Prisons and Courts in Barnsley

Gerald Alliott

Prisons
Prisons were well established by the fifteenth century and in those days freedom could be bought, therefore the prisoners inside were nearly all poor. The prisons up to the nineteenth century were mainly used for prisoners awaiting trial or debtors until their debts were paid. Lots of offences in those days were either capital or transportation offences. One prisoner, Nell Wagstaffe, was advised to tell the truth about a minor offence that she might receive a short sentence. She was given seven years after pleading guilty - mistaken advice.

The old prisons in Barnsley were known as Grates, probably due to the small grate in the door for inspecting and passing food through. The oldest of the Grates was below the Moot Hall by William Crossland's House; he was the stall setter and toll collector. This Grate was used until the early 1800's when the Moot Hall was abandoned. After this a cellar at the corner of Royal Street was used for a short period . In the 17th century a Churchwarden's account mentions monies paid for repair of the 'Grate' and for 1s 6d for meat and drink for seven days for a prisoner . When the Moot Hall was demolished in 1820 the heavy door of the Grate fell over and broke the thigh of a young man called John Widdop. The door went to George Goodyear's timber yard in Jumble Lane. John Widdop later became a prominent Chartist, owned a large collection of books and papers and worked at Taylor's Mill.

Two more prisons came into being after the demise of the Moot Hall and were known as Low Grate and Top Grate. Low Grate was the main prison in the Gas Nook (earlier called Amen Nook) and was built about 1807. It was named Harry Woodcock's Parlour, he being the Custodian and Town Constable. Escapes had been made through the ceiling to the upper floor which was an auction room and then down the back steps. The Grate was strengthened after the last attempt. It housed prisoners during the weavers riots of 1812, 1820 and 1829 and also during the Chartists troubles during 1839. John Widdop was arrested when he was representative of the Northern Union on the l5th August 1839 and placed in Low Grate Prison. The Low Grate was used until about 1840 and by 1870 it had become a stable. The Top Grate was situated in the old Overseers Office, which was used as a court house until the new Town hall, Police Station and Court House complete with cells was built in 1834. The Overseers office was part of the old Workhouse built about 1735. Frank Batty was a constable and Governor of the Workhouse. The Magistrates were Mr Edmund of Worsbrough Hall and Mr Wentworth of Woolley Hall. Both were out of town so Mr Joseph Beckett was also appointed a magistrate as he lived at Copper Hall nearby and this was a lot more convenient for urgent court business.

The next prison was in 1856 behind the Superintendent's house in Westgate. The cells can still be seen there. A new Police station was built in the 1960's on Churchfields which included its own prison cells and recently a new cell block has been added.

Courts
Quarter Sessions were held in Barnsley at the Old Moot Hall in the Market Place as early as the time of Edward III in the fourteenth century. The last Session took place on the 14th October 1794 when Francis Edmunds of Worsbrough was Chairman. The Moot Hall was then abandoned after falling into very poor state of repair and the local courts were then held in the old Overseers Office which had been part of the early workhouse near our present town hall. On 25th September 1834 a new Courthouse, Police Station with cells, and Town Hall was opened. In 1871 a new County Court opened in Regent Street at a cost of £4,000 paid by the Railway Company in compensation for taking over the recently built Courthouse further down Regent Street. The first sitting here was in January 1872. In 1879 a new Court House was built in St Mary's Place at the corner of Westgate and at the same time new cells were built behind the Police Superintendents house. These cells made it possible for the prisoners to be taken straight into court without being seen by the public. In the 1970s, a new Magistrates Court was built on Church fields and is still in use after recent alterations.

© Gerald Alliott 2001

The above article was first published in 'Domus Historiae', the Journal of the Barnsley Family History Society, in January 2001. It is reproduced here by permission of the Committee & Editors. All Rights Reserved