Fleet Prison and Marshalsea closed; Pentonville completed

Background. Fleet Prison and the Marshalsea were notorious London prisons primarily used for debtors. The Fleet, built in 1197, was closed in 1842, while the Marshalsea, established in 1373, was closed in the same year. Both institutions were subject to Acts of Parliament that mandated the relocation of their inmates to the Queen's Bench Prison, reflecting a shift in the handling of debtors and bankrupts in London.

Pentonville Completion. Pentonville Prison, located in the Barnsbury area of London, was constructed between April 1840 and 1842. It was designed to hold Category B/C adult males, including those remanded by local courts or serving short sentences. The completion of Pentonville in 1842 coincided with the closure of the older debtor prisons, marking a transition in London's penal infrastructure.

Inmate Transfer. Following the closure of the Fleet and Marshalsea, inmates were relocated to the Queen's Bench Prison, which had been renamed in 1842. The Marshalsea inmates were moved to the Queen's Prison or to Bethlem Hospital if mentally ill. The Fleet Prison was sold to the City of London in 1844 and demolished in 1846, ending its long history as a debtor's prison.