The prison closure was confirmed for March 2011. The first one was installed in 1822. Amid more accusations of corruption, mostly levelled against Joseph Nadin, the men were finally removed from the dock and taken down to the cells below. Includes the Shire Hall and courtrooms. Your chance to learn about Lancaster Castle's famous prisoners This course takes an innovative approach to exploring history, focusing on Lancaster Castle as a microcosm of broader trends. Lancaster Castle has served as a prison since the 12th century. Such trials must have been full of tension and drama. Given this fact, Michaels crime was murder in the second degree, which carried the same penalty as Alexanders crime. James was seen once more, this time by Elizabeth Williams, coming out of the Black Horse with his father at 4:30pm. [10] Building in stone was expensive and time-consuming. The high level of poverty prevalent at the time often meant that hard labour was the only option available even to children. The Pendle Witches were tried there in 1612, while other famous prisoners include George Fox, the . 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. The events at the house that spring Saturday were gradually pieced together by other evidence. Separate prisons were built for men and women. Two tread wheels were used as punishment for prisoners sentenced to hard labour in mid 1800s. What followed was a succession of witnesses, who testified to having seen some or all of the men in Pendleton on the day in question. [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. Its latest incarnation was as HMP Lancaster, a Category C prison which was operational on this site right up until March 2011. This is the story of a tradesman incarcerated for insolvency. She was arrested in 1684 after leaving a Quaker meeting and brought to the castle prison. Lancaster Gaol housed one of the largest Debtor's prisons in By nine oclock Joseph Bleares was soundly asleep on the sofa. [1][2] Little is known about Lancaster between the end of the Roman occupation of England in the early 5thcentury and the Norman Conquest in the late 11th century. William was woken by a noise and, by the light of the candle Betty had placed in the window between the two beds, he saw Alexander with his left arm around Betty, who was struggling with him. George and Elizabeth Youngson were Lancaster's youngest convict transportees to Australia, for the crime of theft. Get all the latest updates from Lancaster Castle. They arrived in Lancaster to find the streets thronged with people and the air filled with hooting and hissing and maledictions against the bloody murderers. Eventually the coach stopped in the market place where the prisoners alighted. For the railway station originally named "Lancaster Castle", see, Governors and constables in England and Wales, 'LANCASTER'S CATHOLIC MARTYRS' BY CHRISTINE GOODIER MA, John Wilson-Patten, 1st Baron Winmarleigh, Listed buildings in Lancaster, Lancashire, "Lancaster Castle prison 'may become tourist spot', "Prisons shutdown unveiled by government", "Judge's plea to keep historic city court open", "Lancaster 'to equal Chester or York' for tourism", "Lancaster Castle, Castle Park, Lancaster: Tree-ring Analysis of Oak and Pine Timbers in the Keep and Gatehouse. [53] However, it is unclear where the wall would have been. Interestingly, both Holden and James jnr mentioned being taken to see the bodies, and of being so shocked and moved by the sight that they kissed them. The female panoptican prison is also on the cards to be included intheguided tour, as is the basement of the Well Tower where the Pendle Witches where held. Would you commit a deed for which these unhappy men must very likely pay the forfeit of their lives? The speech eventually had its desired effect on those who heard it, and the McKeans were safely delivered to the castle where, not surprisingly, they were described as being thankful at having reached the prison unscathed.According to the prison authorities the men appeared haggard and shocked. They could buy newspapers, food and clothing, follow their trades or professions, and have visitors from 8 am to 8 pm. The claims centred initially around Alizon Device, who was accused of causing a stroke to a pedlar when he refused to give her pins. Until 2011 it was a fully functioning HM Prison and was also Europe's longest-serving prison. Ten people convicted of witchcraft at the Summer Assize in Lancaster Castle went to the gallows on the moors above the town. His records show thatwomen slept in the day room while men slept in the now demolished dungeon tower. New out groups were targeted, including numerous Quakers. The last part of the journey was to be on foot, up the hill to the castle. Located in the North of England, the Lancaster castle was built in medieval times and served as a prison for most of the 19th century with rumors, controversies, and wrangle. There was a plethora of eye-witness testimony that placed them firmly at the scene of the crime, and they were in possession of an unusually large amount of cash when they were apprehended. 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. Famous prisoners included Father Edmund Arrowsmith who was a Roman Catholic priest who said Mass in the Brindle area between Blackburn and Preston. George and Elizabeth Youngson were Lancaster's youngest convict transportees to Australia, for the crime of theft. 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. 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. [40], The latest phase, started in September 2017 and completed in November 2019, has opened up the former prison kitchen yard. Limited tours, lasting 30 minutes, take place throughout the day but only cover the external courtyards and one of the prison buildings. Alexander was a hawker for the business and he had first called on the Bleares a year before the events of May 1826. Shortly after the murder it was noticed that the bloodstains on the clubroom floor, where Betty Bate had crawled to die, had dried into a distinct shape. Lancaster Castle is a medieval castle and former prison in Lancaster in the English county of Lancashire. And why risk so much for such a relatively small sum of money as 30?So, what if the motive had not been robbery? Limited tours, lasting 30 minutes, take place throughout the day but only cover the external courtyards and one of the prison buildings. Hundreds of people died under this roof . They enjoyed considerably more freedom than the felons, being able to use the courtyard in good weather or stay in their rooms if they so chose. The Shire Hall is currently not accessible for tours while work is undertaken to upgrade the Fire Alarm. RM EPHG7C - Inside a cell at Lancaster Prison, part of the Castle in the city of Lancaster, England. The Castle is still a working court and prison and famous trials include the famous Lancashire Witches . It has been involved in conflict - it was attacked by Robert Bruce and besieged by Royalists in the English Civil War on more than one occasion. 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. Joseph Hall, Keeper of the Castle at the time, had this to say in his guidebook, written over twenty-five years later: After this execution nothing could exceed the excitement which was kept alive upward of twelve months, everyone being quite satisfied of the innocence of the culpritsThe execution was certainly one of the most extraordinary on record on many points: the whole of the proceedings are too painful for comment. A prison cell in 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. [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. Limited tours, lasting 30 minutes, take place throughout the day but only cover the external courtyards and one of the prison buildings. Lancasters use of the treadwheels was almost unique as most prisons did not harness the energy in any useful way. 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). Today the Castle has entered a new phase of lifeafter theclosure of the prison. These could be used to provide power for calico weaving looms and to draw up water from the castle wells. Lancaster Castle opens its gates to the public for the first time since the Middle Ages. He replied that he held them in his room, not upstairs. The maid was the ill-fated Elizabeth Betty Bate. [4], As there are no contemporary documents recording the foundation of the castle, it is uncertain when and by whom it was started, but it is supposed that Roger de Poitou, the Norman lord in control of the Honour of Lancaster, was responsible. The bodies were soon discovered in the kitchen: Margaret Marsden and Hannah Partington were quite dead, their skulls fractured, and the kitchen was covered in blood. The Pendle Witches. Finally, just before the trap fell they began to sing a hymn : Ill Praise My Maker While Ive Breath and when, some four minutes later all four men were dead, there was said to be scarcely a tearless eye among the crowd, while many of the women wept aloud, A passing reference in Cross-Fleurys Time-Honoured Lancaster tells of a death-bed confession by the real killer some twenty-six later, although it must be stressed that there is no corroboration for this, and that the book, while an immensely interesting and valuable source, is often reduced to anecdote and gossip for its content. Some time later Alexander McKean arrived and he too ordered beer as well as bread and cheese. The Grim Lancaster Castle Of The Hanging Town - Procaffenation The castle role as a prison was becoming increasingly important, with the Gatehouse rooms being occupied by debtors. Above the gate is a niche which would originally have contained a statue of a saint, flanked by a coat of arms of the kings of England. [51] The wall, described as being a 3-metre-thick (9.8ft) 'indestructible mass' with a defensive ditch,[50][51] now only remains visible on the east slope of Castle Hill. He heard her scream and the next thing William saw was blood gushing from a wound in Bettys neck before she was flung to the floor. The fee included fire, candle, use of culinary utensils, and the services of a room-man who did the cooking, cleaning, and waiting-on. Firstly, how culpable was Michael in the crime, and secondly, what was the true motive behind the slaying of Elizabeth Bate? Due to a lack of investigation, there is little evidence to suggest additions to Lancaster in the mid-12thcentury. In 1166 the first assizes court was recorded and in 1196 there was the first written reference to a gaol. 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. The layout of the town was influenced by the Roman fort and the associated civilian settlement; the main road through the town was the route that led east from the fort. Knowing that Michael was not far behind, Faraday left Alexander in the charge of the two workmen then went back outside. [19] County gaols, such as this one, were intended to hold prisoners for short periods immediately before trial. Simon Williamson, a farmhand, had found a bloody handkerchief that belonged to Michael in the field behind the Jolly Carter on the morning after the murder. And Joseph Bleares found himself, at last, the master of what was undoubtedly a going concern.. The oak timbers in the Gatehouse were probably felled in, or around, AD 1404. Joseph Bleares returned home at eight oclock and Alexander immediately called him into the bar and ordered two noggins of whiskey, which they drank together. 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. Michael claimed that Bleares struck Alexander at the same time for no reason. . The Lancaster Martyrs: During this period of history fifteen Catholics were executed in Lancaster for their faith. Lancaster castle looks for a new role | North of England - The Guardian Like most Norman keeps, Lancaster's would have been entered at first floor level. The Shire Hall is currently not accessible for tours while work is undertaken to upgrade the Fire Alarm.
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