"Pray remember ye poor debtors": inmates of the Fleet Prison beg passers by for alms.

Fleet Prison was a notorious London prison. It was built in 1197 and situated off what is now Farringdon Street, on the eastern bank of the Fleet River after which it was named. It came into particular prominence from being used as a place of reception for persons committed by the Star Chamber, and, afterwards, for debtors and persons imprisoned for contempt of court by the Court of Chancery. In 1381, during the Peasants' Revolt, it was destroyed, and in 1666, during the Great Fire of London, it was burned down, but was rebuilt both times. ImageMetadata File history File links Download high resolution version (1166x1710, 1617 KB) Image scanned from Robert Chambers Book of Days, 1st edition. ... ImageMetadata File history File links Download high resolution version (1166x1710, 1617 KB) Image scanned from Robert Chambers Book of Days, 1st edition. ... London (pronounced ) is the capital city of England and the United Kingdom. ... The River Fleet is the largest of Londons subterranean rivers. ... The Star Chamber was an English court of law at the royal Palace of Westminster that began sessions in 1487 and ended them in 1641 when the court itself was abolished. ... In economics a debtor (or a borrower) owes money to a creditor. ... One of the courts of equity in England and Wales. ... Events June 12 - Peasants Revolt: In England rebels arrive at Blackheath. ... The end of the revolt: Wat Tyler killed by Walworth while Richard II watches, and a second image of Richard addressing the crowd The Peasants Revolt, Tyler’s Rebellion, or the Great Rising of 1381 was one of a number of popular revolts in late medieval Europe and is a... Detail of painting from 1666 of the Great Fire of London by an unknown artist, depicting the fire as it would have appeared on the evening of Tuesday, 4 September from a boat in the vicinity of Tower Wharf. ...

During the 18th century, Fleet Prison was mainly used for debtors and bankrupts. It usually contained about 300 prisoners and their families. Some inmates were forced to beg from their cells that overlooked the street, in order to pay for their keep. It should be noted that at that time prisons were profit-making enterprises. Prisoners had to pay for food and lodging. There were fees for turning keys or for taking irons off. And Fleet Prison had the highest fees in England. There was even a grille built into the Farringdon Street prison wall, so that prisoners might beg alms from passers-by. But prisoners did not necessarily have to live within Fleet Prison itself; as long as they paid the keeper to compensate him for loss of earnings, they could take lodgings within a particular area outside the prison walls called the "Liberty of the Fleet" or the "Rules of the Fleet". From 1613 on, there were also many clandestine Fleet Marriages. (17th century - 18th century - 19th century - more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 18th century refers to the century that lasted from 1701 through 1800. ... Bankruptcy is a legally declared inability or impairment of ability of an individual or organization to pay their creditors. ... One pays a fee as renumeration for services, especially the honorarium paid to a doctor, lawyer or member of a learned profession. ... Motto: (French for God and my right) Anthem: God Save the King/Queen Capital London Largest city London Official language(s) English (de facto) Unification    - by Athelstan AD 927  Area    - Total 130,395 km² (1st in UK)   50,346 sq mi  Population    - 2005 est. ... BMWs distinctive kidney-shaped grille on an E34 M5 Audis single frame grille, here on a second generation TT Grille is also the name of a German self-propelled artillery vehicle. ... A Fleet Marriage is the best-known example of an irregular or a clandestine marriage taking place in England before 1753. ...

The Raquet Ground of the Fleet Prison circa 1808.

The head of the prison was termed the warden, who was appointed by Letters patent. It became a frequent practice of the holder of the patent to farm out the prison to the highest bidder. This custom made the prison long notorious for the cruelties inflicted on prisoners. One purchaser of the office, Thomas Bambridge, who became warden in 1728, was of particularly evil repute. He was guilty of the greatest extortions upon prisoners, and, according to a committee of the House of Commons appointed to inquire into the state of English gaols, arbitrarily and unlawfully loaded with irons, put into dungeons, and destroyed prisoners for debt, treating them in the most barbarous and cruel manner, in high violation and contempt of the laws. He was committed to Newgate Prison, and an act was passed to prevent his enjoying the office of warden. Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (829x630, 99 KB) The raquet ground of the Fleet Prison as drawn by Augustus Pugin and Thomas Rowlandson for Ackermanns Microcosm of London (1808-11). ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (829x630, 99 KB) The raquet ground of the Fleet Prison as drawn by Augustus Pugin and Thomas Rowlandson for Ackermanns Microcosm of London (1808-11). ... ... Letters Patent by Queen Victoria creating the office of Governor-General of Australia Letters patent are a type of legal instrument in the form of an open letter issued by a monarch or government granting an office, a right, monopoly, title, or status to someone or some entity such as... Look up cruelty in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Thomas Bambridge (d. ... Extortion is a criminal offense, which occurs when a person obtains money, behaviour, or other goods and/or services from another by wrongfully threatening or inflicting harm to this person, reputation, or property. ... The House of Commons is the lower house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. ... [[Image:Bothwell castle 1997 d. ... Old Newgate Prison, which was replaced in the 18th century. ...

During the Gordon Riots in 1780 Fleet Prison was again destroyed and rebuilt in 1781-1782. In 1842, in pursuance of an act of parliament, by which the Marshalsea, Fleet, and Queens Bench Prisons were consolidated into one under the name of Queens Prison, it was finally closed, and in 1844 sold to the corporation of the City of London, by whom it was pulled down in 1846. The Gordon Riots is a term used to refer to a number of events in a predominantly Protestant religious uprising in London aimed against the Roman Catholic Relief Act, 1778, relieving his Majestys subjects, of the Catholic Religion, from certain penalties and disabilities imposed upon them during the reign... The Marshalsea Marshalsea was a debtors prison in Southwark, London best known for being the place where Charles Dickenss father was imprisoned for debt and as the central location in Dickenss book Little Dorrit. ... Coat of arms The City of London is a small area in Greater London. ...