Historical Background - History of The Old Bailey Courthouse - Central Criminal Court History of The Old Bailey Courthouse London's Central Criminal Court, 1673-1913 The Old Bailey, also known as Justice Hall, the Sessions House, and the Central Criminal Court, was named after the street in which it was located, just off Newgate Street and next to Newgate Prison, in the western part of the City of London. Over the centuries the building has been periodically remodelled and rebuilt in ways which both reflected and influenced the changing ways trials were carried out and reported. Contents of this Article Introductory Reading Location The Old Bailey is located about 200 yards northwest of St Paul's Cathedral, just outside the former western wall of the City of London. It is named after the street on which it is located, which itself follows the line of the original fortified wall, or "bailey", of the City. The initial location of the courthouse close to Newgate Prison allowed prisoners to be conveniently brought to the courtroom for their trials. More generally, its position between the City of London and Westminster meant it was a suitable location for trials involving people from all over the metropolis, north of the river Thames.

Introductory Reading The Courtroom Although the Old Bailey courthouse was rebuilt several times between 1674 and 1913, the basic design of the courtrooms remained the same. They were arranged so as to emphasise the contest between the accused and the rest of the court. The accused stood at “the bar” (or in “the dock”), directly facing the witness box (where prosecution and defence witnesses testified) and the judges seated on the other side of the room. Before the introduction of gas lighting in the early nineteenth century a mirrored reflector was placed above the bar, in order to reflect light from the windows onto the faces of the accused. This allowed the court to examine their facial expressions assess the validity of their testimony. In addition, a sounding board was placed over their heads in order to amplify their voices. Early in the period the jurors sat on the sides of the courtroom to both the left and the right of the accused, but from 1737 they were brought together in stalls on the defendant's right, sufficiently close together to be able to consult each other and arrive at verdicts without leaving the room.

Seated at a table below where the judges sat were clerks, lawyers, and the writers who took the shorthand notes which formed the basis of the Proceedings. Introductory Reading 1673 Open Air Building The medieval courthouse was destroyed in the Great Fire of London in 1666. In 1673 the Old Bailey was rebuilt as a three storey Italianate brick building, described by John Strype in 1720 as "a fair and stately building". In front of the courthouse was the Sessions House Yard, a place where litigants, witnesses, and court personnel could gather. The area inside the wall, where prisoners awaited trial, was called the bail dock. They were separated from the street by a brick wall with spikes on top to keep them from escaping. A surprising feature was that the ground floor of the building, where the courtroom was located, was open on one side to the weather; the upper stories were held up by doric columns. A wall had been left out in order to increase the supply of fresh air to reduce the risk that prisoners suffering from gaol fever (typhus) would infect others in court.

On the first floor there was a "stately dining room" for the justices. Inside the courtroom there was a bench for judges at the far end, and, on both sides, partitioned spaces for jurors and balconies for court officers and privileged observers. Other spectators crowded into the yard. The trials attracted a mixed audience of London's more and less respectable inhabitants, and it was alleged that criminals attended in order to devise strategies for defending themselves should they find themselves on trial. The crowd's presence could influence or intimidate the jurors sitting inside. Introductory Reading 1737 Refronting In 1737 the building was remodelled, and enclosed. Although this was purportedly in order to keep out the weather, the City authorities may also have wanted to limit the influence of spectators. The ground floor of the exterior was refaced with large masonry blocks, and the windows and roofline altered to reflect prevailing architectural styles. A passageway was constructed linking the courthouse with Newgate Prison, to facilitate the transport of prisoners between the two. The interior was rearranged so that the trial jury could sit together, since they were now expected to give their verdicts after each trial, without leaving the courtroom (see Trial Procedures ).

With the courtroom now enclosed, the danger of infection increased, and at one sessions in 1750 an outbreak of gaol fever (typhus) led to the deaths of sixty people, including the Lord Mayor and two judges. Subsequently, the judges spread nosegays and aromatic herbs to keep down the stench and prevent infection, a practice commemorated in a ceremony which continues to this day. Spectators frequently came to see the trials, and courthouse officials had the right to charge fees for entry to the galleries. The radical John Wilkes, when Sheriff of London in 1771, thought this practice undemocratic and prohibited it. Consequently at the October sessions of that year there was almost a riot due to the pressure of the crowds trying to get in, and those inside the galleries were accused of being "turbulent and unruly". Wilkes's order was rescinded, and spectators continued to pay to see trials until 1860. Introductory Reading 1774 Reconstruction In 1774 the court was rebuilt by George Dance at a cost of �15,000.

As a way of further controlling public access, a semi-circular brick wall was built around the area immediately in front of the courthouse, the bail dock. This wall provided better security for the prisoners awaiting trial and was intended to prevent communication between prisoners and the public. Public view of the courtroom windows was thereby obstructed. The narrow entrance also prevented a sudden influx of spectators into the courtroom. In addition, the passage between Newgate Prison and the Old Bailey was enclosed with brick walls. It is possible that a desire to counteract the more fortress-like appearance of the Old Bailey is one of the reasons why the City, from 1775, went to greater efforts to ensure that the Proceedings provided full and fair reports of the trials -- see the publishing history of the Proceedings . The new courthouse still had only one courtroom, but it had new and often luxurious facilities for court personnel. There was a separate room for witnesses, so that they would not be obliged to wait their turn in a nearby pub. A grand jury room was appointed with eighteen leather seated chairs and three tables.

There were also separate parlours for the Sheriff and Lord Mayor, a Lord Mayor's Clerk's Room, an Indictment Office, and a drawing room for the swordbearer and judges' clerks. The lavish provision for the judges and their servants contrasted dramatically with the prisoners' quarters in the basement. The Lord Mayor's Dining Room, for example, included a fireplace with a mosaic on the front, mahogany dining tables, chairs, a pot cupboard, and a large Turkey carpet. Looking glasses (mirrors) were added in 1787. Elaborate dinners, cooked in the kitchen on the ground floor and served with drink from the wine vault, were provided at 3pm and 5pm. Outside in the yard there was a covered colonnade for carriages and 5 coach stands. Perhaps unsurprisingly, during the Gordon Riots of 1780 the courtroom was badly damaged, and the crowds carried away the furniture and burned it on bonfires in the streets. But the damage was soon repaired. The courtroom now had four brass chandeliers and, reflecting the increased role of lawyers , a semi-circular mahogany table for council to plead from.

Since some prisoners were still branded , there were two irons for confining convicts' hands while they were burnt. A large glass mirror continued to be positioned to reflect daylight onto the face of the accused (later replaced by gas lights). Behind the jurors, and seated above them, was a gallery for spectators (fees were still charged for admission). Although only a limited number of spectators could be accommodated, the increasingly detailed Proceedings published in these years allowed anyone who read them to keep informed of events in the courtroom. In order to accommodate the growing number of trials, a second courtroom was added in 1824 by converting a neighbouring building. Reflecting the still increasing role of lawyers, the new courtroom had seating for attorneys, counsel, and law students. There were also seats for spectators, jurors in waiting, prosecutors and witnesses, and officers of the court. In subsequent decades two additional courtrooms were added, but conditions, as can be seen in this depiction, were cramped: the fourth courtroom contained little more room than was necessary for the judge, jury, and prisoner’s dock, with counsel and the clerk forced to sit in a narrow row of seats. There was no seating for the public, which had to stand in the gangway.

Introductory Reading 1907 Current Building As trials lengthened and the number of those seeking to watch increased in the late nineteenth century the courthouse building became increasingly inadequate. In 1877 a fire forced the City of London to act and proposals were drawn up for a new building. Owing to the dilapidation of Newgate Prison next door, which by the 1860s no longer held long-term prisoners, it was decided to pull down both buildings to make room for a larger building. After many delays, the new building, designed in the neo-Baroque style by E. W. Mountford and built at a cost of �392,277, was finally opened by King Edward VII in 1907. It was lavishly fitted out and adorned with symbolic reminders to the public of its virtuous purpose. On top of the 67 foot high dome a 12 foot gold leaf statue was placed of a “lady of justice” holding a sword in one hand and the scales of justice in the other; she is not, as is conventional with such figures, blindfolded.

Over the main entrance to the building figures were placed representing fortitude, the recording angel, and truth, along with the carved inscription, “defend the children of the poor and punish the wrongdoer”. The exterior was faced in Portland stone, while the interior lobbies and a monumental staircase had Sicilian marble floors, allegorical paintings representing Labour, Art, Wisdom, and Truth, and ornate mosaic arches. The four oak-pannelled courtrooms contained space for all those who needed to attend modern trials, including solicitors and barristers, court reporters, the press (who by now were the most important conduit to the public for information about trials), and spectators. Each courtroom had a spacious dock, enclosed by low partitions, for the defendants, with a staircase leading directly below to the holding cells. There were now separate rooms for male and female witnesses, and another for witnesses of “the better class”. Lawyers also had their own room, as did barristers’ clerks; the latter included a glass wall to ensure they did not engage in malpractices such as touting for business among prisoners and their associates. As in the previous building, there was an opulently appointed dining room for the judges.

At the opening ceremonies , the Recorder of London addressed the King and Queen: We trust that this building, whilst well adapted for the transaction of legal business, also possesses architectural features at once dignified and beautiful, which will make it an ornament to the metropolis of your Empire and a fitting home for the first Criminal Court of Justice in your Majesty's dominions. The building was heavily damaged by bombing in 1941 and rebuilt. A modern extension was added in 1972. Nonetheless, the current building on the corner of Newgate Street and Old Bailey, which still holds trials of local and national significance and can be visited , remains at its core the building which was first opened in 1907.

The Old Bailey Building, London - e-architect Home > London > The Old Bailey Building, London The Old Bailey Building, London Published by Adrian Welch updated on September 27, 2015 The Old Bailey London, Building, Central Criminal Court, Photo, Design, Property The Old Bailey, London Central Criminal Court of England and Wales, UK: Architecture Information + Images page updated 2 Jul 2014 The Old Bailey London Photos © Adrian Welch, 23 Jun 2007 Location: towards west edge of City of London, just west of St Paul’s Cathedral Central Criminal Court : The Old Bailey This is a major building in the British Capital. The court originated as the sessions house of the Lord Mayor and Sheriffs of the City of London and of Middlesex. The original medieval court was first mentioned in 1585; it was next to the older Newgate Prison. It was destroyed in the 1666 Fire of London and rebuilt in 1674. In 1734 it was refronted, enclosing the court. It was rebuilt again in 1774.

In 1834, it was renamed as the Central Criminal Court and its jurisdiction extended beyond that of London and Middlesex to the whole of the English jurisdiction for trial of major cases. The present building dates from 1902, but it was officially opened in 1907. It was designed by E. W. Mountford and built on the site of the infamous Newgate Prison, which was demolished to allow the court buildings to be constructed. Lady Justice statue On the dome above the court stands a famous bronze statue of Lady Justice, executed by the British sculptor F. W. Pomeroy. She holds a sword in her right hand and the scales of justice in her left. The statue is popularly supposed to show blind Justice; however, the figure is not blindfolded. Source: wikipedia The Old Bailey | Central Criminal Court | London Crown Courts Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window) The Old Bailey – The Central Criminal Court Where the Hardest of Criminal Cases are Heard: If you’re wandering around Central London, in the vicinity of St Paul’s, you will no doubt come across London’s Central Criminal Court, more popularly known as The Old Bailey.

The Old Bailey has been London’s main criminal court for centuries and is probably one of the most famous criminal courts in the world. Lady Justice at the Old Bailey The Old Bailey is located on the street of the same name. If you stand in street across from the building and look up, you’ll see the gold-leaf statue of Lady Justice perched on top of the dome. With her commanding view over the streets of London, Lady Justice is the personification of the moral force of the justice system. She holds a sword in one hand and the scales of justice in the other. Inscribed in the top level of the entrance, above the columns, are the words “defend the children of the poor and punish the wrongdoer”. If while admiring the building, you see a flurry of reporters and camera crews gathering around the entrance, you’ll know that a famous case is being heard that day. Cases at The Old Bailey The Old Bailey has been hearing major criminal cases for centuries and as the London Crown Court centre it hears criminal cases from the City of London, Greater London as well as those sent to it from all over England and Wales. Many famous crims have met a sticky end at this court of justice.

Some of the famous cases held here include the infamous Kray Twins and the Yorkshire Ripper (Peter Sutcliffe). This Central Criminal Court building was constructed in 1907, replacing the original Old Bailey courthouse which was built in 1539. The site on which it stands was occupied by the notorious Newgate jail which was London’s main prison from the 13th century. Lady Justice - The Old Bailey Witnessing a Trial at the Old Bailey If you want to get a feel on how the British justice system operates in London’s principal criminal court, you can turn up and sit in on a trial – reservations are not permitted. To ensure that justice is seen to be done under the British legal system the public have a right to watch the trials. Admission is free and visitors have to be above the age of 16, or if between 14 – 16, they must be accompanied by an adult. The nearest Tube is St Paul’s. [If you plan on visiting, please note that this is a serious criminal court and that security is stringent. It’s best to come without backpacks or mobile phones as you may not be allowed in.

There are no facilities for storage, but apparently the Bailey Cafe across the road will store your bag for £2. It amazes me to read that a couple of people have actually complained about not having a warm welcome by the security guards and about being asked to empty their pockets. This is not a tourist attraction and personally I think people should be grateful to even have the opportunity to sit in on these criminal trials.] The Old Bailey has been mentioned in many books and used as the setting for television series and movies such as Witness for the Prosecution and the Patriot Games. Address: Old Bailey | DigiLondon Old Bailey Category: Law and order The Central Criminal Court, commonly known as the Old Bailey (a bailey being part of a castle), is a Crown Court centre (higher criminal court) in central London, dealing with major criminal cases in Greater London and, exceptionally, in other parts of England. It stands on the site of the medieval Newgate Gaol, in the street also called Old Bailey which is situated between Holborn circus and St Paul’s Cathedral. The present building dates from 1907 and was designed by E.W. Mountford.

Above the main entrance is inscribed “Defend the Children of the Poor & Punish the Wrongdoer”. All judges sitting in the Old Bailey are addressed as “My Lord” whether they be High Court, circuit judges or recorders. The Lord Mayor of London and aldermen of the City of London are entitled to sit on the judges’ bench during a hearing but do not actively participate in trials. On the dome above the court is to be found the statue of justice, a woman (without a blindfold), holding in her right hand a sword standing for the power to punish, and in her left hand a balance standing for equity. Although most court hearings in the UK are public, Court No. 2 has the peculiarity that the witness box is placed underneath the public gallery, thus ensuring the anonymity of witnesses in trials where it is needed. During the Blitz, the Old Bailey was bombed and severely damaged, but subsequent reconstruction work restored most of it. From 1968 to 1972 a new South Block was built containing more modern courts. The most senior permanent judge of the Central Criminal Court has the title of the Recorder of London, and his deputy has the title of Common Serjeant of London.

The present Recorder of London is His Honour Judge Peter Beaumont QC, who was appointed in December 2004 following the death earlier that year of his predecessor, His Honour Judge Michael Hyam. The present Common Serjeant is His Honour Judge Brian Barker QC. The position of Recorder of London should not be confused with that of Recorder, which is the name given to lawyers who sit part-time as Crown Court judges. A select number of the most senior criminal lawyers in the country sit at as Recorders in the Central Criminal Court. Sir John Mortimer, a criminal barrister, often appeared at the Old Bailey. His courtroom experiences led him to create the fictional character Horace Rumpole, alias Rumpole of the Bailey. Trials in the Old Bailey are open to the public, like most criminal trials in the UK, but it is forbidden to take any form of note in writing, and no form of electronic equipment, including mobile phones, can be brought in. Central Criminal Court (Old Bailey) in London, England - Lonely Planet Learn more The daily register of cases is outside, to the right of the main doorway on Old Bailey St; the public-gallery entrance is via Warwick Ct a few steps to the south.

Choose from among 18 courts, of which the oldest – courts one to four – usually have the most interesting cases. As cameras, video equipment, mobile phones, large bags and food and drink are all forbidden inside, and there are no cloakrooms or lockers, it’s important not to take these with you. If you’re interested in a high-profile trial, get here early. The Central Criminal Court gets its nickname from the street on which it stands: baillie was Norman French for ‘enclosed courtyard’. The current building opened in 1907 on the combined site of a previous court and Newgate Prison. Intriguingly the figure of justice holding a sword and scales in her hands above the building’s copper dome is not blindfolded (against undue influence, as is traditionally the case). "CENTRAL CRIMINAL COURT, OLD BAILEY" Lord Chief Justice Judge of the Queen's Bench Division of the High Court Thus preserving the tradition that the Lord Mayor of London, who, as senior Magistrate of the City of London, is also the senior Judge of the Central Criminal Court.

Indeed, the Commissions of Oyer and Terminer and of Gaol Delivery place the name of the Lord Mayor at the head of the list of Judges above even the Lord Chancellor and the Lord Chief Justice of England. In addition to the ex-officio judges of the City, of whom only the Recorder and the Common Serjeant sat regularly, one or more High Court Judges from the Queen's Bench Division sat almost continuously to try murders and other serious crimes. There were also a number of additional Judges who sat regularly. When necessary they were assisted by Commissioners - men of seniority and experience still in practice at the Bar - who were appointed by name and called upon to serve in a judicial capacity from time to time. On I January 1972 the Courts Act 1971 came into effect. This Act established a single Crown Court to take the place of the old system of Assizes and Quarter Sessions, and having the same jurisdiction. The Crown Court sits at various centres throughout England and Wales. The Central Criminal Court is the name of the Crown Court Centre in the City of London, the name being specifically preserved by Section 4 (7) of the Act.

The Judges who now sit at the Central Criminal Court are as before except that the additional Judges and Commissioners are now Circuit Judges and Recorders. As far as the Central Criminal Court is concerned Section 4 (7) provides that where proceedings are to be heard and disposed of before a single Judge, the Lord Mayor of the City and any Alderman of the City shall be entitled to sit as Judges with any Judge of the High Court or any Circuit Judge or Recorder The staff, which numbers about 120, and is appointed by the Lord Chancellor's Department of the Home Civil Service, is responsible for preparation of the papers of the Court (including preferring the indictment and legal aid matters); arranging the hearing, and the availability of jurors; formalities in court during the hearing; payment of jurors and witnesses expenses, and the majority of counsel's and Solicitors' fees; and court records. The court building now comprises the original wing, which contains 7 courts and was opened in 1907 on the site of Newgate Prison, and the new south wing which contains 12 Courts and was opened in 1972.

In March 1973 the building was damaged by an IRA terrorist bomb which exploded in a car parked by the pavement in Old Bailey. Many windows were broken and some structural damage was caused both to the Court and to neighbouring buildings, including the Old George Public house opposite the Court. Nobody was killed, although many suffered shock and injuries from flying glass. A piece of glass can still be seen embedded in an inside wall on the ground floor. About 1500 cases (1973) are now committed to the Central Criminal Court for trial each year and 1200 members of the public are called upon each month to serve as jurors. CHRONOLOGICAL NOTES THROUGH THE CENTURIES YEAR 966 First reference to Court of Hustings. Genesis of London's legal Rights and customs. 1086 Reference to Newgate as a "Heynhouse" or hateful jail. 1132 Charter granted by Henry I to citizens of London confirming their ancient rights and granting new ones. The right to appoint their own "Justicier" was granted. "And none other shall be Justicier over these same men of London". Pipe Roll of this date shows site value as �3.6.8d.

1241 Certain Jews imprisoned in Newgate until their kinsmen in Norwich paid a fine. Crime was the common one then brought against Jews, usually ill-founded, of circumcising a Christian child. 1235 Sheriff imprisoned for allowing a prisoner to escape. Prisoner supposed to have murdered a cousin of the Queen. Wat Tyler broke open Newgate and freed the prisoners. 1414 Fever broke out. Keeper and 64 others died of it. 1423 There is a reference to "Whit's Palace". Money left by Richard Whittington, Lord Mayor, for charitable purposes was used for renovating Newgate. 1518 "Evil May Day". May put to death at Newgate for May Day rioting. King Henry VIII judged the prisoners in person. Many reprieved at foot of scaffold on the intervention of the King's wife and sister. 1539;First Court erected. Up to this time Courts held in the open (as Hustings) or on private premises. 1657 Press Yard in use in Newgate. For those who refused to plead, weights were placed on top of body and added to until dead.

Those convicted of Felony forfeited their goods so this end was opted for by prisoners to avoid forfeiture. Mayor Strangeways died in this way. Jury fined for not convicting defendants. imprisoned in Newgate until fines paid. Some sent message to Lord Chief Justice who reviewed their case and confirmed the important right of juries to bring in their own verdict without interference by the Judge. See plaque on ground floor of old building. 1689 Lord Chief Justice Wright imprisoned in Newgate. 1690 Record of man imprisoned for 47 years; married and had several children in Newgate. Held on a Fiat of the Attorney-General and never brought to trial. 1696 Keeper paid �3,500 for his post. Could charge "fees". Kept a sort of Wet Canteen where prisoners and warders regaled themselves with liquor. Prisoners usually paid. 1718 Hangman hanged for murder of a woman in Moorfields. Drunk from time of entering prison to time of execution. 1724 Jack Sheppard made his series of sensational escapes. Hanged at Tyburn when "All London turned out to see him".

1750 Outbreak of Jail fever (probably typhoid) in Newgate. Many died, including the Lord mayor and two judges. Bunches of flowers began to be carried and sweet smelling herbs spread about in an attempt to ward off illness. Still done today at opening of summer Sessions. 1772 Edward Dennis, public hangman, imprisoned in Newgate for pickpocketing. 1777 Gate removed. See plaque. Mary Jones, aged 19, mother of 2 children, convicted at the Old Bailey of shoplifting in Ludgate Hill and hanged. Had baby at the breast while being taken from Newgate to Tyburn. Case used in Parliament in an attempt by Sir William Meredith to reduce the number of of fences carrying the death penalty, which totalled about 190. 1780 June. "No popery" riots by supporters of Lord George Gordon (1751-93). Excuse by underprivileged person for destruction and looting. Newgate broken into and rioters already imprisoned there released. Some due for execution next day. Edward Dennis, public hangman, again imprisoned in Newgate and tried and sentenced to death for taking part in the riots in Holborn.

Later reprieved so that he could hang his fellow rioters. In office 1771-1786. Had a right to the clothes and personal property of his victims. 1781 Lord Gordon acquitted of High Treason charge arising out of 1780 riots. 1783 November. Last execution at Tyburn. A place of execution for 600 years. 50,000 executions. Executions then carried out in front of Newgate Prison, opposite present old building, up to 1868. 1785 John Howard, prison reformer, introduced solitary confinement in Newgate. 1787 Lord Gordon imprisoned in Newgate with Jewish servant, being unable to find sureties after his conviction for publishing pamphlets libelling the Queen of France and the English Judges and Law. 1793 Death of Lord Gordon in Newgate. 1800 The Editor of the Times imprisoned in Newgate for libelling the Duke of York. Received state pension while in prison. 1813 Elizabeth Fry, prison reformer, began work in Newgate. 1830 Last use of the pillory which had existed since time immemorial outside Newgate.

1835 Three boys under 14 hanged for burglary. 1868 Last public execution; Michael Barrett. Executions then within the walls. 1881 Newgate ceased as a prison. 1902 Last execution. First hand appeared through the wall from the inside. It was that of a workman engaged in demolishing Newgate to make way for the new Court building. This fulfilled an old prophecy that "an innocent man will one day break through the walls of Newgate". 1907 New Court opened by King Edward VII. 1941 North West corner hit by bomb. 2 officials killed. Court 2 destroyed. 1950 Rebuilding commenced. The Central Criminal Court - Old Bailey, London, UK - Courthouses on Waymarking.com you are not logged in. [log in] The Central Criminal Court - Old Bailey, London, UK - Courthouses on Waymarking.com Welcome to Waymarking.com! We hope you've been able to find what you are looking for. We would also like to encourage you to take some time to browse some of the other aspects of our site. We recommend viewing our featured waymarks , or perhaps the newest waymarks .

You can also create a free membership to track your progress online and share your locations with others. Click here to view the complete waymark directory N 51° 30.945 W 000° 06.123 30U E 701066 N 5711162 Quick Description: The Central Criminal Court is often referred to as the Old Bailey as the entrance stands in a street named Old Bailey. Location: London, United Kingdom Date Posted: 10/21/2011 8:32:31 AM Waymark Code: WMCX17 .KML File (Google Earth) Long Description: The current building has been here since the turn of the last century and has seen many famous and infamous trials in the last 100 years. The building is often used for TV and film work and it is not unusual, at weekends, to see crews working there. =================================================================== =================================================================== The Central Criminal Court in England, commonly known as the Old Bailey from the street in which it stands, is a court building in central London, one of a number of buildings housing the Crown Court.

The Crown Court sitting at the Central Criminal Court deals with major criminal cases from Greater London and, in exceptional cases, from other parts of England and Wales. Part of the present building stands on the site of the medieval Newgate Gaol, on Old Bailey, a road which follows the line of the City of London's fortified wall (or bailey). It lies between Holborn Circus and St Paul's Cathedral. As there is a requirement for justice to be seen to be done, trials at the Old Bailey, as at other courts, are open to the public, subject to stringent security procedures. The building and its history The court originated as the sessions house of the Lord Mayor and Sheriffs of the City of London and of Middlesex. The original medieval court was first mentioned in 1585; it was next to the older Newgate prison, and seems to have grown out of the endowment to improve Newgate prison and rooms for the Sheriffs, made possible by a gift from Sir Richard Whittington. It was destroyed in the 1666 Fire of London and rebuilt in 1674, with the court open to the weather to prevent the spread of disease.

In 1734 it was refronted, enclosing the court and reducing the influence of spectators: this led to outbreaks of typhus, notably in 1750 when sixty people died, including the Lord Mayor and two judges. It was rebuilt again in 1774 and a second courtroom was added in 1824. Over 100,000 criminal trials were carried out in the Old Bailey from 1674 to 1834, including all death penalty cases.[1] In 1834 it was renamed as the Central Criminal Court and its jurisdiction extended beyond that of London and Middlesex to the whole of the English jurisdiction for trial of major cases. Her Majesty's Courts Service manages the courts and administers the trials but the building is owned and run by the City of London Corporation, who finance the building, the running of it, the staff and the maintenance out of their own resources.[2] The court was originally meant to be the site where only criminals accused of crimes committed in the City and Middlesex were tried.

However, in 1856, there was public revulsion at the accusations against the doctor, William Palmer, that he was a poisoner and murderer. This led to fears that he could not receive a fair trial in his native Staffordshire. The Central Criminal Court Act of 1856 was passed to enable his trial to be held at the Old Bailey. In the 19th century, the Old Bailey was a small court adjacent to Newgate Prison. Hangings were a public spectacle in the street outside until late into the century. The condemned would be led along Dead Man’s Walk between the prison and the court, and many were buried in the walk itself. Large, riotous crowds would gather and pelt the condemned with rotten fruit and vegetables and stones. In 1807, 28 people were crushed to death after a pie-seller's stall overturned. A secret tunnel was subsequently created between the prison and St Sepulchre’s church opposite, to allow the priest to minister to the condemned man without having to force his way through the crowds. The present building dates from 1902, but it was officially opened on 27 February 1907. It was designed by E.

W. Mountford and built on the site of the infamous Newgate Prison, which was demolished to allow the court buildings to be constructed. Above the main entrance is inscribed the admonition, "Defend the Children of the Poor & Punish the Wrongdoer". King Edward VII opened the courthouse. On the dome above the court stands a bronze statue of Lady Justice, executed by British sculptor F. W. Pomeroy. She holds a sword in her right hand and the scales of justice in her left. The statue is popularly supposed to show blind Justice; however, the figure is not blindfolded: the courthouse brochures explain that this is because Lady Justice was originally not blindfolded, and because her “maidenly form” is supposed to guarantee her impartiality which renders the blindfold redundant. During The Blitz, the Old Bailey was bombed and severely damaged, but subsequent reconstruction work restored most of it in the early 1950s. In 1952, the restored interior of the Grand Hall of the Central Criminal Courts was once again open.

The interior of the Great Hall (underneath the dome) is decorated with paintings commemorating the blitz, as well as quasi-historical scenes of St Paul's Cathedral with nobles outside. Running around the entire hall are a series of axioms, some of biblical reference. They read: "The law of the wise is a fountain of life" "The welfare of the people is supreme" "Right lives by law and law subsists by power" "Poise the cause in justice' equal scales" "Moses gave unto the people the laws of God" "London shall have all its ancient rights" The Great Hall (and the floor beneath it) is also decorated with many busts and statues, chiefly British monarchs, but also of legal figures, and those who achieved renown by campaigning for improvement in prison conditions in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. This part of the building also houses the shorthand-writers' offices. The lower level also hosts a minor exhibition on the history of the Old Bailey and Newgate featuring historical prison artefacts. In 1973 The Provisional IRA exploded a car bomb in the street outside the courts, and a shard of glass is preserved as a reminder, embedded in the wall at the top of the main stairs.

Between 1968 and 1972, a new South Block, designed by the architects, Donald McMorran and George Whitby, was built to accommodate more modern courts. There are presently 18 courts in use. Court 19 is now used as a press overflow facility. The original ceremonial gates to the 1907 part of the building are only used by the Lord Mayor and visiting royalty. The general entrance to the building is a few yards down the road in the South Block and is often featured as a backdrop in television news reports. There is also a separate rear entrance, not open to the public, which permits more discreet access. In Warwick Square, on the western side of the complex, is the 'Lord Mayor's Entrance'. A remnant of the city wall is preserved in the basement beneath the cells. Crime and Justice - Punishments at the Old Bailey - Central Criminal Court Punishments at the Old Bailey Late 17th Century to the early 20th Century This article describes the types of punishments imposed on convicts at London's central criminal court from the late 17th century to the early 20th century, as detailed in the Proceedings.

Contents of this Article Introductory Reading Introduction Judges could choose from a wide range of punishments in this period, though their options were often limited by choices made at an earlier stage in the judicial process. Felonies defined by common law were originally punishable by hanging. Increasingly from the middle of the eighteenth century, statute law curtailed the use of the death penalty. Misdemeanours were punishable by a range of non-capital punishments. Normally, offences defined by statute could only be punished as prescribed by the relevant legislation. The punishments available in any particular case were thus circumscribed by the legal status of the offence with which the defendant was charged (which in some cases was influenced in turn by the choices made by the victim or the grand jury). Juries frequently manipulated the punishment through the use of partial verdicts ). Many defendants were given more than one punishment. This is particularly common for those sentenced to the pillory, imprisonment, whipping, fines and providing sureties for good behaviour. Because the actual punishment a convict received often differed from that specified at their trial, it is worth searching later sessions by the name of the defendant using the Personal Details search page to see if the sentence was mitigated.

It is also possible to search separately for information about pardons or executions. Although this information was not consistently reported in the Proceedings, there are regular reports of pardons from 1739 until 1796 and of executions from 1743 until 1792. Additional evidence about whether (and how) punishments were carried out can be found within the Associated Records . The Death Penalty and Mitigating Circumstances A large number of eighteenth-century statutes specified death as the penalty for minor property offences (the "bloody code"), meaning that the vast majority of the people tried at the Old Bailey could be sentenced to hang (one could be executed for stealing a handkerchief or a sheep). Nevertheless, judicial procedures prevented a blood bath by ensuring that sentences could be mitigated, or the charge redefined as a less serious offence. Through partial verdicts , juries reduced the charges against many convicted defendants. Through the mechanisms of benefit of clergy and pardons many more defendants found guilty of a capital offence were spared the death penalty and sentenced instead to punishments such as branding , transportation , or imprisonment . Many received no punishment at all .

In making the decisions that determined whether a defendant was killed or released regardless of guilt, consideration was given to the defendant's character, the nature of the offence, the strength of the evidence against him or her, the state of crime at the time (a higher proportion were actually hanged if the court thought a ‘crime wave’ was in process), and, occasionally, the status of those who petitioned on the defendant’s behalf. Misdemeanours Introductory Reading New Forms of Punishment A gradually growing reluctance to use the death penalty in the eighteenth century (except for the most serious cases), combined with an increasing concern that those who received benefit of clergy were let off too lightly encouraged the development of alternative forms of punishment. The criminal law reforms of the nineteenth century, abolishing, as they did, the death penalty for many crimes, led in the same direction. As a result new types of punishments for felons, notably transportation and imprisonment, were created and eventually came to take on an ever growing role in the sentencing of criminals. These new punishments reflect two trends in the evolution of strategies for punishment. First, there was a shift from physical punishments such as whipping , branding , and hanging to attempts to reform the defendant through transportation and imprisonment .

And second, punishments became less public, as the spectacle of public hangings at Tyburn , the pillory , and public whipping through the streets was replaced by hanging outside and then inside Newgate, private whipping , transportation to foreign lands, and imprisonment . Introductory Reading Benefit of Clergy Through the mechanism of benefit of clergy, many defendants found guilty of certain felonies were spared the death penalty and given a lesser punishment. Dating back to the middle ages, benefit of clergy was originally a right accorded to the church, allowing it to punish its own members should they be convicted of a crime. In this instance the court did not prescribe any punishment for the defendant and instead handed him over to church officials. Since it was difficult to prove who was affiliated with the church, convicts who claimed benefit of clergy were required to read a passage from the Bible. Judges usually chose verses from the 51st Psalm, which was termed the "neck verse", since it saved many people from hanging. As literacy became more common outside the church, the practice gradually developed of permitting all men convicted of allowable felonies to be permitted benefit of clergy if they could read the "neck verse".

This test was a flexible one, and judges could be lenient or strict in their choice of text and level of literacy required, depending on whether they wished to impose the death penalty in a specific case, or not. In 1623 women found guilty of the theft of goods less than ten shillings in value were also allowed benefit of clergy, and in 1691 women were granted the privilege on the same terms as men. In 1706 the reading test was abolished and benefit of clergy became automatic for any offence which had not been excluded from this privilege. Until 1779 the recipients of benefit of clergy were branded on the thumb in order to ensure that the benefit could not be claimed more than once. Between 1706 and 1718 some defendants allowed benefit of clergy were sentenced to up to two years hard labour in a house of correction . The 1718 Transportation Act allowed the courts to sentence those allowed benefit of clergy to be punished with more onerous sentence of transportation . Concern that serious offenders were getting off too lightly, however, led to the passage of several statutes in which specific offences were removed from benefit of clergy.

In the sixteenth century murder, rape, highway robbery, burglary, horse-stealing, pickpocketing, and theft from churches, were deemed non-clergyable. During the late seventeenth and eighteenth centuries concern over levels of property theft led to several other forms of theft being added to this list. These included housebreaking, the theft of goods worth more than 40 shillings from a dwelling house, shoplifting of goods worth more than 5 shillings, and sheep and cattle stealing. A death sentence in such cases therefore became automatic, which explains why juries so often reduced the value of stolen goods through the mechanism of the partial verdict . Benefit of clergy remained for some offences, however, until the reforms of the criminal laws (and dramatic reduction in the number of capital statutes) in the 1820s. It was abolished in 1827. Introductory Reading Branding Convicts who successfully pleaded benefit of clergy , and those found guilty of manslaughter instead of murder, were branded on the thumb (with a "T" for theft, "F" for felon, or "M" for murder), so that they would be unable to receive this benefit more than once.

The branding took place in the courtroom at the end of the sessions in front of spectators. It is alleged that sometimes criminals convicted of petty theft, or who were able to bribe the executioner, had the branding iron applied when it was cold. For a short time, between 1699 and January 1707, convicted thieves were branded on the cheek in order to increase the deterrent effect of the punishment, but this rendered convicts unemployable and in 1707 the practice reverted to branding on the thumb. It is possible to search separately to find those sentenced to be branded on the cheek. Branding as a punishment for those receiving benefit of clergy ended in 1779. The last convict sentenced to branding at the Old Bailey received the sentence in 1789. Death with Dissection and Hanging in Chains Many, in fact most, death sentences were not carried out. Through benefit of clergy , use of pardons , and respited sentences due to pregnancy , or in order to perform military or naval duty , many of those sentenced to death were not in fact executed.

Since these mitigations often took place after the Proceedings were published, this information is usually not included in the trial texts, though it sometimes can be found in the texts for subsequent sessions. Names of those executed are regularly reported in the summaries of punishments provided at the end of each sessions between 1743 and 1792. Where this information was provided in the same edition of the Proceedings, we have inserted a note to this effect at the end of the trial. To determine if any information about executions was provided in a subsequent edition of the Proceedings, it is necessary to use the search page , where you can search by punishment type "executed" and by defendant surname. Prior to 1772 the Ordinary of Newgate’s Account provides an essentially comprehensive list of those who were actually executed. You can use the Ordinary’s Accounts search this material. Over the course of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries use of the death penalty was increasingly restricted to the most serious offences. It was removed from pickpocketing in 1808, and from many more offences in the 1820s and 1830s.

By the 1840s only those found guilty of the most serious offences (murder, wounding, violent theft, arson, sodomy) were sentenced to death (though only murderers were actually executed), and the 1861 Offences Against the Persons Act abolished the death penalty for all offences except for murder and High Treason. Death Respited for Pregnancy Women who claimed they were pregnant at the time they were sentenced to death could "plead their belly". Such women (and there were many) were then examined by a jury of matrons (chosen from women present in the courtroom), and, if found to be "quick with child" (if movement could be detected, signalling the beginning of life), their punishment was respited until after the baby was born. In principle, the punishment could then be carried out, but in practice sympathy for the newborn child (or concern for the cost of caring for it) meant that the mother was often pardoned. The eventual outcome of such cases is not necessarily recorded in the Proceedings, but it is worth searching later sessions for the convict's name. From 1848, reprieves granted to pregnant women were always permanent.

The verdicts of the juries of matrons were recorded in the punishment summaries. Just over half of the over 1100 women who made this plea were successful. Over the course of the eighteenth century the number of successful pleas declined, and they are found infrequently in the Proceedings after 1760. After 1800 there are few recorded cases of women even making this plea, and in those cases medical authorities were often summoned to advise the matrons. The plea last appears in the Proceedings in the trial of Emma Pleasance in 1880. Hanging Until 1783 most defendants actually executed were hanged at Tyburn (where Marble Arch stands today). Execution was a public spectacle, meant to act as a deterrent to crime. Convicts were drawn in a cart through the streets from Newgate, and, after they were given a chance to speak to the crowd (and, it was hoped, confess their sins), they were hanged. Huge crowds were attracted to these events, as reflected in plate 11 of William Hogarth's Industry and Idleness. The convict was placed in a horse drawn cart and blindfolded.

The noose was then placed around his/her neck, and the cart pulled away. Until the introduction of a sharp drop in 1783, this resulted in a long and painful death by strangulation (friends of the convicts often helped put them out of their misery by pulling on their legs). Some of the most serious offenders were hanged near the place of their crime, as a lesson to the inhabitants of that area. Others were punished in even more brutal ways, as explained below. After the execution there were sometimes struggles for possession of the corpse between assistants to the surgeons, who wanted it for teaching anatomy, and friends of the convict, who wanted to give the victim a proper burial. Concern at the disorder which occurred at such scenes contributed to the passage of the 1752 Murder Act . In 1783 the procession to Tyburn was abolished and for the next eighty-five years hangings were staged outside Newgate Prison. Although these executions were expedited by the use of the sharp drop, they were still very public occasions. In 1868, concern about public disorder led to the abolition of public executions altogether, and subsequent hangings were transferred inside the prison.

Burned at the Stake Women found guilty of either treason or petty treason were sentenced to be burned alive at the stake, though executioners usually strangled women with a cord before lighting the fire. Burning at the stake was abolished in 1790 and replaced by drawing and hanging. Drawn and Quartered Men found guilty of treason were sentenced to be drawn to the place of execution on a hurdle, hanged, cut down while still alive, and then disembowelled, castrated, beheaded and quartered. It was alleged that merciful executioners allowed men to die on the gallows before dismembering them. This punishment was rare during our period, but occasionally those convicted of coining and petty treason were sentenced to be drawn on a hurdle only, but not quartered. The last convicts to be sentenced at the Old Bailey to be drawn and quartered were the Cato Street conspirators in 1820, but in the event decapitation was the only part of the grisly ceremony that was actually carried out. Death with Dissection and Hanging in Chains Judges occasionally ordered that the bodies of those convicted of egregious crimes and hanged should be hung in chains near the scene of their offence.

This practice was supplemented by an act of 1752, "for better preventing the horrid crime of murder", which dictated that the bodies of those found guilty of murder and hanged should either be delivered to the surgeons to be "dissected and anatomised" or hung in chains. By increasing the terror and the shame of the death penalty, these practices were meant to increase the deterrent effect of capital punishment. They were abolished in 1832 (dissection) and 1834 (hanging in chains). Imprisonment: Miscellaneous Early modern prisons were typically used for holding defendants awaiting trial and convicts awaiting punishment. Imprisonment was not perceived as a form of punishment in itself, and indeed the relatively open manner in which prisons were run was not conducive to their serving as a form of punishment. Occasionally, however, even in the seventeenth and early eighteenth centuries, convicts were sentenced to a period of imprisonment, usually in addition to some other penalty, such as whipping. In 1706 a statute was passed which allowed judges to sentence defendants given benefit of clergy to up to two years' hard labour in a house of correction .

Until that date houses of correction had - in theory at least - been exclusively used only to punish the misdemeanours of the poor and vagrant. This punishment was used until 1718, when as a result of a further Act of Parliament most convicts allowed benefit of clergy were sentenced to transportation instead. Imprisonment as Reform From the 1770s new attitudes towards imprisonment developed. It was believed that if redesigned and reordered, prisons could be used to reform offenders, changing them from recalcitrant criminals to productive citizens in the very process of punishing their crimes. Use of imprisonment was further stimulated by the suspension of transportation following the outbreak of the American Revolution in 1776. An Act of 1776, intended to address the problems resulting from the suspension of transportation, allowed judges to sentence male offenders to hard labour improving the navigation of the Thames by dredging it, as an alternative to transportation overseas. Although the Act did not specify where these men were to be incarcerated old ships anchored on the Thames, known as the hulks, were soon turned to the purpose. The work took place on shore.

The Act also allowed the judges to sentence women, and men who were incapable of working on the river, to a term of hard labour in a house of correction. In 1779 Parliament passed the Penitentiary Act, which authorised the building of one or more national penitentiaries characterised by strict discipline and hard labour. Although the penitentiaries were never built, the courts began to sentence large numbers of convicts to terms of imprisonment, and under the pressure of an ever growing prison population London’s prisons were gradually expanded and rebuilt over the ensuing decades. In 1794 the new Coldbath Fields House of Correction used the controversial system of solitary confinement in an attempt to force convicts to reflect on their sins and to reform themselves. In 1816 conditions for women prisoners in Newgate were reformed. In 1821 Millbank Penitentiary opened on the banks of the Thames (where the Tate Britain museum stands today). A massive building, it contained separate cells for 860 prisoners. In 1842 Pentonville Prison in North London opened. It was built to hold 520 prisoners, intended initially to spend eighteenth months in solitary confinement.

And eight years later, its near neighbour, Holloway Prison was opened. Over the course of the nineteenth century prisons underwent several important changes, including centralisation of administration, the introduction of inspections and widespread use of solitary confinement. Perhaps inevitably, their growing use prompted dissatisfaction with prison conditions and doubts about the impact they had on prisoners. Alternative punishments were continually being sought. A parliamentary committee in 1895, however, concluded that imprisonment should continue as a central feature of penal policy, and its recommendations were embodied in the 1898 Prison Act. By looking at the text of the Proceedings, you can normally determine the length of the sentence and, sometimes, the prison in which the convict was sentenced to be incarcerated. You will find that sentences often combined imprisonment with other punishments. Judges at the Old Bailey committed prisoners to two institutions more frequently than any others: Newgate Prison and the house of correction . You can search the Proceedings for sentences committing prisoners to these institutions by choosing Imprison > Newgate or Imprison > House of Correction from the draw down menu labelled Punishment on either the Personal Details or the Custom Search pages.

This menu also allows you to search on imprisonment at hard labour and penal servitude and those imprisoned on the grounds of preventive detention . Prisoners specifically sentenced to hard labour, whether in the house of correction, the hulks, or in prison, have been categorised together under "hard labour" . In addition it is possible to search separately for those convicts deemed insane at the time that the offence was committed, and young convicts committed to the Penitentiary . Imprisonment: Hard Labour Many convicts were sentenced to confinement with hard labour. Hard labour was meant to contribute to the reformation of offenders by teaching them to be industrious, but the punishment was also meant to deter others from committing crime. Those imprisoned sometimes worked a water pump (see image), while men incarcerated in the hulks worked on dredging the Thames or in the naval dockyards. Others were sentenced to work on ballast lighters. See also Penal Servitude . The house of correction or "Bridewell" was a sixteenth-century penal innovation designed both to punish and reform petty criminals via a short period of imprisonment at hard labour. As time progressed these institutions were used for a wider range of crimes and the average length of inmates' imprisonment increased.

Prisoners in houses of correction were typically set to beating hemp. Imprisonment: House of Correction The house of correction or "Bridewell" was a sixteenth-century innovation originally designed to provide work for the idle, training for the young, and punishment and reform for petty criminals by subjecting them to short periods of imprisonment at hard labour. As time progressed the training and work provisions fell aside, and these institutions came to be used to punish an ever wider range of crimes. The length of the sentences imposed also increased. Prisoners in houses of correction were typically set to beating hemp. Imprisonment: Insanity The 1800 "Act for the Safe Custody of Insane Persons Charged with Offences" empowered the courts to detain defendants who, due to a lack of lack reason and understanding, were deemed unable to understand the difference between right and wrong. Imprisonment on the grounds of insanity was therefore enforced not only on those people of "unsound mind" found guilty of their crimes, but also those found not guilty. Following the dissemination of the "M'Naughton Rules" for dealing with defendants who pleaded insanity in 1843, the number of defendants receiving this sentence increased considerably.

Imprisonment: Newgate Newgate was London's chief prison and functioned both as a holding prison for convicts awaiting trial or execution and as a place of punishment. Those sentenced to be punished in Newgate tended to be young people serving a short stint of imprisonment in the prison followed by a more prolonged period of imprisonment in a reformatory. Newgate closed in 1902 and was demolished in 1904 to make way for the new Central Criminal Court building . Imprisonment: Penal Servitude Penal servitude was a term of imprisonment at hard labour first introduced by the 1853 and 1857 Penal Servitude Acts as a replacement for transportation. It gave judges the discretion to sentence anyone who might otherwise have been transported for less than 14 years to penal servitude. This normally meant labour in a convict prison. Imprisonment: Preventive Detention Under the 1908 Prevention of Crimes Act courts were empowered to pass the sentence of preventive detention in order to protect the public from individuals considered to be habitual criminals , i.e. those convicted of at least three crimes since the age of sixteen.

Convicts who were sentenced to preventive detention were usually punished first with a stint of penal servitude followed by an open-ended period of imprisonment at hard labour "for the protection of the public". While this was draconian in concept, judges became increasingly reluctant to use the sentence after the first two or three years. Imprisonment: Other Institution Some convicts were sentenced to periods of imprisonment in more unusual institutions, including the Poultry Compter, New Prison, and Holloway Prison. Some youths between the ages of 11 and 21 who had been sentenced to transportation but were deemed not yet old enough to be sent overseas were sent specifically to "the penitentiary". Others were sent to reformatories or similar institutions including the London Refuge for the Destitute (founded in 1806). The short life narratives recorded in the minute books of the Refuge for the Destitute for individuals tried at the Old Bailey and sentenced in this way are reproduced here as a part of the Associated Records . Imprisonment: Miscellaneous Most of the convicts in this category were sentenced simply to be "confined", with no specific details recorded about where they would be incarcerated.

Introductory Reading Transportation The first major innovation in eighteenth-century penal practice was the substantial expansion of the use of transportation. Although it was believed that transportation might lead to the reformation of the offender, the primary motivations behind this punishment were a belief in its deterrent effect, and a desire to simply remove hardened criminals from society. Although many convicts were transported in the seventeenth century, it was done at their own expense or at the expense of merchants or shipowners. In the early eighteenth century transportation came to be seen as a way of creating an effective alternative to the death penalty, that avoided the apparent leniency of the other main options: benefit of clergy and whipping . In 1718 the first Transportation Act allowed the courts to sentence felons guilty of offences subject to benefit of clergy to seven years transportation to America. In 1720 a further statute authorized payments by the state to the merchants who contracted to take the convicts to America. The first Transportation Act also allowed those guilty of capital offences and pardoned by the King to be sentenced to transportation, and established returning from transportation as a capital offence. In 1776 transportation was halted by the outbreak of war with America.

Although convicts continued to be sentenced to transportation, male convicts were confined to hard labour in hulks on the Thames, while women were imprisoned. Transportation resumed in 1787 with a new destination: Australia. This was seen as a more serious punishment than imprisonment , since it involved exile to a distant land. In the early nineteenth century, as part of the revisions of the criminal law, transportation for life was substituted as the maximum punishment for several offences which had previously been punishable by death. Opposition to transportation mounted in the 1830s, however, with complaints that it failed to deter crime, did not lead to the reformation of the convicts, and that conditions in the convict colonies were inhumane. The number of convicts sentenced to transportation began to decline in the 1840s. Transportation was theoretically abolished by the Penal Servitude Act of 1857, which substituted penal servitude for all transportation sentences. Introductory Reading Corporal Punishment Early-modern punishments including whipping and the pillory frequently used physical harm, often inflicted as a public spectacle, as a method of deterring crime.

While convicts continued to be sentenced to these punishments into the nineteenth century, all but the private whipping of men had ceased by the end of the century. Whipping Pillory Defendants convicted of notorious crimes such as attempted sodomy, seditious words, extortion, fraud, and perjury in the eighteenth century were sometimes punished publicly in the pillory as a way of destroying their reputations and signalling public distaste for their crimes. Set up in busy streets or open spaces, such as Cheapside or Charing Cross, where crowds could easily gather, the culprit (most were men) was placed on a platform with his arms and head secured through holes in the wooden structure. He was normally required to stay there one hour. The pillory turned so that crowds on all sides could get a good view, and could express their disapproval of the offence by pelting the offender with rotten eggs and vegetables, blood and guts from slaughterhouses, dead cats, mud and excrement, and even bricks and stones. Some died from the abuse, despite increasing efforts by constables to protect the convict, by forming a ring around the pillory.

In some cases of seditious words, however, the crowd applauded the convict, pelting him with flowers, and collected money to present to him after his release. Approximately five to ten people a year were punished in this way in London, but concerns about disorder and subversion of the purpose of the punishment meant that after 1775 few people were pilloried for riot, seditious words, or any felony. An 1816 statute restricted the pillory to perjury only and the punishment was abolished in 1837. Introductory Reading Whipping Offenders (mostly those convicted of theft) were sentenced to be stripped to the waist and flogged "at a cart's tail" along a length of public street, usually near the scene of the crime, "until his [or her] back be bloody". Publicity was traditionally an essential feature of this punishment, serving to shame the offender and deter others from committing the crime. Even in the late seventeenth century, however, the courts occasionally ordered that the punishment should be carried out in prison or a house of correction rather than on the streets.

From the 1720s courts began explicitly to differentiate between private whipping, which took place inside or immediately outside Newgate Prison, a house of correction, or the Old Bailey; and public whipping, which was carried out in the traditional way. Over the course of the eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries the proportion of whippings carried out in public declined, but the number of private whippings increased after 1772 owing to a loss of faith in the alternative punishments of transportation and the death penalty . The public whipping of women was abolished in 1817 (after having been in decline since the 1770s) and that of men ended in the early 1830s, though it was not formally abolished under 1862. Private whipping (in prison, with the press in attendance), from the 1850s virtually of men only, continued, however, beyond the end of this period. Following the passage of the Security from Violence Act (the "Garrotters Act") in 1863, which authorised up to 50 strokes, this punishment was frequently used for those convicted of theft with violence . This punishment was not abolished until 1948.

Other Miscellaneous Fines In the late seventeenth and first half of the eighteenth century fines were used primarily for the punishment of misdemeanours. However, in 1779 a clause in the Penitentiary Act allowed a fine to be levied in lieu of branding. Thereafter fines were frequently used, often in conjunction with a term of imprisonment, for manslaughter, petty larceny, and simple grand larceny. Judges could vary the amount according to the severity of the offence and the status of both the victim and the convict. The amounts involved varied from less than a shilling to hundreds of pounds. Non-payment of fines led to incarceration in jail until the fine was paid. Young offenders were sometimes fined and then sentenced to a period of imprisonment in the London Refuge for the Destitute which was, in effect, a juvenile reformatory. Interestingly, this was a covert procedure and thus was frequently not documented in the Proceedings. The short life narratives recorded in the minute books of the Refuge for the Destitute for individuals tried at the Old Bailey and sentenced in this way are reproduced here as a part of the Associated Records .

Introductory Reading Forfeiture of Lands and Goods Technically all those found guilty of a felony were required to forfeit all their goods to the crown. In practice, juries routinely reported (fictitiously) that the convict had 'no goods' and thus nothing to forfeit. Very occasionally (only in two trials during the entire period), however, judges explicitly sentenced convicted felons to forfeit goods and lands to the King. Introductory Reading Military/Naval Duty By sending convicts into their majesties' service, the court not only contributed to the armed forces, but also exiled undesirable characters. This sentence was most frequently used during the War of the Grand Alliance (1688-1697), the War of the Spanish Succession (1701-13), the War of American Independence (1775-83), and the Napoleonic Wars (1793-1815). In some cases the prisoner was sentenced to a term of service in the army or navy. In others, the original sentence was withdrawn once the prisoner agreed to serve.

Alternatively, many defendants sentenced to death were pardoned on condition of service (this was regularised by the Mutiny Act of 1705). Introductory Reading Provide Sureties for Good Behaviour Convicts were sometimes required to find sureties. These were men of property who posted a bond to guarantee the convict's future good behaviour. The bond could be for a substantial sum of money, hundreds or thousands of pounds. If the condition of the defendants discharge was violated, the money was forfeited to the king. The text of the Proceedings often specifies the sum of money promised and the duration of the bond. In many cases, the convict remained under threat that an additional punishment might be imposed despite the bond. In this circumstance they were bound "to appear and receive judgement if [or when] called upon". The requirement to provide sureties was frequently combined with others punishements such as imprisonment, a fine, and the pillory. Defendants who were found not guilty were also sometimes given this sentence, if it was thought they had the potential to commit a crime in the future. Other Miscellaneous In the late nineteenth century courts began to order additional punishments, aimed at compensating victims and preventing further crimes.

These include: paying restitution or compensation to the victim paying the costs of prosecution police supervision for a number of years forfeit of and/or disqualification from holding public office expulsion from the country under the Aliens Act Miscellaneous Pardons Not all punishments prescribed by the Old Bailey judges were actually carried out. Through the mechanism of a royal pardon, many death sentences, as well as some other sentences, were either not carried out (a free pardon), or commuted to lesser punishments (a conditional pardon), normally branding , transportation , hard labour , or penal servitude . All capital sentences from the Old Bailey were reviewed by the King and his cabinet following reports from the Recorder of London. Those convicts who were not pardoned could have their cases reviewed again if petitions for mercy were received from them or their family and friends. In addition to pardons for specific crimes, periodically in the late seventeenth century defendants were able to claim the benefit of general royal pardons, proclaimed by the King or passed by Parliament for all offences committed before a certain date (though some offences, such as murder, were excluded). From 1739 to 1796 the names of convicts pardoned are normally provided at the end of subsequent editions of the Proceedings.

To find this information use the search pageand search by punishment type pardoned and by defendant surname. In many cases, however, evidence concerning pardons is only available in manuscript sources (notably reports from the Recorder of London and petitions) kept in the London archives. For such evidence, consult the guide to Associated Records . These sources, where available, will provide more information about the case, including the actual punishment (if any) inflicted on the convict. Throughout most of the eighteenth century, approximately 50-60% of convicts sentenced to death were pardoned. Loss of faith in the merits of the death penalty in the early nineteenth century contributed to an increase in the proportion pardoned to around 90%, and as much as 97% in the 1830s. Sentence Respited The court sometimes decided to postpone or respite a sentence until a later sessions, either because of the convict's pregnancy (see also death sentences respited for pregnancy ) or for reasons that were unrecorded. In 1848 judges were empowered to invite the jury to respite sentences in cases where the law was doubtful.

In these instances, the case was passed on to the Twelve Judges at the newly established Court for Crown Cases Reserved (superseded in 1907 by the Court of Criminal Appeal). In trials where sentences are respited you may be able to find additional information by searching for the defendant's name in later sessions. Miscellaneous In addition to benefit of clergy , pardons , respites and pardons on condition of military or naval duty , there are a number of other reasons why the Proceedings might not record a formal sentence: The convict died, fell ill, or was rescued from the court or prison by his friends before s/he could be sentenced. The court agreed that, in lieu of a formal punishment, the convict would perform some act, such as serving as a soldier for the East India Company, or agreeing to work for an employer. Young convicts were sometimes sent to the Marine Society (established in 1756) for training at sea. Those recommended by the jury for mercy were sometimes simply discharged without punishment, or sent to the care of their master, relatives, or other figure of authority. In many late seventeenth-century editions of the Proceedings information about punishments was often simply not provided.

The Proceedings simply report that the convict was "discharged". Introductory Reading Introductory Reading Beattie, J. M., Policing and Punishment in London, 1660-1750: Urban Crime and the Limits of Terror (Oxford, 2001), Part II Bentley, D., English Criminal Justice in the Nineteenth Century (London, 1998) Emsley, C., Crime and Society in England, 1750 - 1900, (London, 1987) Gatrell, V. A. C., The Hanging Tree: Execution and the English People 1770-1868 (Oxford, 1994) Sharpe, J. A., Judicial Punishment in England (London, 1990) For more secondary literature on this subject see the Bibliography .

Question: The Old Bailey, the Central Criminal Court, in London was opened in 1907. It was built close to the site of which other famous building?
Answer: Newgate Prison