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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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Arraigns, for the Trial of the County Prisoners; and not to mention that they thave altered, enlar-
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ged, and improved he Gaol, till at last, as they themselves say, it is become a most dangerous Nusance:
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They never thought it at all necessary to consult the County, as to its Construction; some few Years
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ago they insured the Prison from Fire, in their own Names, in the Hand in Hand Fire Office; soon
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after a Fire happened therein; they applied to the Office, received 500l. and laid it out as they
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thought fit.
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In all that relates to the Government or Management of the Prison, the Citizens have constantly
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exercised their own Judgment, without consulting the County; and whenever it has been necessary
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to apply to the Great Council of the Nation, in Matter relating to the Gaol of
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Newgate
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, they have
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done it alone and without the Intervention or Concurrence of the County; and of this a very re-
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markable Instance shall now be given.
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Immediately after the dreadful Conflagration in 1666, in which the greater Part of the City was
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consumed, the Citizens thought it necessary to implore the Aid of Parliament, to enable them to re-
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build their public Edifices: At that Time it was never pretended that the County were chargeable
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with any Part of the Expence of rebuilding Newgate, and the Parliament were so little disposed to
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think so, that, by an Act of 19 CAR. II. they granted the City a Duty arising from Coals brought
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into the
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Port of London
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, which is expressly appropriated, among other Things, to the rebuilding the
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City Gaols. Enabled by this Grant, which, by their own Account, Produced 736,804l. the City
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rebuilt, among other public Edifices, the greater Part of the now Gaol of
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Newgate
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, and, to inti-
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mate how little they thought the County had to do with it, they stamped it with the City Arms, and
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by Inscriptions on the East and West Fronts of the Gate, commemorated the AEra of its Re-edification,
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and the Names of the Magistrates under whose Government it was begun and completed, in Terms
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that import little less than a sole and exclusive Property in it.
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Here it is proper to mention, that by a Charter of I HEN. IV. that King grants to the Citizens
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of
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London
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, the keeping as well of the Gates of
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Newgate
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and Ludgate, as of all other Gates and Pos-
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terns of the said City; when this Grant has been urged as a Proof, that the Gates, and Newgate in
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particular, belong to the City, the Answer has been, That under this Grant they claim nothing more
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than the bare Custody of the Gates, and yet the City have taken upon them to pull down all the City
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Gates but this of
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Newgate
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; and. besides selling the Materials, they have converted their respective
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Scites into freebold Estates, which they have lett upon Leases, reserving to the City large Fines and
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Ground-Rents; and, doubtless, they would have acted in the same Manner by Newgate, if they had
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not had something farther in View.
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The unhappy Situation of the
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County of Middlesex
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is such as almost to environ the
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City of London
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,
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and one of the Consequences of this Situation is that the numerous Poor, which from the most remote
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Parts of the kingdom, are attracted to the Metropolis, though the City have the Benefit of their La-
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bour as having their Residence mostly in the circumjacent Parishes, become legally settled there, and
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so become a Burthen on the County. Hence the Difference between the Poor's Rate in the City and
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Suburb Parishes. And in all he Improvements which of late Years have been made of the City Es-
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tates by building, the Citizens have constantly had an Eye to the Accommodation of Merchants and
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other Principal Traders, and seem to have forgot that as well the Poor as the Rich need Houses to
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dwell in.
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Thus far then it is evident that there is not the least Colour of a Reason for imposing on the
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County and Part of the burthen of rebuilding the Gaol of
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Newgate
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; it remains now to shew how
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little the City are intitled, in this Respect, to the Aid of the Public.
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By the several Sums above shewn to have been received by the Citizens, it appears that they have
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been possecced of at leaft two Funds, amounting to near a Million Sterling, out of which, if they
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had thought fit, they might have rebuilt their Gaol long ago, without the Aid of Parliament, or
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any Contribution of the County; and if they are not present very well able to do it, it must be
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owing to some Reasons which the Public Strangers to. In 1721, the Officers sold by the City
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were estimated at 152,000l. by one of their favourite Historians. The Revenues of the City are
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immense, and a very few Years will put it in the actual Possession and Receipt of such Estates as
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must yield an Income much more than adequate to all the Expences of its Government, as the
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Sources of these Revenues are, in general, Royal Grants, many of them under the express Condi-
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tion of well governing the City, they are enjoyed by the Citizens, in their political and corporate
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Capacity. The Revenues arising from these Grants cannot be considered as Matters of private
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Emolument, or the Right of
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Individuals
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; in Reason and Justice they are distinated for public Pur-
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poses, such as the Erection and Repair of Goals, Bridges, and other public; Edifices; and, till these
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Resources fail, which it is hardly possible they should ever do, it is humbly apprehended that in re-
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spect of a Prison so peculiarly their own as their of
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Newgate
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has been shewn to be, the Citizens have
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not the least Pretence of Claim to the Bounty of the Public.
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(It is appoid that
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This Statement appairs
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prepard
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in the year 1764
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on
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the occasion of
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the above mentioned Inquiry
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of the lifs of In a men apctition laing pursuened
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the He of Cams.
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Pray the
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