Extracts from Daniel Defoe’s Account of London

Selected by Pat Rogers
Introduction and Contents

Prisons

There are in London, and the far extended bounds, which I now call so, notwithstanding we are a nation of liberty, more publick and private prisons, and houses of confinement, than any city in Europe, perhaps as many as in all the capital cities of Europe put together; for example:

 

Public GAOLS.
The Tower.	The Clink, formerly the      prison to the Stews.
Newgate.
Ludgate.	Whitechapel.
King’s Bench.	Finsbury.
The Fleet.	The Dutchy.
Bridewell.	St. Katherines.
Marshalseas.	Bale-Dock.
The Gatehouse.	Little-Ease.
Two Counters in the city. [Wood Street Compter and Poultry Computer]	New Prison. New-Bridewell.
One Counter in the Burrough.	Tottil-Fields Bridewell.
St. Martin’s le Grand.	Five night prisons, called Round-houses, &c.

 

Tolerated PRISONS.
Bethlem or Bedlam.	The Black Rod Officers -Houses.
One hundred and nineteen Spunging Houses.	Cum aliis
Fifteen Private Mad- Houses.	Three Pest-houses.
The King’s Messengers Houses.	The Admiralty Officers Houses.
The Sergeant at Arms’s Officers Houses	Tip-staffs Houses. Chancery Officers Houses.

 

N.B. All these private houses of confinement, are pretended to be little purgatories, between prison and liberty, places of advantage for the keeping prisoners at their own request, till they can get friends to deliver them, and so avoid going into publick prisons; tho’ in some of them, the extortion is such, and the accommodation so bad, that men choose to be carried away directly.

This has often been complained of, and hopes had of redress; but the rudeness and avarice of the officers prevails, and the oppression is sometimes very great; but that by the way.