Brecon Gaol
Powys County Archives
Law and Order
Brecon Gaol
The County Gaol at Brecon was opened in May 1781 and was enlarged in 1858 and 1865. The original plans of the gaol show the prisoner's day rooms and cells on the ground floor, with the kitchen and pantry, magistrate's room, chapel, gaolers and turnkeys rooms on the first floor, and the lumbar room, gaoler's and debtor's rooms on the top floor.
In 1891 the census records that the following persons were living in the prison, although the reasons for their incarceration were not detailed:
| 1891 Census | ||||||
| HM Prison, Newgate Street, Brecon | ||||||
| Name | Position
in household |
Marital
status |
Age | Occupation | Place of birth | English/
Welsh speaker |
| David Mynard | Head | M | 63 | Governor of H M Prison | Hereford | English |
| Ellen M Mynard | Wife | M | 63 |
Manley, Herefordshire |
English | |
| Annie Magrath | Matron | S | 36 | Matron | Kent, Chatham | English |
| Alfred Hubbard | Warder | M | 42 | Warder | Staffordshire, Eccleshall | English |
| Jonathan Peacock | Warder | M | 35 | Warder | Yorkshire, Northallerton | English |
| John Lloyd | Night Watch | M | 38 | Nightwatchman | Breconshire, Builth | English |
| Elizabeth Watts | S | 21 | Undergoing imprisonment |
Glasbury, Radnorshire | English | |
| Annie A Johns | S | 28 |
-do-
|
Cardiganshire,Lampeter | English and Welsh | |
| Elizabeth J Watkins | S | 21 |
-do-
|
Breconshire, Llanelly | English | |
| John Lewis | M | 46 |
-do-
|
Breconshire, Aberyscir | English and Welsh | |
| Charles Eynstone | Widr | 40 |
-do-
|
Berkshire, Cothill | English | |
| Alfred Brain | M | 33 |
-do-
|
Gloucestershire, Cinderford |
English | |
| James Burns | S | 63 |
-do-
|
Ireland | English | |
| John Donovan | S | 24 |
-do-
|
Ireland | English | |
| George Wilson | M | 20 |
-do-
|
Hampshire, Brown Caudones | English | |
| Joseph Hamish | S | 20 |
-do-
|
Monmouthshire, Blaina | English | |
| Patrick Hury | M | 36 |
-do-
|
Brecon | English | |
| Charles Smith | S | 28 |
-do-
|
Middlesex, London | English | |
| Frank Richards | S | 18 |
-do-
|
Brecon | English | |
| John Williams | S | 25 |
-do-
|
Glamorganshire, Briton Ferry | English | |
| John Mahoney | S | 20 |
-do-
|
Breconshire, Brunmawr | English | |
Of the 15 prisoners incarcerated there at the time only 7 were originally from the area. The prison governor had his own residence within the prison grounds.