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pulled it down, sold the lead, stone, iron, &c. and built on the site many small cottages, on which they imposed great rents, "to the increasing of beggars in that borough." The archbishop bought Norwich House abovementioned, on account of its vicinity to the court, and left it to his suc

cessors.

The Mint continued for many years an asylum for debtors and fraudulent persons, who took refuge here with their effects, and set their creditors at defiance *; but this, and similar privileges, were entirely suppressed by parlia

price thereof for the buying of other houses, called also Suffolk Place, lying near Charing Cross, as appears from a register belonging to the dean and chapter of York.-Stow.

* The inhabitants of Whitefryars, Savoy, Salisbury Court, Ram Alley, Mitre Court, Fullwood's Rents, Baldwin's Gardens, Montague Close, the Minories, Clink, and Deadman's Place, assumed to themselves a privilege of protection from arrests, for debt; against whom a severe, though just statute was made, 8 and 9 William III. chap. 27. "whereby any person having monies owing from any in these pretended privileged places, may, upon a legal process taken out, require the sheriffs of London and Middlesex, the head bailiff of the dutchy, liberty, or the high sheriff of Surrey, or bailiff of Southwark, or their deputies, to take a posse comitatus, and arrest such persons, or take their goods upon execution or extent; and the sheriffs or officers neglecting, to forfeit to the plaintiff 1001. and every person opposing them, to forfeit 301. and to be sent to gaol till the next assize, and suffer such im prisonment, and be set in the pillory, as the court shall think fit; and any person rescuing or aiding therein, forfeits to the plaintiff 5001. and upon non-payment of the forfeitures, the person neglecting, to be transported to some of the plantations for seven years; and returning again within that time, to be guilty of felony, without benefit of clergy; and persons harbouring those that have made such rescues, shall be transported as aforesaid, unless they pay the plaintiff the whole debt and costs." Yet this place pretends to as much privilege as before, though this act has suppressed all the other places; and these streets are reckoned within the compass of this Mint, viz. Mint Street, Crooked Lane there, Bell's Rents, Exchange Alley, Cheapside, and Lombard Street there; also Cannon Street, Suffolk Street, St. George Street, Queen Street, King Street, Peter Street, Harrow Alley, Anchor Alley, and Duke Street, all in the parish of St. George, Southwark.-New View of London, Vol. I. p. 153.

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ment in the reign of George I. The place is at present one of the most filthy and inconvenient districts in the Borough.

Northward of the MINT is UNION STREET, in which is UNION HALL, a very handsome structure, appropriated as a police office, appointed by government for the administration of justice. Adjoining to which is the SURREY DISPENSARY, On the same plan and for the same purposes as the London, and other Dispensaries in the metropolis.

At the south-east end of Blackman Street, in HORSEMONGER LANE, is the COUNTY GAOL and HOUSE OF CORRECTION FOR THE COUNTY OF SURREY. This prison was formerly kept in a place near St. George's church, called the WHITE LION, so called on account of its having been a common inn, bearing that sign.

Speaking of that residence of misery, Mr. Howard ob. serves, that "in so close a prison, situated in a populous neighbourhood, I did not wonder to see in March 1776 several felons sick on the floors: no bedding nor straw: no infirmary: no chapel: divine service performed in the parlour; which is too small for the purpose; about sixteen feet square. If the county do not build a new gaol, more roomy and airy, and in a better situation, it would at least be adviseable to add to this an infirmary, chapel, &c."

The county took the hint, and erected the present spacious premises in HORSEMONGER LANE. Here is a good room for a court hall, a chapel, offices, &c. adapted for such a mass of structures; the situation is also more open, and consequently more healthy.

At the south-west corner of BLACKMAN STREET, in the road to the Obelisk, St. George's Fields, is situated the KING'S BENCH PRISON, a place of confinement for debtors, and for every one sentenced by the court of King's Bench to suffer imprisonment: but those who can purchase the liberties have the benefit of walking through Blackman Street, and a part of the Borough, and in St. George's Fields. It is a brick building, in a fine air, and surrounded with a very high brick wall: without which inclosure the

marshal,

marshal, who has the keeping of this gaol, has very handsome apartments. Prisoners in any other gaol may remove hither by Habeas Corpus. Before this building was erected, the King's Bench prison stood near St. George's church.

Stow informs us that "the courts of King's Bench and Chancery have oftentimes been removed to other places; and so have likewise the gaols that serve those courts, as in the year 1304, Edward I. commanded the courts of the King's Bench and the Exchequer, which had remained seven years at York, to be removed to their old place at London. And in the year 1387, the eleventh of Richard II. Robert Trisilian, chief justice, came to the city of Coventry, and there sat the space of a month, as justice of King's Bench; and caused to be indicted, in that court, about the number of two thousand persons of that country, &c.

"It seemeth therefore, that for that time, the prison or gaol of that court, was not far off. Also in the year 1392, the sixteenth of the same Richard, the archbishop of York, being lord chancellor, for good will that he bear to his city, caused the King's Bench and Chancery to be removed from London to York. But before long they were returned to London.

"The prisoners in this prison of the King's Bench were formerly not only restrained by their liberty; but were further punished by reason of the streightness of room, there being more, about the middle of queen Elizabeth's reign, committed there than before, as well for debt, trespass, as other causes; by reason of which streightening and pestering one another, great annoyances and inconveniences grew among the prisoners, that occasioned the death of many so that within six years last past, (it was now about the year 1579) very near an hundred persons died; and between Michaelmas and March, about a dozen persons, besides others that had been extremely sick, and hardly recovered; and some remained still sick, and in danger of their lives, through a certain contagion, called The Sickness of the House, which many times happened among

them,

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