The Spinning House: How Cambridge University Locked Up Women in its Private Prison

by Caroline Biggs

Cambridge University is renowned worldwide for its academic prowess, but below the surface lurks a murky past. During the ninetieth century it became infamous for its dogged determination to cling to ancient laws allowing them to arrest and imprison any women found walking the streets of Cambridge after dark.

Mistakes were made. Violence and legal action followed until finally an Act of Parliament put on end to the jurisdiction of the university over the women of Cambridge.

Genres: Nonfiction

300 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 7, 2024

Reviews

[Jane Wilson-Howarth · Rating 4 out of 5]

A scholarly text. What shocking revelations about the power of the university in Cambridge up until the end of the nineteenth century! How astonishing that university proctors could overrule the law of the land having a right to arrest anyone - especially unchaperoned women or even two or three women together - on the pretext of clearing bawdy women from the streets. This was supposedly to protect the virtue of rich but naive young (male) undergraduates.
I'd always assumed the division between town and gown was snobbery but the university was cruel and ruthless in its dealing with towns people.
The research for the book was clearly excellent but there was some repetition in the second half of the book and I felt when Agnata Ramsay was mentioned as the cleverest classicist of 1887, there was a missed opportunity to highlight that even very bright women weren't allowed to graduate from Cambridge until 1948!!

[Diane Fordham · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fascinating insight into a part of the history of my home town that I knew nothing about. I always knew that there had been friction between town and gown and this makes clear some of the issues underlying that friction. Very interesting, particularly to those with links to the city.

[Judith Bird · Rating 3 out of 5]

Glad I read this (as a woman who lives in Barnwell!). Good history, well-researched, but comes across as written by a historian not by an experienced writer.

[Grace · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think this book covers a very interesting and important part of Cambridge's history, and the research done by the author is clear and compelling.
I wish the writing had separated out more where there is recorded evidence of exactly what was said and what happened (from the newspaper reports or court records which are obviously rich in detail) and the details the author has added in herself. I found that distracting to read, and while I don't think you can't have that in a non-fiction book, more separation would have made the reading experience better.
Will definitely be recommending this to friends though, I found this very memorable and I'm glad to have read it.

[Sonya · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Utterly fascinating how much power Cambridge University had to lock up the women of Cambridge for centuries, without any due process or a proper trial. This book is interesting because it is history but really written like a rollicking narrative.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fascinating look at a building and set of laws I'd had no idea about before. I was frequently outraged on behalf of the women locked up for little more than being out and about in the evening. I'll have to go into Cambridge and have a look at Hobson House - the building that replaced the Spinning House. I'm very glad I read it.

Although the historical content of this book is very engaging, the writing is a little clumsy and repetitive in places, and it could really do with a second edition to address the frequent spelling errors.

[Sam Hicks · Rating 4 out of 5]

In which, in the 19th century, people suddenly started noticing that Cambridge University was running its own private Taliban, imprisoning any woman (well, working class woman) found on the streets after dark. Because an unchaperoned woman was an evil woman, bent on corrupting the morals of vulnerable male scholars. No matter if you were on an errand for your employer, in you went, reputation in shreds, life ruined. Gobsmacking stuff.

[Rachel Rose · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this, it's an important topic that I was not aware of. I liked the writing style too as it brought the characters to life

[Ella · Rating 5 out of 5]

man what a way to start the year - instilling the opposite of institutional pride in me

[Anne Knight · Rating 5 out of 5]

Extremely interesting, well-written for a layperson, and engaging. Highly recommend for anyone interested in higher education, women's history, or sex work/working class women.

[Val Robson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Caroline Biggs has done a great job of researching a sad era in Cambridge University and written a very readable account of the shocking time for most of the 1800s when women were frequently snatched from the streets and thrown into the old workhouse, then known as The Spinning House. Their supposed crime being they might tempt the 'vulnerable' male students if they were seen after dusk or without a suitable chaperone. Somewhat ironically, the power allowing this was signed by Queen Elizabeth 1 in 1561 which sanctioned the incarceration of women suspected of corrupting the morals of young undergraduates.

Basically for this period of time the Cambridge University police system, which consisted of proctors and 'bulldogs'(university police), had higher authority than the town's mayor and police system. This less to major resentment between town and gown, some of which is still apparent today and a good deal of rioting in the 1800s as town people attempted to defend those wrongly treated by the university.

This book follows the sad tale of four women who were imprisoned in The Spinning House on the say so of the university proctors who were, and are to this day, responsible for discipline. One women was the daughter of a liberal party official who was simply walking a little ahead of her father alongside her mother and thus deemed to be unchaperoned and tempting the university men.

[Katie Santoni · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’ve never been so engrossed in a non-fiction book before. brilliantly written, engaging and informative