During Europe's Middle Ages, debtors, both men
and women, were locked up together in a single large cell until their families
paid their debt. Debt prisoners often died of diseases contracted from other
debt prisoners. Conditions included starvation and abuse from other prisoners.
If the father of a family was imprisoned for debt, the family business often
suffered while the mother and children fell into poverty. Unable to pay the
debt, the father often remained in debtors' prison for many years. Some debt
prisoners were released to become serfs or indentured servants (debt bondage)
until they paid off their debt in labor
(above) A mid-Victorian depiction of the debtors prison at St
Briavel Castle (left) in Gloucestershire England. From Henry Nicholls' 1858 book
"The Forest of Dean"
_________________________________________________________________________________________
During Europe's Middle Ages, debtors, both men
and women, were locked up together in a single large cell until their families
paid their debt. Debt prisoners often died of diseases contracted from other
debt prisoners. Conditions included starvation and abuse from other prisoners.
If the father of a family was imprisoned for debt, the family business often
suffered while the mother and children fell into poverty. Unable to pay the
debt, the father often remained in debtors' prison for many years. Some debt
prisoners were released to become serfs or indentured servants (debt bondage)
until they paid off their debt in labor
(above) A mid-Victorian depiction of the debtors prison at St
Briavel Castle (left) in Gloucestershire England. From Henry Nicholls' 1858 book
"The Forest of Dean"
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