Children in the prison

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Before the introduction of the Borstal System, children were regularly imprisoned along with adult offenders.

The photograph shows boys aged 11 and 13 who had been convicted in Portsmouth in 1899 of causing wilful damage to a door by throwing mortar at it. Their case was typical of the times.

They were sentenced to five days' hard labour or a fine of 7s 6d. The high level of poverty which prevailed often meant that hard labour was the only option available.

Throughout its life a s a prison, Lancaster has been viewed as an extremely well-run and humane establishment. Life, harsh as it undoubtedly was for inmates, was often made bearable by the enlightened thinking of the various governors of the prison. Lancaster was one of the first gaols in England to segregate its inmates by age and gender.

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