On the evening of 4th March 2026, we were delighted to unveil a powerful new exhibition at Newcastle Cathedral, exploring the lives of women imprisoned in the city’s former prison at Carliol Square. Women Behind Bars: Life in Newcastle Prison, 1828–1925 brings together historical research, rare imagery and personal stories to shed light on an often-overlooked part of the city’s history.

The restrictions of prison life and confinement could often take a heavy toll and in some instances even result in prisoners taking their own lives. Although a relatively uncommon occurrence, there were numerous cases of suicide at Newcastle Gaol in its fairly short history. One particularly notable case was that of Alexander Ingram in 1911.

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.

In 1834, the office of Matron at Newcastle Gaol was vacant. It was an important if onerous position. The work would be hard, monotonous, and often physically challenging.

In 1883 a vacancy in the role of hangman occurred and it would appear that many North East residents were only too keen to apply. Their professions, perceived qualifications for the role and reasons for doing it offer fascinating insights into the culture of capital punishment in the period and the public’s interaction with it.

One of the few relics to have survived from the Surgeons’ Hall are a set of surgical instruments that would have been used to explore the inner workings of Newcastle’s dead. So why were Newcastle’s surgeons obliged to dissect some criminal corpses, and what opinions did people have about the anatomists?

On the morning of Wednesday 26th November 1919, two men (Ambrose Quinn and Ernest Bernard Scott) were executed at Newcastle prison. They were to be the last two people to ever suffer that fate at the prison and although unconnected, their crimes and profiles bore many remarkable similarities.

Although Lloyd George was closely guarded and the city was packed with police, some WSPU activists managed to break windows at the Liberal Club, General Post Office, and Palace Theatre. These protests, later dubbed the "Battle of Newcastle", led to the arrest of 12 women who served sentences of up to one month in Newcastle Gaol. Here are some of their stories.

The coroner may not be the first person you think about when considering the people connected with a gaol. However, as the judge tasked with investigating sudden and unexplained death, to report the death to the government, the coroner visited the gaol each time a prisoner died.