Aberdeen's House of Correction
You may have noticed a plaque on the side of the Kirk yard wall on Correction Wynd stating that this was the site of the “House of Correction”. This was in use between 1637 and 1711 (although it appears to have been closed between the late 1640s and the late 1690s) and was operated by the Burgh Council. It’s shown on the James Gordon map of 1661 (available to view online on the National Library of Scotland's website).
The site housed 20 people – 10 poor “volunteers” and 10 people sent there for punishment either by the Kirk Session (the local church court) or the Bailies on the Council. All the inmates worked on manufacturing cloth.
In our Aberdeen County collections, we have an Incarceration Book for the House of Correction which records the arrival and departure of those placed their forcibly (reference AS/AN/7, held at Old Aberdeen House). It covers 1637 - 1641, although two pages are missing, and contains details about 103 individuals, some of whom are repeat offenders.
Where it's possible to determine the gender of the cases, 86 are women and only 16 are men. This might be partly explained by the involvement of the Session. Church courts like the Kirk Session operated alongside the civil authorities on a range of offences in the moral sphere: irregular marriages, sex outside of marriage, adultery, drunkenness, those swearing or slandering, abortion and disrespecting the sabbath. Once convicted, an offender could be punished in a variety of ways: from the 16th to the 18th centuries this would frequently involve some form of public humiliation such as being made to wear sackcloth or to occupy the ‘stool of repentance’ in front of the congregation. Fines were also exacted on offenders.
Of the cases in the House of Correction Incarceration Book only an eighth of the cases sent by the Session were men. It's likely that men would be more able to pay the Session’s fines, but this figure also suggests something of perceptions of women in 17th century Aberdeen and their perceived responsibility for sexual “crimes”.
We have now made a digital copy of the book and a transcription available on our website here: https://www.aberdeencity.gov.uk/services/libraries-and-archives/aberdeen-city-and-aberdeenshire-archives/aberdeen-house-correction. A few cases are highlighted below.
Cathren Reid
Catherine Reid from Alford was placed in the Correction House in 1637 for pykerie – a Scots word for theft - and whoredome (prostitution). These are the main areas of criminal activity we see associated with women in the book. Catherine was also whipped for attacking another inmate, Margaret Jaffray: there are 25 other references to inmates being whipped as part of their punishment, which gives us some idea of the harshness of the regime at the House.
Cathren Reid
Catherine Reid from Alford was placed in the Correction House in 1637 for pykerie – a Scots word for theft - and whoredome (prostitution). These are the main areas of criminal activity we see associated with women in the book. Catherine was also whipped for attacking another inmate, Margaret Jaffray: there are 25 other references to inmates being whipped as part of their punishment, which gives us some idea of the harshness of the regime at the House.
Cathren Reid Borne in affoerd put in
for pykrie & huirdoome daughter to Jon reid
in overwquhell[?]
The 23 of apryll whyped for stubren[?] & bleeding of
Margret Jaffray
Elspet Murrey
Next we have Elspet Murray who was found guilty by the Session of fornication with Patrick Watt, a cordiner in July 1638. She was let out in September because of her pregnancy.
Next we have Elspet Murray who was found guilty by the Session of fornication with Patrick Watt, a cordiner in July 1638. She was let out in September because of her pregnancy.
The aucht of July 1638 Elspet Murrey was born _ttcobandie[?]
putt in be ye [the] session for hir fornication vith [with] patrick vatt [watt] cordoner
to Remain during ye [the] session yr [their] plesur
dismissit in september being seik of chyldbirth
Elspet Innes
Elspet Innes dachter to Jo[h]n Innes conger[?] put
in be her mother for hir disobedience in the
moneth of November A1637
Cristan Reid and Margaret Cruickshank
This next entry relates to Cristan Reid and Margaret Cruickshank, who were put in the Correction House in July 1639 for keeping a bordell house (brothel) for the army – interestingly both women escaped in August, and there were several other escapes recorded in the book which doesn’t suggest the Correction House was particularly well-guarded!
putt in be ye [the] session for hir fornication vith [with] patrick vatt [watt] cordoner
to Remain during ye [the] session yr [their] plesur
dismissit in september being seik of chyldbirth
Elspet Innes
Elspet Innes was unusual in that she was placed in the House by her mother rather than the civil or church authorities:
in be her mother for hir disobedience in the
moneth of November A1637
Cristan Reid and Margaret Cruickshank
This next entry relates to Cristan Reid and Margaret Cruickshank, who were put in the Correction House in July 1639 for keeping a bordell house (brothel) for the army – interestingly both women escaped in August, and there were several other escapes recorded in the book which doesn’t suggest the Correction House was particularly well-guarded!
7 July 1639 cristan reid- Cristane Reid 7 July 1639 put in be ye sessione
- For keeping a bordello hous to ye armie in compane
- w[i]t[h] Margaret Cruikshank and was in befor [con]forme to
- ye 7 leiff
ye 8 august she eschapit owt of ward - Cristan reid
- ye 15 off July whippit at com[m]and off ye sessione
- ye 8 august she eschapit owt of ward
- Nan Braine
- Next Nan Braine who is a great scold and “misregarder of her masters” in December 1637 – she’s let out the following month, but it’s an interesting, and particularly female crime which indicates something about the society’s attitude to loud or outspoken women.
- Nans[?] Braine borne in old aberdene ane gryt skald
and ane misregarder of hir M[aster]s put in be Mr Robert
farq[uha]r bailzie ye 14 december Ao 1637
Gender split?
Looking at all the entries where it’s possible to discern what the individual has done, there is a definite split between the causes of women and men's incarceration. Women dominate the sexual crimes – fornication, prostitution, brothel keeping. Only one man is imprisoned for fornication compared to 30 women. They are also more prolific in terms of crimes relating to theft. The proportions of people imprisoned for begging is split evenly between men and women. Men are imprisoned for begging, theft, deception and - the most common cause - being apprentices who have misbehaved in some way.
Looking at all the entries where it’s possible to discern what the individual has done, there is a definite split between the causes of women and men's incarceration. Women dominate the sexual crimes – fornication, prostitution, brothel keeping. Only one man is imprisoned for fornication compared to 30 women. They are also more prolific in terms of crimes relating to theft. The proportions of people imprisoned for begging is split evenly between men and women. Men are imprisoned for begging, theft, deception and - the most common cause - being apprentices who have misbehaved in some way.
There’s also quite a few behavioural crimes – scolding, drunkenness, lewd living, cursing – which only women are disciplined for, although it’s highly unlikely there were no drunk or cursing men in Aberdeen at that time! Perhaps men were being punished through alternative means, or maybe women’s swearing or drunkenness was seen as more challenging to the social order.
This post is taken from a talk on women and crime delivered as part of Granite Noir in 2020.
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