WILLIAM AND MARY
Only one prisoner of State suffered death during the twelve years of
the joint reigns of William of Orange and Mary. This was Sir John
Fenwick, who had been implicated in a plot to assassinate William, and
being found guilty of high treason, was beheaded on Tower Hill on 28th
January 1697.
There were, however, a number of more or less unfortunate important
State prisoners at different times in the fortress, the most
interesting of these being the future Duke of Marlborough, for
“abetting and adhering to their Majesties’ enemies.” In Lord Wolseley’s
admirable history of that great soldier’s life, we read under the date
of 5th May 1697: “Marlborough was kept a close prisoner in the Tower,
no one being allowed to see him except by order of the Secretary of
State. His wife left the Princess Anne at Sion House in order to be
near him in town, and she left no means untried to obtain his release.
There still exist many orders signed by Lord Nottingham granting her
permission to see him in prison, the earliest being dated five days
after his committal, and worded ‘for this time only.’ A Mr Chudleigh
was a frequent visitor; the first order of admission given him was to
see Marlborough in presence of a warder, ‘for this time only.’ Later
on, we find an order addressed to Lord Lucas, the Constable of the
Tower, signifying the Queen’s pleasure that friends and relatives of
the prisoners lately committed should have access to them from time
to time. They were subsequently allowed to dine together, when all
dread of invasion had passed away. Marlborough, in the Tower, had
fewer friends than ever, but his wife makes honourable mention of Lord
Bradford, who not only refused to sign the warrant which committed
him to prison, but paid him a visit when there.... Writing to Lady
Marlborough, Princess Anne says: ‘I hear Lord Marlborough is sent to
the Tower, and though I am certain they have nothing against him, and
expected by your letter it would be so, yet I was struck when I was
told of it, for methinks it is a dismal thing to have one’s friends
sent to that place.’... ‘At length, on June 15, Marlborough was brought
before the Court of King’s Bench on a writ of habeas corpus, and
released from the Tower upon finding bail for £6000 for his appearance
when required.’” (“Life of Marlborough,” vol. ii.)
The same charge of “abetting and adhering to their Majesties’ enemies,”
upon which Marlborough had been imprisoned, was brought against Lord
Brudenell, the Earl of Huntingdon, Sir Robert Thorold, and Colonel
Langston.
In the same year the ruffianly head of the gang of “Mohawks,” Lord
Mohun, who figures in Thackeray’s “Esmond,” was twice in the Tower
for having committed two assassinations—the first, that of the actor
William Mountford, whom Mohun had murdered in a quarrel over the
celebrated actress, Mrs Bracegirdle; and the second, when, with Edward,
Earl of Warwick, he had helped to kill one Richard Coate. In 1695, Sir
Basil Firebrace was in the Tower, as well as the Earls of Salisbury,
Peterborough, and Arran, with Lord Montgomery, all imprisoned on the
charge of being concerned in Jacobite plots. With these were Sir
Edward Hale, Sir Thomas Jenner, Lord Castlemaine, Lord Forbes, Colonel
Lumley, Captain Shackerley, Lord Preston, Sir Richard Cleaver, Sir
Robert Hamilton, and Edward Griffin, upon whom James conferred a barony
whilst he was imprisoned in the Tower, a title James had no more right
to bestow than Griffin had to receive. Griffin, it seems, owed his
imprisonment to an accident. He was in active correspondence with the
court at St Germains, and had ordered a large pewter bottle to be
made with a false bottom, in which to conceal letters. Late one night
he gave this bottle to his cook with directions to have it soldered.
Whilst this was being done, a packet of letters was discovered in the
false bottom directed to James II. The cook was immediately seized, and
Griffin, with his wife, was sent to the Tower, whence, however, he made
his escape, but soon afterwards surrendered himself to the authorities.
He died in the Tower in 1710.
[Illustration: _View of the Tower in the time of James II._]
The affection and loyalty inspired by the Stuarts brought many
prisoners to the Tower, refusal to take the oath of allegiance to the
joint sovereigns being answered by the authorities with confinement
in the fortress, on the charge of “abetting and adhering to their
Majesties’ enemies.” Of these, Francis Cholmondeley, Lord Yarmouth,
and some others, were there in 1690, the names of Lords Newburgh,
Clancarty, Tyrone, Morley, Monteagle, Dartmouth, Cahir, the Earl of
Clarendon, Major-General Dorrington, and General Maxwell, also figure
on the list, but against these no specific charge is now apparent. Two
years afterwards a Mr Henry Grey, a member of the House of Commons, was
there, accused of taking bribes, as well as Lord Falkland; and the Earl
of Torrington’s defeat by the French fleet off Beachy Head was punished
by an enforced residence in the State prison.
That the fortress was crowded with prisoners towards the close of
William’s reign is apparent by two papers which, by the kindness of Mr
Birch, the Curator of the Soane Museum, I have been allowed to copy
here, but it must be added that out of all the State prisoners in the
Tower under William’s rule only one suffered the extreme penalty of the
law. The papers are as follows:—
At the Committee for ye Affaires of Ireland in ye Councill Chamber
att Whitehall, Aprill the 15 1695.
It is ordered by their Lᵈᵖˢ that Sir Christopher Wren Surveyr Genl.
of his Majities Works doe repaire to the Tower of London to view
Beauchamp Tower and Bloody Tower and report what it will cost to
Repaire and putt them in a condition to hold Prisoners of State.
Sir Christopher Wren is also to surveigh the ground behind the
Chapell in the Tower where it is proposed to Erect some buildings
for keeping prisoners, and to report in like manner what it
will cost and how many prisoners it can be made to hold, and he
is further to consider of the annexed Draught proposed for the
Erecting the Said Buildings, and give his opinion upon it, or
else make such other Draught as he shall think fitt, and Lay the
same together with his report upon the whole matter before the
Committee as soon as conveniently may be.
WM. BRIDGEMAN.
To Ye Rt Honble ye Committee of Councill for the Affaires of
Ireland. May it please yr Lʳˢ.
In obedience to yr Lʳˢ Order of the 15th instant, that I should
view the severall places in the Tower therein mentioned—viz.
Beauchamp Tower and ye Bloody Tower and report wt Expense will
put them in condition to hold prisoners of State and what number
they will hold I have accordingly viewed the same and report that
both the said places were put the last summer in better repair
than they have been in many years being whited, mended, and made
strong, but to make them fitt for prisoners of State, if by
that Expression it be intended that they should be wainscotted
and made fitt for hangings and furniture it may cost £200 or
much more but with such walls, windows and winding stairs they
never can be made proper with any cost without rebuilding. I
have also in pursuance of yʳ Lʳˢ Order viewed the place behinde
the Chappell and considered and do approve the annex’d draught
proposed to be built wch I take to be as Large as ye place
will afford containing 15 square and if it be well built in 3
storeys, Cellars and garretts it will cost £600. As to the number
of Prisoners the place may hold I can only report wt number of
rooms each place contains. Beauchamp Tower hath a large Kitching
2 large rooms and 2 small servants rooms. Bloody Tower hath a
kitching one room and one closset. The new building may contain 9
single rooms, besides cellars and garrets and a kitching all wch
is humbly submitted.
CHR WREN
Apprill 17 1695.
[Illustration: _The Tower of London, Commanded in Chief by the Rᵗ.
Honᵇˡᵉ Robert Lᵈ. Lucas._]