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)
They are kept at Somerset House, where they can be examined for a small
fee. A great number of them are memorandum books, and Burn, when he
examined them at Doctors Commons, in 1833, did not much like his job.
"It is to be wished that they were better arranged and indexed. There
are several very large indexes, which only requires a little time and
attention to ascertain to what Registers they refer. The Pocket books
also, might be bound together, and preserved from dust and dirt; and if
Government would give about £300 these objects might be attained. It
was a labour of many months to go through so many hundreds of dusty,
dirty, and sometimes ragged books."
The entries in the pocket-books are quainter than those in the
registries, as they are the first impressions, and the others are
polished up. We find from them that it was not infrequent to antedate
the Registers, and Lilley did so on one occasion, "there being a
vacancy in the Book suitable to the time." And, again, "These wicked
people came this day, Peter Oliver, of St. Olave's, carpenter, and
Elizabeth Overton, would have a certificate dated in 1729, or would not
be married if it was not to be dated to this time--went to Lilley's and
was married."
Perhaps the most extraordinary entries in these books are those of two
women going through the ceremony of marriage with each other--
"20 May, 1737. J^{no} Smith, Gent. of S^t James West^r Batch^r
& Eliz. Huthall of S^t Giles's Sp^r at Wilsons. By y^e opinion
after Matrimony, my Clark judg'd they were both women, if y^e
person by name John Smith be a man, he's a little short fair
thin man, not above 5 foot. After marriage I almost c'd prove
y^m both women, the one was dress'd as a man, thin pale face, &
wrinkled chin."
"1734 Dec. 15. John Mountford of S^t Ann's Sohoe, Taylor. B.,
Mary Cooper. Ditto. Sp. Suspected 2 Women, no Certif."
"1 Oct. 1747. John Ferren, Gent, Ser. of S^t Andrew's Holborn
B^r and Deborah Nolan. D^o Sp^n. The supposed John Ferren was
discovered after y^e Ceremonies were over, to be in person a
woman."
There is one entry, "The Woman ran across Ludgate Hill in her shift."
In the _Daily Journal_ of November 8, 1725, a woman went to be married
in that sole garment, at Ulcomb, in Kent; and in the Parish Register of
Chiltern All Saints in October 17, 1714, it says: "The aforesaid Anne
Sellwood was married in her Smock, without any clothes or head gier
on." This was a vulgar error, but the idea in so acting was that the
husband was not liable for any of his wife's pre-nuptial debts.
The candidates for matrimony were occasionally not over-honest,
as--"Had a noise for foure hours about the Money." "N.B. Stole a Silver
Spoon." "Stole my Cloathes Brush." "N.B. Married at a Barber's Shop
next Wilsons viz., one Kerrils for half a Guinea, after which it was
extorted out of my pocket, and for fear of my life delivered." "They
behaved very vilely, and attempted to run away with M^{rs} Crooks Gold
Ring."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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