Cover Image: The History of Newgate Prison

The History of Newgate Prison

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Member Reviews

There's always something to be taught with history, especially when one considers the current government's sudden desire to remove the UK from the EHCR. The UK really does stand to go back to this environment especially now that you're not allowed to protest and they want to legislate against strike action. Add to this the Home Office deportation to Rwanda garbage, we're witnessing a new era of colonisation but with only slightly less imperialism. I know this doesn't say much about the book itself but everything is connected and people who read history can see these things.

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This book looks fascinating, however I do not think I will be able to get to it as I am not reading much history and nonfiction anymore. Apologies!

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Exactly what the title suggests – a history of Newgate Prison. Meticulously researched, written in an accessible and readable way, full of historical detail with the occasional anecdote to enliven the narrative, it’s exactly what a good history book should be and it’s both interesting and illuminating about crime and punishment in England over the centuries.

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Book received from NetGalley.

This is a book on Newgate, from when they first decided to build a new prison in London to when they decommissioned it and tore it down. They go through the changes made it the prison from the poorest prisoners having to beg to get money for food and sleeping on floors with rats crawling on them. To the later eras when prisoners had to be treated well, get at least one meal with mostly clean areas to sleep and medical care. It also discusses the famous prisoners held in the prison and which of those were released, transported or hung. I enjoyed reading it, I had known about Newgate from the various history books I've read. However, I had never know more than the basics of it and the prisoners confined in it. I think this is a good book for a starting point on wanting to know more about criminal history in London.

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Newgate: you pronounce this name and the horror rise in the mind of the people, because of all the London's prisons no other one has been so characteristically brutal like this one for inmates.
The idea of a new prison started to pop up in the mind of Henry II in 1188. Newgate worked for more than 700 years. It was dismantled a century ago.
In this new book released by Pen& Sword The History of Newgate Prison written by Caroline Jowett, you will find all that you want to discover about this prison. The book is very well documented and written with love.

I found it very informative, interesting, plenty of great information. The book is great for students if it's necessary a research, but also for all the people in love for History.

I can tell you I requested this book at Pen & Sword because thanks to Dickens and Peter Ackroyd (in this second case his biography of London) I read a lot about Newgate. I wanted to discover much more and I can tell you that I was satisfied. Every historical period meant something for this prison. They are all analyzed with punctuality and passion. The book contains a lot of curiosities as well.

You will discover the various cruel punishments for inmates, customs, guidelines for inmates, why people fell in jail in the remote past. The ritualism of death penalty, food, habits.

Every place build a reputation and with the time Newgate for tourists at London became an attraction and a place to visit while the walls of the prison became populated by wagons of graffiti of the inmates.Graffiti that told the stories of the various inmates.

Newgate maintained its infamous reputation till the end.
In this prison spent their time people like legendary Robin Hood, Ben Jonson, John Cook, the pirate William Kidd, our italian Giacomo Casanova. He, ahem spent some time in Newgate for bigamy!

I thank Pen&Sword and NetGalley for this book.

The book released this May 19 2017.

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"The History of Newgate Prison" shares insight into the people who spent time in Newgate as well as the prison's horrific conditions. The conditions varied between the Common and Masters side. The injustices of poor throughout time is evident. The poor would struggle to get released because of lacks of funds to pay fees to be released. The poor in debtor's prison never had a chance. Authors of the time, such as Dickens, were referenced throughout the book. Numerous titles have characters in Newgate which was fun to see the connection with classics I have read. This book also shares the history of the penal system referencing other prisons in England through time. It is obvious the system has come a long way but there is still room for improvement. The book bounces around in time but was easy to follow. It's an easy read and also enlightening.

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This was a very well-researched and very well-written look at the history of one of the world's most infamous prisons. This is a must read for anyone interested in the history of crime and punishment. This book is also a great reference point for reading any English literature, such as Dickens, who frequently uses gaols and criminality in his works.

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I am a huge lover of historical non fiction and true crime so obviously this book was just made for me! I thought that it was a well researched book that was told informally enough to make it an interesting read and you weren't drowned in footnotes, quotes and historical references. It covered a long period of time and also featured famous people that have spend time within Newgate Prison. Thoroughly enjoyable read.

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After studying Affinity by Sarah Waters at university, I was intrgued by Newgate Prison and the history of it, so when I saw this book on Netgalley, I knew that I had to request it.

This book provides a thorough and detailed look at the prison and the things that went on behind the walls. It also shows which books this prison was used in or which literary authors based some of their settings in their novels on Newgate.

A fascinating read!

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This is a very enlightening and well researched book. It starts in medieval times and ends with it being pulled down. There are articles about famous people, as well as events that developed as time went on. The sometimes horrific punishments and sometimes for sins that you would never realise was a crime. I was shocked that debt was an imprisonable crime?

This is a fantastic book and would recommend to anyone who either loves history and true crime.

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"The History of Newgate" covers the history of Newgate from its initial building to its closure. The author broke the history down into chunks of time: 1188-1499, 1500-1699, 1700-1769, 1770-1779, and 1800-1902.

She described how Newgate was run (administrative structure, fees for provisions and such, etc.), what life was like for the inmates, what crimes would result in a stay at Newgate, the punishments for those crimes, and how all of these things changed over the years. She described the attempted and accepted reforms to the system (including some changes to the legal system) as well as some famous or typical cases from each period.

I found the book to be a very interesting and informative without getting dry or academic in tone. Overall, I'd recommend this book to those interested in learning more about the goal/prison system in England during this time period.

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The History of Newgate Prison is a great insight to life inside prison life throughout history. I find the treatment of poor prisoners unbelievable. It is very interesting that there was a taproom and that families would move in together to save on rent. I am saddened that the prison is no longer standing because it would be a great teaching tool.

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