Hull prison.

 Hull prison.

The foundation stone of the new Hull Prison, a large brick built edifice on a 12-acre site on Hedon Road, Hull was laid on the 9th of October 1865, with the building opening to inmates in 1869.  It had been designed by the borough surveyor David Thorp who died before it was completed.  It was based on the “Panopticon” principle with four wings radiating from a central tower.  There was a governor’s house, together with separate accommodations for deputy governor, the chaplain, and the chief turnkey (chief warder).  

The new building provided 304 certified cells, 84 noncertified cells, 11 punishment cells, and 24 reception cells. The average daily population in 1870 was 204, but by 1873 this had risen to 280. In 1877 187 military prisoners were taken in by contract, and by 1879 the daily prison population had risen to 394.  The prison was transferred to the control of the Prison Commission under the Prisons Act of 1877. Accommodation was increased and by 1880 120 new cells had been constructed.

Executions were transferred to Hull from York in 1902 and it is assumed that an execution shed was constructed as was the norm at that time. It may be the shed in the foreground, just to the right of the wing. The later condemned suite has now been converted to a standard cell, the hanging room is a shower block and the mortuary, below it, is a store room.

Nine men and one woman were hanged here between 1902 and 1934.  

Arthur Richardson, age 30, was executed on the 25th of March 1902. He had murdered his aunt, Sarah Hebden on the 28th of November 1901, at 97 Hodgson Street, Hull in the course of robbing her. 

The executioners were William and John Billington and Richardson who weighed 133 lbs. was given a drop of 7’ 4”.  

44 year old William James Bolton was sentenced to death for the murder of Jane Allen, his former girlfriend, whom he stabbed to death, before turning the knife on himself. 

He was hanged by William and John Billington on the 23rd of December 1902.  

On the 22nd of December 1903, 19 year old Charles William Ashton was hanged for the murder by shooting of 16-year-old Annie Marshall who he met at Mr. Brewster's farm where they were both employed.  The motive for the killing was seemingly that Annie rebuffed his advances.  The executioners were William and John Billington.

Thomas Siddle, aged 29, was convicted of the murder of his estranged wife, Gertude.  She had gone to live with a Mrs. Felcy at 2 Strathfield House Tyne Street in Hull.  On the evening of Tuesday the 9th of June, Siddle visited her and cut her throat with a razor.  He was hanged by Henry Pierrepoint and John Ellis at 9.00 a.m. on the 4th of August 1908

46 year old John Freeman was convicted of stabbing to death his sister-in-law, Florence, at 4 Kingston Place, Porter Street, Hull, with whom he was having an affair. He was hanged on the 7th of December 1909 by Henry Pierrepoint and John Ellis.  Being of light build and weighing just 131 lbs., he was given a drop of 8’ 0”.  

The next hanging here was that 26 year old William George Smith for the murder of a mother of three, Elizabeth Bousefield, the housekeeper at a house in Arundel Street, Holderness Road Hull. He had cut her throat.  He was hanged by Thomas Pierrepoint and Robert Baxter on Tuesday the 9th of December 1924.  He weighed 182 lbs. and was given a drop of 6’ 0”.  

Hubert Ernest Dalton, age 39, murdered his friend, 68 year old Francis Ward, for £12 and his watch on or about the 3rd of October 1924. Dalton was hanged at Hull prison at 9.00 a.m. on Wednesday the 10th of June 1925 by Thomas Pierrepoint and Robert Baxter.  He weighed 126 lbs. and was given a drop of 8’ 3”.

On New Year's Eve 1931, 49 year old George Michael murdered his "wife" Theresa Mary Hempstock, 44, at her home on Upper Union Street in Hull.  The problem was that Theresa was still married to another man and their wedding was bigamous.  Michael was jealous and felt betrayed when Theresa confessed to her bigamy. He moved out of their home but returned and stabbed her to death in the presence of a police officer, before turning the knife on himself.  He was hanged within Hull prison at 9.00 am. on the morning of Wednesday the 27th of April, 1932 by Thomas Pierrepoint, assisted by Henry Pollard.

28 year old Roy Gregory was convicted of the murder of two year old Dorothy Margaret Addinall on the 9th of March 1933, at his rented house at 40 Queen Street in Scarborough.  He had hit the little girl on the head repeatedly with a brick layer’s hammer and then buried her body in the cellar.  Her body lay undiscovered for five months.  Gregory was hanged at 9.00 a.m. on the 3rd of January 1934, by Thomas Pierrepoint, assisted by Thomas Phillips.  His weight was recorded as 159 lbs. and he was given a drop of 7’ 0”.

Forty three year old Ethel Major poisoned her husband whom she hated, 44 year old Arthur, with strychnine in corned beef which she gave him on May the 24th, 1934 at their home at No. 2 Council Houses in Kirkby on Bain, near Horncastle, Lincolnshire.

Ethel was hanged by Tom Pierrepoint, assisted by his nephew, Albert, at 9.00 a.m. on Wednesday, the 19th of December, 1934. She weighed 123 lbs. and her drop was set at 8’ 6”, causing fracture/dislocation of the 2nd, 3rd and 4th cervical vertebrae.   Ethel’s ghost is said to still haunt the prison.

All of these cases are covered in more detail on my FaceBook blog.