Marshalsea Prison South Wall

Angel Place is an alley that leads from Borough High Street to Tennis Street, passing St George's Churchyard Gardens.

The wall that separates the gardens from the alley is all that remains of the south wall of Marshalsea Prison, a notorious debtor's prison that stood, in one state or another, on this site.

Brief History

The first Marshalsea Prison, 1373-1811, was located at what is now 161 Borough High Street and housed men accused of crimes at sea, political prisoners and debtors.

In 1799 the buildings were in a sad state and it was decided that a new prison be built just feet from the existing prison.

The second Marshalsea Prison, 1811-1842, was located at what is now 211 Borough High Street and was purely a debtor's prison.

It's most notable inmate was John Dickens who was imprisoned here, in 1824, when he ran up debt to a baker totalling £40 and 10 shillings. 

As Charles Dickens was only 12, at the time, he was forced to leave school and began work in a factory. He would later visit Marshalsea Prison, in 1857, basing a number of characters in his novel 'Little Dorrit' on his experiences.

Marshalsea Prison closed in 1842 and demolition began in the 1870s. However, some of the buildings were used as shops and rooms well into the 20th century.

The John Harvard Library, Borough, and the Southwark Archives now occupy the spot where the Marshalsea Prison stood.

The above plaque is affixed to the south wall of Marshalsea Prison and can be seen in St George's Churchyard Gardens.