Chronicles of Newgate, Vol. 2: From the eighteenth century to its demolitionGriffiths, Arthur
History
Chronicles of Newgate, Vol. 2: From the eighteenth century to its demolition
Griffiths, Arthur
Criminals -- Great Britain; Newgate (Prison : London, England); Prisons -- England; Punishment -- Great Britain
It should be added here that the excesses of the rioters did not end
with the burning of Newgate; they did other mischief. Five other
prisons, the new prison, Clerkenwell, the Fleet, the King's Bench, the
Borough Clink in Tooley Street, and the new Bridewell, were attacked,
their inmates released, and the buildings set on fire. At one time the
town was convulsed with terror at a report that the rioters intended
to open the gates of Bedlam, and let loose gangs of raving lunatics to
range recklessly about. They made an attempt upon the Bank of England,
but were repulsed with loss by John Wilkes and the soldiers on guard.
At one time during the night as many as thirty-six incendiary fires
were ablaze. The troops had been called upon to support the civil
power, and had acted with vigour. There was fighting in nearly all
the streets, constant firing. At times the soldiers charged with the
bayonet. The streets ran with blood. In all, before tranquillity was
restored, nearly five hundred persons had been killed and wounded, and
to this long bill of mortality must be added the fifty-nine capitally
convicted under the special commission appointed to try the rioters.
It was in many cases cruel kindness to set the prisoners free. Numbers
of the debtors of the King's Bench were loth to leave their place of
confinement, for they had no friends and nowhere else to go. Of the
three hundred released so unexpectedly from Newgate, some returned
on their own accord a few days later and gave themselves up. It is
said that many others were drawn back by an irresistible attraction,
and were actually found loitering about the open wards of the prison.
Fifty were thus retaken within the walls the day after the fire, and
others kept dropping by twos and threes to examine their old haunts
and see for themselves what was going on. Some were found trying to
rekindle the fire; some merely prowled about the place, "being often
found asleep in the ruins, or sitting talking there, or even eating and
drinking, as in a choice retreat."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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