Description | There had been a house of correction, the Tothill Fields Bridewell, for "rogues, vagabonds and sturdy beggars" since 1618, situated further east under the modern Howick Place and used for convicted criminals since the early 18th century. The Middlesex House of Correction was constructed in 1830-1834 by Robert Abraham to house 800 convicts and was finally closed in 1877. Reserved exclusively for women and boys under the age of 17 from 1850 to 1877, the Middlesex House of Correction mainly employed prisoners in picking oakum. |