The Gaol
The Gaol by Kelly Grovier, published by John Murray in 2009, is a reprint edition comprising 332 pages in English. This book explores the historical significance of Newgate Prison, a central figure in British society for over 800 years. Grovier delves into the lives of both renowned and obscure individuals associated with the prison, illustrating how it served as a backdrop for pivotal events in England’s history, from the Peasants Revolt to the Great Fire.
Readers will find a detailed examination of Newgate’s role as a cultural and social hub, where legendary outlaws and playwrights intersected. The narrative weaves together stories of infamous figures like Robin Hood and Charles Dickens, while also highlighting the prison’s influence on literature and art. Through this exploration, Grovier presents a vivid account of a place that has inspired countless works, making it a significant subject in the realms of history and social science.
Official synopsis Publisher
For over 800 years Newgate was the grimy axle around which British society slowly twisted. This is where such legendary outlaws as Robin Hood and Captain Kidd met their fates, where the rapier-wielding playwrights Ben Jonson and Christopher Marlowe sharpened their quills, and where flamboyant highwaymen like Claude Duval and James Maclaine made legions of women swoon. While London’s theatres came and went, the gaol endured as Londons unofficial stage. From the Peasants Revolt to the Great Fire, it was at Newgate that England’s greatest dramas unfolded.
By piecing together the lives of forgotten figures as well as re-examining the prison’s links with more famous individuals, from Dick Whittington to Charles Dickens, this thrilling history goes in search of a ghostly place, erased by time, which has inspired more poems and plays, paintings and novels, than any other structure in British history.
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