The Fleet. Its Rivers, Prison, and Marriages 25

The Fleet. Its Rivers, Prison, and Marriages 25

ERECTED

TO THE MEMORY

OF

ROBERT

WAITHMAN

BY

HIS FRIENDS AND

FELLOW CITIZENS,

M.D.C.C.C.XXXIII.

 

This Alderman Waithman was almost one of the typical class so often

held up as an example for all poor boys to follow, _i.e._, he began

life with simply his own energy, and opportunity to help him. And, as

a virtuous example of industry, when the times were not so pushing as

now; and half, and quarter, or less commissions on transactions were

unknown, we may just spend a minute in reading about him. Wrexham

was his birthplace in 1764, and his father dying soon after, he was

adopted by his uncle and sent to school. No one was then left very

many years in _statu pupillari_, and, consequently, he had to join his

uncle in business, as a linendraper at Bath. The uncle died in 1788,

and he took a place at Reading, whence he came to London, and lived as

a linendraper's assistant until he came of age. He then married, and

opened a shop at the South end of the Fleet Market, nearly precisely on

the spot where his monument now stands.

 

He prospered in business, and moved to other, and larger premises,

became Common Councilman, tried to get into Parliament for the City,

and ultimately succeeded in 1818. Next election he lost it, but in

all subsequent ones he was the favoured candidate. He was Alderman of

Farringdon Without, Sheriff, and filled the office of Mayor in 1823-4.

The obelisk to his memory remains, but he has dropped out of general

memory, and this revival of his life, for imitation, in industry and

rectitude of conduct, must be my excuse for taking up my readers' time.

 

Far different is it with John Wilkes, about whom every one knows, and

I have only to say that his obelisk bears the inscription--

 

A.D.

M.D.C.C.LXXV.

THE RIGHT

HONORABLE

JOHN WILKES,

Lord Mayor.

 

This inscription became effaced through the weather, and was, within

the last few years, replaced with a new stone; but it was grumbled at

for not having the original word "Esquire" after John Wilkes, which was

surely a work of supererogation.

 

Close by was Ludgate, with its debtors' prison of Lud-gate, which was

rather aristocratic, being "purely for Insolvent Citizens of _London_,

Beneficed Clergy, and Attorneys at Law," and which was even peculiar in

the time when it existed; for Maitland, in his "History of London" (ed.

1775, pp. 28, 29) says:--

 

"The domestick Government of this Prison having something very

singular and remarkable in it, I presume an Account thereof will

not be unacceptable to the Reader. I shall, therefore, insert a

compendious Abstract thereof from an Account published some Time

ago by one who had been a long Time Prisoner there.

 

"For the quiet and good Government of this Prison, and the

Punishment of Crimes and Misdemeanors therein committed, the

Master Keeper and Prisoners from among themselves chuse the

following Officers, viz., A Reader of Divine Service; an upper

Steward, called the Master of the Box; an Under Steward; seven

Assistants, who by Turns officiate daily; a Running Assistant;

two Churchwardens; a Scavenger; a Chamberlain; a Running Post;

and the Criers or Beggars at the Gates, who are generally six in

number.

 

"The Reader is chosen by the Master Keeper, Stewards, and

Assistants, and not at a General Election, as the other Officers

are. The Reader, besides reading Prayers, was, originally,

obliged to Ring the Bell twice a Day for Prayers, and also for

the Space of a Quarter of an Hour before Nine at Night, as a

Warning for all Strangers to depart the Prison; but for the

Dignity of his Office, he is now exempt from those Services,

and others in his stead are appointed to perform them. This

Officer's salary is two Shillings and eight Pence _per_

Month, and a Penny of every Prisoner at his Entrance, if his

Garnish[74] amount to sixteen Pence; and a Dish of Meat out of

the Lord Mayor's Basket.

 

"The Upper Steward, or Master of the Box, is, by all the

Prisoners held in equal Esteem with the Keeper of the Prison;

and to his Charge is committed the keeping of all the several

Orders of the House, with the Accounts of Cash received upon

Legacies; the Distribution of all the Provisions sent in by

the Lord Mayor, and others; the cash received by Garnish, and

begging at the Grates, which he weekly lays out in Bread,

Candles, and other Necessaries. He likewise keeps a List of

all the Prisoners, as well those that are upon the Charity, as

those that are not; to each of whom, by the Aid of the Assistant

for the Day, he distributes their several proportions of Bread

and other Provisions. He receives the Gifts of the Butchers,

Fishmongers, Poulterers, and other Market People, sent in by the

Clerk of the Market, by the Running Post, for which he gives a

Receipt, and, afterwards, in the Presence of the Assistant for

the Day, exposes for Sale to the Charity Men, by Way of Market;

and the Money arising thereby is deposited in the Common Stock,

or Bank.

 

"This Officer, with the Under Steward, Assistants, and

Churchwardens, are elected monthly by the Suffrages of the

Prisoners; but all the other Officers, except the Chamberlain,

are appointed by the Master-Keeper, Stewards, and Assistants.

The Design of these frequent Elections, is to prevent Frauds

and Abuses in the respective Officers; but, when they are known

to be Men of Probity, they are generally reelected, and often

continue in such Posts many Months. The _Monday_ after every

Election, the Accounts are audited and passed, and the Balance

divided; and, if it amount to three Shillings and four Pence

_per_ Man, the Keeper of the Prison arbitrarily extorts from

each Prisoner two Shillings and Four Pence, without the least

Colour of Right: But, if the Dividend arises not so high, then

he only takes one Shilling and two Pence; the other Moiety being

charged to the Prisoner's Account, to be paid at the Time of his

Discharge; which new and detestable Impositions are apparently

contrary to the Intention of the Founder.

 

"Another great Grievance the distressed and miserable Prisoners

are subject to, is, their being obliged to pay the Turnkey

twelve Shillings _per_ Month, for no other Service than that

of opening the Door to let in Gifts and Charities sent to the

Prison, which often amount to little more than what he receives.

 

"The Under Steward is an Assistant, or Deputy, to the Upper

Steward, in whose Absence or Indisposition he performs the

several Functions of his Office.

 

"The Assistants, being seven in Number, are chosen Monthly with

the Stewards; one whereof, officiating daily, his Business is to

attend in the Hall, to enter all Charities, and keep an Account

of the Money taken out of the Boxes, which are opened at five

o'Clock in the Afternoon, and at Nine at Night; which Money he

pays to the Upper Steward, at the passing of whose Accounts the

Assistants are Auditors.

 

"Every Person put in Nomination for the Office of an Assistant,

refusing to serve, forfeits one Shilling to the Use of the

Publick, or, in lieu thereof, to be put in Fetters for three

Days. The officiating Assistant is invested with a magisterial

Power, whereby he can commit a Prisoner to the Stocks or

Shackles, for the Abuse of any Person. This Officer is to see

the Cellar cleared every Night, by ten o'Clock of all the

Prisoners; for which he receives six Pence out of the Charity

Money; two Pence whereof to his own Use, two Pence to the Upper

Steward, and two Pence to the Running Assistant. This Office was

anciently in such Esteem, that the Assistant, at his entering

upon it, used nightly, at Eight o'Clock, to be ushered into

the Hall, by an Illumination of forty or fifty great Candles,

carried by so many Prisoners.

 

"The Running Assistant's Business is, to attend upon the Criers

at the Gates, to change Money; and open the Boxes: to put up

Candles in their respective Places, attend upon the Stewards and

Assistants, look after the Clock, ring the Bell for Prayers;

and to be Crier at the Sale of Provisions. His Salary is four

Shillings and eight Pence _per_ Month, and an eighth part of the

Garnish Money.

 

"The Churchwardens are chosen from among the youngest Prisoners.

The Upper Warden's Office is, to call to Prayers on _Sundays_,

after the Bell has done ringing; and the Under Warden's is to

call the Prisoners to Prayers all other Days. They are likewise

to take cognizance of all Persons who are upon the Charity

Foundation; who in default of Attendance are fined one Penny

each. The Under Warden's Salary for this Service is four Pence

_per_ Month; and the Penalty for not serving, when duly elected,

is four Pence.

 

"The Scavenger's Office is, to keep clean the Prison, and to

fetter, and put in the Stocks all Offenders; for which he is

intitled to receive from each Criminal one Penny, together with

a Salary of five Shillings and eight Pence _per_ Month, and two

Pence out of every sixteen Pence of the Garnish Money.

 

"The Chamberlain is chosen by the Keeper of the Prison, whose

Office it is to take Care of all the Bedding and Linen belonging

to the Keeper; to place Men at their coming in, and to furnish

them with Sheets, and to give Notice to Strangers to depart the

Prison by Ten o'Clock at Night. This Officer, formerly, was

obliged to make the Charity-Men's Beds, for which he received

two Pence _per_ Month.

 

"The Running Post's Business is, to fetch in a Basket the

broken Meat from the Lord-Mayor, Clerk of the Market, private

Families, and Charities given in the Streets, which are often so

inconsiderable as not to admit of a Dividend; wherefore it is

disposed of by Sale or publick Market, as aforesaid. The Salary

annexed to this office, is four Shillings _per_ Month; one Penny

_per_ Month out of each Man's Dividend, and one Penny out of

every sixteen Pence of Garnish money.

 

"The Criers are six in Number; two whereof daily beg at the

Grates; he at the Grate within is allowed one Fourth of what is

given, and he at that on _Blackfriars_ Side one Moiety of what

is given there."

 

This custom is alluded to in the _Spectator_, No. lxxxii.:

 

"Passing under _Ludgate_ the other Day I heard a Voice bawling for

Charity, which I thought I had somewhere heard before. Coming near to

the Grate, the Prisoner called me by my Name, and desired I would throw

something into the Box. I was out of Countenance for him, and did as he

bid me, by putting in half a Crown."

 

Of this Grate there is a pretty and romantic story told by Stow.[75]

 

"When the Prison was in this Condition, there happened to be Prisoner

there one _Stephen Foster_, who (as poor Men are at this Day) was

a Cryer at the Grate, to beg the benevolent Charities of pious and

commiserate Benefactors that passed by. As he was doing his doleful

Office, a rich Widow of _London_ hearing his Complaint, enquired of

him, what would release him? To which he answered, Twenty Pound,

which she in Charity expended; and, clearing him out of Prison, entertained him in her Service; who, afterward, falling into the Way of Merchandize, and increasing as well in Wealth as Courage, wooed his Mistress, Dame _Agnes_, and married