Hangings at Stafford from 1793:
A. J. Standley researched local history to produce a booklet in 1993, Her Majesties Prison Stafford Sentenced to 200 Years to celebrate the first two hundred years of the prison. Much of the following information comes from that publication.

The present prison at Stafford opened for use in May 1793, replacing a Gaol and a House of Correction that then stood in the area of the Town's North Gate, at the end of the Town's main street where it joins with the road by the roundabout. Before 1793 hangings were carried out at Sandyford Meadow along the Stafford to Sandon Road.

According to Mr. A. J. Standley there were no more executions at Stafford Prison after 1914. With the outbreak of the First World War the number of prisoners held in the prison declined as part of the prison was taken over by the military. In 1916 the prison was completely handed over to the military and remained under their control until 1923 when the prison was closed. In 1939 with the outbreak of the Second World War the prison was re-opened by the Prison Commissioners as a special local prison and also as a precautionary measure to provide additional prison accommodation in the event that bombing of major cities resulted in a prison being hit. As a special local prison it did not deal directly with courts and those awaiting trial would not have been held at Stafford. A prisoner sentenced to be executed would have been returned to the prison "from whence he came" for the sentence to be carried out.