slang. Abbreviation of detention, penitentiary.
1850. Broad Arrow, ii. 32 (Farmer). Prisoners’ barracks, sir—us calls it Tench [Hobart Town Penitentiary].
1887. Horsley, Jottings fr. Jail, i. 12. ‘I … got remanded to the Tench’ (House or Detention).
1897. P. Warung, Tales Old Regime, 143. We were all sent to a place called a tench and there we were signed off to Defferent masters.
