The Fleet. Its Rivers, Prison, and Marriages 1

The Fleet. Its Rivers, Prison, and Marriages 1

The Fleet. Its Rivers, Prison, and Marriages

Author: John Ashton

 

PREFACE.

This book requires none, except a mere statement of its scheme. Time

has wrought such changes in this land of ours, and especially in

its vast Metropolis, "The Modern Babylon," that the old land-marks

are gradually being effaced--and in a few generations would almost

be forgotten, were it not that some one noted them, and left their

traces for future perusal. All have some little tale to tell; even

this little River Fleet, which with its Prison, and its Marriages--are

things utterly of the past, entirely swept away, and impossible to

resuscitate, except by such a record as this book.

 

I have endeavoured, by searching all available sources of information,

to write a trustworthy history of my subject--and, at the same time,

make it a pleasant book for the general reader. If I have succeeded

in my aim, thanks are due, and must be given, to W. H. Overall, Esq.,

F.S.A., and Charles Welch, Esq., Librarians to the Corporation of the

City of London, whose friendship, and kindness, have enabled me to

complete my pleasant task. It was at their suggestion that I came upon

a veritable _trouvaille_, in the shape of a box containing Mr. Anthony

Crosby's Collection for a History of the Fleet, which was of most

material service to me, especially in the illustrations, most of which

were by his own hand.

 

I must also express my gratitude to J. E. Gardner, Esq., F.S.A., for

his kindness in putting his magnificent and unrivalled Collection of

Topographical Prints at my disposal, and also to J. G. Waller, Esq.,

F.S.A., for his permission to use his map of the Fleet River (the best

of any I have seen), for the benefit of my readers.

 

JOHN ASHTON.

 

[Illustration]

 

 

 

 

[Illustration]

 

 

 

 

CONTENTS.

 

 

The River.

 

PAGE

CHAPTER I.

 

Course of the Fleet--Derivation of its Name--The River of

Wells--The Fleet choked up--Cleansing the Fleet--The

Fleet Navigable--Wells--Ponds and Pools 1

 

CHAPTER II.

 

Water Supply of London--The Fleet to be Cleansed--Smell

of the River--Prehistoric London--Antiquarian

Discoveries--Cleansing the Fleet--Fouling the River--Rivers

rising at Hampstead--The Tye-bourne--The West-bourne--Course

of the West-bourne 13

 

CHAPTER III.

 

Course of the Fleet--The Hampstead Ponds--Rural Fleet--Gospel

Oak--Parliament Hill--Kentish Town--Brown's

Dairy--Castle Inn--St. Pancras Wells--Burials at St.

Pancras--the Brill 25

 

CHAPTER IV.

 

Battle Bridge--King's Cross--The Dust-heaps--St. Chad's

Well--St. Chad's Well-water 39

 

CHAPTER V.

 

Medicinal Waters--Spas--The White Conduit--White Conduit

House--White Conduit Gardens 53

 

CHAPTER VI.

 

Sadler's Discovery--Miles's Musick House--A Man Eats a

Live Cock, &c.--Forcer, the Proprietor--Macklin on

Sadler's Wells--Actors at Sadler's Wells--The Pindar of

Wakefield 67

 

CHAPTER VII.

 

"Black Mary's Hole"--Its Disappearance--Bagnigge Wells--Nell

Gwyn's Houses--Bagnigge House 77

 

CHAPTER VIII.

 

Bagnigge Wells--The Organist--Different Proprietors--"Punch"

on Bagnigge Wells--Decadence of the Wells 87

 

CHAPTER IX.

 

Cold Bath Fields Prison 99

 

CHAPTER X.

 

The "Cold Bath"--Cold Baths--Sir John Oldcastle--Archery--Tea

Gardens--Small Pox Hospital--The Pantheon--Lady

Huntingdon's Chapel--Lady Huntingdon 111

 

CHAPTER XI.

 

The Spencean System--Orator Hunt--Riot in the City--Riots--End

of the Riots 127

 

CHAPTER XII.

 

Fighting--Hockley-in-the-Hole--Bear Baiting--Bear Gardens--Bull

Baiting--Sword Play 137

 

CHAPTER XIII.

 

Mount Pleasant--Saffron Hill--Old House in West

Street--Fagin--Field Lane--Thieves 153

 

CHAPTER XIV.

 

Bleeding Hart Yard--Ely Place--John of Gaunt--Ely

Chapel--Turnmill Brook--The Fleet--Holborn Bridge 163

 

CHAPTER XV.

 

Lamb's Conduit--Clerkenwell--Fleet Market--Rye-House

Plot--Fleet Bridge 179

 

CHAPTER XVI.

 

Alderman Waithman--John Wilkes--Ludgate Prison--Sir

Stephen Foster 193

 

CHAPTER XVII.

 

Bridewell--Montfichet Castle--Fuller on Bridewell--Ward

on Bridewell--Howard on Bridewell--Bridewell Prison--

The City and Apprentices--Mother Cresswell--Bridewell

Court Room 205

 

CHAPTER XVIII.

 

Alsatia--Whitefriars--Deaths in the Fleet--Ben Jonson and

the Fleet 223

 

 

The Fleet Prison.

 

 

CHAPTER XIX.

 

History of the Fleet Prison--Female Wardens--Settlement of

Fees--Liberty of Prisoners--Filthy State of the Fleet--A

Quarrelsome Knight--Preference for the Fleet Prison--Sir

John Falstaff--Cardinal Wolsey 229

 

CHAPTER XX.

 

Prisoners--Puritans--Bibliography of Fleet Prison--A

Warden's Troubles 243

 

CHAPTER XXI.

 

The Warden of the Fleet--Purchase of Wardenship--Bad

Discipline--Boundaries of the Fleet--Preference for the

Fleet 255

 

CHAPTER XXII.

 

Complaints of the Warden--The Warden keeps Corpses--Huggins

and Bambridge--Castell--The First Prisoner

in Irons--Acquittal of Huggins and Bambridge--Bambridge

and his Prisoners--Chapel in the Fleet Bagging 265

 

CHAPTER XXIII.

 

Admission to the Fleet Prison--The _Humours_ of the Fleet 279

 

CHAPTER XXIV.

 

Garnish--The "Common Side"--Howard's Report--Regulations

of the Prison--Gordon Riots--Burning of the

Fleet Prison--Fleet Prison Rebuilt--The "Bare"--Racket

Masters--A Whistling Shop--A Mock Election

"_Dum Vivimus, Vivamus_"--Number of Prisoners--Destitution 293