From the Gaol of Liverpoole in Lancashire.

THomas Morgan, of Liverpoole, Chyrur­geon, having a Wife and Five Children, falling Lame, for which reason he was not able to follow his Practice, his Wife also at the same time falling Sick of a Fever, and his [Page 4]Children Visited with the Small-Pox, fell to d [...]cay, and were cast into the Prison of Live [...] ­poole for about Eleven Pounds Debt; the sai [...] Prison being about Sixteen Foot in length, an [...] Twelve Foot in breadth, in which was Tw [...] Houses of Office, it being but one Room, as no Yard to walk in. In which Prison the sai [...] Mr. Morgan was Locked up a Year and Quar­ter, in all which time, neither he, nor any [...] the other Prisoners, had any Bedding, or Straw to Lodg on, nor any Allowance of Meat o [...] Drink, so that the said Mr. Morgan was Ne­cessitated to Catch Mice, with a Trap, to Ea [...] for to keep himself from Starving; and also Felons and High-way-men were put into the same Prison with the Debtors; of which hard and barbarous Usage of the said M [...] Morgan, his Wife making Complaint, and seeking Redress, she also was sent to Prison, and shut up close Prisoner in another Room, and not suffered to come to her Husband, she having at the same time a Child of Three Months Old, Sucking at her Breast, without any Allowance for her Maintenance, but what she had out of Charity from her Neighbors: Of all which Barbarities the said Mr. Morgan Complaining of, instead of Redress, the Gao­ler, Thomas Row, Beat the said Mr. Morgan, and put him in Irons. This Relation was given me under the Hand of the said Mr. Thomas Morgan, Novemb. 7th, 1690, at which time he profered to give me his Affidavit before a Master in Chancery of the Truth of it, as Wit­ness, [Page 5] Robert Meldrum, Gent. John Edkins, Gent. and divers other Gentlemen, to the said Mr. Morgan's Signing of the Original Paper.

From the Castle at the City of Lincoln.

WHat I do is meerly out of kindness to my Fellow-Prisoners, thinking my self obliged, as I am a Clergy-Man, to endea­vour their Enlargement, as it is one of the highest Acts of Charity. I have here drawn up their Grievances, which you may be pleas­ed to peruse, and do with as you think conve­nient. If you Print these our Grievances, we shall send for some Copies to give the Gentle­men of the County that are Trustees for the Gaol, that so, if possible, we may have all these Abuses Rectified. I have here by way of Petition to both Houses of Parliament under­written the Aggrievances, viz. To the Right Honourable the Lords and Commons Assembled in Parliament, The Humble Petition of the poor Distressed Debtors in the Castle of Lin­coln, Humbly sheweth,

Whereas many of us, being Thirty or For­ty in Number, having lain here in sad Affliction, [Page 6]under a strict Confinement, above the space of Six or Seven Years, being kept in strict Custody by the Unmerciful Cruelty of our Creditors; and now by Languishing, in Expectation their Sacred Majesties, with the Right Honourable the Two Houses of Parliament, will in due time, in Commiseration of our Deplorable Condition, Issue out Their Merciful Act of Grace, where­by we may be at large, not only to doe Their Majesties Service, but also be Capacitated some way or other in some honest Employ to pay our Just Debts, and also to provide for our Selves and Families, that are now in some measure, or altogether Burthensome to their respective Parishes, till which happy Act be Enacted, we at present Humbly Petition the Two Honourable Houses of Parliament, will be pleased, as their great Wisdoms thinks convenient, to Issue forth some Order, for the Regulating of Gaols, particularly this Gaol of Lincoln-Castle, wherein we the Distressed Pri­soners, by the Tyranny of our Gaoler, are grievously Oppressed, he using all manner of Rigour, and more than Turkish Behaviour a­gainst us; Supersiliously Domineering and Op­pressing us, as we are upon Oath able to de­pose, and as hereafter is subscribed, viz.

Imprimis, We in all Humility Complain, That our Inhuman Gaoler, William Smith, did suffer his Servant violently to take from one William Follet, a poor Prisoner in this Gaol for the full space of Six Years, a certain Purse with the Summ of Six Pounds, Two Shillings, [Page] [Page]

[Page 7]which he the said William Follet had commit­ted to the trust of a certain Prisoner of honest Repute, to be kept for him as a Stock to Buy some Leather, to Employ himself in his Trade, whereby to get himself Maintenance during his sad Confinement, which Purse of Money the said Smith never restored, nor so much as accounted for; and when the said William Follet demanded an Account, the Gaoler Inhu­manly ordered his Ruffians to drag the said Follet, (as they call it,) in his Coach, viz. to be drag'd by the Heels, and suffering his Head to bear upon the hard Stones; by which ill Usage the said Follet is become not altogether so well in his Intellects as formerly, besides many other Unchristian Actions towards the said Follet, too large herein to be related.

Secondly, We Humbly Complain, That the said Gaoler does keep Correspondence with Felons, and suffered one Robert Slinger, a No­torious Convicted Felon, to be his Bully, and to revenge his Quarrel against one Stephen Turrington, a poor Debtor, and to Wound the said Turrington, and almost to knock out one of his Eyes, whereby the said Turrington was much abus'd; and when he complain'd to Wil­liam Smith the Gaoler, he was entertain'd with nothing but Scoffs and Laughter.

Thirdly, We Humbly Complain, That the said Gaoler suffers the Felons usually to go un­fetterd, and after Conviction to frequent the Town upon any occasion; and by giving so much liberty, suffers many to escape, and to [Page 8]abuse the liberty granted them, to the great prejudice of the poor Debtors; as particularly, by granting the like liberty to one Robert Keale a Notorious Felon, being Three times Con­victed; he the said Keale Rob'd the Chest, or Box, of one Ruth Bollan, a poor Debtor, and pilfred from her the Summ of Forty Shillings, which she the said Ruth had by her Industry collected, during her Six Years Imprisonment, intending, after her enlargement, that the said Summ should part of it defray her Charges, and the remainder Buy her a little stock of Wool wherewith to employ her self for a poor Livelihood; which Loss, when she the said Ruth complained of, threatning an Indict­ment against the said Keale the next Assizes, the said Keale was suffered to escape, and the said Ruth forc'd to rest content with loss of her Money, the Gaoler only telling her, she should have look'd to it better.

Fourthly, We Humbly Complain, That the said William Smith will not suffer us the Di­stressed Prisoners to send for any Ale, or Beer, out of Prison, whereas he the said Smith does not allow half Measure that others give, as al­so what he does vend, is so Base, Muddy, and Unwholesome, that it rather Infects than Nourishes; his Tapster, (a Fellow formerly of the Iron-Regiment,) making the Floatings of the sediment of Dregs with his Beer for poor Prisoners; besides, if any poor Prisoner calls to Claxtons, at the Castle-Gates, for a Penny­worth of what is wholesome and refreshing, [Page 9]the said Smith Storms and Frowns, threatning to break their Vessels, and as he calls it, to come even with those that go not to his Spung­ing Cellar.

Fifthly, We Humbly Complain, That whereas the said Smith has allowed him from the several Wapentakes of the County, the Summ of Sixty, or Seventy Pounds per An­num, which is paid him by the Chief-Consta­bels at every Quarter Sessions, for the Support and Relief of poor Prisoners for Allowance of Bread, and if that Summ will not satisfie, may, upon Complaint, have more; yet he the said Smith converts the said Moneys to his own pro­per use, and the poor Debtors have no Allow­ance as was ordered for them, under the Hands of the Justices of the Peace; and he the said Smith gives Churlish Answers when it is de­manded, so that the Prisoners are Injured, and so far suppressed from Craving it, that several have Perished for want of Food and Order; when as this very Allowance, as may be sup­posed, would as yet have preserv'd them a­live, and with what they would have wrought for, have Relieved them, and restored them to Health, whereas some lately Died meerly with Hunger, and want of Order.

Sixthly, We Humbly Complain, That where­as here be several of us of good Credit, and have been formerly of Repute in the World, and are still, (excepting what the Necessities of our Confinement brings upon us,) and have lived in Plenty, having good Order, and all o­ther [Page 10]Conveniencies; yet now that we are in Gaol we find our selves by the unworthy Acti­ons of our Gaoler horridly abused, he exacting of us for Chamber-Rent and Bedding, threat­ning, that if we comply not with his Demands, to turn us down into a stinking Cave; not fit­ting for Persons whose Extraction is Laudable, and Education is Ingenious; whereas we the said Prisoners are willing to allow what is ac­cording to the Statute in that case provided; as also that we may have our own Linnen and Bedding, and not be confin'd to the Gaoler's Furniture, which is more fit Litter for Hoggs, than Bedding for Men, the Chambers not se­curing us from Wind and Weather.

We Humbly Complain, That whereas many, or most of us, are Miserably Poor, wanting all manner of Necessaries, having not the con­veniency of Craving Charity, by reason of the remoteness of our Prison from the Town; and whereas we crav'd leave of our Gaoler for Two whom we could trust to go into the Town with a Petition, to pray some Assistance from good People, whereby we might either pro­cure our Enlargement, or if not that, yet at least our present Support; and whereas for one part of a Day our Gaoler did admit of our Re­quest, yet immediately, out of a Morose and Peevish Humour, he refus'd, so that many of us are totally destitute of succour, being treat­ed worse than Gally-Slaves, and much more Indigent than the poorest Mendicant.

We Humbly Complain, That whereas it has been the Custom of this Gaol, that those that lay in the upper Chambers, in the Coldness of the Winter-Season, have had the liberty of Ac­cess to the Kitchin-Fire till Nine of the Clock at Night, whereby they were greatly enliven'd and cherish'd; yet now the Gaoler takes that Priviledg from them, and neither will suffer them to come there, nor allow any publick place in the Prison for the conveniency of the Prisoner, nor admit them to have liberty after Locking up, to bring any Victuals when warm, nor liberty to ease Nature, whereby the Priso­ners do oftentimes become Offensive to each o­ther. These, with many other things of the like Nature, will be Justified upon occasion; so, that if this be made Publick, we desire that no Name be made use of till it comes to the Test. This from your humble Servant,

From the Gaol at Appleby in Westmerland.

BY Saturday's Post we sent some Lines in haste, to shew our Thankfulness to you for your Care in the Bill for the Release of all [Page 12]poor Debtors in England; we understand you send to all Gaols. We have received several great Abuses by the Gaoler, Ʋnder-Sheriffs, and some Attorneys, (as you will see,) by Un­just Fees, and otherwise; one Philip Warcup was holden Prisoner from the last of August, to the Fourteenth of October, without any War­rant at all; John Watson, Aged above Seventy Years, hath for several Weeks together no­thing but Bread and Water, hath been in close Goal for above Two Years, and hath for two Assizes together had the Judges Order, viz. Lord Dolbin, and Lord Powell, for a Superse­deas, and Roguishly put off by the Attorney, yet the reason is much in the Gaoler, for want of a Certificate to his Warrant; William Raisbeck a Trespassor for Words, upon Execu­tion, (was cleared by their Majesties Pardon,) and paid the Execution-Money to the Ʋnder-Sheriff, and notwithstanding by Combination between the Ʋnder-Sheriff and Gaoler, the Gaoler owned an Escape, and the Prisoner was not suffered to appear at the Assizes to plead his Pardon, but was, and is detain'd in close Prison falsely above this Two Years. Certainly no Prisoners Abuses are like ours, our Gaol is but Eight Yards long, and Four and a half in breadth, without any Chimney, or place of Ease; several poor Prisoners have been Star­ved and Poisoned in it, and several poor Priso­ners for whole Years cannot have the benefit of the Air, nor Fires Refreshments. This is the Gaoler's Cruelty, and the poor Prisoners are in [Page]

[Page] [Page 13]great want for the County Allowance, and Mo­neys, in the Goaler's Hands. Our Sheriff is Deputy to — and practices as a Cor­roner, an Attorney, and a Bailiff, and doth very ill things; we can give an Account of all Prisoners Discharges upon all Accounts this Twelve Months, none upon Execution but have paid Two Shillings and Four Pence more than usual Fees; and if any be in Gaol on any Writ, if it be upon common Appearance, yet they are forced by the Gaoler to pay in Fees Thirteen Shillings and Four Pence; shameful things as ever was Acted, if all A­buses should be mentioned, we should be tedi­ous, therefore we have given you these few, which if you approve, we shall in the next Amplifie; in the Interim, all of us in close Gaol do conclude, your obliged Servants, and poor Debtors, William Raisbeck, John Wat­son, &c.

October the 30th, 1690.

From the Gaol at Chester­field.

WE hope there is not such another Pri­son again in England as ours, for the [Page 14]Court, the Prison is held under, it hath de­stroyed all the poorer sort of People in Scars­dale; if a Stranger come into the Town, let him come from where he will, if he owe any thing to any Man, streight-way a Capias is laid on him, and there he must pay before he go, or procure such Security as can hardly be got; and if he come out of any other Coun­ty, or Shire, as Nottingham, York-shire, &c. into close Prison he must be clapt, and if he have no Money wherewith to help himself withal, he may starve for want of Sustenance, for no Relief at all will be afforded him, nei­ther by the Town, nor by the Gaoler; and if the Prisoners make any Complaint, all that is said in excuse is, if any Allowance should be afforded them, they would never pay their Debts, and so the poor Prisoners may starve for Want. If we Complain of this hard U­sage to the Steward, or Gaoler, they say, they pay such a great Rent for their Places, that they cannot afford the Prisoners any thing; so Relief they have none, not so much as fair Water, but what they pay for, and many times, for the bestowing of a Penny, must give a Half-pen­ny; so good Sir, if you can remedy our poor Condition, whereby we may have some small Allowance to the Prison, it will be the greatest Comfort in the World, both to us, and those that come after us. Hoping to hear from you some Comfortable News of our Releasement, we remain poor Prisoners in Chesterfield-Goal, John Hay, George Wright, &c. Novem. 25. 90.

From the County-Goal of Sa­lop.

WE have here annexed sent you a short Breviate of our Grievances, which if through God's Blessing on your Industry, in some Measure, be redressed, it will not only be a present help, but for the future, the Prayers of the poor Distressed People in our County may procure Access to the Almighty, whereby a future Blessing may redound upon your good Endeavours, which is the earnest Prayers of my self, and Brother-Sufferers, Ro­bert Husbands, William Blantorn, &c.

Imprimis, That several Persons, now in Custody, brought in by false pretended Acti­ons, and nothing of reality in the least, when once in Custody, the Ʋnder-Sheriff and At­torneys combining together, refusing to take Five or Six Hundred Pounds Bail, whilst the Attorney and his Confederates carry away the Issues and Profits of their Lands, and they lie starving miserably in Gaol, to the utter Ruin of them, their Wives and Families.

Secondly, Several Persons now in Custody, Attached upon the first Writ for a small Debt [Page 16]under Twenty Shillings, by the baseness of the Attorneys and Bailiffs, in extorting Fees, shall not be set at liberty without paying Thirty Shillings and upwards to them, besides Seven Shillings Six Pence to the Ʋnder-Sheriff, Eight Shillings Six Pence to the Gaoler, and Six Pence to the Turn-Key; setting at nought the Act of Parliament of the 23 of H. 6. Chap. 10. to the utter Impoverishing of several Fami­lies.

Thirdly, That every Prisoner, when once in Custody, before their Releasement, must pay Four Pence a Night during their Consinement, without abatement, so that the Gaoler recei­ving Four Shillings and Eight Pence per Week, for Bedding of small Value, and those of the Common-Chambers having nothing but the bare Floor, Fourteen Pence the Week, and for non­payment of the least Mite, kept in durance until starv'd to Death, notwithstanding several demands of a Table of Fees, according to the Statute, and several Petitions preferred to the Justices in that behalf.

Fourthly, That all Prisoners for Debt, or under pretence thereof, strictly Confined to their close Chambers, never swept or cleansed, with­out their own pains and labour, under Lock from Five of the Clock in the Evening until Nine in the Morning, without Relief, and then for every Pint and half of sorry Ale, Three Pence, and not under, all adding to our Mi­sery.

Fifthly, That several or most of the Petty-Fog Attorneys in the County, brought up from the Dunghil; by Extortion and Exaction, have purchased Four, Five, or Six Hundred Pounds a Year, and brought their Clyants to utter Beggery; besides a Crew of common Bai­liffs by the like trade living upon the Com­monalty, refusing to Labour, or follow any lawful Employment to get a Livelihood.

Lastly, That Prisoners of all sorts, as Mur­derers, Felons, and Cutpurses, have not only been daily kept, but also continually Lodged, among Debtors, without redress, although se­veral Complaints have been made of those In­solent and Intolerable Abuses. Neither hath our Gaol been at all Return'd since the Reign of King Charles the Second, according to Law.

Sir, The Grievances with the Names of the Attorneys, upon your Notice, shall be sent more at large. This Account is subscribed by Twenty Three Witnesses.

Salop, ss. Ad Generalem Sessionem pacis Com' pred' tent' apud Salop, die Martis in Sep­temana prox' post Festum St. Mich' Sexto die Octobris, anno R. Regis Jacobi Secundi, nuno Angl' &c. Primo Anno{que} Dom' 1685.

The Court upon hearing the Petition of Mr. Wicherley, and several other Prisoners for Debt, Ordered, That the present Gaoler, Mr. Cowper, doe, before the next Sessions, cause a [Page 18]Table of Fees to be Ingrossed, and produced to the Court, and upon their Allowance, it to be hung up in Publick in the Gaol, to the end the Prisoners may the better know what they are to pay, and how to behave themselves, Per Cur' Teste Ric' Jenkins Cler'pacis Com' pred'.

Sir, Since we sent up our Grievances, we found this Order of Court, in which there hath no progress been made in order to it, but seve­ral Threatnings us'd to affright us for seeking after Justice, therefore desire your Assistance to prefer this with the rest, if you find it conve­nient, and to be so kind as to let us hear as soon, and as often as any thing of moment is done; had we known our Grievances would any thing avail'd, we might have enlarged ve­ry much. Your Servants, Robert Husbands, &c.

October the 25th, 1690.

From Rothwell-Gaol in York­shire.

WIlliam Hall being a Prisoner in the low Goal, with above Twenty more poor Prisoners, in the Year 1688; Samuel Brogden the Gaoler Lock'd up the said poor Prisoners, all in a close Hole, and nothing to [Page 19]Lodg on but Straw, and not suffered to Ease themselves at the convenient place appointed, but when the said Gaoler pleaseth, nor any Wa­ter for the poor Prisoners to Drink, but when the Goaler pleaseth, there being no other Al­lowance to the said Prison; nor will the Gao­ler suffer the Window-Shuts to be set open, that the Air might refresh the poor Prisoners, who were in the Summer-time swelter'd with Heat, being so Lock'd up in Ten Yards square; and that the Gaoler doth Beat and Bruise the poor Prisoners in a most Cruel and Bloody manner, and especially the said William Hall, and did deny Three several Habeas Corpus, to the great damage of the said William Hall, and at last did force the said Hall to pay him Three Pounds, pretending for his Fees for the low Gaol, where no Fees are due; also poor Prisoners are forced to pay Four Pence for a Pint and half of Ale. Charles Thompson a Prisoner inform'd William Hall, that Samuel Brogden the Gaoler charged him with Forty Five Pounds for Meat, Drink, and Lodging, in Eighteen Weeks time; and William Hall saw the said Gaoler, and his Man, Beat the said Charles Thompson, and forced him to put his Hand to a Deed of Sale of his Estate to the said Gaoler, for the said Forty Five Pounds, and gave him the said Charles Eight Weeks time to redeem it; but before Five Weeks was expired, the Gaoler sold the said Estate to Mr. Boynton for near a Hundred Pounds, and the Gaoler will not allow the said Charles any [Page 20]of the Money, nor will not come to any Ac­count with him for the same. All which I am ready to depose, Witness William Hall, Tho­mas Richmond, Thomas Clemance, Anthony Stagg, &c.

Novemb. the 18th, 1690.

From Debtor's-Hall in the Toll-Booth in Cambridg.

WE the poor Prisoners for Debt, are so Impoverished by long Imprisonment, that we have not Bread to Eat, and are some­times forced to Drink Water, for Six of us that are in Debtor's-Hall, some have been here almost Seven Years, and some Five, others Three, and therefore we are extream poor, and have not wherewith to subsist; we have only a Basket twice a Week, and that is all, a little broken Meat, and a few Crusts of Bread. As for the Debtors in the House, there are Se­ven of them, Four Men, and Three Women, and they are all very poor, and indeed it is a very poor Prison: Therefore we do all give you many thanks for your Care and Pains in the promoting and putting forward an Act for our Redemption: And the Great God of Hea­ven and Earth Bless you in your proceedings. [Page 21]And this is all we poor Debtors can say, or do, only pray for You and Yours, whose Names are under-written, in the behalf of the rest, Rubin Guter, Samuel Welles, &c.

October the 4th, 1690.

From Southgate-Prison in Ex­eter, Devon.

YOur Care and Diligence is greatly to be commended, in carrying on this Charita­ble Act, for the Release of poor Imprisoned Debtors. Our Grievances are great, our Con­finement is very close, we have not any Yard to walk in, here are Seven of us that have not walk'd this Six or Seven Years in any place to take the Air, for it's not allow'd us; here is a large Room in our Prison which is common for all Prisoners to walk there, but it's at the Keeper's pleasure; us he Confines in a Room which is not above Eighteen Foot and some Inches Square, in which we are close Confin'd Day and Night, also here is a House of Office in it, which Ten or Twelve Men do Ease themselves in, so we that are close Confin'd do such the ill Air that doth proceed from their Excrements, and the Nastiness of the House [Page 22]of Office, so that we are suffocated with ill Air, which makes us very Sick, and are broken out with Boils, Carbunckles, and Botches; we are kept without any Water for Weeks toge­ther. Those of us that can get Moneys to spend, or cause others to spend, may walk in the common Room, but still by Night are Lock'd up Ten, Twelve, sometimes Four­teen, in the said Room of Eighteen Foot and some Inches, in which is but one Light, which is not above two Foot Square, which looks out into the common Goal where Criminals are kept, sometimes Ten, or Twelve of them all in a Room of the same dimensions of ours, which with the Air that doth proceed from their Room and House of Office, and our House of Office, doth quite take away our Breath. Our Friends that comes to see us must come under Three Locks, and they often [...]e [...]rain to come to us, by reason of the ill Scents, for fear of Infection, for when they have came to us they have complain'd, that it has almost taken away their Breath. We can have as much, and as good Beer, or Ale, out of the Prison for Five Farthings, as we give in the Prison Two Pence. Sir, We are your Servants, Aaron Bourne, Richard Lod­den, &c.

Novemb. the 8th, 1690.

From the Gaol at DUR­HAM.s

WE are much abused by our Gaoler, we are many times Eight or Nine Priso­ners, for Debt, in a Room of Three Yards compass Square; he the Gaoler debars us of our House of Office, that we are almost poi­soned with our own Dung; we will assure you, we have given him no cause to deal so hardly with us; here are Felons with us, and the Gaoler suffers their Wives to come and Lodg with them many times, and they bring them Instruments to break open Locks, and they have broken up Five Locks, and ever since the Gaoler has abused us, which the like has not been done in Durham-Goal; and if you do not by your Interest give us ease, we shall all be destroy'd, therefore we desire you to as­sist us if you can. No more, but we pray that the Lord will be pleased to give a Blessing to your Endeavours. We are your Servants, William Med [...]alfe, &c.

Novemb. the 21st, 1690.

From the Gaol at Leicester, Novemb. the 13th, 1690.

HAving notice by a Letter from you, that the Parliament had taken it into Consi­deration, to do something in the poor Prisoners behalf, against the Abuses of the Gaolers done [...]o them, we had drawn up some particulars to that purpose, but the Gaoler intercepted them, and broke open the Letter, and keeps it, and hath way-laid me in all places, that I should not send to you. He is a very Tyrant, and is not fit to have such a Charge under his Hands, and now the time is that there will be a new Sheriff, if things be looked into, he may be thrown out, or some other way taken, that we may not be quite Ruined and Destroy­ed by him; there must be some course taken with him, or he will destroy us all. These are the Grievances following. He denies us to have any place to set up our Beds in, if we re­fuse to Lodg in his, but in a low moist Dun­geon, where Felons should Lodg; and if we will not pay him Four Shillings and Eight Pence a Week for a Bed, which Bed is not worth Five Shillings in all, and if any poor [Page]

[Page] [Page 25]Man complain, and say, He is not able to pay so much, some he hath broken their Heads, and some he hath broke open their Chamber-Door, and drag'd out of their Beds at Ten of the Clock at Night, and thrown them into the Dungeon, threatning to knock them in the Head if he saw them in the Yard. He and his Tapster keeps our Friends out, and will not let them come to us to bring us any Necessa­ries, as Beer, or Ale, &c. or take out our Let­ters to the Post, or bring us any Letters, by which means we are many of us almost lost; we can have as much Drink, and as good, for Two Pence, as we can have of them for Six Pence; sometimes they take away our things and give them the Felons; as also an unjust thing, they call a Garnish, Five Shillings and Six Pence, which they impose on all Prisoners to pay before they will let them go, and where they let the Prisoners Drink 5 s. of it, they keep Twenty Shillings for themselves, and give no Account of. The Gaoler, being the Bailiff of a Hundred, with his Agents, hurries Men to the Gaol, when Appearance might have served, for small Debts; some for Twenty Shillings, or Thirty Shillings, hath Cost them Five or Six Pounds; he brought in one for Eight Pence, and would not let the Man agree, but made it Cost him Thirty Shillings before he went out. Also the Felons are laid with the Debtors, which is a great disturbance to the poor Deb­tors, and the Felons Lodg in the Gaoler's Beds, where the Debtors should set up their Beds. [Page 26]The Town-Gaol is kept with the County. Gaol, which is many ways prejudicial to the Countrey Debtors, which did not use to be so, when a Countrey-Man hath ended all his Troubles, and going out, they will clap an Escape, and stay him till he pays them what they please to exact. The Gaoler has taken greater Fees than are due, and suffers his Turn­key to do the same. We are Seven of us Lodg Nine Foot deep in a Dungeon already, and he wisheth God may Damn his Soul, if he do not cause a Pit 12 Foot deeper to be digged to put Men in; he is a dangerous Fellow, and so Mischievous, that if some course be not taken with him, he will do it. I am forc'd to send this Twelve Miles to put it into the Post-Office, for fear of its falling into the Gaoler's Hands, hoping you will excuse my boldness in Writing you so large an Epistle, I subscribe your Servant, Jer. Heggs, &c.

From the Gaol at Hereford, Novemb. the 7th, 1690.

THE Keeper of this Gaol, William Huck, is a common Lewd Person, a Swearer, Curser, Lier, Drunkard, which has not been [Page]

[Page]

[Page 27]at Church but once in Seven Years, a Friend to help to save Jesuits and Priests, which came in to be Gaoler in the time of the late King James, he is a Fighter, disturbing, beating and wound­ing of his Prisoners, as will be prov'd; he is a common hunter of Whore-Houses, and such persons as will spend their Moneys Lewdly in his Company, he will take abroad with him, and at Midnight he will come home, and then they being all Mad-Drunk, he will set upon the poor, quiet, sober Prisoners which Lodg in the Wards, which have not, or will not spend their Moneys upon him, he will Threa­ten to Beat, Wound, or Kill, charging his Pistols, and drawing his Sword against them, and run at them with a long and dangerous Javelin, to Kill them; he hath endangered the Lives of several Prisoners, as will be proved; he not only Wounded but Murthered one Ma­ry Barard, a Prisoner, that was under his Custody, (as Witness Nicholas Kerwood, and Thomas Gumman, Gent. &c.) On the Mor­row Morning after the Death of the said Mary Barard, one of his Sons declared, that his Father had Killed her, by knocking her on the Head with the Gaol-Keys; and the said Mary laid her Death wholly upon him; this was done in the Year 1688, (Witness Willi­am Munhouse, and Charles Clibbry, &c.) He Threatned to Beat, Wound, or Spoil, the Bo­dy of Anthony Meek, for no cause but going into the Chambers to see his Fellow-Prisoners; this was in December 1689. He Wounded the [Page 28]Body of Robert Miles, and with his Pocket Pistol, ready charg'd with Powder and Bullet, struck Fire, with full intention to Kill him; this was in the Year 1689. He the said Gao­ler drew his Sword at one Mr. John Bartram, then his Prisoner, using his Wicked Endea­vours to Kill, Wound, or Spoil him, and did then break his Arm, in the Year 1689. He that Gaoler hinders and keeps his Prisoners from going to the House of Office, and one John Badham easing his Body, Huck the Gao­ler ran at him with a great Club to Wound, Spoil, or Kill him; this was in the Year 1689. Also one Thomas Dayes a Gentleman of the Age of Seventy Two Years, going up stairs to speak with some of his Fellow-Prisoners, he the said Huck ran up after him, and would have thrown him down the stairs to break his Neck; he also drew a Naked Knife, and took a pair of Taylor's Shears to Kill him the said Dayes; and further, took his own Sword out of the Scabbard, and gave another Sword to his Son, charg'd his Pocket-Pistol a full Shaf­nel with Powder and Bullet, rapping out ma­ny Damning Oaths and Curses, That he would Kill or Murther the said Thomas Dayes; this he did about the Month of June, 1690. He the said Huck is a Companion and Protector of Thieves and Cutpurses, for after they are discharged out of the Gaol, they go to Fairs and there Cut Purses, and Rob honest People, and after that come and shelter themselves in the Gaol, and Rant and Spend their Money [Page 29]they Stole, upon and in the Company of the said Gaoler. Further, There is a Garden bought for the Prisoners to take the Air, and Walk in; all other Gaolers before him kept a Lad to see to the Prisoners whilst they walk'd there, which was done with safety to the Gaoler, and Comfort and Health to the Priso­ner; but now the present Gaoler suffers no Prisoner but whom he pleases, and when he pleases, and only such as will spend their Mo­neys on him to make him Drunk; and also when any Prisoners are discharged, he the said Gaoler keeps and detains them for most strange, unmerciful, exacting Fees, and by that forceth many poor Debtors to pawn, sell, or leave behind them, their Cloths from off their Backs, contrary to the Statutes and Laws of this Land. Also if any Gift come to the poor Debtors from any Charitable well disposed People; if it be Victuals, then he Or­ders the best of it for his own Family, and for the rest he causes to be given to those that Lodg in his own Chambers, and spend what they have with, and on him, he having there­by endangered the Starving of several Priso­ners. The said Gaoler keeps his Swine, Geese, Ducks, and Hens, stinking, and breeding Dis­eases among the Prisoners; and many more such Cruelties he the said Gaoler is guilty of, and is always committing more against the poor Prisoners for Debt, which will be proved upon him upon Oath, pray therefore let it be put in Print, for there is no Wickedness acted [Page 30]against poor Prisoners, but this Huck is guilty of. We have here sent you the Witnesses Names, to prove every one of these Wicked Villanous Actions on him. This at present from your Humble Servants, John Taylor, John Seaborne, &c.

From the Gaol at DERBY, Septemb. the 22d, 1690.

WE the Prisoners for Debt in the Gaol of Derby, have received several Letters and Printed Papers from you concerning the Act of Grace for the Relief of poor Imprison­ed Debtors, for which we thank you; we have here inclosed sent you our Grievances, (and desire that you would Print them with what speed may be,) which are as followeth.

Our County of Derby hath been at the Charge of Building a new Gaol, for the sepa­rating of Debtors from Felons, according to the Act of Parliament; and also that Deb­tors should not be constrained to Lodg in the Gaoler's House, which is Eight Shillings a Week Charges for Diet. Notwithstanding William Wragg, the Keeper of the Gaol, hath with-held several of the Rooms in the afore­said [Page 31]Gaol from the Debtora several Years toge­ther, which said Rooms Debtors have formerly enjoyed, but Persons that have been Condemned for High-Treason, have been permitted by the said Gaoler, for some extraordinary benefit to himself, to have the use of those Rooms, which said Persons by the Act of Parliament ought not to come among Debtors; and the want of these Rooms hath been very prejudi­cial to the poor Debtors, in respect of their Health, and hereby also they are in great danger of Diseases to breed among them by the Noisome smell that is occasioned by the Croud; and when the Weather is Cold, half of the poor Debtors cannot come to the Fire to get their Meat drest, and are almost star­ved. And the Keeper doth say, That if Three Hundred Prisoners come, they shall have no more Room. The Debtors do humbly con­ceive, That it will be judged very reasonable, that such Persons, who, by the Act of Parli­ament, ought not to come amongst Debtors, should have the use of those Rooms, and that the Debtors, for whom they were built, and who have also contributed towards the build­ing of them, should not enjoy them. And for want of these Rooms many have been forced to Lodg in the Gaoler's House, which is above Twenty Pound a Year Charge for Diet, besides other Expences which cannot be avoided; which hath been in a great measure to the Ruin of many persons, and hath made them uncapable of paying their Debts, which [Page 32]otherwise might be prevented. Several other Abuses the Debtors have received from their Keeper, and his Turn-Key Joseph Sherwin, as upon a Complaint made, by us poor Debtors, to John Barrow Esq; and — Finney Esq; in both their Years of High-Sheriff, hoping to be relieved by them under these Abuses; our Keeper William Wragg hearing of it was ve­ry Angry with us the poor Debtors, and caused us to be Lock'd up in our Rooms for several Nights together, which was not done before; so that when we had occasion to go to the House of Office to Ease our selves we could not, neither could we have any thing brought us to Comfort our selves when we were not well. And also he threatned one John Fin­ney, who wrote the Complaints to the said High Sheriffs, who was then, and is now, a Priso­ner, that he would make him swallow his Knife. Also when the poor Debtors have no Money, and cannot be Trusted by the Keeper for a little Ale when they are not well, he hath refused to let them have it where they might be Trusted, and also have more for their Mo­ney. And further, When People come to bring any of us Work, whereby we may get an honest Penny towards our Relief, and also when any come to bring us Victuals, the Turn-Key will not suffer them to stay to pay or receive Money for what they bring; and if they be not just ready to come when he calls, he Curseth them, and calls them Whores, and Salt Bitches, so that they are unwilling to [Page 33]bring us either Meat, Drink, or Work. As whereas we the poor Debtors do usually Peti­tion the County, for the Charity of all well disposed People, for something towards our Relief against the good time commonly called Christmas; and tho' we are at the Charge of sending Persons to Collect the same, yet not­withstanding our Keeper will suffer none to go to Collect it, but some particular persons, who have been Five or Six Years in his Custo­dy, and to whom he hath shewed Kindness above others, by granting them Liberty to be at home almost all the time of their Confine­ment; and for this Kindness shewed to them, they are afraid to displease their Keeper in an­swering his Desires, which is to give the Mo­ney they have Collected into his, or his Wifes Hands, which they have usually done; and hereby we have been Defrauded of a great part of our Money which hath been given. At Christmas was Two Years there was gather­ed by the Collectors confession, between Eight and Nine Pounds, and we the poor Debtors had not above Four Pounds of it, neither would our Keeper ever since give us an Account of the rest, altho' we have several times de­manded it, and have also charged him openly with Cheating of us. Likewise, about Two Years since, The Right Honourable the Earl of Devonshire gave us the poor Debtors Five Pounds, which would have been to every one of us Five or Six Shillings, had it been ho­nestly disposed of, but we had but Two Shil­lings [Page 34]and Half a Crown a piece. Several other Gentlemen have given to us poor Debtors, and we have been abus'd in the like manner. Like­wise our Keeper has a Prejudice against some of us the poor Debtors, for declaring these his Abuses to his Face, for which reason he hath caused the Countrey-Allowance to be taken from some of us, but upon our Complaint to our Justices it was allowed to us again. Also Elizabeth Hardey, a Prisoner, received her Allowance of Bread, which was a Four Pen­ny Loaf, and that Day the Bread was deliver­ed, after she had Eaten some of it, was dis­charged from her Actions, the Turnkey came immediately and took the remaining part of the Loaf from her. Winefrid Buxton Wi­dow, Aged Seventy, a Prisoner almost Four Years, the same Day she had her discharge from her Creditor, the Keeper took her Allowance of Bread from her, and she continued a Priso­ner above a Fortnight after, because she could not have her discharge from the Sheriff, and so lost her Bread for that time; and this the Keeper did, because she refused to pay those unjust Fees which he demanded. Several others have been abused by paying undue Fees. Like­wise we the poor Prisoners have been abused by our Keepers putting his Swine amongst us, Four or Six at a time, for several Days and Nights together, when the Water has come into his Yard, and thereby we have been al­most Choaked, and could not open our Doors [...]o our Lodging Rooms, but the Swine [...]an in [Page 35]upon us; in like manner, he hath Abused us, by putting Felons among us, when he might as well have kept them separate from us. Ma­ny other Grievances we might alledg.

But we Humbly Pray, That the Parliament, or at least the Judges, will be moved with Pity and Compassion to look upon our Mise­rable Condition. And as the County, toge­ther with our selves, (tho' now in a low Con­dition,) have been at the Charge to build a new Gaol for poor Debtors, and on which, (under God,) our Health, whilst in durance, doth much depend, so likewise we may enjoy the Privileges we have paid for; and that an end may be put to the Gaoler's Arbitrary Go­vernment, hoping that our Confinement will be thought to be sufficient punishment for that which was not, nor is not, in our power to help, without this Cruelty and Oppression added to it. And that there may be a Table of Fees, and of the Gifts that Benefactors have or shall bestow upon, and to the said Gaol, for the release of poor Prisoners, and that it may be set up in the said County-Gaol, where all Prisoners may see their Charge, and that the Chamber-Rent may be settled accord­ing to the Statute made in the Twenty Second, and Twenty Third Years of Charles the Se­cond of Blessed Memory, so that we may En­joy so much of the Liberty as is there set forth, and we the poor Prisoners for Debt, shall ever Bless God, and them for it. We are yours, Mich. Laughtenhouse, &c.

From Carmarthen-Castle in Wales.

OUR very good Friend, your kind Let­ters about the Act for the Release of poor Imprisoned Debtors, we have received, at which we Rejoyce; Sir, we are in a low poor distressed Condition, by reason of our long Confinement, which is above Five Years, and having but a small Allowance from the County, for which we were forc'd to Petition, in regard we were not able to find our selves Bread to Eat, of which sad and deplorable Condition of ours, our Justices of the Peace in their Quarter-Sessions were, (and still are,) satisfied of. For we will assure you, that we have not where-with to pay our Just Debts if we were to suffer Death for Non-payment of them. And therefore we beseech all good Christian-People to Condole our poor distressed miserable Imprisoned Condition, and take into their serious Consideration our long Confine­ment, and that undoubtedly, we shall remain in Prison as long as we live, unless God will put it into the Hearts of Their Gracious Ma­jesties, and the Parliament, to p [...]ss that Act [Page 37]for Release of Us the most Miserable, which you so Industriously solicit. No more at pre­sent, but commit you to the Protection of the Almighty God, and we shall ever pray, John David, William Morgan, &c.

I Richard Lloyd Gaoler do hereby Certifie this to be Truth.

Novemb. the 21st, 1690.

From — Castle, to — Octob. the 30th, 1690.

IT's very strange you should suffer any poor Man, his Wife, Children, and Relations, to be Ruined, by suffering the Gaoler to hold a Prisoner in Gaol, when your Deputy-Sheriff disowned holding him, as he did me, at the Castle the 20th instant, my Bonds-Men have paid the Moneys upon the Escape, so that I have been holden since the 12th of August, 1688, upon false Imprisonment. Sir, I am in several other Debts, and several poor Men are like to be Ruined by my Unjust detainment in Prison. All the Thatch is blown off my House, my Wife and Children are almost starved, my Trade is clearly laid aside, my [Page 38]Crop rotten, my Goods lost, so that if, Sir, you do not let me have my Liberty, and what I am Damnified, truly my poor Wife and Chil­dren must be forced to beg for Relief; and, Sir, poor Prisoners are very much Abused by your Officers by Extortion of Fees, and seve­ral other Cruelties, of which I have often wrote to you, but no notice taken, but I hope now you will take Order in it, and hear Truth on all sides, and what Satisfaction you please Sir to Order, shall content your Humble and Obedient Servant, R. R.

From Hallifax Gaol in York­shire.

WE have sent you our Grievances, and hope you have received them ere this, and truly it was a mistake in us in not signing them, but we have under-wrote our Names, and will Justifie the said Grievances to be true, and are ready and willing to depose the same on Oath, your Fellow-Sufferers, Samuel King, John Hey, &c. This Letter is subscribed by Twenty Seven Prisoners all their own Hand Writing.

A Petition that the poor distressed Prisoners for Debt, in the Gaol of Hallifax, in the County of York, presented to the Justices of the Peace of the West-Riding of the said County, at their General Quarter-Sessions at Hallifax, about Two Years ago.

Sir, We are about Thirty Prisoners in this Gaol of Hallifax, and all the Liberty we have, is to walk in a Yard of Eleven Yards in length, and about Three or Four Yards in bredth, a great part of it being taken up with a Stare-Case, a large Dog-Kennel for the Hounds they keep, and a House of Office, not much more than a Yard off one of our Beds we Lodg in; we are so throng'd, having Nine Beds in one Room, which Room is but Eight Yards square, that we are Necessitated to Lodg so near the House of Office; then also there are Two Slaughter-Houses built, one at the end of our Room, and the other at the side, out of which is a Window open towards us, Naild up with some few Laths, out of which comes [Page] [Page]

[Page 41]such a Nasty Smell, that it often strikes us poor Prisoners with Sickness; and many times, we cannot get our Necessary Provisions into us any other way, but through the Windows out of those Slaughter-Houses; and at the other end of our Yard, near the Gaol Door, are kept a great number of Swine, which are Fed with the Offels of the Beasts that are Slain in the Slaughter-Houses, and brought into our Yard for both Hogs and Dogs to Feed on, so what with the Smell of the Offels, or Kett, the Slaughter-Houses, the Hogs, and the Dogs, together, it is very much that we are not all struck with Sickness, or even with Death it self, but that God is more Merciful to Preserve us, than Unmerciful Men can be In­dustrious to Destroy us; for there are Ten Beasts usually Kill'd in a Week, and all the Kett, or Offels, that comes from them, are laid in our Yard constantly to be devoured by those Dogs and Hogs. And there are unrea­sonable Fees taken by our Gaoler, Jonathan Wilson, of us the poor Prisoners; one James Stephenson paid for his Fees Fifty Shillings for fome Three Weeks time upon a Writ, and after his Adversary had discharg'd him, he the said Wilson kept him Two or Three Days till he made him pay the said Summ. Also one Isaac Ingham, for a bare Writ, and Three Days Imprisonment, the Gaoler made him pay Forty Five Shillings. And one James Haye Arrested on a Proprium for Ten Shillings Debt, and he was in Prison but Two Days, the Gao­ler [Page 42]took Thirty Shillings Fees of him; besides, they took his Horse from him, and Rode up and down on him, and when he got out of Prison, he was forced to seek his Horse where he could find him. And also one Ri­chard Capon was Arrested for Fourteen Pence Debr, he was held to Bail for Ten Pounds in the Writ, paid the Gaoler for his Fees Thirty Shillings, besides Four of his Children at two times were brought to Prison, and holden to Bail, being some of them but Thirteen, or Fourteen Years of Age, one of them was for Words, another of them for a Debt of Ten Shillings. Also one Jonas Smith was Arrested in Execution for a Debt of Twelve Pounds, and he paid into the Gaoler's Hands Thirty Two Pounds, which was paid into the Gaoler's Hands of the same Man's Moneys, by order of Law, and another Suit, and he ordered the Gaoler to pay the Twelve Pounds he lay for, and he was Released, and the Gaoler turn'd him out of Prison. Afterwards the said Smith goes to the Gaoler, and demands the rest of his Moneys, and to come to Account with him the said Smith, upon which the said Gao­ler takes up the said Jonas Smith with the same Execution, and puts him in the low Gaol, and there he the said Jonas Smith remains to this Day; and the said Smith's Money is still in the said Gaoler's Hands, and the said Gaoler re­fuseth to give the said Smith any Account of it. The Keeper has taken Thirty Garnishes, Two Shillings and Eight Pence each Garnish, [Page 43]and keeps the Money, and will not give the poor Prisoners the Drink due to them for that Money, besides he keeps other Moneys which is given to the Prisoners, and thereby wrongs them, besides many other Abuses he puts on us the poor Prisoners. It's a Prison not fit to be kept, except it be to Clam, that is to starve poor Men to Death, for there is no Mainte­nance at all belonging to it. There is an Attor­ney in Hallifax, — who brings most of these unlawful Writs that throws poor Men in­to this Prison, where they are like to be starv'd to Death, and binds Men that he brings the Writs for, that they shall not agree with­out his Consent. And likewise one JOHN GREGSON, an Attorney, hath Five poor Prisoners in this Gaol, under pretence of Debt, and they owe him nothing; some have been Eleven, some Five, others Four Years Prisoners at his Suit; he hath been a great destroyer of many Families. Besides all these Abuses, there is to mention one given by Joshua Wilson the Turn-Key, to David Cla­ton, upon the Eleventh of June, 1690, who did Wilfully and Violently Beat-the said Cla­ton, a Prisoner, whom he hurried to the Cham­ber Door, and threw him down a pair of Stone-stairs of Ten Steps backward, and af­terwards he caused one Thomas Milner to throw him over the Threshold of the Door into the lower Gaol; and afterwards the said Milner, by Order of the Turn-Key, did throw him down on the Prison-floor, so that [Page 44]by Beating and Brusing him the said Claton, he was not able to stand, nor do any thing to­wards his Livelihood, but hath been in great danger of losing his Life ever since by that Abuse. All which Grievances we can prove on Oath.

Novemb. the 23d, 1690.

From Stock-Gaol in the Coun­ty of Devon.

THE Gaol in the County of Devon is kept at Stock, above Three Miles from any Town, in a small Village; The House is very small for such a Number of Men and Women as are there; the Gaoler puts Three or Four Beds in a Chamber, and Three Persons in eve­ry narrow Bed, that they have not room to turn themselves; every particular Person pays Two Shillings Six Pence per Week, so that their Chambers are Twice as dear as any in the Kings-Bench, or Fleet. Besides the Mi­sery of being so throng'd, there is not nigh as much room in the Chambers as the Beds take up. The Prisoners have been denyed their Victuals to be brought into the House, and their Landresses was kept out for a Month, that the Prisoners were forc'd to put all things out of [Page 45]the Window. There is no other Drink al­lowed but Ale, of Six, Eight, and Ten Days old; the Gaoler sells it to the Tapster for For­ty Three Shillings per Hogshead, and the Tap­ster will-sell little more than a Pint for Two Pence, which we can have stronger from a­broad for One Penny, but the Prisoners dare not send for it if the Keeper be in the way, nor have it brought in at the Door, but put into them at the Windows in small quantities. Several have Perished for want; one Fursden was starv'd to Death, according to the Return the Jury was to give to the Coronor, one Mr. Wills, who did not make a due Return of the said Fursden, as of others. And also David Hart, and John Soaper, were put in Irons for no other reason, but because they put their Names as Witnesses to an Indictment against Alexander Symons the Keeper, for Mur­thering of a Prisoner in November, 1688, that he kept the said Hart so long in Irons, that it had like to have cost him his Life; the said Keeper is a Butcher by Trade, and keeps Twenty or Thirty Hogs in a Court, within Twenty Foot of the Kitchin-Door. The Keeper frequently intercepts the Prisoners Letters, and either burns them, or throws them into the River, that they are forc'd to send all their Letters of Concernment by pri­vate Hands, which costs the Prisoners above Ten Pounds per Annum; that they have but one House of Office for nigh Seventy People, and that is uncover'd, and is very Noisome, as [Page 46]is the House and Yard, being low and level; so that strangers complain when they come, it almost takes away their Breath. To all these particulars I am ready to make Oath.

From Ipswich-Gaol in SUF­FOLK.
To the Right Honourable the House of Commons now Assembled in Par­liament.

THAT we your Petitioners being Com­mitted for Debt to the County-Gaol of Suffolk, of which James King is Keeper, are most intollerably Oppress'd in this Prison, the said King refuseth to let us have any Victuals, or Beer, out of Doors; he orders his Turn-Key to break our Bottles; he refuseth to let us have any Converse with our Friends, and do order the Gates to be Locked up, and will not permit any of us to send any Letters to our Friends, or Relations, whereby we might pro­cure [Page 47]our Liberty. Besides, the said King threatens to Iron us, as he hath done before, and saith, he will do the like to those that do Complain. And the said King doth demand Six Shillings, and Seven Shillings, a Week of Prisoners Lodging on Flock-Beds, and doth refuse to give us any Table of Fees, or let us see what they are, according to the Statute, but doth Rule us by an Arbitrary Power. The Tapster saith, he cannot afford more than Three Pints of middle Beer for Six Pence, which he sells us for best Beer, because he pays the Keeper Thirty Five Shillings a Barrel, and sometimes the Keeper refuseth to let us come to the Pump for Water. He keeps back out of every Shillings-worth of Shire-Bread which the County allows us, Two Pence in the Shilling. He makes us pay Two Shillings for the Copy of every Warrant we are Im­prisoned upon. He makes us pay Ten or Fif­teen Shillings for the Garnish of every Man that is Committed to his Prison, and Six Shil­lings and Eight Pence the Commitment-Fee upon every Action upon every Person. Last Night we sent for a poor Man to carry out some Letters to the Post-House, for London, and other places, and he was kept Prisoner all Night, to our great damage. In tender Con­sideration, we do most humbly beseech you, to take our Deplorable Condition into your most serious Consideration, and Order us speedy Relief, and we shall be for ever bound, as in Duty, to Pray. William Shermon, Ro­bert Rose, John Cullum, &c.

From the Castle-Prison at Ox­ford.

I am constrained to inform you of some in­tolerable Abuses put upon the poor Impri­soned Debtors here in this Cursed Prison, espe­cially on my self. Last Saturday Night, when we were going to be Lock'd up in the Tower, where we have neither Beds nor Straw to Lodg on, its a place worse than the Dungeon, we are but Seven Hours of the Twenty Four out of it; I had sent a Woman, who is a Messen­ger to the Prison, for Provision my Friends had sent me, she not bringing of it me so soon as she might have done, and I almost starved, was forced to speak, and speaking to some o­ther Prisoners as stood just by, I said to them, What an old Bitch she was, she could not bring it before I were Lock'd up in the Tower. As soon as I spoke, she knock'd at the Gate, then Answer was made me by the Nurse, (a Deve­lish Woman, who has always been Malitious to me,) That the old Bitch was come, then presently Mistress Thorp, the Prison-Keeper, came to me, and caused me to have Irons, and a great piece of Wood, as big as any Mans [Page]

[Page] [Page 49]Thigh, to be Lock'd about my Leg. She thought it then convenient to pay her Mallice all at once. This is all the Affront was given, I have several Prisoners to Justifie it; but the greatest reason was, as I believe, my having received Letters from you, giving us an Ac­count of the proceedings of the Parliament, as to the Act for Release of poor Imprisoned Debtors, for the other matter was not cause enough to Iron and Clog me. She knows, and is sensible, that I have no Friend to stand by me, and that makes her the bolder. A Man had better be subject to Slavery, than to this Woman, for she is a Devil. Pray in your next satisfie me what I can do in it, I have sent to the Under-Sheriff, and can have no Redress, had I best Petition the Parliament. Sir, I beg of you give me the best directions you can in it. I have not lain in a Bed since the Third of April last, and she forces others to pay a Groat a Night for Lodging in a Lowfie Flock-Bed. Expecting to hear from you, I sub­scribe your deplorable Irond Friend and Ser­vant, Thomas Hill.

Novemb. the 6th, 1690.

A Second Letter from the Ca­stle at oxford.

THE Letter we received last Thursday Morning from you, had inevitably like to have been seized on to be read by Mrs. Thorp, Mistress of the Prison. So soon as I heard the Post-Man was come, I hastened to him, and told him, that if so be he delivered the Letter to any but me, I would acquaint the Post-Master-General with it; but the Mi­stress of the Gaol reply'd, that she was afraid there might be Treason in it; that excuse she made only, because she had Iron'd me, and therefore she pretended to stretch her power further out, (thinking, that as Souls in Hell could have no Redemption, so she thinks 'tis the same with me, being here a long time, and no Friend,) then she gave Orders to the Post-Man to carry the Letter back, because I told him I had not to pay for it, that was my ex­cuse, that she should not see in; then she gave Orders, that when-ever I sent for it, she would see it, and if there was not Treason in the Letter, she would take off my Iron and Wood, but she knew from whence it came, and had a [Page 51]mind to see the News, but I very privately got the Letter unknown to her, but upon my pro­mising her that she shall see the Letter, she has taken off the Irons and Wooden-Clog; 'tis supposed the Sheriff Check'd her. Sir, Here are some other Prisoners that are in a prepo­sterous manner hindred from the conveniency of sending for small Drink out of Prison; the place they use to send for it is Lock'd up, and they cannot have a Messenger for their Moneys to do any thing for them, they are forced to drink Water when they cannot find Two Pence to pay for a Flaggon of Drink, and in the next place are forc'd to Lodg on a Flock-Bed, and to pay Half a Crown a Week; this is the Con­dition of one John Staytt, who is in a very poor Condition, and was forced to Tick in the Celler at his first coming; they have run him up Six Pounds, and he will take his Oath, he never ow'd them Five, (I never knew any Pri­soner that ever Tick'd but paid Four Pence for a Flaggon of Drink,) he now remains Priso­ner for Three Pounds due to the Celler, and has been so Six Months; this John Staytt de­sired to Lie in the Tower, or Dungeon, that so he might be Rent-free, but the Mistress of the Prison replyed thus, No Man should go there, and pretended she was to keep him safe, and so forces him to that vast Expence of a Bed, that so poor Man he may continue a Prisoner all his Life time, for the Rent of his Lodging, and Celler-Score, if not forgiven by this most gratious Act we are in expectation [Page 52]of. Here is also one William Surgeant, a Man that has been here a considerable while, that has also been Damnified by the People of the Prison; he told Mrs. Thorp, when I was thrust out of my Lodging, that he desired Free Quarters; she knowing him to have an Estate, told him, He should tarry where he was put, or ordered. Then he Resolving not to be at that vast Expence, sent for a Bed, and other Neces­saries, of his own; when she saw them brought into the Castle, (which she could not deny,) she ordered him to lie in a place called Smithfield, and denied him Free Quar­ters. And some time after this my self, and some others, being ordered to be put in the Tower, he desiring also to go with us with his Bed, (in Charity somewhat towards us,) he was by Mistress Thorp denied, and was forc'd there to remain, although he demanded seve­ral times to Lie in Free Quarters on his own Bed, telling of her, He would pay nothing for his Lodging; and Mistress Thorp knowing he intended the beginning of this Term to Super­sede his Actions, and he having the Copeys of his Warrants, she told him, That if so be he would not pay her Eighteen Pence a Week for the time he had lain out of her Bed, she would send to his Creditors, and cause his Superseding to be stop'd. Upon which he was forced to give a Note under his Hand for the payment of so much Moneys as she demanded, that so he might have his Liberty at the end of the Term. Here is also one Richard Inon, a Man of good [Page 53]Repute, has been a considerable while in Cu­stody, he has also Tick'd in the Celler, he is likewise Defrauded, or Misreckoned, of Twen­ty Shillings in his Accouns, and was about a Month since turn'd out of his Bed into the Tower to me, and staid there a Fortnight, and was then wheadled to his Bed again, but still she Duns him for Moneys for his Lodging at Seven Groats a Week. He told her, It was not reasonable to pay Four Pence a Night for a Bed of Flocks, and that he would pay her Two Pence a Night, which was sufficient, and he would give her no more; giving her Son, (who is an Attorney,) Orders to receive so much Moneys of a Friend of his. She told him, He should not only pay Four Pence a Night for his Bed, but also Six Pence a Week for his Lodging in the Tower on the Boards, for she will not suffer us to bring into the Tower either Beds, or Straw. This Mr. Inon has been very ser­viceable to Mistress Thorp, in Working several Days a Quilting for her, finding her Materials also; all which she expects he should do for her for nothing. The second Night he was put into the Tower with me, he was intolera­bly Abus'd by the Turn-Key, and his Boy; he was Knock'd down, they giving him Black Eyes, and a Mauld Face, which was insuffera­ble to the Spectators, but no one durst resist. This is our sad Condition, and rather worse, but we want Words to express our Misery in this our Imprisonment, we are your Servants. Tho. Hill, Will. Surgeans, J. Staytt, Rich. Inon, &c. Nov. 13. 1690.

From Stafford-Prison. March the 30th, 1691.

OUR Gaoler hath Abused several of us his Prisoners, he hath taken some of us by the Throats, and thrown up our Heels, and said, He would break our Necks down Stairs; and some of us he hath taken our Beds from under us in the Frost and Snow, and made us lie on the Bricks all Night, and next Morning turn'd us into the Court, and Locked us from our Dier. We desire to know which way this Gaoler ought to be Punished, we have forbore him till now. We could acquaint you with his other ill Measures towards us, He is as Proud as a Peacock, and as Wicked as a Ser­pent. Sir, In favoring us in these our Requests, you will oblige us with our best Services to you unknown,

Henry Readell, &c.

A Second Letter from Staf­ford-Prison.

THis is our Second Letter, wherein we de­sire to know what a Prisoner can do to a Gaoler for striking him on the Breast, and throwing him on the Floor, and saying, He would break his Neck down Stairs, and taking their Beds from under them, and makes them Lie Four Nights on a Boarded-Floor. We would desire your Opinion how we may deal with this Insulting Gaoler, for he is very Un­kind and Cruel to us all, therefore good Sir be so kind as to Assist us, and give us your An­swer by the next Post. Your Servants un­known, Henry Readell, &c.

April the 13th, 1691.

The First Letter from the Gaol in Bury St. Edmond.

I Received yours of the Twenty First, which was broke up by one James Hunt, who is a Debtor, and the Keeper's Tapster, so that we had like to have miss'd of the same; and many that are in the Keeper's Debt, are by the Re­ceipt of that Letter in a Panick Fear of being Committed to the Wards. You Write, that if we have any Abuses from our Gaoler, to let you have a true Account of the same. Now to speak of all the Abuses I and others have met withal, the Keeper's Cruelty is so great, I cannot declare the same at present, without Tears in my Eyes, which Mrs. Payne, now a Prisoner in the Fleet, was an Eye-Witness to a great part thereof. I was Committed to the Prison the 30th of September, 1689, and held to Bail for an Action of Trespass upon a Lease that I took of a piece of ground. I made Oath, That I did not owe the Plaintiff Five Pound upon Bill, Bond, or any Account. Then the Plaintiff Replied, I owed the said Plaintiff Ten Pound; and so I rested till the Twenty Second of February, then I sent to [Page 57]my Attorney for a Seupersedeas, with directi­on, that the Keeper should give me the Copy of my Warrant, with a Certificate, that there was no other Warrants against me: But the said Keeper denied the same: And then I de­manded the same of the Steward of the Li­berty of Bury St. Edmond, he gave me a lame Answer, That his Writs were then gone to Lon­don. So that here I must Lie for ever, If Re­lief come not some other way, as Mordeca said to Ester: For the Cruelty of the Keeper is so great an Oppression, that we can have as much good and wholsome Beer from the Bushel-End for Six Pence, as is Sold in the Gaol for Four­teen Pence. And to prevent the taking in of Beer at the Windows, the said Keeper caused new Bars to be set up thicker, that now we cannot take in any thing but at the Door, which is opened but when they please. Then I told the Keeper, or Under-Keeper, that in the 22d, and 23d, of Charles the Second, there passed an Act for the Liberty of the Prisoners of England, That Prisoners might send for Beer, and all manner of Necessaries, when and where they would. Upon this they put me into the Inward Prison, or Ward, Five Foot within the ground, on the 25th of December last, wherein I saw no Sun for the space of Eight Weeks. Then I Petitioned the Judg at the Lent Assize, but when my Petition was Read, the Judg Commanded the Gaoler, or Under-Keeper, to bring me down to Depose the same; but I was Wheadled off by the Turn-Key till [Page 58]the Judg was out of Town, and then when they had almost Foundered me with Lodging in a little Straw, and well near Poisoned me with Noisome Scents, that I broke out with Boils, and Lameness. I then had some Rest, and walked in the Yard, till about June, and then hearing that my Adversary was Dead, demanded my Liberty; then I was shut up a­gain, and there lay in the fame Ward in Straw, and have had no Provision, or other Necessa­ries, sometimes, but what is delivered in at the Grate by these Cruel and Unmerciful Men. And this is not only to me, but to several o­thers; and some Debtors Ironed, and put in­to the same Ward, next door to the House of Office, where we have a Yard not Three Rod of ground, for Twenty Men, most Criminals, to walk in, with a Sink in the middle. I am a Man of above Sixty Three Years of Age; and Charles the First, and Charles the Second, of Blessed Memory, I serv'd them in their Wars, and have had a Commission for above Thirty Years. Now the God of Peace, that brought again from the Dead our Lord Jesus Christ, will deliver us from the Hands of those Keepers, whose Mercies are Cruelties. And thus if Their Majesties will be pleased to grant to me a poor Prisoner, after my Discharge, Their Commission, I will venture both Life, Limbs, Liberty, Estate, and Fortune, to Serve Their Majesties in their Wars, to make them still Victors. I rest, and shall for ever express my self to be your Servant, John Suckerman.

I thank God my Natural Strength does not as yet fail. I likewise in the Wars was with the Chyrurgeon of the Army, wherein I took a Note of his Receipts; and since have practi­sed with good success, That on the 15th Day of March, 1687, I Ript the Body of Simon Hixs, that I saw his Heart, and took an Im­postom from his Miseron, wherein was a Quart of Matter, and healed up the Orifices in a Month time, that he could go about his Work, and so continues praised be God.

The Second Letter from the Gaol in Bury St. Edmond.

WE received yours of the 13th instant, wherein you say you have not sent up all our Grievances. As to my self, I was Lodg­ed with Three Condemned-Men in the Hall-Chamber, in the Gaol of Bury St. Edmond, from the 1st of October, to the 25th of Decem­ber, 1689, at Two Shillings Seven Pence per Week. One John Burges was Lodged with a Criminal and a Felon all in one Bed; and Sa­muel Margery was Lodged in a Chamber with Two Felons. We desiring Mary the Wife of William Patrick the Keeper, that we might be Lodged more private, and not with Criminals. She Answered, She would Lodg us where, and with whom she pleas'd; which is directly a­gainst the Statute of King Charles the Second, Anno 1662, 1663. And likewise the Turn-Key took away my Beer I sent for into the Town, and gave it the Criminals. And James King the Under-Keeper, broke the Goatch, (that is, a Pitcher,) of Beer, that we sent for into the Town to Relieve our selves withal. And truly, the Cruelty of the Keeper and Un­der-Keeper [Page]

[Page]

[Page 63]is such, that most of us cannot have any Beer, Water, or other Necessaries, but what we have from the Hands of these Morose People; some one of them did bring into the Prison Oxvometa, and did Poison a Prisoner's Dog, which Dog lay Dead among us for a considerable time; whereupon we told them, That it was very dangerous to use Oxvo­meta in the Prison. The Answer was made, That if we gave it to Richard Cliff, (who is a poor silly Man, and a Debtor,) it would do him no harm. I hear there will be more Mis­chief done, for the Keeper himself has Threatned to Beat out the Brains of some of the Prisoners, and to Fetter and Chain me to a Post. The Government of the House is so Rude, and Debauch'd, that few Nights in the Week, the Under-Keeper, or Keeper, go to Bed before Two of the Clock in the Morning, after they have committed Drunkenness, and all other manner of Debauchery, that several Women have been forc'd to Shreek out to pre­serve their Chastity; so that several Women that brought us Provision, durst not come to bring us any more. And we are so Locked up, that our Friends cannot come to us but when the Keepers please. We are Seven of us Lock­ed up in one Room, for the most part Thir­teen Hours in a Day and Night, and if any of us do but Knock, or Call, to come out to Ease Nature, we are Threatned to be Locked up, and never to come over the Threshold more, such is their Cruelty. There are some [Page 64]other Prisoners that will Write to you what Abuses they have received. Thus with our Loves and Service to you, hoping you will be always ready to do us Kindnesses, yours, John Suckerman, &c.

Novemb. the 17th, 1690.

A Third Letter from the Gaol in Bury St. Edmond.

WE received yours of the 29th of No­vemb. with our Thanks for your Care and Pains in going before the Committee of the House of Commons, and also Petitioning the Parliament, and therein setting forth our Grievances. And whereas you say, you Read my Letter to King the Gaoler of Ipswich; he the said James King was Keeper, or Under-Keeper, of Bury St. Edmond, and was the Man that broke our Goarch, and spilt our Beer; and also when I Petitioned the Judg of the Lenten Assizes, the said James King did Assert to the Judg, That we were Drinking King Jame's Health. Thus to shelter his Cruelty with a gloss of pretended Zeal, it was a plain Lie from a Quaker that pretends the Light, but his Ways are Darkness. He the said King [Page 65]is sent up to London, by William Patrick his, Son in Law, to Pry and Wheadle into your Transactions, and to dull the Edg of your proceedings, if possible he can. William Pa­trick, the pretended Keeper, is a very disor­derly House-Keeper, for there is very few Nights in the Week, that the Under-Keepers, if he himself be not at the Gaol, go to Bed before Two of the Clock in the Morning, and so with Exceffive Drinking make large Scores. About the 2 [...]th of October, 1689, Seven of us Prisoners sent out into the Town a Leather-Bottle for as much Beer as came to Seven Pence, for to refresh our selves in the Morn­ing, we having more Beer out in the Town for Seven Pence, than the Keeper will sell us for Fourteen Pence, but the Turn-Key, James Collisun, took our Bottle away, and gave the Beer to the Criminals; of which we made our Complaint to William Patrick, the pretended Keeper, who keeps a Tavern in the Town of Bury St. Edmond; for Answer he told us, He would send for Charles Bullard to be our Turn-Key, and he should break all our Bottles, if we sent for any Beer out of Doors. Which Bul­lard, when Turn-Key, did take away many of our Bottles. Instead of Cherishing Virtue, this Patrick the Keeper is the great promoter of all Vices that can be performed by Rude and Morose Servants, which are the only Men he employs; he encourages them most that can find out new ways to Insult over us, so that we are now in great fear of being Chained, [Page 66]or that which is worse. And now to quash all the Grievances we have, or can make, the said Patrick, or Mary his Wife, the 24th of November last, brought, or caused to be brought, into the Gaol one John Gurling a known Papist, who by his instigation, has persuaded a great many of the new comers into the Prison to set their Hands to a Paper-Writing of the Gaoler's good Usage, which if it come to your Hands send it down to us. Thus hoping our Representatives now Assem­bled in Parliament will Correct the Arbitrary Government of Cruel and Morose Gaolers, or otherwise those poor Prisoners, both Men and Women, that are Committed into their Custo­dy, had as good be cast into a Den of Lions, or a Nest of Wolves; from all which Tor­ments, Good Lord Deliver us. Yours, John Suckerman, &c.

Decemb. the 2d, 1690.

A Fourth Letter from the Gaol in Bury St. Edmond.

A Fifth Letter from the Gaol in Bury St. Edmond.

WHEN I. last Writ to you, I sent you a Copy of my Petition to the Judges the last Assizes at Bury against one Christopher Smith an Attorney at Law, and against Willi­am Patrick the Gaoler of Bury, and William Patrick (his Son,) an Attorney likewise, for their respective Misdemeanors, (as you may see the Papers import,) I was then in hopes that I should by this time have heard of an Act of this present Parliament, for the Relief of my self, and Thousands more in this Nation, that Sigh and Groan under the Tyranny and Cruelty of the Common Gaolers, and other Oppressors of these times, which is such, that it makes our Lives no less than Quotidian Deaths, attended with most exquisite Torments, (all our Miseries and Calamities being considered together as one intire Mass,) and that to such an extream degree, that Death it self, (could we but Die at once,) would be to us a Divine Favour and Happiness.

This Unhappy Condition, I think, (as my Circumstances are,) doth concern me more [Page 76]largely than any other Mortal I can meet with, (as you may in part perceive by those Papers already sent you, which I shall not need to repeat,) for as I am a Married-Wife, I am so strictly bound up, that, (being a poor Priso­ner, and wholly deserted by my Cruel Hus­band,) I can no way help my self.

In short, Sir, I am so Tyrannically and Bar­barously treated by William Patrick our Gao­ler, ever since I wrote to you, that I am com­pel'd to let you know some more of my pre­sent occurring Grievances. Which are, That now all persons living are wholly kept from me by one Matthew Rogers (the present Turn-Key,) by the Gaoler's express Order and Command, and none permitted to come into the Gaol to me on any occasion whatsoe­ver, so that I want all things to sustain my Life, and have no person whatsoever permitted to assist or help me in this my sad and deplora­ble Condition, with any Relief, or otherwise.

On which Account I verily and unfeignedly do fear, I shall perish, and daily expect to lose my Life, and be made away by the Gaoler's Cruelty and Revenge in some manner or other.

This manner of Savage Cruelty of our Gaoler, is not only expresly against the Law and late Statute made and provided against Gaolers, but is no where practised in any Gaol in England, but only in this of Bury. And therefore being in this Mortal Fear and Appre­hension, and transported with such Horror and Dread, I have thought of Petitioning the Par­liament. [Page 77]But being only a single person, I thought it convenient first to beg your Advice and Counsel, whether you think it will be to any purpose for any single Prisoner to do it alone, and to direct my course therein.

And that you may see and know what cause of Complaint I have against the Gaoler's Son, (who is a young Attorney, and thrusts him­self into my business, under the specious pre­tences of Infallibly procuring my Liberty and Remedy against the first Aggressor Smith, by whom, and at whose Suit, I am unjustly made a Prisoner, as my Papers have already shewed you,) I have herewith sent you a Copy of his Bill, for what he pretends to have done for me, altho' in truth there was nothing done; for altho' he charges me, (as you may see,) with Forty Five Shillings for Moving the Court against Smith, and Forty Two Shillings Four Pence more for Filing a Bill against him for the Money he owed me the same time I was Imprisoned, in all Four Pound Seven Shil­lings Four Pence; yet there was never any thing effected upon the Motion, (if any such was made,) nor my Liberty gained thereby, nor any more proceedings against him for my Money, than only to forejudg him, and take out a Writ against him, which was never Sued or Executed, (altho' the person was and is easie to be taken,) and so both these Concerns were totally neglected, and desisted in that very Juncture, which should, and would have given me a Remedy in either. So that [Page 78]here is much pretended to be done, but to no other purpose, than only, (as if it had been premeditated,) to render me in a worse con­dition than I was at the first of my Imprison­ment, by throwing away so much Money without any effect, (if it were really due,) and by irritating and provoking the Spirits of all them with whom I had to do. And yet himself at the same time detains all my Papers and Proceedings from me, and thereby hinders all others from Acting or Proceeding for me therein.

And it is plainly apparent, that one main end of the Gaoler's Cruelty towards me, is to squeeze this pretended Money for his Son (the Darling of the Gaoler) out of my very Blood and Vitals, having nothing else wherewith to pay him, for his doing nothing for me, but rendring me more effectually Miserable than he found me.

And its a very remarkable instance of Im­pudence and Injustice, in that young Patrick, in the very last of his Bill charges me Three Shillings Four Pence for attending the Judges the last Assizes, at which time, (forasmuch as I then Petitioned against him,) he then stood in the Quality and Capacity of a Criminal, and not of an Advocate for me, and was there to Answer his own Misdemeanors, and not to Act for me.

Finally, Sir, I beg your Charitable Advice and Counsel to a poor distressed Woman under so great Affliction, from a Concatenated Vil­lany [Page 79]of Wicked Men, against whom I can yet find no Remedy, either from Judg, or Justice, (such is the Cruelty of my Unhappy Fate,) and the favour of a Letter from you by the next Post in Answer hereto, for according to your Directions I will steer my course. Hoping by that time you will be Enabled to send us the Joyful News of an Act of Parliament, (obtained by your indefatigable and unparal­leld Industry, and Herculean Toil and La­bour,) for the Relief of poor distressed Pri­soners, of which Number is