The Chronicles of Newgate (Vol. 1&2)

'The Chronicles of Newgate' feature a detailed history of the well-known Newgate prison, which is in itself an epitome of the criminal history of England, from epoch to epoch, closely and minutely. Newgate, as the annexe of the Old Bailey, or great criminal law court of this city, has ever been closely connected with the administration of justice in the country. In its records are to be read the variations of the Statute Book. It is possible to trace at Newgate the gradual amelioration of the penal code, from the days of its pitiless ferocity, to the time when, thanks to the incessant protests of humanitarian and philanthropist, a milder system of punishment became the rule. Volume 1: Medieval Newgate Newgate in the Sixteenth Century Newgate in the Seventeenth Century (Down to the Great Fire) Newgate in the Seventeenth Century (After the Great Fire) In the Press-Yard Executions Escapes The Gaol Calendar The Gaol Fever The New Gaol Volume 2: Crimes and Criminals Newgate Down to 1818 Philanthropy in Newgate The Beginnings of Prison Reform The First Report of the Inspectors of Prisons Executions Newgate Notorieties Later Records Newgate Notorieties Newgate Reformed

Arthur Griffiths (1838-1908) was a British military officer, prison administrator and author who published more than 60 books during his lifetime, many of them mystery crime novels, such as A Son of Mars (1880) and Fast and Loose (1885). He was also a military historian who wrote extensively about the wars of the 19th century, and was for a time military correspondent for The Times newspaper.