Debtors Prison Collection

The Power Of Justice, c1788. Creator: George Morland
The Power Of Justice, c1788. Shows a poor weaver being taken to debtor's prison by an officer of the law. The weaver is leaving behind his distressed wife and two children

Regency gentlemen locked up in Radford's Hotel, Carey Street, for nonpayment of a bill at Long's Hotel
FLO4619154 Regency gentlemen locked up in Radford's Hotel, Carey Street, for nonpayment of a bill at Long's Hotel. Morning and in Low Spirits. A scene in a lock-up house

A lawyer being tossed in a blanket by his colleagues in the yard at King's Bench Prison
FLO4619006 A lawyer being tossed in a blanket by his colleagues in the yard at King's Bench Prison. Debtors and creditors inside a debtor's prison

A committee of the House of Commons at the Fleet Prison, 1729, illustration from Hutchinsons Story of the British
STC373546 A committee of the House of Commons at the Fleet Prison, 1729, illustration from Hutchinsons Story of the British Nation, c.1923 (colour litho) by Hogarth

Whitecross Street Prison, 1850 (w / c on paper)
XCF267472 Whitecross Street Prison, 1850 (w/c on paper) by Shepherd, Thomas Hosmer (1792-1864); Private Collection; (add.info.: built for debtors in 1815; ); English, out of copyright

At Anchor in the Fleet (engraving)
614650 At Anchor in the Fleet (engraving) by English School, (19th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: At Anchor in the Fleet)

A poor look out (engraving)
614644 A poor look out (engraving) by English School, (19th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: A poor look out, depicting a prisoner at Fleet Prison)

The Exodus from Whitecross-Street Debtors Prison (engraving)
2772053 The Exodus from Whitecross-Street Debtors Prison (engraving) by English School, (19th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: The Exodus from Whitecross-Street Debtors Prison)

Gentlemen Debtors in the Queens Bench (engraving)
614648 Gentlemen Debtors in the Queens Bench (engraving) by English School, (19th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: Cover of the London Saturday Journal (published on 11 December 1841)

The Rake in Prison, plate VII, from A Rakes Progress
STC451231 The Rake in Prison, plate VII, from A Rakes Progress, illustration from Hogarth Restored: The Whole Works of the celebrated William Hogarth, re-engraved by Thomas Cook, pub

A Rakes Progress VII: The Rake in Prison, 1733 (oil on canvas)
SJS2004 A Rakes Progress VII: The Rake in Prison, 1733 (oil on canvas) by Hogarth, William (1697-1764); 62.2x75 cm; Courtesy of the Trustees of Sir John Soanes Museum

Arrested for Debt, plate V from A Rakes Progress
STC451147 Arrested for Debt, plate V from A Rakes Progress, illustration from Hogarth Restored: The Whole Works of the celebrated William Hogarth, re-engraved by Thomas Cook, pub

Reception of a debtor in the Fleet Prison (engraving)
614649 Reception of a debtor in the Fleet Prison (engraving) by English School, (19th century); Private Collection; (add.info)

English gentleman writing a begging letter in a decrepit parlour, 1817 (engraving)
5912752 English gentleman writing a begging letter in a decrepit parlour, 1817 (engraving) by Rowlandson, Thomas (1756-1827); (add.info)

Logic in the debtors prison, being visited by Tom and Jerry (colour litho)
2795520 Logic in the debtors prison, being visited by Tom and Jerry (colour litho) by Cruikshank, Isaac Robert (1789-1856); Private Collection; (add.info.: Logic in the debtors prison)

Chap. XIII: Ste. Pelagie! charmant sejour! (Sainte-Pelagie Prison, a charming stay!), 1824

Study for a Title-Page: Allegory of Commerce and a Debtors Prison (?), n. d
Study for a Title-Page: Allegory of Commerce and a Debtors Prison (?), n.d.. Attributed to Romeyn de Hooghe

The Marshalsea Prison, in the Eighteenth Century, (c1878). Creator: Unknown
The Marshalsea Prison, in the Eighteenth Century, (c1878). Marshalsea Prison on Borough High Street, Southwark, London. Marshalsea was particularly known as a debtors prison

The Kings Bench, Southwark, in 1830, (c1878). Creator: Unknown
The Kings Bench, Southwark, in 1830, (c1878). The Kings Bench Prison in south London dated back to medieval times. It was used as a debtors prison until the practice was abolished in the 1860s

Giltspur Street Compter, 1840, (c1872). Creator: Unknown
Giltspur Street Compter, 1840, (c1872). Giltspur Street Compter in London was a debtors prison and house of correction...it was used as a place of imprisonment for debtors...The Compter was a dirty

Ah! Mr Bilk em how d ye do?... c1825. Two men meet outside Fleet Prison. One is old, thin, poor and respectable the other obese and flashily dressed

Scene at Whitecross Street Prison showing a release of prisoners, London, 1870. Artist
Scene at Whitecross Street Prison showing a release of prisoners, London, 1870. From The Graphic

Proteus taking a benefit according to law, 1825
Proteus Taking a Benefit According to Law, 1825. Interior view of Whitecross Street Prison for debtors, London

View of Whitecross Street Prison for debtors, London, c1840

View of Borough Compter, a debtors prison in Mill Lane, Bermondsey, London, 1826

The Kings Bench Prison as it appeared in 1823, c1827, (1912). The Kings Bench Prison, Southwark, took its name from the Kings Bench court of law in which cases of defamation

The reception of a debtor in Fleet Prison in the days of George II, 18th century (19th century). Artist: Beech
The reception of a debtor in Fleet Prison in the days of George II, 18th century (19th century)

The Rake in Prison, plate VII, from A Rakes Progress (engraving)
XJF397619 The Rake in Prison, plate VII, from A Rakes Progress (engraving) by Hogarth, William (1697-1764); Private Collection; (add.info.: The Rake is shown confined to Fleet Prison for debt)

Detail of Amy Dorrit from the frontispiece to Little Dorrit by Charles Dickens
XJF394269 Detail of Amy Dorrit from the frontispiece to Little Dorrit by Charles Dickens (engraving) (detail of 394268) by Browne

Frontispiece to Little Dorrit by Charles Dickens, 1857 (engraving)
XJF394268 Frontispiece to Little Dorrit by Charles Dickens, 1857 (engraving) by Browne, Hablot Knight (Phiz) (1815-92); Private Collection; (add.info.: Charles Dickens (1812-70); ); English

Arrested for Debt, plate V from A Rakes Progress (engraving)
XJF393899 Arrested for Debt, plate V from A Rakes Progress (engraving) by Hogarth, William (1697-1764); Private Collection; (add.info)

Arrested for Debt, plate V from A Rakes Progress, from The Works
KW281815 Arrested for Debt, plate V from A Rakes Progress, from The Works of William Hogarth, published 1833 (litho) by Hogarth

The Prison Scene, plate VII from A Rakes Progress, from The Works
KW281830 The Prison Scene, plate VII from A Rakes Progress, from The Works of William Hogarth, published 1833 (litho) by Hogarth, William (1697-1764); Private Collection; Ken Welsh; English

Little Dorrits Party, illustration from Little Dorrit by Charles Dickens
KW259274 Little Dorrits Party, illustration from Little Dorrit by Charles Dickens (1812-70) first published 1857 (litho) by Browne

The Birds in the Cage, illustration from Little Dorrit by Charles Dickens
KW259271 The Birds in the Cage, illustration from Little Dorrit by Charles Dickens (1812-70) first published 1857 (litho) by Browne

The Wardens Room, illustration from The Pickwick Papers by Charles Dickens
KW259107 The Wardens Room, illustration from The Pickwick Papers by Charles Dickens (1812-70) published 1837 (litho) by Browne, Hablot Knight (Phiz) (1815-92); Private Collection; Ken Welsh; English

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"Behind the Bars: Exploring the Dark History of Debtors Prison" Step back in time to 18th and 19th century Britain, where debtors prison was a grim reality for those who fell into financial ruin. This captivating collection of illustrations takes us on a journey through the haunting corridors of these infamous institutions. In one scene, we witness a committee of the House of Commons at Fleet Prison in 1729. The image portrays the harsh conditions faced by debtors as they awaited their fate, trapped within its cold walls. Another illustration depicts Bambridge on trial for murder by that very same committee, showcasing how even more serious crimes were dealt with within these unforgiving confines. The Whitecross Street Prison from 1850 reveals another facet of this dark chapter in history. Watercolor brushstrokes bring to life the desolation and despair experienced by those imprisoned there. "At Anchor in the Fleet" captures an eerie atmosphere as prisoners gaze out from behind bars, yearning for freedom that seems forever out of reach. "Gentlemen Debtors in the Queens Bench" sheds light on how social status did not exempt individuals from being locked away due to unpaid debts. Meanwhile, William Hogarth's iconic series "A Rake's Progress" offers a poignant narrative about one man's downfall leading him straight into prison walls. "The Exodus from Whitecross-Street Debtors Prison" showcases both hope and desperation as inmates make their way towards liberation or perhaps just another form of captivity elsewhere. And finally, "Reception of a debtor in the Fleet Prison" exposes us to the chilling moment when new arrivals are confronted with their bleak future inside these merciless establishments. These evocative images serve as reminders that debtors prisons were not merely places for punishment but also symbols of societal failure and inequality. They stand as testament to our progress over time while urging us never to forget those who suffered under such oppressive systems.