One of Merseyside's former jails holds infamous tales.
Main Bridewell Liverpool was an old prison formerly owned by Merseyside Police Authority. The building, situated on Cheapside, just off Dale Street, was designed by Corporation Surveyor John Weightman and built in the early 1860s – finally opening its doors to the public in 1866
It was originally used to hold petty criminals and for most of the 20th century was used as a holding facility to detain people overnight prior to appearing in the neighbouring magistrates’ court. Cells would be packed with sailors, dockers and warehouse workers.
READ MORE: Teen savagely attacked on birthday trip to watch Liverpool FC
The jail closed in 1999 and now the building, based on Campbell Street, is an award-winning pub. But there are some tales of the out jailhouse found on the British Newspaper Archive.
According to an 1875 article in the Hyde & Glossop Weekly News, and North Cheshire Herald of 208 prisoners in Main Bridewell on Saturday and Sunday nights "153 were drunk." The article added: "The number of persons apprehended for drunkenness on the corresponding nights last week was 147."
Another story of Bridewell is how a man was found dead in prison after drinking ink "in mistake for wine". According to a newspaper article in the Shields Daily News dated Thursday, January 1894, Francis Quinn aged 60, a well known wine and spirit broker's commission agent, who had offices in Liverpool and Belfast was found dead in the Main Bridewell Liverpool.
The article said: "He was found unconscious in his office on Tuesday night, and was taken by police to the hospital, where it was thought he was drunk. He was then moved to Bridewell, and it was afterwards ascertained that he had swallowed a quantity of ink in mistake for wine."
Another story was one of a prisoner escape. In the Driffield Times an article titled 'Daring Escape of Prisoner' was dated March 15, 1873. It said John Wilson, also known as 'Scotch Gandy' was in court after trying to breakout of Bridewell jail.
According to the article the prisoner was "awaiting his examination on the charge of stealing several cash boxes" when he "mysteriously disappeared" and was not found until two months later. He was found London.
Wilson told officers when he was caught he managed to escape by "slipping into an empty cell" where he "concealed himself under a seat and waiting till it was quiet he got out into the "open corridor, climbed up a spout in the yard on to the roof and dropped 15 feet into the fire station yard."
The prisoner then escaped into the street "without being noticed". After being found he was sent to trial on charges of "prison breaking" and "stealing of the cash boxes".
