Chronicles of Newgate, Vol. 1: From the twelfth to the eighteenth centuryGriffiths, Arthur
History
Chronicles of Newgate, Vol. 1: From the twelfth to the eighteenth century
Griffiths, Arthur
Criminals -- Great Britain; Newgate (Prison : London, England); Prisons -- England; Punishment -- Great Britain
It was easier for all such to get into Newgate, at that time, than
to obtain release. Henry Ash and Michael Genison, being prisoners
in Newgate, petition Lord Keeper Pickering for a warrant for their
enlargement upon putting in good security for their appearance; "they
were long since committed by Justice Young and the now Bishop of London
for recusancy, where they remain, to their great shame and utter
undoing, and are likely to continue, unless he extend his mercy." In
1598 George Barkworth petitions Secretary Cecil "that he was committed
to Newgate six months ago on suspicion of being a seminary priest,
which he is not; has been examined nine times, and brought up at
Sessions four times; begs the same liberty of the house at Bridewell
which was granted him at Newgate."
Political prisoners were not wanting in Newgate in the Elizabethan
period. In 1585 instructions are given to the recorder to examine one
Hall, a prisoner in Newgate, charged with a design for conveying away
the Queen of Scots. This was a part of Babington's conspiracy, for
which Throgmorton also suffered. Other victims, besides the unfortunate
queen herself, were Babington, Tichbourne, and many more, who after
trial at the Old Bailey, and incarceration in Newgate, were hanged in
St. Giles's Fields. The execution was carried out with great barbarity;
seven of the conspirators were cut down before they were dead and
disembowelled. Another plot against Elizabeth's life was discovered
in 1587, the actors in which were "one Moody, an idle, profligate
fellow, then prisoner in Newgate, and one Stafford, brother to Sir
Edward Stafford." The great Queen Bess in these last days of her reign
went in constant terror of her life; and a third conspiracy to poison
her, originating with her own physician and Lopez, a Jew, led to their
execution as traitors. Again, Squires, a disbanded soldier, was charged
with putting poison on the pommel of her saddle, and although he
admitted his guilt upon the rack, he declared when dying that he was
really innocent.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account