Was there a prison in Huntingdonshire?

[linmey]

I have recently been told by an older member of my family that my great great grandfather spent some time in prison. He was a resident of Sawtry, and I was wondering if anyone has any idea where he would have been likely to have been sent, and how easy it would be to find a record of this. He was born in about 1850.
       Many thanks,  Linmey.

[Christopher]

Hello Linmey,

I am a stranger in these parts. I live in the north of Ireland but enjoy surfing the net, using it to learn about places and people.

Huntingdonshire had a prison in 1831. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Treadwheel
Your great great grandfather may well have been sent to Huntingdonshire County Prison. Prison registers include records for the period 1870 - 78 and include photographs of the inmates
www.cambridgeshire.gov.uk/NR/rdonlyres/E2989A9A-6CC6-4788-83B3-476D2623F6E8/0/HRO_ft_leaflet.pdf

Good Luck with your search, Christopher

[linmey]

Many thanks for that Christopher. I must say I am quite nervous about going further with this in case he did something really awful, however sheer nosiness will inevitably drive me on. I will let you know if he turns up. Lets hope all he did was shoot a couple of rabbits!!!!
       Many thanks for your time.  Regards,  Linmey.

[Christopher]

No problem Linmey.

Glad to help. I think even in the latter years of the nineteenth century people were locked up behind bars for what we would look upon today as very petty offences. Anyway, what harm is there in a black sheep in the family. Every family should have one. You should be proud to have an ancestor with a bit of a story attached. You may even be able to do in depth research and write a book about that person.

Chris

[Kimi]

Hello Linmey,

not sure if this is of any help to you but there was a small lock up/prison in Sawtry itself.  I think it only held about 2 or 3 prisoners at a time.  It's obviously not longer in use but  it is situated on my friend's land where her back garden is!!!!

Kimi

[linmey]

Hi Kimi,
             Thank you for replying, thats really interesting. I will try to find out more about it. I know villages had a lock up, and stocks of course, but this sounds like it could have been a bit bigger than the ones I have seen locally.
           I have no idea how serious the crime was but having spoken to someone today whos ancestor was transported to Tazmania for stealing a chicken, I am hopeful he wasnt a mass murderer.
             Many thanks.  Linda.

[Kimi]

You're welcome Linda,  it's in Green End, Sawtry.

Kim

[TMC]

The Old County Gaol was in Huntingdon up St. Peter's Hill - at least some part of the building still remains. 
I believe there was also a prison at one time at the bridge end of the High St.
My grandparents started their married life in a Railway cottage situated behind the Gaol next to the Main railway line in 1904.
TMC

[linmey]

Thank you very much for that information TMC. Do you think that a resident of Sawtry would have been imprisoned there or would it have depended on the severity of the crime?

Linda.