Everything about Bridewell Palace totally explained
Bridewell Palace,
London, originally a residence of
Henry VIII, later became a poorhouse and prison. Its name has come to be synonymous with police stations and detention facilities in England and Ireland.
It was built on the site of the medieval St Bride's Inn at a cost of £39,000 for Henry VIII, who lived there between
1515–
1523. Standing on the banks of the
Fleet River, it was named for a nearby well dedicated to
St Bride. The papal delegation had preliminary meetings here in
1528 to discuss the King's divorce from
Catherine of Aragon. A pet project of
Thomas Cardinal Wolsey, it was abandoned by the king after Wolsey's fall in 1530. It was leased to the French ambassador
1531–
1539.
In
1553,
Edward VI gave the palace over to the
City of London for the housing of homeless children and for the punishment of 'disorderly women'. The City took full possession in
1556 and turned the palace into a prison, hospital, and workrooms. The name 'Bridewell' was also adopted for other prisons in London, including the
Clerkenwell Bridewell (opened in 1615) and
Tothill Fields Bridewell in
Westminster.
Similar institutions throughout England, Ireland, and Canada
(External Link
) also borrowed the name Bridewell. Nowadays, the term frequently refers to a city's main detention facility, usually in close proximity to a courthouse, as in
Nottingham,
Leeds,
Gloucester,
Bristol,
Dublin and
Cork.
Eventually, the site of Bridewell Palace became a school known as Bridewell Royal Hospital. Most of the palace was destroyed in the
Great Fire of London, and rebuilt in
1666–
1667. In
1700 it became the first prison to appoint medical staff (a doctor). The prison was closed in
1855, and the buildings destroyed
1863–
1864. The school moved to a new site in
Surrey, and changed its name to
King Edward's School, Witley. It celebrated its 450th year in 2003.
The main site of the palace is now occupied by the
Unilever Building, (built
1931).
Further Information
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