Introducing Our New Book Serialisation: Henry ‘Orator’ Hunt and the Ilchester Bastille, by Mick Davis.

We’re excited to launch the serialisation of this remarkable book exploring Henry ‘Orator’ Hunt’s time at Ilchester Gaol—an episode that not only shaped his legacy as a reformer but also exposed the dark underbelly of Britain’s prison system in the early 19th century.

Hunt, a tireless advocate for parliamentary reform and the rights of the working class, was imprisoned following his involvement in the Peterloo Massacre. Yet his time in the so-called “Ilchester Bastille” was far from a retreat into silence. Instead, Hunt used his incarceration as a platform to uncover and publicize the appalling conditions faced by prisoners under the management of William Bridle, the notorious governor of the prison.

From writing his memoirs to rallying public opinion, Hunt’s imprisonment became an act of defiance. His observations laid bare a system riddled with mismanagement, cruelty, and neglect, galvanizing support for prison reform and broader societal change. Despite the constraints of his situation, Hunt’s wit, determination, and commitment to justice shone through, turning his confinement into an opportunity to further the causes he held dear.

Through this serialisation, we invite you to step inside Ilchester Gaol and experience Hunt’s unique perspective. Far from a tale of suffering alone, this is a story of resilience, ingenuity, and the power of words to challenge and inspire.

Join us on this journey as we bring to life the experiences of one of Britain’s most compelling historical figures of that time, and explore how his time behind bars at Ilchester became a catalyst for change.

It was a night shrouded in mist, the sort that clung to the walls of Ilchester Jail and veiled the distant Somerset hills. For years, Ilchester’s stone walls had held whispers of cruelty. Inmates shuffled in silence, their bodies frail and hollowed by starvation, their minds frayed by the darkness that seemed to seep from the stones themselves. But tonight, it was not only the inmates who shivered.

Inside the jail, William Bridle, the jailer of Ilchester, made his nightly rounds. Bridle was a hard man, unmoved by the pleas of his prisoners. His footsteps echoed coldly down the stone corridors as he passed row after row of damp cells. This night was like any other for Bridle. He tightened his grip on his iron keys, smirked at the muffled groans and coughs behind each cell door, and muttered curses under his breath at the men he watched over.

For years, he’d taken pride in his ability to instil fear and obedience, in the way his very presence silenced even the most vocal of prisoners.

Tonight, however, the silence felt different.

He stopped in front of one cell that had once held Henry Hunt, the political reformer. Hunt had been released long ago, but Bridle recalled with satisfaction how the man had left weakened and sickened. Hunt’s cell had always seemed colder than the rest, its shadowed corners alive with whispers.

Bridle chuckled as he thought back to the times he’d left Hunt and the others to suffer in their filth, chained in darkness and denied fresh air. He remembered the gaunt faces, sunken eyes, and frail bodies—all signs of the suffering he’d inflicted with calculated precision. Yet tonight, as he stood there reminiscing, he felt a strange chill crawl up his spine. The air was colder than usual, a dampness that clung to his skin and made his breath mist in front of him.

“Bridle…”

A voice, barely a whisper, seemed to call from down the corridor. He whipped around, his heart racing for a beat before he steadied himself. He was alone. The inmates were all behind locked doors, and the guards were stationed outside. Shaking off the unease, he continued down the hall, though he could not shake the feeling that he was being watched.

Passing the old cells, he felt the chill intensify. The torches flickered as if the air were growing thinner, and every sound seemed sharper, from the drip of water off the stones to the scuttling of rats in the shadows. As he moved deeper into the jail, he noticed that even the faint, rhythmic breathing of the prisoners had ceased. Silence blanketed the cells.

“Jailer…”

Again, a voice called out. This time, it was closer, like a breath against his ear. Bridle spun around, his knuckles white as he gripped his keys, scanning the shadows for movement. But there was no one there. Only the cold stone walls and the flickering of the torchlight, which cast long, twisting shadows that seemed to writhe as if alive.

“I must be going mad,” he muttered, trying to laugh it off. But his voice sounded hollow, even to himself.

Continuing his rounds, he approached a cell notorious among the inmates—a place where prisoners claimed to hear the cries of past inmates who had not survived their time in Ilchester. Bridle felt his pulse quicken as he reached it. The door was old, the wood rotting in places, and the hinges screeched as he pulled it open. The room was empty, as he knew it would be. But tonight, something felt…wrong.

“Did you think we’d be silent forever, Bridle?”

The voice, low and thick with anger, reverberated through the cell, freezing Bridle in place. He stumbled backward, his heart hammering as he squinted into the shadows. A figure emerged—vague, ghostly, yet unmistakably real. Its face was gaunt, eyes sunken, but there was no mistaking the look of cold, burning rage in them.

“Henry…Hunt?” Bridle’s voice cracked.

The specter grinned, though there was no warmth in it, only a kind of grim satisfaction. He stepped closer, and Bridle could feel the air around him turn icy, sucking the warmth from his skin. “I am one of many, Bridle,” the specter hissed. “You thought us weak, caged, but we are all here—every life you’ve broken.”

Bridle staggered back, his breath coming in gasps. He tried to call for help, but no sound left his throat. The specter pointed a skeletal finger at him, and suddenly the room was filled with more figures, shadows taking form one by one—thin, hollow-eyed men, with faces contorted by suffering and pain.

“Look at us,” another whispered. “You did this to us.”

The room seemed to close in around him. Bridle could feel his chest tighten, the air around him thick and suffocating. He tried to bolt, but his legs felt leaden. The prisoners’ specters moved closer, closing in with hollow eyes filled with vengeance.

The jailer sank to his knees, his hands trembling as he tried to shield his face. But the shadows were relentless, pressing closer until they surrounded him completely. He could feel their cold fingers gripping his arms, his shoulders, his neck, the touch both intangible and icy, as if death itself were dragging him down.

The figures whispered in unison, their voices mingling into a ghostly chant. “For the nights we were left to rot, for the days without food or light, for the chains that bound us—this is your justice, William Bridle.”

Bridle’s screams echoed through the corridors, yet no one heard him. He fell silent, the last shreds of his strength drained, his body slumping to the stone floor as the shadows faded, leaving only the damp chill of Ilchester Jail.

The next morning, guards found Bridle’s body lying in the hallway, his face frozen in terror, eyes wide and mouth open as if still screaming. No cause could be found for his death, but the prisoners spoke in hushed tones, claiming they had heard his screams through the night, echoing down the dark corridors.

From that night on, the inmates claimed that strange things happened in the jail—footsteps with no source, whispers in the dark, and chills that seeped into the bones. Some said it was Bridle’s spirit, trapped within the walls he had once ruled with cruelty. Others swore it was the souls of those he had wronged, lingering in Ilchester Jail to ensure he never found peace.

To this day, those who pass by the site of Ilchester Jail say that, on quiet nights, if you listen closely, you can hear faint footsteps echoing down the crumbling corridors and the distant, ghostly cries of William Bridle, haunted by the very souls he thought he had silenced forever.

Ilchester Jail was situated to the west of the bridge. Many executions took place at the nearby Gallows Field.

For the real story behind Henry Hunt and William Bridle, and how Ilchester Jail became a focal point for penal reform in the 19th Century, read the serialisation of Somerset Historian, Mick Davis’ book, ‘Henry ‘Orator’ Hunt and The Ilchester Bastille’, coming soon to this website.

If you would like to receive the first instalment of ‘Henry ‘Orator’ Hunt and The Ilchester Bastille’, direct via email, subscribe now…

Historical Discovery: A Glimpse into the Past

In the early 18th century, William Stuckeley documented the discovery of stone coffins in an area now recognized as the Ilchester Roman Cemetery. This site, following an archaeological survey in 1982, was designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument, protecting it from any development and ensuring its preservation.

The Cemetery’s Rich Heritage

The Ilchester Roman Cemetery is believed to house over 1,500 internments. Among these, six skeletons have been excavated. Five of these remain at the Somerset Heritage Centre, while the sixth, named Faustinia, is a notable specimen. Faustinia was discovered in a lead coffin within a stone sarcophagus, indicating her affluent background. Recent radiocarbon dating, arranged by Mr. Chris Webster from The South West Heritage Trust, reveals a 95% probability that Faustinia lived and died between 250-400 A.D., with a more precise estimate of 70% between 250-350 A.D.

Preservation and Future Plans

In 1996, the site was transferred to the Ilchester Town Trust. This transfer was accompanied by an agreement with English Heritage, now known as Historic England, to fund the repair of various ancient walls within the cemetery. Plans are currently underway to enhance the site, ensuring it meets a standard that reflects its historical significance and makes it a valuable asset for Ilchester.

The Ilchester Roman Cemetery offers a fascinating insight into the town’s ancient past. The ongoing efforts to preserve and enhance the site will help future generations appreciate the rich history buried beneath their feet.

(Credit: Thanks for the contribution above go to Chris Jessop)

Here is a diagrammatic view showing the area of archaeological excavations of Ilchester Roman Cemetery. 

Below, you can see this overlaid onto an aerial view of the site.

Diagrammatic map by C. Webster, South West Heritage Trust

Aerial views from Google Maps

Historic England have given us the go ahead to convert the Ilchester Roman Cemetery into a public area so that people can visit.  

It’s a massive undertaking for us, and it will be slow. However, it will be great to have the stages documented here. Subscribe below to make sure you don’t miss a post.

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