A companion for debtors and prisoners, and advice to creditors in ten letters from a gentleman in prison, to a member of Parliament : wherein, first, the villianies [sic] and insolencies of bayliffs, secondly, the evil practices of jaylers and pretended solicitors, and thirdly, the irregularities of prisons in general, are briefly detected and exposed : together with a particular description of Newgate, the Marshallsea, the two compters, Ludgate, the Fleet, and Kings Bench, with reflections upon prisons in general, and proposals for regulating the whole.

LETTER III. Wherein the Practices of the Bayliffs belonging to the Sheriff of Middlesex, are particularly exposed and detected; together with a short Description of Newgate, &c.

THE Bayliffs that belong to the Sheriff of Mid∣dlesex are only permitted to execute the Kings Writts, &c. but then because they cannot hold a person to Bail for a debt under 10 l. they commonly joyn themselves with a brother belonging to the Marshalsea; and these two, together with the as∣sistance of 2 or 3 Followers, are a compleat Sett to carry on the worthy Occupation.

Their chief business here (as in all other Counties in England, is to attend upon the She∣riff or his Deputy at the Execution of Crimi∣nals, as well as to serve his Warrants and levy his Executions; and for this formerly they had their setled Fees and Allowances; and withal, instead of their Swords and Battoons, which they march with now, were oblig'd to carry only a White Wand in their hands, to distinguish them from other persons. How this good Cu∣stom came to be worn out and discontinued. I know not; but this I know, that for want of ha∣ving

their Fees and Dematds fixt, and some sort of means us'd to bridle their Insolence and Ex∣travagance, the meaner sort of people are strangely insulted and impos'd upon by 'em.

Well Sir, when one of these sort have Ar∣rested their Man, after they have manag'd him as I mentioned in my last, why then he must go to Newgate, which is the chief Goal belonging to the County of Middlesex: And here, Sir, I will beg your favour to stop a little, while I trouble you with a short description of that dis∣mal place.

The Description of Newgate, together with their manner of Government, &c. as it relates to Debtors.

Newgate (as I said) is the chief Prison for the County of Middlesex, for Debtors, as well as Fe∣lons and Traytors, and is divided into Three different Stations or Degrees. The first is call∣ed the Press-Yard, whither none but persons that have Money to pay extravagant Prizes for their Lodging and Entertainment are admitted. The Second is the Common Side, where the Rogues and Thieves, Whores and Pick-Pockets, toge∣ther with some Miserable Debtors, are all Jumb∣led one among another, and truly make a very deplorable sight indeed. The Third is the Deb∣tors side, to which miserable place (for I cannot name it without a great deal of Agony and Dis∣order) my Misfortunes brought me. The man∣ner of it was thus: About a twelve monthago One of these Sparks took me up upon an Exe∣cution;

and finding that I knew their Tricks too well to be impos'd upon, he forthwith con∣ducts me to Newgate: I think 'twas about ten of the Clock at Night before I reacht my New Quarters. He had no sooner thrust me into the Lodg, but Cerberus the Turn-Key, with a great many other Dogs of Lower Stations came how∣ling and grinning about me. Their first Com∣plement was, Sir, have you any money? If not, you must go on the Common Side. Tho I was not much terrified with their Threats and Oaths, however I told them, If they wonld give me Liber∣ty till the morning, to enquire into the Custom of the Place, I would be conformable. Well, with much ado and a great deal of Swearing, Cursing and Hectoring, they unlock'd the Door that leads up to the Debtors Apartment: but here I was in a worse state than before; being left in the dark upon a dismal pair of Stairs, not daring to stir a foot for fear of tumbling into some hole, and breaking my Neck: and to mend the matter too, comes one of the Dogs that brought me thither, and insults over me for not compounding with the Officer, &c. Well, Sir, between this and the nauseous stink that came down the Stairs, I con∣fess I had much ado to support my self; howe∣ver I was forc'd to do it for an Hour at least be∣fore I could perswade any body to come to my assistance upon any terms. At last comes an under Turn-Key, and with a great deal of Indifference and more Impudence, ask'd me what I'd have? I found now 'twas no time to urge Justice or Hu∣manity to him; and therefore in short I told him, If he would change my Station, I would gra••••∣fle

him to his satisfaction. Here he began to soft∣en a little, and withal told me, That their Custom was to Lock up all their Doors at Eight of the Clock exactly; which were not to be opened again but upon particular Considerations; but however, for half a Crown he'd open the Door of the Debtors Hall, and turn me in there, where I should find a bed and compa∣ny. With this I soon comply'd; and so in he lets me; but withal leaves me in the dark again: but here I had not been long before one of the Prisoners calls to me; and finding me to be a stranger and a Debtor, strikes a Light; by the help of which I got a view of my new Lodging; which I must own to you was dress'd up with so many wretched and deplorable Circumstances, that in the whole Accounts of my Life, I never met with any thing like it: In this Common Hall (as they call it) were 12 beds at least, and two persons in every one of them. Where some lay naked, others with shav'd Heads without any Caps upon 'em, and most of them taking Tobacco; which together with the Smoak and Stink, made such a dismal Spectacle; that I defie any Poet or Painter to fancy or describe the like: However, Sir, there was no Remedy, but here I must stay; and truly, as cases stood, I was pretty well satis∣fied I was here too. To make as short of the mat∣ter as I can, I walk'd in this Noble Hall till Morning, when about 7 my Chamber-fellows be∣gan to turn out of their respective Kennels, and came to me to demand their Garnish, which they told me was 6 s. and 8 d. This truly I paid with∣out any grudging, and they spent it as freely in good Bread and Cheese, and Ale and Beer; and

to make me ameuds, drank my Health, and wish'd me an happy Enlargement, &c. 'Twould make a man wonder indeed to see with what Cheerfullness and Courage some of these poor Wretches undergo this miserable consinement, and how many hard shifts & stratagems they are forc'd to use, to get half a Crown against Satur∣day night, to pay for their beds, to prevent being turn'd over to the Common side, among the Fe∣lons, as they certainly are upon the first default. But to proceed: this Ceremony of the Garnish was no sooner over, and indeed it did not last long, but I was call'd to another, i. e. to come to pay my Entrance Fees, and for my Enrollmant, &c. which, as near as I remember, was either 8 or 9 s. more. Upon the whole, I found my charge of walking in the Hall for a Night was about 20 s. which I hope you'll be pleas'd to remember in its proper place. Well, Sir, I continued still walk∣ing in the Hall till about 3 in the afternoon, and had struck up an agreement with a man in a shire to Enkennel with him at night; but my Creditor coming in the interim, and discharging me, that Adventure went off. However, I did what I could to equip my self as far as my stay would give leave, with the nature and manner of the place. I went thro' all the Debtors Division, and found it all over so Dismall and wretched, that it almost put me out of conceit with Mankind, to think they could be so exaltedly cruell and barbarous to Creatures of their own Species. But now my Discharge being come▪ One of the Curs that bark'd and snarl'd at me but the very last night, comes up to me shaking his

Tall, and fawning upon me. Sir your Discharge is come, and Mr T—would desire you to walk into the Lodge; where Mr Clerk of the papers meets me, and wishes me Joy of my Liberty, but withall tells me there's a small matter to be pay'd first, only Seventeen shillings more for Fees; and so I may goe whither I please, This new Demand of Fees I confess Disturb'd me more then all the rest; however I found a down right denyall would not do, and therefore thought 'twould be best to plead Inability; but 'twas all one, this plea was no better then the other; all the answer that I could get was, that they never trusted any body, and that I must send out for money, and in the Interim return and take a turn or two more in the Hall. Truly with his leave I did not care for walking any more in the Hall neither; and so after a great deal of Wrangling and Swearing, I made up the matter for ten and Six pence. But still, before I must have my Quietus, the Groom of the Chambers must be satisfied too; and his de∣mand was half a Crown for Sheets. Says I, Friend, I had no Sheets; I have not lain down since I came into your Territories. That's all one to me, says he, you might if you wou'd; and I won't lose my Fees by you. I must confess I could not chuse but smile at this, tho indeed it vext me too. However, to be quit of them all, I threw him a shilling; and so we parted. Sir, that I may not trespass too far upon your patience, I'll stop here, and trouble you with the Remainder of this Adventure the next Return.