Drunks, Whores and Idle Apprentices: Criminal Biographies of the Eighteenth Century

by PHILIP RAWLINGS

  5 In particularly notorious cases the Ordinaries might produce a special Account which was concerned with one individual, although the practice seems to have all but ceased with Lorrain. For examples by Lorrain, see The Confession of John Peter Dramatti; a Frenchman, Executed at Tyburn, on Wednesday the 21st of July, 1703, for the Barbarous Murther of Frances his Wife, about Bloody-Bridge near Chelsea, London, 1703; The Ordinary of Newgate his Account of the Behaviour and last dying Words of Edward Bird, Gent. Who was Executed at Tyburn on Monday the 23d of February, 1718/9, for the Murder of Samuel Loxton, At the Bagnio in Silver-street, Westminster, London, 1719.

  6 A True Account of the Prisoners Executed at Tyburn. On Friday the 23d of May, 1684. With their Behaviour in Newgate, since their receiving Sentence at the Old-Bayly and dying Confessions At the place of Execution, London, 1684. The title changed to, The Behaviour of the condemned criminals in Newgate…in September 1684, and then to The True Account of the Behaviour and Confessions of the Condemned Criminals in Newgate in June 1685, a title which was kept throughout the rest of Smith’s period in office. The next Ordinary, John Allen, published A full and true Account of the Behaviour, Confessions, and last Dying Speeches of the Condemn’d Criminals, that were Executed at Tyburn, on Friday the 24th of May, 1700; his successor, Roger Wykes, published The Confessions, Behaviour, and Dying Speeches of the Criminals that were executed at Tyburn, on Saturday the 20th of July, 1700. It was Wykes’s successor, Lorrain, who more or less settled the title for the eighteenth century as The Ordinary of Newgate his Account of the Behaviour, Confessions, and Dying Speeches, of the Condemn’d Criminals that were Executed at Tyburn, and it is from this that the generic title for such works, the Ordinary of Newgate’s Account, derives.

  7 See OBSP, 15–16 December 1683, 17–18 January 1684, 15–16 May 1684.

  8 Clergymen who attended other prisons occasionally copied the example set by their Newgate brethren, but none of these efforts turned into a regular series. See, for example, the irregular series from Southwark Prison, which served as a prison for some of those condemned at the Surrey Assizes: Rev. W. Wilson, A Full and Genuine Account of the Lives, Characters, Behaviour, last Dying Words and Confessions, of the Four Malefactors, that were Executed on Friday the 6th day of this Instant April 1739, at Kennington-Common, London, 1739; A Genuine Account of the Lives, Characters, Behaviours, Confessions, and Dying Words, of the Malefactors viz. James Day, Ann Hazzard, James Harris, Richard Keble, James Hunt, and Thomas Collins. Who were Executed at Kennington-Common. On Thursday the 25th of August, 1743, London, [1743]; The Solemn Declaration of Richard Coleman, Who was Executed at Kennington-Common, in the County of Surrey, on Wednesday, April 12, 1749, for the Murder of Sarah Green, Widow, with the Behaviour, Confession, and Dying Words, of the Four other Malefactors, Who were Executed at the same Time and Place, London, [1749]; Rev.L.Howard, A True and Impartial Account of the Behaviour, Confession, and Dying Words of the four Malefactors, Who were executed at Kennington-Common, on Friday, September 6, 1751, London, [1751].

  9 See the General Introduction in this volume, pp. 5–6. For a fascinating view from the other side of the book trade, even though it relates to a publication by the chaplain of Southwark gaol, see The True and Genuine Account of the Confession (Whilst under Sentence of Death) of Thomas Jones, and James Welch. For the barbarous Rape and Murder of Sarah Green, as Taken from the Mouth of Nicholls (the Evidence against them) and by them attested to be the Truth, London, [1751]. Lorrain seems to have been particularly plagued by fake Accounts amongst which are probably A True Account of the Behaviour, Confession and last Dying Speeches of the Condemn’d Criminals, that were Executed at Tyburn, on Wednesday the 10th of May, 1704, London, 1704 (signed ‘P.L.’ and under the imprint of ‘Eliz. Malle’—the publisher of the Account at that time was Elizabeth Mallet); The Ordinary’s Account of Life, Birth, Death and Parentage Of John Hall, Richard Low, Stephen Bunch, William Davis, and Joseph Montisano, London, 1707 (writer named as ‘Lorrane’); The Ordinary of Newgate’s Account of the Life, Conversation, Birth and Education of Thomas Ellis, and Mary Goddard, London, 1708; The Whole Life and Conversation, Birth, Parentage and Education of Deborah Churcbill, London, 1708 (‘Paul Lorain’); The Whole Life and Conversation, Birth, Parentage and Education of Mr. William Gregg, London, 1708 (‘Paul Lorain’); The Whole Life and Con versation, Birth, Parentage, and Educations of Thomas Browning, and Jeremiah Clark, London, 1712 (‘Paul Larrain, Ordinaray of Newgate’).

  10 Ordinary of Newgate’s Account, 23 May 1701, 2 May 1707; London Daily Post, 4 August 1739, 21 December 1739, 22 December 1739; Post Boy, 22–4 May 1701. See also OBSP, 13–14 October 1703; Ordinary of Newgate’s Account, 21 June 1704, 22 Sep. 1704, 25 October 1704, 7 February 1704/5, 4 May 1705, 2 May 1707; J.Guthrie, A Sermon Preach’d in the Chapel of Newgate, Upon the particular Desire of Robert Hallam, Under Sentence of death, for the Murder of his Wife Jane, Then being Big with Child, Upon Sunday, the 6th of February, 1732, London, [1732]; London Daily Post, & General Advertiser, 1 August 1739, 2 August 1739, 3 August 1739. For an attack by an Ordinary on a specific rival see Ordinary of Newgate’s Account, 20–2 December 1738, p. 20; Daily Advertiser, 20 September 1738.

  11 Ordinary of Newgate’s Account, 23 October 1689, Charles Brooks.

  12 Ordinary of Newgate’s Account, 23 May 1701.

  13 Ordinary of Newgate’s Account, 23 October 1689, 20 July 1700. Also ibid., 17 December 1707, 3 October 1750, p. 102; [F.Hoffman], Secret Transactions During the Hundred Days Mr. William Gregg Lay in Newgate under Sentence of death for High treason, from the Day of the Sentence, to the Day of his Execution, London, 1711, p. 7; P.Lorrain, The Dying Man’s Assistant, London, 1702, pp. 10–11; S.Rossell, The Prisoner’s Director: compiled For the Instruction and Comfort of Persons under Confinement. Whether for Debt, for Capital, or other Crimes; more especially for Those under Sentence of Death, London, 1752, pp. 122n., 239, 241.

  14 Memoirs Of the Right Villainous John Hall, The Late Famous and Notorious Robber. Penn’d from his own Mouth sometime before his Death, London, 4th edn, 1714, p. 27.

  15 See the General Introduction in this volume, p. 9, and The Affecting Case of Thomas Daniels, London, 1761.

  16 J.J.Richetti, Popular Fiction before Richardson: Narrative Patterns 1700–1739, Oxford, 1969, p. 29.

  17 Rossell, The Prisoner’s Director, pp. 236 and 243.

  18 Linebaugh, ‘The Ordinary of Newgate and his Account’; Linebaugh, ‘Tyburn’, pp. 166–325; Linebaugh, ‘Tyburn riot against the surgeons’ in D.Hay, E.P Thompson and P.Linebaugh (eds.), Albion’s Fatal Tree: Crime and Society in Eighteenth-Century England, Harmondsworth, 1977, pp. 65–117.

  19 P.Linebaugh, ‘The Ordinary of Newgate and his Account’; pp. 265–6.

  6 THE ORDINARY of NEWGATE, His ACCOUNT of the Behaviour, Confession, and Dying Words, OF THE MALEFACTORS, Who were Executed at TYBURN, On WEDNESDAY the 18th of March, 1740. 1

  BEING THE First EXECUTION in the MAYORALTY OF THE Rt. Hon. HUMPHREY PARSONS, Esq; LONDON: Printed and Sold by JOHN APPLEBEE, in Bolt-Court, near the Leg-Tavern, Fleet-street. M, DCC,XL. (Price SIX-PENCE.)

  [Part I, p. 7]

  Mary Young, alias jenny Diver,2 and Elizabeth Davis, alias Catherine the Wife of Henry Huggins, were indicted for assaulting Judith Gardener on the King’s Highway, putting her in Fear, and taking from her 12s. in Money, the Money of the said Judith, in the Parish of St. Mary Woolchurch, January 17.

  …Mary Young, alias Jenny Diver, about 36 Years of Age, born in Ireland, as I was informed, but she denied it, calling herself an English Woman, being unwilling to declare either her Country or Family, desiring to be excused in that Point. She had good Education at School, and was instructed in the Principles of Religion, and the Knowledge of other Things which was required, in order to fit her for doing Business. She lived with her Parents, and did not go to Service, but came up to London, where she soon became a good Proficient in the tricking Arts of the Town, as now she hath found to her s
ad Experience. A few Years ago she passed for a Wife to a Prisoner in Newgate, whom she daily attended, and supplied him with Victuals, and likewise gave Charity to the other Prisoners under Sentence, and to some on the Common Side. She was thought to be one of the most artfullest Pick-pockets in the World; she was a constant Street-walker, where she exercised her Skill. About 2 Years, or 2 Years and half, she was Transported, for picking the Pocket of a Gentlewoman in St. Paul’s Church Yard, at the Feast of the Sons of the Clergy; for which Fact she was tried at the Old Bailey, and was ordered to be Transported; but she had not been gone long, before she and her supposed Spouse returned to London, where she has been a constant Practitioner ever since. She was then tried by another Name, it being usual for such Persons to change their Names upon every Occasion. On Saturday the 17th of Jan last, as she was walking along the Streets, between 6 and 7 at Night, she met with Judith Gardener by the Corner of the Mansion-house, a Man held up Judith’s Arm with such Force, that she was like to have lost the Use of it; Mary came up before the Woman, and put her Hand into her Pocket, Judith being frighted, cryed out she was robbed, and like to be murdered; upon this the Man run away, and a Scuffle ensuing, Davis taking the Man’s Part, came in for her Share in the Fray, and was taken up and convicted for the same Robbery with Mary Young. The Man having made his Escape, Young and Davis were carried to Devonshire Square, and several other Places in the City, in order to carry them before a Justice, but not finding one in the Way, they came back to the Old Bailey, where the Court was sitting, they was brought before my Lord Mayor, who was pleased to commit them. It is observable of them, viz. Mary Young and Elizabeth Davis, that the Robbery was committed, and they sent to Newgate on Saturday the 17th of Jan and on Monday the 19th, a Bill of Indictment was found against them, and on Tuesday the 20th, they were tried, capitally convicted, and receiv’d Sentence of Death.3 Mary Young behaved well while under Sentence, and was very devout to all outward Appearance, often crying at Prayers, and singing of Psalms. She declared that Elizabeth Davis had no Hand in the Robbery which she suffered for, and that she wou’d persuade the World (if possible) that she was not the Woman, that she was represented to be; but had always lived a sober Life, (if you believe her) but she could not deny the robbing of Judith Gardener, on the 17th of Jan. last, and that she was Transported by the Name of Jane Web, in April Sessions 1738.4She believed in Christ her only Saviour, repented of all her Sins, and was in Peace with all the World.

  * * *

  [Part II, p.5]

  The following is a particular Account of the Transactions of the Life of Mary Young, alias Jenny Diver, &c, &c, &c.

  AS I am in a few Days to suffer for what I most justly deserved, and am to give an Account to the righteous Judge of all Things for my past wicked Transactions, I thought it a Duty incumbent on men, as I could no other Way make Restitution, to publish an Account of my past mispent miserable Life; I know in doing this, I shall give much Offence to those Persons who have been Partners in my Crimes, and Partakers of ill got Goods; but let them consider ’ere ’tis too late, that the Course they are now pursuing, will one Day or other bring them into my sad State! I know if it was possible to speak with the Tongue of Men and Angels, without they beg of God, and have a sincere Desire to reform my unhappy Exit, as that of many Others before me, will be rather an Encouragement to pursue their wicked Practices, than work in them a Desire of reforming, as I must confess with all the Agonies of Horror, Remorse and anguish of Mind, it was formerly with me! But Oh! that they felt the Racks and Tortures I now do! how would they wish! what would they give! had they reformed by timely Advice. I do sincerely hope that my untimely Exit may be a Warning to all unhappy Persons, and that they would take Example by me, and shun the fatal Rock on which I split. I hope those I have any Ways offended or injured, will forgive my past Transactions, for which I am very sorry, and do heartily repent of; as the following Account contains a sincere and faithful Narrative of my Facts; and the various Methods taken in the Performance of ’em, I hope as I have made a true Discovery, that my Companions will forgive me for so doing; and I beg that God would grant them his Grace and enable them for the future to take to some honest, though ever so mean, an Employ. The Hopes of which has engag’d me to say thus much.

  Mary Young, alias Murphew, alias Webb, alias Jenny Diver, (whose true Name was Mary Young) was so great a Proficient in her Art, that she got the Name amongst her Companions of Jenny Diver, alias Diving Jenny from her great Dexterity in picking Pockets; she followed this Profession between 14 and 15 Years; was born in the North of Ireland, but was entirely ignorant of her Family. When she was about 10 Years of Age,5 she was put to School by an old Woman whom she used to call by the Name of Nurse, who bestowed some small Matter of Learning upon her, as Reading, Writing, and Plain- Work, which latter she was dextrous at, being reckon’d an extraordinary Workwoman with her Needle. When she was about 15 Years of Age, having an itching Desire to see London, and Quarrelling with the old Woman who kept her, she made Enquiry for any Vessel bound for

  England,and soon finding one for her Purpose, she made an Agreement with the Captain who was to sail in three Days: Now her next Scheme was, how to leave the old Woman, and to get her Cloaths handsomely away, and Money to bear her Expences in her Passage, and when she came to England, to live on, ’till she could get into some Business, for as yet, she had not imbib’d any Principle to wrong or defraud any body, as she herself confess’d.

  There was a young Fellow who had paid his Addresses to her in the Quality of a Suitor, for the Space of a Month, now this Person being very sollicitous to persuade her to become his Wife, she told him there was but one Way to make them both happy, and that was to go to England, telling him the old Woman her Nurse, would never consent for her to marry him, and if he really loved her, as he pretended, he would soon comply with her Request; the young Fellow being overjoy’d at this Proposal, promised her he would, when she had so done, she told him how she had already made an Agreement with the Captain, who was to sail in about three days, and directed him where he lived, desiring him to get Things in Readiness by that Time, he promised her he would, and accordingly took his Leave; as soon as the appointed Time came, the Morning when they were to sail, the young Fellow who was a Servant to a Gentleman of Fortune, and being willing to bring his new Bride a handsome Sum to support Expences, robb’d his Master of upwards [p. 6] of 80l. and his Gold Watch; and both getting secretly Aboard, she for fear of her Nurse, and he for fear of being discovered, the Ship hoisted Sail, and arrived two Days after at the City of Liverpoole, in Lancashire. As soon as they came Ashore, Jenny being Seasick, her Spark proposed to stay two or three Days, in order to refresh themselves before they proceeded for London; so he, for fear of being known, got a Lodging at a private House in that City; now the Day being come in which they designed to depart, he pack’d up her Cloaths, and his own, and put them in the Hands of the Waggoner in order to be carried to London, proposing themselves to follow, and so walk easy Day’s Journeys, till such Time they should get safe to Town. As soon as they had so done, they went to a publick House in order to get some Refreshment before they set out; and as soon as they came in, who should be there but a Person who was sent in Quest of him by his Master; the young Spark was extremely surprized, and would have retreated faster than he came in, but it was too late, for the Person seized him, and told him he was his Prisoner, and immediately upon this hurry’d him with a great Mob before the Mayor. As soon as they came there (Jenny following him at some Distance, for in the Hurry and Confusion no Body took Notice of her) she heard him confess the Robbery of his Master, but never mention’d one Syllable about her; now just before this Accident, he had given her 10 Guineas, in order to put in a little Purse which she had, the rest of the Money and the Watch being found on him, he was committed to Prison; as soon as Jenny heard this, she went aside to a Publick House and wrote him a Letter, expressing a great Concern for this Misfortune, and promised to return his Things that were pack’d up fo
r London, and likewise the Money which she had of him when it was in her Power; so done, she made the best of her Way to Town, never as she confessed, being the least dismayed at this Accident.

  After the Hurry was a little over, she was as good as her Word; for as soon as she arriv’d at London she sent his Things, and some Time after that his Money. He was cast (which was after she had been in London some Time) for his Life, but was transported afterwards. As soon as she arrived at London, she got acquainted with one A. M– – –p,6 who was her Country-woman, who took a Lodging for her near Long Acre, where she proposed to take in Plain Work; but Business not coming in according to Expectation, M– – –y7 takes her aside one Day, and thus expostulates the Case with her, says she, Jenny Trading being dead, suppose we was to take a new Method of Life, which at present you are a Stranger to; but what I am acquainted with; Jenny being mighty desirous to know what it was, why reply’d the other, if you’ll go along with me this Evening, you shall be instructed in this new Art; but I must first swear you to Secrecy, for Fear if you shou’d not like it, you should discover; upon which Jenny promised she would obey her Directions in all Particulars, and swearing Secrecy she was admitted into the Society that Evening, which consisted of four Persons, two Men and a Woman with herself; their Business that Evening was to go upon Cheving the Froe, (that is, Cutting off Women’s Pockets;) in order to do this they attended the Theatres after the Play was over; she was appointed (as being a young Novice in the Art) to stand Miss Slang all upon the Safe, (that is, to stand safe at a Distance as if not one of the Gang, in order to receive the Things stollen.) They got that Night 2 Diamond Girdle Buckles, and a Gold Watch, which they fenced at a Lock for 70l. now Jenny had but 10l. for her Share, by Reason that she did the least Execution, and was in least Danger.