Building Plans for the New House of Correction

Ground plan for the new New house of correction (also known as the penitentiary).	Plan of upper part of keepers house and showing roof of cells for the New house of correction (also...	Elevations and sections of the New House of Correction or penitentiary for the County of Bedford,...
Front or north elevation of the stepping mill to be built at the New house of correction, 1821.	Chapel, womens infirmary and cellar	Ground plan of new buildings
Section through a cell	Section through laundry and chapel	Front View

The prison population continued to grow at an alarming rate in Bedford (in 1802 65 gaol entries by 1817 242). In 1818 it was decided to erect a House of Correction not directly connected with the old County Gaol/House of Correction. The next year, a circular letter sent by the Clerk of the Peace stated the New House of Correction "...was fit for the reception of prisoners" Recommended by the court that offenders against the Game Laws, servants and labourers for misbehaviour in their employment, men for cases of bastardy, women committed for lewdness, persons committed for light offences or for want of sureties "with the exception in all cases of Prisoners of notoriously bad Characters" shall be sent there. The old or new house of correction should be specified on all warrants of commitment. There was a tread mill and a hand crank for those prisoners incapable of working at the tread mill.

For higher resolutions of some pictures and additional material see: New Bedford House of Correcion in the main gallery.