Established in medieval times as a place to hold prisoners of the King's Bench court, primarily debtors. It was originally sited in Angel Place, off Borough High Street, just north of what is now John Harvard Library. In 1754-8 this was demolished and replaced with a new building erected to the south-west on what was then St George's Fields and is now Scovell housing estate. In 1842 it became the Queen's Prison and took debtors from the Marshalsea and Fleet Prisons. It became the Southwark Convict Prison and then closed.
This section lists the memorials where the subject on this page is commemorated:
King's Bench Prison
Commemorated ati
King of Corsica
The weather-worn stone above this plaque is, we guess, the original graveston...
Other Subjects
Sir John Gurney
Judge. Chief Baron of the Exchequer. Born London. Married Maria Hawes (1767-1849). Died at his house in Lincoln's Inn Fields.
St Mary Rotherhithe watch-house
The building, situated close to the church of St Mary the Virgin, was used by a watchman or constable whose job was to to look out for wrongdoers; particularly grave-robbers or 'Resurrection Men' a...
transportation to Australia
One of the (many) supposed origins of the word 'pom' for an Englishman, is that convicts were branded with the initials of 'Prisoner of Millbank'.
William Ralston Shedden-Ralston
Born York Terrace, Regent’s Park. His strange name seems to be the result of his father's near-illegitimacy and subsequent extensive litigation. Librarian, folklorist and Russian scholar. He gra...
Lord Justice Charles John Darling
Barrister and judge. Born Colchester. Never went to university but on gaining an inheritance entered law. MP for Deptford. QC and then judge. Became 1st Baron Darling in 1924. Died Hampshire.
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