Gatehouse Prison was a

prison A prison, also known as a jail, gaol, penitentiary, detention center, correction center, correctional facility, or remand center, is a facility where Prisoner, people are Imprisonment, imprisoned under the authority of the State (polity), state ...

Westminster Westminster is the main settlement of the City of Westminster in Central London, Central London, England. It extends from the River Thames to Oxford Street and has many famous landmarks, including the Palace of Westminster, Buckingham Palace, ...

, built in 1370 as the gatehouse of

Westminster Abbey Westminster Abbey, formally titled the Collegiate Church of Saint Peter at Westminster, is an Anglican church in the City of Westminster, London, England. Since 1066, it has been the location of the coronations of 40 English and British m ...

. It was first used as a prison by the Abbot, a powerful churchman who held considerable power over the precincts and sanctuary. It was one of the prisons which supplied the

Old Bailey The Central Criminal Court of England and Wales, commonly referred to as the Old Bailey after the street on which it stands, is a criminal court building in central London, one of several that house the Crown Court of England and Wales. The s ...

with information on former prisoners (such as their identity or prior criminal records) for making indictments against criminals. While he was imprisoned in the Gatehouse for petitioning to have the

Clergy Act 1640 The Clergy Act 1640 ( 16 Cha. 1. c. 27), also known as the Bishops Exclusion Act, or the Clerical Disabilities Act, was an act of the Parliament of England, effective 13 February 1642 that prevented men in holy orders from exercising any temp ...

annulled, Richard Lovelace wrote " To Althea, from Prison", with its famous lines The Gatehouse prison was demolished in 1776. On its site, in front of the Abbey's Great West Door, is the Westminster scholars'

Crimean War The Crimean War was fought between the Russian Empire and an alliance of the Ottoman Empire, the Second French Empire, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, and the Kingdom of Sardinia (1720–1861), Kingdom of Sardinia-Piedmont fro ...

Memorial.

Notable prisoners

* Giles Wigginton, a Puritan cleric and controversialist, was imprisoned for 2 months around 1584, for refusing to take an oath. *Sir

Walter Raleigh Sir Walter Raleigh (; – 29 October 1618) was an English statesman, soldier, writer and explorer. One of the most notable figures of the Elizabethan era, he played a leading part in English colonisation of North America, suppressed rebell ...

was held here the night before he was beheaded in

Old Palace Yard Old Palace Yard is a paved open space in the City of Westminster in Central London, England. It lies between the Palace of Westminster to its north and east and Westminster Abbey to its west. It is known as the site of executions, including tho ...

, Westminster on 29 October 1618. *

Thomas Bates Thomas Bates (1567 – 30 January 1606) was a member of the group of provincial English Catholics who planned the failed Gunpowder Plot of 1605. Bates was born at Lapworth in Warwickshire, and became a retainer to Robert Catesby, who from 1 ...

* Christopher Holywood * Richard Lovelace *

Samuel Pepys Samuel Pepys ( ; 23 February 1633 – 26 May 1703) was an English writer and Tories (British political party), Tory politician. He served as an official in the Navy Board and Member of Parliament (England), Member of Parliament, but is most r ...

* John Southworth * Sir

Thomas Ragland Sir Thomas Ragland (fl. 1563), of Carnllwyd, Glamorganshire, Wales and Roughton Holme, Norfolk and Walworth, Surrey, England, was a politician. Family Ragland was the eldest son of Sir John Ragland of Carnllwyd, who died by 1550. John Ragland ...

John Bastwick John Bastwick (1593–1654) was an English Puritan, physician and controversial writer. He was punished for his sedition and this included having his ears removed. He was supported by petitions from his wife Susanna Bastwick. Early life Bastwick ...

Henry Savile Henry Savile may refer to: *Henry Savile (died 1558) (1498–1558), MP for Yorkshire *Henry Savile (died 1569) (1518–1569), MP for Yorkshire and Grantham *Henry Savile (Bible translator) (1549–1622), English scholar and Member of the Parliament ...

* Laurence Vaux

Notable prisoners

References

Further reading