Newgate

by Stephen Halliday

There have been more prisons in London than in any other European city. Of these, Newgate was the largest, most notorious and worst. Built during the twelfth century, it became a legendary place, the inspiration of more poems, plays and novels than any other building in London. It was a place of cruelty and wretchedness, at various times holding Dick Turpin, Titus Oates, Daniel Defoe, Jack Sheppard and Casanova. Because prisons were privately run, any time spent in prison had to be paid for by the prisoner. Housing varied from a private cell with a cleaning woman and a visiting prostitute, to simply lying on the floor with no cover. Those who died inside, and only a quarter of prisoners survived until their execution day, had to stay in Newgate as a rotting corpse until relatives found the money for the body to be released. Stephen Halliday tells the story of Newgate's origins, the criminals it held, the punishments meted out and its rebuilding and reform.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, London, True Crime, Historical

234 pages, Hardcover

First published January 19, 2006

Reviews

[uk · Rating 3 out of 5]

a well-written, concise socio-historical overview with excursions into politics and literature.

[Ali · Rating 3 out of 5]

A well researched book, which covers all aspects of Newgate/prison life.
My rating of the book reflects my own interest in personal stories rather than politics etc

[Gemima · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very interesting, easy to read and detailed with lots of information about famous people related to the time.

[James Tidd · Rating 4 out of 5]

'A hell such as Dante might have conceived' Giacomo Casanova

'An emblem of hell itself' Daniel Defoe, Moll Flanders

By reason of the foetid and corrupt atmosphere that is in the heinous gaol of Newgate many persons are now dead who would be alive. (Proclamation of Richard Whittington, Mayor of London, 1419).

Alexander, the severe keeper of Newgate, died miserably, swelling to a prodigious size, and became so inwardly putrid that none could come near him. (Foxe's Book of Martyrs, c.1554, noting the fate of a cruel gaoler of Newgate).

Of all London's prisons Newgate was the most notorious. From the twelfth to the twentieth century Newgate occupied the site of one of the ancient Roman gates of London. Rebuilt five times before being demolished and replaced by the Old Bailey. Newgate housed, among many others, Daniel Defoe, Titus Oates and the Italian libertine Giacomo Casanova.

Stephen Halliday mixes contemporary accounts, illustrations and biographical sketches to throw new light on the history of this building whose name has passed into the language in an ominous phrase: 'as black as Newgate's knocker'.

I found this book a very interesting read. Not only does Halliday provide us with his history of Newgate, he also includes short biographies of various people who have been involved with the notorious prison.

[Edwina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interestring read but disappointed this doesn't make any mention of the past Governors of Newgate eg John Wontner. Missing part of story and would have liked to have known more about their role in Newgate history.

[martin rogers · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought it was a great book but got less interesting toward the end

[Ann · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interessante verhalen maar weinig structuur in de opzet. De auteur heeft een erg vage thematische indeling gekozen waar hij voortdurend van afdaalt. Dat maakt het moeilijk te volgen.

[D Cox · Rating 2 out of 5]

There are much better books on this subject. This was dry and very disorganised. I flicked through the last 20%

[Em · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enjoyed this on the whole although does tend to jump on time here and there but some interesting stories about ex prisoners and the influence the place had on writers such as Dickens

[John · Rating 2 out of 5]

The history of prisons is replete with gruesome details of how prisoners have been treated. Newgate, which existed in one form or another for about 800 years, offers the prototypical example. It was rebuilt four times and may have become more notorious in each of its five eras. The condemn person's path from Newgate to Tyburn - where thousands of hangings took place - is famous in London, even though it now runs past posh shops along Oxford Street to a corner of the famous Hyde Park.

Halliday offers numerous stories of the life of prisoners in Newgate. He does not shy away from offering the reader the more gruesome aspects of the cases. This gets quite tiring after a while. Some of the best parts of the book, on the other hand, are the mini-biographies of the numerous characters who touched or were touched by Newgate. Figures such as Daniel Defoe, Charles Dickens, William Blackstone, and William Makepeace Thackery appear in miniature (although, for good reason, Dickens is give a bit more space that the others).

Since I am not a connoisseur of prison history books, I cannot compare this one to others. It certainly is not a stilted academic piece (for good or ill), although it is well-referenced. More than anything else, I was struck by how it showed the brutality people are capable of. This is an interesting lesson for those interested in the slippery issue of human nature.

[Lauren Albert · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Newgate" was not really a history of Newgate though that was in there. Halliday uses Newgate as an excuse to discuss crime and punishment throughout British and London history--the death penalty, transportation, prison reform, etc.

[Kathryn · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was definitely an interesting read. It was clearly well researched and the stories were poinent and horrific in equal measure. I think that I will be revisiting this every few years.

[Mark Copithorne · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm often drawn to a good gulag yarn. But this history is a half digested collection of anecdotes.