The Fleet: Its Rivers, Prison, and MarriagesAshton, John
History
The Fleet: Its Rivers, Prison, and Marriages
Ashton, John
Fleet Prison (London, England); Fleet, River (England)
"The Warden answeareth that over and above the eleaven months
aforesaid, yet from June 16th untill September 16, 1619, being 3
moneths, they two combyned in their exploits against the Warden
without falling out (for ought the Warden knewe), but 16 September
Boughton fell out with Harvey (one of his chamber felowes), whom
Boughton assayled with his teeth, and bitt him by the thombe, whereof
Whitbrooke, Willis, Harvey, and others there lodged, advised the
Warden, wishing him to take some course. The Warden sent divers
messages by the gaoler to Whitbrooke to remove thence and to lye
elsewhere; he would not, sayeing none should remove him but by
violence, and they were so strong there, as the Warden could doe
nothing, none ells durst come amongst them. Holmes and Maunsell offered
him libertie amongst other gentlemen upon bonds.
"The Warden acquainted the Lord Chauncellor of their fortifications,
of some other stabbing there, of this particular brawle, and besought
his lordshipp to send them to Newgate. The Lord Chauncellor comanded
such motion to be made at the tyme of a seale; it was moved by Mr.
Woomelayson, as appeares by his briefe, then his lordshipp wished oath
to be made of this offence, and called for presidents[107] to remove
them, in which meane tyme Boughton (being provoked and wounded by
Whitbrooke) did stabb him, whereof he dyed within 13 dayes, and it was
about 14 moneths after he wounded the Warden and stabbed his 3 servants
as appeareth by the generall lodgeings and places where they laye,
sometymes together, and sometymes severed, ensueing to be seene in the
end of this answeare to this Article, and, if the testimony (which
was long after delivered to the Warden, by a prisoner in the Fleete)
be true, then the same Harvey, and one Tymothy Willis and Sir John
Whitbrooke himselfe, did (of sett purpose) whett on Boughton to anger
and quarrell, because they scorned Boughton and meant to assayle him.
"When Whitbrooke, Boughton, &c., ymured themselves upp in the wards as
aforesaid, a view or survey of the roomes was given the Lordes of the
Councell, and they (_were_) satisfied.
"After the tyme of the supposed quarrell (which was about Whitbrooke's
and Boughton's fortifieing the house) they contynued lyeing where
they were before, amongst others.
"Wheresoever they had lyen they might quarrell when they mett, as
Whitbrooke many moneths before broke Willis his head with a pott or
candlestick."
These two ill-conditioned animals fell to loggerheads, and Boughton
drew upon Whitbrooke, and so wounded him that eventually he died. And
this shows the very lax discipline that then obtained in the Fleet. Of
course, no weapons should have been allowed, but "It is alsoe alledged
that Boughton did provide a sword, and it was brought him by a woeman
from whom the porter of the Fleet tooke it, and delivered it to the
Warden (as he did indeed) and therefore say their accusers that the
Warden knew the same sword was to kill Whitbrooke.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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