Crown Court

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Once the only Assize for the entire county, this court has a long, fascinating and fearsome history. During the first decades of the 19th c people were sent here from all over Lancashire to stand trial at the twice-yearly sessions held in the Castle. Among their number were not only murderers, highway robbers, arsonists, thieves and conmen but also early Trades Unionists and men and women caught up in the many civil disturbances of this volatile period. Justice was swift and unforgiving, and while many people were hanged or imprisoned, many more were sentenced to Transportation to Australia- often for what seem today to be trivial offences.

Objects within the room

The following objects are located in this room:

Branding Iron The Branding Iron was in use until 1811. It was intended as a permanent record of a previous crime. The punishment was carried out in the dock, usually by the hangman, who would apply the red hot iron to the ball of the left thumb then call it ’A Fair Mark’ The iron has the letter ’M’ engraved in the top, which stands for ’Malefactor’ – evil doer.
Canopy Introduction here... Irish black oak, this weighs about a ton and is the work of the Gillow factory. There are many faces carved into the wood, and the style is, once again, ’mock’ or neo-gothic.