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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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1799
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be General order
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vol 13. 1799.
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The following Letter was sent by me to my Mother, on the 20th of January, 1797, and after-
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wards appeared in the London Corresponding Society's Magazine of February, 1797.
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An Extract of a Letter written by a person confined in thus prison in Cold-Bath fields
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" IT is divided into separate yards; in each of these yards are a number of cells about six feet wide
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with stone floors unplaistered walls, and no windows, only a hole
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with
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door to admit the air the place on which the bed lies is formed by three planks fixed against the
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wall, and in damp weather is covered with wet the bed which is allowed the prisoners, is a straw
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mat with one blanket and a rug. Thanks to your kindness for sending me my own, or I must
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have died with cold; as it is, I lie very warm, except that in rainy weather weather my cell is like the
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street, and the rug which covers the bed is just as if it had lain out all night on the grass and
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had imbibed the morning dew; but this is not the whole of the inconveniences I suffer, for next
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to the distress of not seeing my friends, is the scanty manner in which the prisoners live.it is
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thus:
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"On Monday morning, a loaf that should weigh a pound in served out with a pint bowl
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of what
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is called broth, with four ounces of half-stewed meat. At twelve o'clock this meat is cut into small
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pieces, and put into as many bowls so there are prisoners, to serve about two hours before the broth
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is distributed, which prevents the meat from being half stewed.
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"None of the prisoners are permitted to have a knife ; if they have one on entering the pri-
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son, it is taken away by the Turnkeys.
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"945"
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"On Tuesday, bread and water only. Redford
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"On Wednesday, bread, water and broth, with four ounces of meat.
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"Thursday, the same.
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"Friday, bread and water only.
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"Saturday bread water and with four ounces of meat
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"Sunday. O Lord! bread and water only, no beer being allowed not even small beer!
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<
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"Let your imagination picture of yourself my conditiona cell without a fire-place, locked up
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at half past four, without a light until seven in the morning, and to arise without any thing to
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recruit my strength, but a little bread which I am afraid to eat, left it should not last the day
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then you will judge the necessity I have of summoning all the fortitude I posses to enable me to
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support myself from sinking into absolute despair.
</
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>
<
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>
N.B.
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John Smith
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was not sentenced until 10th of February, 1797 when he entered this abode
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of solitude, starvation, and slavery,
</
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>
<
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n
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"948"
>
This was afterwards altered by the Committee to tin pots.
</
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>
<
p
n
=
"949"
>
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It is impossible
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such circumstances
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can occur
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Not true
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obscured
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ves were wished
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the presence of
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the prisrs. and found
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</
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>
to be full weight
</
note
>
</
p
>
<
p
n
=
"951"
>
<
note
type
=
"authorial"
place
=
"margin"
>
Quart bowl always
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filled
</
note
>
</
p
>
<
p
n
=
"952"
>
<
note
type
=
"authorial"
place
=
"margin"
>
7 or 8 of will
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lb
>
</
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>
stewed Meat
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>
</
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>
& Broth or before
</
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>
</
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</
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