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
All this time prisoners of great mark were at times confined in
Newgate. That noted royalist, Judge Jenkins, was among the number. His
crime was publishing seditious books, and sentencing to death people
who had assisted against the Parliament. He was indeed attainted of
high treason under an ordinance passed by the House of Commons. A
committee was sent from "the Commons' House to Newgate, which was to
interview Judge Jenkins, and make the following offer to him—viz.,
that if he would own the power of the Parliament to be lawful, they
would not only take off the sequestrations from his estates, amounting
to £500 per annum, but they would also settle a pension on him of
£1,000 a year." His reply was to the following effect: "Far be it from
me to own rebellion, although it was lawful and successful." As the
judge refused to come to terms with them, he remained in Newgate till
the Restoration.
People of still higher rank found themselves in gaol. The brother of
the "Portugal" ambassador, Don Pantaleon Sa, is sent, with others, to
Newgate for a murder committed by them near the Exchange. It was a
bad case. They had quarrelled with an English officer, Gerard, who,
hearing the Portuguese discoursing in French upon English affairs,
told them they did not represent certain passages aright. "One of the
foreigners gave him the lie, and all three fell upon him, and stabbed
him with a dagger; but Colonel Gerard being rescued out of their hands
by one Mr. Anthuser, they retired home, and within one hour returned
with twenty more, armed with breastplate and head-pieces; but after
two or three turns, not finding Mr. Anthuser, they returned home that
night." Next day the Portuguese fell upon a Colonel Mayo, mistaking
him for Anthuser, wounded him dangerously, and killed another person,
Mr. Greenaway. The murderers were arrested in spite of the protection
afforded them by the Portuguese ambassador and committed to Newgate.
Don Pantaleon made his escape from prison a few days later, but he
was retaken. Strenuous efforts were then made to obtain his release.
His trial was postponed on the petition of the Portuguese merchants.
The Portuguese ambassador himself had an audience of Cromwell, the
Lord Protector. But the law took its course. Don Pantaleon pleaded his
relationship, and that he had a commission to act as ambassador in
his brother's absence; this was disallowed, and after much argument
the prisoners pleaded guilty, and desired "to be tried by God and the
country." A jury was called, half denizens, half aliens, six of each,
who, after a full hearing, found the ambassador's brother and four
others guilty of murder and felony. Lord Chief Justice Rolles then
sentenced them to be hanged, and fixed the day of execution; but by
the desire of the prisoners it was respited two days. This was the 6th
July, 1654. On the 8th, Don Pantaleon Sa had his sentence commuted to
beheading. On the 10th he tried to escape, without success, and on the
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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