Alexander Wakelam

Dr. Alexander Wakelam, a historian from Cambridge University specializing in economic history, delves into the intriguing mechanics of Georgian debtors' prisons. He reveals how these institutions evolved from medieval laws and explores their prevalence across England. The contrast between squalid conditions in regional jails and the relatively comfortable quarters for wealthier prisoners is striking. Wakelam also discusses the complex dynamics of family life inside prisons and how they functioned as contract enforcement tools in an era of credit culture.