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More than 5000 entries on the history, culture and life of Britain (published in 1993 by Macmillan, now out of print)
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Newgate
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London's most notorious prison, occupying from the 12C a succession of buildings on the same site (to the northwest of St Paul's). It was from here that Jack *Sheppard made his extraordinary escapes. Later in the same century Newgate was attacked and burnt by the *Gordon rioters, in 1780. Shortly after that event the gallows were moved here from *Tyburn; executions were held outside the prison in front of large crowds until 1868, when they were transferred inside. It was the appalling conditions of female prisoners in Newgate which inspired Elizabeth *Fry's work of reform. The jail was pulled down in 1902 to be replaced by the *Old Bailey. The Newgate Calendars, published at various times between 1773 and 1826, were accounts of the most notorious crimes. They made popular reading and provided plots for many Victorian novels and *melodramas.
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