Chapter I: 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.

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

CHAPTER XXV.

Escape of Prisoners--A Gang of Forgers--Abolition of
Imprisonment for Debt--Prisoners Object to move--Opposition
to Removal--"The Last Days of the Fleet"--Sale
of the Fleet Prison--Begging Grate--Richard Oastler 313

Fleet Marriages.

CHAPTER XXVI.

Illegal Marriages--Cost of Marriages--_Peculiars_--Suppression
of Irregular Marriages--A Fleet Parson's Reflections--Fleet
Parsons--An Heiress Married 327

CHAPTER XXVII.

John Gaynam--The Bishop of Hell--Edward Ashwell--John
Floud--Walter Wyatt 339

CHAPTER XXVIII.

The Lilleys--Fleet Parsons--Parson Keith 351

CHAPTER XXIX.

"The Bunter's Wedding"--Fleet Parsons--Exchange of
Wives--Singular Marriage--Irregular Marriage 363