Executions: Prison Doors

Newgate Prison was London’s most iconic prison until the beginning of the 20th century with Holloway Prison being another very well known prison after becoming a female only prison, housing hundreds of suffragettes in the early 20th century.

Our Executions exhibition, open until 16 April 2023, holds an exterior door from Newgate Prison and an interior cell door from Holloway Prison. This door from Newgate Prison was also known as the Debtors Door and would have been the last door that the condemned would walk through before being met by thousands in a crowd as they walked to the scaffold ready for their demise. The door dates from around 1780 and in 1783, Tyburn closed as the main execution site, making Newgate Prison London’s new main execution site.

Between 1903 and 1955, 5 female prisoners were executed in the grounds of Holloway, the last being Ruth Ellis (the last woman to be hanged in the United Kingdom). Her controversial execution in 1955 became a catalyst in the debate on the permanent abolition of the death penalty for murder in the UK, achieved in 1969.

[jonldn]

"Execution Shed". the execution chamber was adjoining the condemned cell and not a separate "shed" this can be see in plans of Holloway and indeed other prisons

[robnewman]

My Family and I have been to The Museum of London.