Bridewell Palace

Bridewell Palace , also Bridewell Royal Hospital , in London was originally a residence of King Henry VIII and later a poor house and prison . The name Bridewell later became synonymous with police stations and prisons in England and Ireland.

The palace was built on the site of the medieval St. Bride's Inn for Henry VIII, who lived there from 1515 to 1523. Located on the banks of the River Fleet , it is named after a nearby fountain dedicated to St. Bride . The papal delegation met here in advance in 1528 to discuss the king's divorce from Catherine of Aragon . The building was a favorite project of Cardinal Thomas Wolsey and was abandoned by the King after Wolsey's fall in 1530. From 1531 to 1539 it was leased to the French ambassador.

1553 gave Edward VI. the palace to the City of London for accepting homeless children and punishing disorderly women. From 1556 the palace was used as a prison as well as a hospital and school, for which the name Bridewell Royal Hospital became naturalized.

The name Bridewell was later adopted for other prisons in London, including Clerkenwell Bridewell (opened 1615) and Tothill Felder Bridewell in Westminster. Similar institutions in England, Ireland and Canada, as well as in the United States, were subsequently named Bridewell. Usually the term refers to the main detention facility in a city or region, typically located near a courthouse.

The palace was largely destroyed in the Great Fire of London in 1666 and partially rebuilt in 1667. In 1834 the prison moved to a nearby building near Francis Street . Bridewell was demolished in 1863/64. The school moved to Surrey and changed its name to King Edward's School, Witley .

Web links

Commons : Bridewell Palace  - collection of pictures, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

1. ↑ King Edward's School: History ( Memento of the original from March 3, 2011 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.  

Coordinates: 51 ° 30 ′ 42.5 ″  N , 0 ° 6 ′ 20.9 ″  W.