In Victorian England, those unable to pay their debts were frequently imprisoned.  People could be incarcerated for years over small debts.  Family members, though not forced into prison, often stayed with the debtor frankly because they had nowhere else to go.  They would go out and work nearby, then return to the prison to sleep.  They could try to pay down the debts and purchase food for their jailed loved one—without this, the jailed person would starve.

Jails were independent and run like businesses.  Consequently, people with more money or connections to wealth could have a much more comfortable prison stay.  They could visit a shop and restaurant housed within the prison.  Those without resources were crowded into small spaces, which were typically unsanitary and unhealthy.  Dozens of people would be pressed into nine small rooms.  If they were unable to earn money to pay down their debt, their debt could even increase over time, creating a cycle of despair and hopelessness.

Marshalsea prison was one such place, located on the south side of the river Thames, near the London Bridge.  Many types of people were imprisoned there for a variety of reasons, including intellectual and political disruption and pending court martial, as well as non-payment of debt.

Charles Dickens’ father endured a 4-month long imprisonment in Marshalsea for a debt of 40 pounds, 10 shillings, which he owed to a local baker.  His imprisonment forced Charles to quit school and work in a factory at the age of 12.  This experience was deeply humiliating for Charles and his family, and very few people knew of this part of his history.  It emerged in his writing, which brought attention to the state of debtor’s prison and made Marshalsea known throughout the world before it was demolished in the 1840s.

Resources:

http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/education/resources/victorian-prison/#external-links

http://www.avictorian.com/criminal_london.html

http://www.bbc.co.uk/littledorrit/biography/

Picture from:

The Dutch Dickensenian Special http://home.planet.nl/~aadel/Dickens.htm