History of London's Prisons

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London has had more prisons than any other British city. The City's 'gates' once contained prisons but probably the most notorious of all was Newgate, which stood for over 700 years. The eleventh century Tower of London was used as a prison for a variety of high profile prisoners from Sir Thomas More to the Krays. Discover the background of a variety of historic places of incarceration such as The Clink, the King's Bench Prison; and debtors prisons such as the Fleet Prison and the Marshalsea. In his A History of London's Prisons Geoffrey Howse delves not only into the intricate web of historical facts detailing the origins of the capital's prisons but also includes fascinating details concerning the day to day life of prisoners.