Wick Prison

[sjaneo85]

Hi

I am wondering if anyone has/ knows where I can access a photo of the old Wick prison. My ancestory Henry Osborne was the govenor of the prison and his wife Christina was matron. I am not from Scotland but hoping to visit one day but want to start scrapbooking my family history

Thanks Sarah-Jane

[brandy]

wick had a prison?

[sjaneo85]

Yes haha. I think it had a huge population - at one time when it was inspected it had 4 prisoners! Also had a huge staff comprising Henry and Margaret only. I have found someone else taking it over later but nothing about what happened to it, no photos etc.

[trinkie]

I think it was in the Market Square, on the corner where the Registrar's Office is now,
Hope I'm right !
Trinkie

[sgmcgregor]

Sarah-Jane,

I don't know this photo is precisely relevant, but there is a photo to be found on the Johnston Collection website, taken between 1930 to 1939, which shows a jail in the background. It isn't very clear, and dependant on when your ancestor was working in the jail, it may not be the same time period. Was there more than one jail in Wick, at different locations over the years? I don't personally know.

Anyway the photo can be seen at

http://www.johnstoncollection.net/sh...=jail&pindex=0

The Johnston Collection, held by the Wick Society, can be found at

http://www.johnstoncollection.net/default.aspx

I have an interest in any details people might have about the jail, as I have a direct ancestor who was held in Wick jail in 1840. Hugh McGregor had been sentenced to 14 years transportation to Australia, and while he was awaiting being taken to Sheerness, England, for transportation aboard the vessel Eden, he was held in the jail. I have found a newspaper article in the John O'Groat Journal (a local newspaper) which mentions this, because his wife, Esther Budge, attempted to help him to escape. It may be a bit of a cliche, smuggling a file into the jail, but that is what she did. Hugh was discovered only after he had almost completely filed his way through one of the bars on the jail's window.

Anyway, you may want to check out the website, and the photo.

Regards,
Steven

[Mosser]

This an image of the Pulteneytown Jail in Lower Pulteney. By the time that this photo was taken it was being used as a children's health centre for the disadvantaged. The Jail that Henry Osbourne and his good lady ran was on the left side of the Town Hall in Wick Bridge Street. The Osbourne's lived in an offshoot of Coach Road known to this day as Osbourne Place. This Henry Osbourne had a son, also Henry, who was an avid naturalist and friend of Robert Innes Shearer whose work on Birds and Mammals of Caithness is covered in detail in the book by Hugh Clark and Robin M. Sellars published in early 2005.

[lorry]

there are a row of old cells bellow bridge st with a steep stair that led to the court house which have not been used in decades as they built the then new cells /police station which are now demolished there is a spiral staircase in the court house that is the way down to them but it is spooky

[sjaneo85]

Thanks everyone

sgmcgregor your ancestor must've been there at the time of mine. In the 1841 census they are at the prison. Id be interested to know if you have any reports that mention Henry and/or Christina Osborne

I am really looking for a nice photo of any era of the prison. I would prefer 1841 ish till about 1861 as that's when they were there but any time would be ok as I want something for a family history scrapbook I am making. I dont have much to put in there on this family apart from the exerts people on here have given me

[sgmcgregor]

There is a wbesite called Am Baile, which you can use to search, among others, the John O'Groat Journal newspaper. At present they only have from 1836 to 1887 indexed. The site can be found at http://www.ambaile.org.uk/en/newspapers/index.jsp

I searched for "Osborne", and there is one story that matches - the brief desription is given as...


Buildings > Prisons

Governor Osborne of Wick jail moves in to make his home in the precincts and install his collection of exotic birds (pheasants and pigeons etc.)

John O'Groat Journal Friday, 19 July 1850


There are also four matches when searching "Osbourne". The descriptions are...

Natural History > Fauna

John Osbourne (son of govenor of Wick Jail) captures carp-like fish- local name "Barbardoe Haddock" armed with spines. Bitten by fish and blood poisoning sets in, doctor treats successfully. Unfortunatly fish not preserved.

John O'Groat Journal Friday, 10 September 1852


People > Deaths

Osbourne, Archibald McDougall (infant son of John an Jessie Osbourne) Caithness Cottage: Christchurch

John O'Groat Journal Thursday, 7 May 1874


People > Deaths

Bain: Christina (76) wife of Henry Osbourne at Coach Road, Wick

John O'Groat Journal Thursday, 7 August 1879


People > Marriages

Robertson: James to Margaret, second daughter of Henry Osbourne, governer of Wick Prisons at Bridge Street

John O'Groat Journal Wednesday, 20 June 1855


These articles can be ordered via the website, and Wick Library will scan the article and email it to you. I will warn you though that they are very busy, and it can take quite a while to get the articles sent to you. I assume they must be getting more and more requests, as the service used to have a quicker turn around. But, it is a very useful service.

Hope this helps,
Steven

[sgmcgregor]

There is one photo on the Johnston Collection website which may be of interest. The earliest photo, and the best one I have found so far, of the Town Hall was taken 1870-1879. If the jail was linked to the Town Hall, then this is the best bet.

Check out http://www.johnstoncollection.net/sh...0hall&pindex=0

Regards,
Steven

[Mosser]

Thanks everyone

sgmcgregor your ancestor must've been there at the time of mine. In the 1841 census they are at the prison. Id be interested to know if you have any reports that mention Henry and/or Christina Osborne

I am really looking for a nice photo of any era of the prison. I would prefer 1841 ish till about 1861 as that's when they were there but any time would be ok as I want something for a family history scrapbook I am making. I dont have much to put in there on this family apart from the exerts people on here have given me

Photography did not begin in Wick until 1863 so your best image would be found in http://www.johnstoncollection.net/sh...=jail&pindex=0