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Click on Photo for
Kent Police Archives
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In 1746 a town Gaol was built on the south side of the Market Place near the Guildhall which was then a museum, during the building of this this gaol there were some labour troubles. The carpenters and labourers were quite prepared to receive 2/6d. and l/6d. a day respectively, but the bricklayers refused to work for 2/6d a day and the result was a strike believed to be the first on record. In May 1820 Dover Gaol was wrecked by smugglers after
ten seamen from Folkestone had been arrested. A hostile crowd began to
gather and with a cry of "Liberty for ever" they hurled stones
at the magistrates and soldiers. The Mayor at this time Sir Thomas Mantell,
read the riot act but the mob soon made a break in the wall with crowbars
and picks and the prisoners were released. They all made good their escape
and none were ever caught. |
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1841 UK Census For Dover Gaol (PDF File)
People tend to believe that Gaol's were full of Smugglers, Murders and Highwaymen, it is a sad fact that most of the inmates during the 1800's were very poor wretched people who were convicted of crimes such as Vagrancy, Steeling Turnips & Bread, Drunkeness, Not Being in Control of a Horse
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