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London Lives 1690 to 1800
Crime, Poverty and Social Policy in the Metropolis
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London Lives Book
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Here it may be observed, that that respectful obedience which the County have always paid to
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the Order of the
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Old Bailey
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Session, is what the Citizens mean, when they complain that the County
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Prisoners are crowded into their Gaol.
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The
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County of Middlesex
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have two Prisons, besides
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Tothill-Fields Bridewell
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, which they built, and
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do maintain: and in these, though, except about Sessions Time. they are generally full no malig-
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nant Disease hath ever yet appeared, and had the same Care been taken to prevent the Accumula-
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tion of Filth in
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Newgate
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, as hath been exercised in the County Prisons, that malignant Disease, of
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which the Citizens si loudly complain, had very likely never appeared among them.
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The great Stress which is laid on the Circumstance of a Malignant Disease, makes it necessay to
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revert to a Fact that it is extremely fitting the public should be acquainted with. On the 27 of April
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1750, a great Number of Persons, attending the
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old Bailey
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Sessions, in a crowded Court, and un-
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commonly warm Weather, were seized with a Fever, communicated, as is generally supposed, by
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the infection of the Newgate Prisoners. of which Disease to the Number of about Forty Persons,
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</
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>
among whom were two of the King's Judges, and the Mayor of
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London
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, lost their Lives. The late
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Sir
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Michael Foster
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, one of the Judges of the
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Court of King's Bench
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, has thought fit to perpetuate this
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disastrous Event, in a Volume of Reports, published by himself; and enquiring into the Causes of
<
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it, assigns for one the Fithiness of the Gaol, and the Avenues to it.
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These Misfortunes did indeed awaken the Attention of the City, and led the Magistrates into &
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Survey of the Prison, in which the Seeds of this Infection had been long treasured up. The Con-
<
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sequence of this Survey was a Discovery of a vast Quantity of Filth, which had been many Years
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accumulating in the several Apartments of the Prison, of such various Kinds as left very little Room
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to doubt of the Causes of that Contagion to which the above Calamity was owing.
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Upon this the City set about a Work which it would have been happy if they had thought of
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sooner: viz. the Cleansing the Prison; the Filth was collected together, and, for very obvious Rea-
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>
sons, the Night was chosen as the Properest Time for its Removal to some Distance from the Town;
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>
and to some or other of the adjacent Fields it was carried by Cart Loads, and buried; and, through
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>
the Providence of God. since that Time. no such Misfortune has happened.
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The City affect to consider their Connexion with the County as a Burthen on them; whether it is
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so, or not, let their own Charters speak. By these it appears that they are possessed of many valuable
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Priviledges, in Consequence of this Connexion.
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In some of the most antient of these Charters the Citizens are declared to hold the Shrievalty of
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Middlesex
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together with that of
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London
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, in Farm; and, to adopt the Metaphor, a most profitable
<
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Farm it has proved to them; for, to go no farther back than the Year 1672. it appears by Accounts
<
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produced by themselves, that the Sums received by the City to excuse persons nominated by the
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Mayor, from serving the Office of Sheriffs of
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London
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and
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Middlesex
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, amount to upwards of 148,750l.
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The Connexion between the Office of Sheriff, and a Place of Security for the Persons of those
<
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whose Escape from Justice he is at Law answerable for, does very naturally point out a method of
<
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applying the Sums above raised, which, had it been attended to, would have rendered the present
<
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Attempt unnecessary: The Citizens might have reasoned in this Way.Money has been raised by
<
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Sheriffs' Fines; the Strength of the Prison is the Sheriffs Security; let therefore the Person who
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serves the Office avail himself of the Default of him who has declined it; and let the Money so
<
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raised be a Fund for the Maintenance of that Prison, without which no Man could serve it all.
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But whether the City ever reasoned thus, or not, can only be guessed from the Methods which of late
<
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Years have been practised, as well in the raising, as the disposing of Fines for the Office.
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But why, say the City, must we take upon ourselves the Charge of any of the County Prisoners?
<
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The Anser is, Because upon your own repeated Sollicitations, ye have obtained what no other
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>
City in the Kingdon possesses, the Power of nominating;not barely your own Sheriffs, but
<
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>
a Sheriff for your Neighbours; and through this Power is no Injury to the County, it is evident that
<
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</
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>
the Burthen of which ye so much complain, is no oother than the necessary Consequence of your
<
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uniting those two distinct Offices, and the several Jurisdictions attendant thereon, in the same Per-
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son: The Prison of
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London
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is situate in, and is one of the Gates of the City: the Sessions of Gaol
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Delivery for
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Middlesex
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are held in London, for the Convenience of the City, the
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Middlesex
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Prisoners
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can therefore be tried no where but in London; The Court sends for such of them as are triable at
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the
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Old Bailey
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(and they, as has been shewn, are but a small proportion of the whose Number of
<
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County Prisoners) in order for Trial, and the Sheriff, for his own Security, keeps them in
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Newgate
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,
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the
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City Prison
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, as a Place of the greatest Strength and Safety. is not all this the Act of the City;
<
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</
lb
>
are not the County in this Respect absolutely passive; or with what Face of Truth can it be venti-
<
lb
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</
lb
>
lated abroad, that the County crowd their Prisoners in on the City, or can any rational Conclusion be
<
lb
>
</
lb
>
deduced from these Premisses to charge the County with the Expences attending the Prison of
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New-
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gate
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, in any Proportion whatever?
</
p
>
<
p
n
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"200"
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And it seems that, at some Times, that Citizens themselves entertain the same Opinion of the Mat-
<
lb
>
</
lb
>
ter, viz, that the County has nothing to do with Newgate; for they dispose of the Places of the
<
lb
>
</
lb
>
Keeper and Ordinary, and in two Instances have they assumed the Right of nominating a Clerk of
<
lb
>
</
lb
>
Arraigns,
</
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>
</
div1
>
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