Crime and Punishment

The castle has been used as a place of imprisonment since it was built. In 1188 Giraldus Cambrensis wrote of a prisoner who held three boys to ransom in his cell. Later, a survey of 1577 reported two prisons at the castle; one under the Berhinock Tower and the other at the main entrance, although by then it was 'utterlie decayed'.

In 1774 John Howard, the prison reformer, visited Haverfordwest. He condemned the County Gaol in the Clock house, situated between St. Mary's Street and Dark Street, as an 'ancient loathsome place of confinement'. Between 1779-80 a new gaol was built in the castle against the south wall of the inner ward costing £1200. The specifications for the cells indicate they were to be 13ft long and 6.5ft wide. The windows were to be 2.5ft by 1.5ft. 415 French soldiers were kept in the prison following the last invasion of Britain at Fishguard in 1797.

In 1803 James Nield, the prison reformer, visited the County Gaol at the castle. He complained that there was no infirmary or bath, the felons had only straw to sleep on, and debtors and felons were able to associate during daytime. This later problem was solved in 1816 when a debtors' prison was built.

Neild's comments may have influenced the building of the new prison in 1820. It had 3 floors divided into 8 wards, there were 2 work rooms, 8 day rooms and 8 airing yards. Later, the number of cells increased to 110. There was also a chapel, a courthouse and a gallows within the main building.

A treadmill was installed at the prison, which turned the millstones of a flourmill. This provided work for up to 64 prisoners. The mill was used to provide flour for making the prisoner's bread which was baked in the prison. Built in the south eastern corner of the inner ward, the mill had two wheels each 5ft in diameter, one for the men and one for the women. The prisoners worked on the wheels for seven hours a day in the winter and ten in the summer. Records of the quantity of flour ground by the mill survive until 1893, but the subsequent history of the mill is obscure.

The number of prisoners in the gaol varied. Normally there were between 20 and 40, but sometimes there were as many as 70-80. The most common, crime committed was felony. Others were punished for breaking the peace; smuggling; and rioting. In 1821 the murderer William Roblin was the last man to be hanged at the prison.

In 1878, the prison was closed by order of the Home Secretary and the prisoners transferred to Carmarthen. The site became the headquarters of the Pembrokeshire Constabulary until 1962. The building is now home to the County Record Office.