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London Lives 1690 to 1800
Crime, Poverty and Social Policy in the Metropolis
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Historical Background
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London Lives Book
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THE
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CASE
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OF
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The
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County of MIDDLESEX
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,
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WITH RESPECT TO
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The GAOL of NEWGATE.
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THE Gaol of
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Newgate
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is, and for upwards of 600 Years hath been, a Common Prison, and
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Place of Security, for Felons, and other Offenders; and, so far as it tends to secure, and
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bring to Punishment, those who by Acts of Rapine and Violence, endanger the Persons
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and Properties of Mankind, it seems to be of public Use and Benefit: Notwithstanding
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which the Citizens of
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London
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, and several Tradesmen, inhabiting near the said Gaol, have
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of late laboured to represent it as a most dangerous Nusance.
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In Ordered to induce a general Acquiescence in this Opinion, they suggest that the said Gaol is ill-
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constructed, close, and incommodious, and unfit for the Reception of Prisoners.-Tha a great
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Number of Prisoners have been usually crowded into the said Gaol at the Opening of every Sessions.
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That the Prisoners haver frequently been visited with a malignant Disease, called the Gaol Distem-
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per, whereby the Health of all persons resorting to the Sessions-House must be endangered.The
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the said Gaol cannot be rendered healthy and commodious, without being taken down and rebuilt on
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a more extended Plan.
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They suggest further, That of the Number of 1000 Prisoners yearly committed to
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Newgate
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, Two
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Thirds ar the Prisoners of the County, and from thence would seem to insinuate that the Expence
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of rebuilding the said Gaol (which, according to their own Estimates, will amount 40,000l.)
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should be borne by the County and City in the Proportion of Two to One.
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In Order to avert so heavy a Charge, and to prevent the entailing on themselves and Posterity the
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Burthen now attempted to be laid on them, the Inhabitants of the
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County of Middlesex
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think
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in incumbent on them to state the Following Facts, submitting the Arguments deduced therefrom to
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the Judgment of can did and impartial Men.
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They say, that the Gaol of
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Newgate
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is supposed to have been originally built in the Reign of King
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HEN. I. or of K. STEPHEN, that is to say, between the Years 1100 and 1154, and that the same hath
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been under the sole Government of, and hath from Time to Time, sometimes by experss Mandate
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from the King, as in the 6th Year of, EDW. II. been rebuilt, repaired, altered and enlarged, by the
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Citizens of
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London
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; the Consequence whereof is, that they are bound perpetually to repair it, and
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would be punishable at Law if they did not.
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They further say, that, supposing the number of Prisoners yearly committed to the said Gaol to
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be as great as is alledged, the Number is not greater now than it hath been for a Series of Years
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past, during which no Application to charge the County with any Expence attending Newgate hath
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ever been made: That County Prisoners are secured in that Prison is admitted, but that more than
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a few, compared with those who are confined in the Prisons of the County, and tried at the Hicks-
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Hall Sessions, are sent thither by the Justices, is absolutely denied. And how fallacious that Method
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of Estimation must be, which represents the Prisoners sent to Newgate by the County, as Two to
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One of the London Prisoners, will appear by the following State of Facts. The County have several
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Gaols, to which those charged with Petty Larcenies and Misdemeanors of all kinds are committed.
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as are also Prisoners for Felonies and other Offences Properly triable at the
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Old Bailey
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. That this is
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the general Practice is notorious, and if perhaps once in Fifty Times, the County Magistrates find
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it necessary do deviate from it, by committing Offenders of the latter Class originally and immedi-
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ately to
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Newgate
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, rather than to the other Goals, the Exceptions are hardly worth opposing to the
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general Rule; thus far with respect to Commitments. As to Goal-Deliveries, it is to be noted, that
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the County hold Sessions at
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Hicks's Hall
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, eight Times in the Year, at which Sessions the Prisoners of
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the first Class are tried, and take any one Session in the Year, it seldom happens that the Prisoners so
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tried are not double the Number of those tried the same Session at the
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Old Baily
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. As to these latter, it
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has been said, that they are at first committed to the County Prisoners, there they are maintained at the
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County Expence, and would remain till the Instant of their respective Trials, but that in Obedience to
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an Order of the
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Old Bailey
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Session, made in May 1726, doubtless for the Ease of the Court. they are re-
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moved to Newgate Six Days before every Session, which at the
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Old Bailey
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are also held eight Times in
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the Year, and, after Trial, that Goal, agreeable to the Words of the
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Old Bailey
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Commission, is delivered
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of such Prisoners: Hence it appears that the City have the Custody of such only of the
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Middlesex
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Pri-
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soners as are triable at the
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Old Bailey
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, for six Days before, and during every Session, and these
<
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>
very seldom hold a Week each; Suppose then we estimate their Time of keeping such Prisoners
<
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</
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>
at a Fortnight for each Session, it will follow that Four Months in the Year is the utmost
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>
Time for which, with Truth, the City may be said to have the Custody of County Prisoners, unless
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sometimes, by Accident, a few may wait for Transportation. The Allegation of a Proportion of
<
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>
Two to One against the City, would lead a Stranger to the Belief that the County had bo Gaols of
<
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>
their own, and that, all the Year through, and without any Intermission, the Justices were sending
<
lb
>
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>
in Prisoners to
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Newgate
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in the Proportion above mentioned. and that the City keep them as long
<
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>
</
lb
>
as they do their own Prisoners: The Facts above stated are the Truth of the Case, and the Fallacy
<
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</
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>
of the Charge is apparent.
</
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>
<
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Here
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