Life Inside

Although it only had a short-lived history the gaol played host to many fascinating and tragic stories. Life Inside is a repository for some of these remarkable moments and also a collection of short and engaging articles on life in and around the gaol. These have been put together by the principal team and a selection of local experts and students.

Dr Clare Sandford-Couch Dr Clare Sandford-Couch

Force feeding in Newcastle Gaol

Although most often associated with the treatment of suffragettes, force-feeding was also used more widely in prisons as a means of imposing discipline. A number of women supporting the suffrage movement went on hunger strike in Newcastle Gaol and were subjected to the ordeal of force feeding (for example, Lady Constance Lytton in 1909). However, what is less well-known is that some men held in the gaol during and after the First World War also underwent the ordeal of force feeding. These men were all Conscientious Objectors.

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