Marshalsea

Background

The Marshalsea (1373–1842) was a notorious prison in Southwark, just south of the River Thames. Although it housed a variety of prisoners—including men accused of crimes at sea and political figures charged with sedition—it became known, in particular, for its incarceration of the poorest of London's debtors. Over half of England's prisoners in the 18th century were in jail because of debt. Run privately for profit, as were all English prisons until the 19th century, the Marshalsea looked like an Oxbridge college and functioned as an extortion racket. Debtors in the 18th century who could afford the prison fees had access to a bar, shop and restaurant, and retained the crucial privilege of being allowed out during the day, which gave them a chance to earn money for their creditors.

Source: Wikipedia article lead, CC-BY-SA.

Same country, matched on type + security level where possible.

• HMP Wandsworth
  LondonHighLocal159% occupancy
• HMP Frankland
  DurhamMaximumLocal100% occupancy
• HMP Barlinnie
  GlasgowHighLocal147% occupancy
• HMP Cookham Wood
  KentHighLocal
• HMP Pentonville
  LondonHighYOI137% occupancy
• HMP Styal
  WilmslowHighClosed female

Under CC-BY-4.0. Include the URL and access date; the site is a living reference and entries can change.

World Prisons. (2026). Marshalsea. Retrieved October 25, 2026, from https://worldprisons.com/prisons/marshalsea

"Marshalsea." World Prisons. Accessed October 25, 2026. https://worldprisons.com/prisons/marshalsea.

@misc{worldprisons-marshalsea,
  author = {{World Prisons}},
  title = {Marshalsea},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://worldprisons.com/prisons/marshalsea},
  urldate = {2026-10-25}
}