Buckingham Old Gaol

Following an Act of Parliament passed on 30 June 1747 (21 George 2 c.12, known as Lord Cobham's Act), the original prison building was erected in 1748. The bulk of funding was from Richard Temple, fourth baronet of Stowe (1675–1749), who had been previously MP for Buckingham. It was built in the Gothic style. One of the prisoners jailed here was the prize fighter Simon Byrne. He was tried at the Buckingham Assizes in 1830 for the manslaughter of another prize fighter, Alexander M'Kay. The rounded front of the building was added in 1839, designed by George Gilbert Scott, a local architect. This provided accommodation for the jailer and became known as the Keeper's Lodge. For around 60 years,…