The Clink was a notorious prison in Southwark which functioned from the 12th century until 1780. The prison was owned by the Bishop of Winchester and was situated next to his residence at Winchester Palace.
It was originally used for the detention of heretics (both Protestants and Catholics, as religious favours changed) but came to be used for people who broke the peace on Bankside or in Southwark's numerous brothels. The prison probably fell into disuse after the English Civil War, though it was described in 1761 as being "a very dismal hole where debtors are sometimes confined, but little used." The Clink was burned down during the Gordon riots of 1780 and never rebuilt.
The name of the Clink is the origin of the phrase "in the clink". The origins of the name are uncertain, but it may have been an example of onomatopoeia, referring to the sound made by the prison's metal doors as they closed.
The Clink Prison Museum is currently located on the original site in Clink Street, in the basement of a former warehouse.
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Last updated: 08-29-2005 00:57:10
