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 third count against the Warden was one of robbery, "11 lib. 6 s.
taken out of the Trunk, and by violence, from the person of a close
prisoner sicke in his bed, by the Warden and his seruants." And
Harris meets this, as all others, fairly and straightforwardly. Says
he:--"This toucheth money taken from one Thraske, then a Jewdaiser, or
halfe Jewe, committed close prisoner by the Lords of the Councell, from
whom, and such like, though in the Gatehouse, King's Bench, Fleete,
&c., it hath beene used to take away and keepe their money, yet the
Warden tooke not his until he abused it very dangerouslie, and whether
this takeing away may be said Robbery, let the answeare followeing
decide.
"And although the complainte be used with a Circumstance, as if the
Prisoner were sick, thereby to make a shewe as if the Warden gaped at
his death and money; that was most untrue for Thraske was in perfect
health."
This prisoner was sent to the Fleet, to be put in the pillory, whipped
and branded, and, besides, to suffer solitary confinement, but he found
means to write letters to the King and the Lord Chancellor, and the
Warden was much blamed for allowing him so to do. But poor Harris,
who must have been plagued almost to death by his very recalcitrant
charges, could not find out whence his prisoner procured his writing
materials, and at last came to the correct conclusion that he was
bribing the gaoler who waited upon him. So, with some servants, he
personally searched Mr. Thraske's apartment and person, and found his
pens, ink, and paper, and also £11 6s. in money, together with a bag
and cord with which he used to receive supplies from outside, and by
means of which he disseminated his pernicious literature. All of which
the Warden very properly confiscated, but the money was kept, and used
for the prisoner's benefit. "When Thraske had worne out his cloathes
and desired other, the Lord Chauncellor bid the Warden buy for Thraske
some cloathes, which was done accordingly, even soe much as Thraske
desired; the Warden alsoe gave him money to buy wyne for his comforte
at tymes." And, in the long run, the poor Warden declares that he was
about £80 out of pocket by his prisoner.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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