Giltspur Street Compter
The Giltspur Street Compter was a compter or small prison, designed by English architect and surveyor George Dance the Younger, mainly used to hold debtors.[1] It was situated in Giltspur Street, Smithfield, close to Newgate, in the City of London, between 1791 and 1853.[2]
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| Location | London |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 51.5165°N 0.1016°W |
| Status | Closed |
| Opened | 1791 |
| Closed | 1853 |
| Notable prisoners | |
| Robert Wedderburn (radical) | |
The Compter was adjacent to Christ's Hospital Boys' School (1553-1902). Its construction began in 1787,[3] and the Compter was ready for occupation in 1791. In 1815 it took some prisoners from the nearby Poultry Compter prior to its closure. The Giltspur Street prison was itself closed in 1853 and demolished in 1854,[4] the site being later occupied by the King Edward Buildings Royal Mail Sorting Office.[5]
Inmates
In 1831, Robert Wedderburn (radical) was arrested and sent to Giltspur Street Compter as he continued to campaign for freedom of speech, antislavery and working-class revolution.[6]
References
- Geoffrey Howse (19 January 2013). A History of London's Prisons. Pen & Sword Books. pp. 290–. ISBN 978-1-78303-067-5.
- Rob Wills (5 May 2016). Alias Blind Larry: The Mostly True Memoir of James Laurence The Singing Convict. Australian Scholarly Publishing. pp. 60–. ISBN 978-1-925333-11-4.
- Mitchel P. Roth (2006). Prisons and Prison Systems: A Global Encyclopedia. Greenwood Publishing Group. pp. 79–. ISBN 978-0-313-32856-5.
- http://www.londonremembers.com/memorials/giltspur-street-compter
- "Museum of London archaeological notes". Archived from the original on 2005-03-26. Retrieved 2007-02-01.
- Junius P. Rodriguez (26 March 2015). Encyclopedia of Emancipation and Abolition in the Transatlantic World. Routledge. pp. 565–. ISBN 978-1-317-47180-6.
