The Fleet. Its Rivers, Prison, and Marriages 15

The Fleet. Its Rivers, Prison, and Marriages 15

"To meet the requirements of the local prison service, a room is being

completed for the convenience of the members of the Visiting Committee

who attend here, also a room for the daily collection of prisoners to

see the medical officer, and other purposes, as well as various minor

alterations found necessary since the transfer.

 

"A bakehouse has been completed, and is in working order, supplying

bread to all metropolitan prisons.

 

"The routine and discipline have been carried out in the same general

manner as heretofore.

 

"The industrial labour continues to be attended with satisfactory

results; the greater portion is still devoted to supplying the wants of

other prisons or Government establishments instead of the market.

 

"Uniform clothing for officers is cut out here for all local prisons,

and made up for a considerable number of the smaller prisons, also

prisoners' clothing and bedding, hospital slippers for the Admiralty,

as well as a large number of Cases and other articles for the General

Post Office have been supplied.

 

"The duties of the Chaplain's department have been performed

uninterruptedly during the year, morning prayers have been said daily,

and Divine Service has been performed on Sundays, Good Friday, and

Christmas day, in the morning and afternoon, with a sermon at both

services. The Holy Communion has been celebrated from time to time on

Sundays and on the great Sunday Festivals. The hospital has been daily

visited; special attention has been paid to the prisoners confined in

the punishment Cells, and constant opportunity has been offered to all

of private instruction and advice. Books from the prisoners' library

have been issued to all who are entitled to receive them, all prisoners

who cannot pass standard three, as set forth by the Education Committee

have been admitted to school instruction.

 

"School books and slates and pencils are issued to prisoners in their

cells.

 

"The medical officer states that the health of the prisoners at

Coldbath Fields, and since the transfer to this prison, has been good.

One case of smallpox occurred at Coldbath Fields; as the prisoner had

been some months in gaol, it was clear that he had caught the disease,

either from a warder, or from some prisoner recently received; he had

been a cleaner in the rotunda, and, of course, had been coming into

contact with warders and prisoners alike, in the busiest part of the

prison, the presumption is that the disease had been carried by the

uniform of some warder. There were five cases of erysipelas at Coldbath

Fields, and one at this prison, at the former place the cases came from

all parts of the prison, new and old. The air shafts were thoroughly

swept and limewashed, and disinfected as far as could be reached, and

there is no doubt that it checked the disease.

 

"The dietary has been satisfactory during the year, and the new pattern

clothing a great improvement.

 

"Every precaution is taken in classing prisoners for labour suited to

their age, physique and health.

 

"The sanitary arrangements are most carefully supervised; the

ventilation in the cells is very good."

 

* * * * *

 

I offer no apology for intruding this report of Prison life, which,

if one took the trouble to look up the yearly reports, he would find

they are all couched in almost identical language.[46] I simply give it

for the consideration of my readers--who, with myself, do not belong

to the criminal classes--to show them how those who have preyed upon

them, and have deservedly merited punishment, meet with treatment such

as the indigent and industrious poor, when, fallen upon evil times,

can not obtain, and the sooner these pampered criminals feel, through

their flesh--either by the whip, hard labour, or hunger--that the

wages of sin are not paid at a higher rate than that procurable by

honest labour, the probability is that the community at large would be

considerably benefited, and the criminal classes would be in a great

measure deprived of clubs to which there is neither entrance fee,

nor annual subscription, in which everything of the best quality is

found them free of charge, and the health of their precious carcases

specially looked after, and gratuitously attended to.

 

[Footnote 41: See next page.]

 

[Footnote 42: J. T. Smith in his "Vagabondiana," ed.

1815-1817, p. 51, alludes thus to the prison: "Perhaps the

only waggery in public-house customs now remaining, is in the

tap room of the Appletree, opposite to Cold Bath Fields

Prison. There are a pair of hand cuffs fastened to the wires

as bell-pulls, and the orders given by some of the company,

when they wish their friends to ring, are, to 'Agitate the

Conductor.'"]

 

[Footnote 43: "After this I was in a vision, having the angel

of God near me, and saw Satan walking leisurely into London"

("Brothers' Prophecies," part i. p. 41).]

 

[Footnote 44: I have met with a Newspaper Cutting, with no

clue to its authenticity or date. "DREADFUL RAVAGES OF THE

INFLUENZA IN THE HOUSE OF CORRECTION.--Yesterday afternoon,

Inquests were holden by William Baker, Esq., one of the

Coroners for the County of Middlesex, at the House of

Correction, Coldbath Fields, on no less than five individuals,

namely, Peter Griffiths, Michael Hughes, James Jones, Thomas

Lillie, and Ann Connard, all of whom had died from the effects

of the present prevalent epidemic, or influenza, and who were

inmates of that prison, and had been sentenced to different

periods of imprisonment. It is a fact that, for the last two

months, more prisoners have died in this prison, principally

from the effects of influenza, than had died there during the

whole of the preceding year." Possibly the poor Fleet River,

at that time hardly degraded to the level of the Sewer--which

now it is--may have had something to do with the unsanitary

condition of the prison.--J. A.]

 

[Footnote 45: Adopted at Coldbath Fields Prison, July, 1822.]

 

[Footnote 46: Let any one compare, for instance, reports for

1884 and 1886.]

 

 

 

 

[Illustration]

 

 

 

 

CHAPTER X.

 

 

Coldbath Fields were, a hundred and twenty years ago, fairly rural, for

(although it certainly is recorded as an abnormal occurrence) we find,

in the _Daily Courant_, November 12, 1765, "Friday afternoon, about two

o'clock, a hare crossed the New Road, near Dobney's Bowling green, ran

to the New River Head, and from thence to Coldbath Fields, where, in

some turning among the different avenues, she was lost. She appeared to

have been hard run, by her dirty and shabby coat."

 

These fields took their name from a spring (part of the River of Wells)

which had its source there. A Mr. Walter Baynes of the Temple, who was,

for his day, far-seeing, and made the most of the "town lots" which

were in the market, bought this plot of land, and at once utilized it

to his profit. It was of some note, as we read in a book published in

Queen Anne's reign, "A New View of London," 1708, vol. ii. p. 785.

"Cold Bath. The most noted and first[47] about _London_ was that near

_Sir John Oldcastle's_, where, in the Year 1697, Mr. _Bains_ undertook

and yet manages this business of Cold Bathing, which they say is good

against Rheumatisms, Convulsions of the Nerves, &c., but of that, those

that have made the Experiments are the best judges. The Rates are 2s.

6d. if the Chair is used,[48] and 2s. without it. Hours are from five

in the morning to one, afternoon."

 

We learn two things from this--the pristine existence of "tub," and the

fact that it was purely matutinal. Nay, from the same book we learn

more, for, under the heading of "Southwark Cold Bath," we find that

the "utmost time to be in, three minutes." At this latter places were

"ex votos," so frequently seen at shrines on the Continent. "Here are

eleven Crutches, which they say, were those of persons cured by this

Water." Bathing was a luxury then--water was bought by the pailful, and

a warm bath at the _Hummums_ cost 5s., equal to between 10s. and 15s.

of our money.

 

Walter Baynes, Esq., of the Middle Temple, seems to have been a pushing

man of business, and willing to make the most of his property. He

traded on the uncleanliness of the times, when baths were mostly used

in case of illness, and daily ablution of the whole body was unknown.

Ladies were quite content to dab their faces with some "fucus" or face

wash, or else smear them with a greasy larded rag. The shock of a

veritable cold bath from a spring, must have astonished most of those

who endured it, and no doubt invested it with a mysterious merit which

it did not possess, otherwise than by cleansing the skin, both by the

washing, and the subsequent rubbing dry.

 

[Illustration: SOUTH VIEW OF THE COLD BATHS.]

 

However, we find Mr. Baynes advertising in the _Post Boy_, March

28, 1700, the curative effects of his wonderful spring. "This is

to give notice that the Cold Baths in Sir John Oldcastle's field

near the north end of Gray's Inn Lane, London, in all seasons of

the year, especially in the spring and summer, has been found, by

experience, to be the best remedy in these following distempers, viz.,

Dizziness, Drowsiness, and heavyness of the head, Lethargies, Palsies,

Convulsions, all Hectical creeping Fevers, heats and flushings.

Inflammations and ebullitions of the blood, and spirits, all vapours,

and disorders of the spleen and womb, also stiffness of the limbs, and

Rheumatick pains, also shortness of the breath, weakness of the joints,

as Rickets, &c., sore eyes, redness of the face, and all impurities

of the skin, also deafness, ruptures, dropsies, and jaundice. It both

prevents and cures colds, creates appetite, and helps digestion, and

makes hardy the tenderest constitution. The coach way is by Hockley in

the Hole."

 

Of course, viewed by the light of modern medical science, Mr. Baynes

was a charlatan, and a quack, but he acted, doubtless, according to his

lights, in those days; and, if a few were killed, it is probable that many more were benefited by being washed.