First jail in accrington

[hasyred]

Anyone know we're the first jail was before the police station was built

[Accyexplorer]

The Town hall or the market hall?

I heard a rumour they used a tunnel between the two to transport prisoners,so my 'guess' would be one of them.
I'm sure,one of our more knowledgable members will have the answer.

[maxthecollie]

I believe that there was a court in the town hall with police cells.

[cashman]

Originally Posted by hasyred

Anyone know we're the first jail was before the police station was built

Good question think the police station was only built in early 30s?

[spw]

From From Accrington Observer dated I" April 1911 a transcription from the Ob of 1st April 1911 states "The old dungeon was at the corner of Peel‑street and Blackburn‑road"
An April Fool joke? Probably not.

[Atarah]

Something ringing a bell with me about Cross Street being the site of an old police station. will have to check this out.

[Balbus]

I think the Borough Arms in Cross Street (opposite Stuttard's Garage) was the Police Station before it became a pub.

[Atarah]

Yep, you're right Balbus. This was the site of the old pub and so this must be the site of the old police station

[Bob Dobson]

Though the town had a constable ( Mr Booth) before 1840, it was in that year that the county police came. I too think that a building in this location held a cell or two. The one opposite the town hall would have been built before we got our own newspaper so the building of it may not have been covered in the Blackburn papers.

[Bob Dobson]

The pub's name - Borough Arms - may also contain a clue that it was owned by the Local Board before becoming a pub. I have no time to look, but it will be interesting to see if the pub existed in 1869, when a list of pubs was made.

[Balbus]

Richard Shaw Crossley, in his book, says it was the Spinners Arms in 1869, and in Oak Street. There appears to be a bricked up doorway in Oak Street, although I can only remember an entrance in Cross Street. There was a substantial cellar which could have served as cells.

[Retlaw]

The first Police constable in Acc was Joe Booth his residence was in Cross St, which later became the Borough Arms, the court house was situated in Manchester Rd under what became the Fire Stn Houses. In 1858 the Courts were moved to the Peel Institute, the Police Stn was at the top of Union St, and a underground passage led from there to the cells under the Peel Institute.

[Atarah]

I dont think I have heard of the Spinners Arms before, here in Accrington?
Many years ago, when they were refurbishing that building, the workmen let me go down into the basement and take some photos. Some huge stone steps lead from the cellar out onto Cross Street. I took a photo at the time, can I find it now .................................................. .....??????

[Rob1912]

Mr Adam Dugdale, who was born at Great Harwood, was a partner at Broad Oak Print Works from 1812 up to the time of his death in 1838. He bequeathed the Cross Street Charity at the lower end of Oak Street and abutting on Cross Street. The property was purchased in 1840 by the Rev. John Hopwood and the church wardens of St James' Church along with the overseers of Old and New Accrington, for the benefit of the poor of Old and New Accrington. The property was purchased for £250 of which £100 was the Adam Dugdale's request, and the balance was contributed by various inhabitants of Accrington. The value of this property was shown in 1896 when Nicholas Bentley, brewer, purchased the Borough Arms and the cottage adjoining for £2,930 under authority of the Charity Commissioners.

This property was at one period the Police Station of Accrington. It lost this distinction when the police took up their quarters at the Old Courthouse, Manchester Road, the prison cells being in the basement. The courthouse was in more recent times the Catholic Apostolic Church, a sect which has died out in Accrington although adherents still reside in the town.

In the list of beer house and tenants in old and new Accrington in 1869 prepared by Mr Richard Broughton for the Justices in 1916 we gleaned the following references to those that existed in Abbey Street (some previously referred to in this series are omitted): William Pilkington of the Lark Inn (objected to in 1869 but the licence was renewed, as well as that of the Spinners Arms, later Borough Arms in Oak Street).

From Crossley and Ainsworth Articles

[Rob1912]

At the corner of Blackburn-road and the drive to Accrington House (now Peel street) was the Old Dungeon, close by the edge of the Hyndburn. Used for the confinement of prisoners for trivial offences, it was of small dimensions but evidently large enough for the village lock up. Here Joe Booth, the village Constable, placed under lock and key his prisoners, the chief offenders being Wap Ingham and Old Terry. On one occasion while Wap was an inmate of the Dungeon old Terry contrived to convey to his pal a pint of ale to solace his stay in durance vile. Another story is told that these two characters, confined in the Dungeon at the same time, managed to escape and wrote “To Let” on the door. Whenever Joe Booth made captures on the Saturday night he locked them up in the Dungeon and on the Sunday morning proudly escorted them to the stocks in Warner-street, to be there "exhibited" as objects of shame.
Crossley and Ainsworth articles