History of The Old Police Cells...
The cells contain 200
years of history of the Brighton Police through to Sussex constabulary
formation. Condemned in 1929 they were unearthed some years ago.In 1844, chief
Constable Henry Soloman was bludgeoned to death by a criminal in his office.
His killer was publicly hung the next day.The police cells were condemned in
1929 and are now unearthed for your pleasure. In 1844, Chief Constable Henry
Solomon was senselessly bludgeoned to death by a petty criminal before
witnesses in his own office. His assailant spent a night in the subterranean
cells before being tried and publicly hanged. These cells have hosted many
infamous felons who have shared a night in the company of the spectres that
lurk within…The old police station was always situated in the basement of the
town hall, and was part of the original council building design which was built
in 1830.During the early days of the force, there were just 8 watchmen. Henry
Solomon joined as a police officer in 1836, and by 1838 he was appointed as
Chief Constable, the highest rank on the force. He was responsible for around
30 officers, with a population at the time of approximately 47,000.Henry
Solomon lost his life, on the 13th March 1844, while interviewing a 23 year old
prisoner named John Lawrence. His offence was stealing a roll of carpet from a
shop. During the interview, Solomon was bludgeoned with a hot poker from the
fireplace. This caused a severe head injury from which he died a short while
after. It is thought, that had Solomon been wearing a top hat, (which replaced
the police helmets in 1868) he may have survived. He left behind his widow, and
nine children who were given the sum of £50 by Queen Victoria herself. An
additional fund was set up to give the family support in their time of need,
exceeding over £1000, which of course was a great deal of money in those
days.Lawrence was found guilty of murder and was publicly hanged at Horsham for
his horrific crime. Solomon was buried in the Jewish burial ground known as
Florence Place, and became a bit of a local celebrity, with his name displayed
on the Brighton busses.The museum which opened in 1967, is dedicated to
charting the history of Brighton’s policing. The cells are available to
explore, with graffiti mainly from the mods and rockers era. You can also see
the policemen’s washroom, uniform store, and you can discover police
memorabilia and artefacts. There is of course a section dedicated to Henry
Solomon and details of his life, his career, and his unfortunate death.
Ghostly Sightings...
Unexplained noises are frequently heard, such as whispers, screams, and dragging sounds. Visitors have also reported being touched by unseen hands, and more frequently, people say they experience the unnerving feeling of being watched. Dark Shadows have appeared around various walls and ceilings within the cells, the paranormal activity is so bad that not even the staff like to walk around alone. Experience an evening that the staff would have experienced back in the day, and travel back in time with The Shadows Of The Night Paranormal Events.
