Powers of the Realm · Court & law

Court & law · also Civic body

Harrowgate Gaol

Also called the gaol · the Harrowgate Lock-Up

The town's eleven-cell gaol, run by a gaoler paid by prisoners' fees, holding those awaiting the assize. It also holds, 'at the sheriff's pleasure', people brought in from the districts in conditions nobody can describe and who have committed no offence.

Named with it

  • Gaoler Simon Yeadon · The Harrowgate Gaol Book
  • Gaoler Martin Kidd · The Day Book of the Harrowgate Lock-Up

Ties

At the table

The gaoler is the most approachable official in Harrowgate and, for a consideration, will let a company speak to prisoners and will talk at length about the district; he records behaviour, never diagnosis. Some unaccountable prisoners have gone to the priory's sealed rooms, two to the county town at the bishop's order.