But the Act of 1712 failed to stop these illicit marriages, for one
John Mottram was tried at Guildhall, before Lord Chief Justice Parker,
found guilty, was suspended from his ministerial functions for three
years, and was fined £200. Of this case there is an account in the
_Weekly Journal_, February 13, 1717.
"John Mottram, Clerk, was tryed for solemnizing clandestine and
unlawful marriages in the Fleet Prison, and of keeping fraudulent
Registers, whereby it appear'd that he had dated several marriages
several years before he enter'd into orders, and that he kept no less
than nine several Registers at different houses, which contained many
scandalous frauds. It also appeared, that a marriage was antedated
because of pregnancy; and, to impose on the ignorant, there was written
underneath this scrap of barbarous Latin, "Hi non nupti fuerunt, sed
obtinerunt Testimonium propter timorem parentum," meaning that they
were not marryed, but obtained this private Register for fear of their
parents. It rather appeared from evidence, that these sham marriages
were solemnized in a room in the Fleet they call the Lord Mayor's
Chappel, which was furnished with chairs, cushions, and proper
conveniences, and that a coal heaver was generally set to ply at the
door to recommend all couples that had a mind to be marry'd, to the
Prisoner, who would do it cheaper than any body. It further appear'd
that one of the Registers only, contained above 2,200 entrys which
had been made within the last year."
Pennant, writing at the end of the last century, gives us his personal
reminiscences of Fleet Parsons ("Some Account of London," 3rd ed.,
1793, p. 232),
"In walking along the street, in my youth, on the side next to the
prison, I have often been tempted by the question, _Sir, will you
be pleased to walk in and be married?_ Along this most lawless space
was hung up the frequent sign of a male and female hand conjoined,
with, _Marriages performed within_, written beneath. A dirty fellow
invited you in. The parson was seen walking before his shop; a squalid
profligate figure, clad in a tattered plaid night gown, with a fiery
face, and ready to couple you for a dram of gin, or roll of tobacco."
Burn gives a list of Fleet Parsons, first of whom comes John Gaynam,
who married from about 1709 to 1740. He rejoiced in a peculiar
soubriquet, as will be seen by the following. In the trial of Ruth
Woodward for bigamy, in 1737, he is alluded to by a witness:--
"_John Hall._ I saw her married at the Fleet to Robert Holmes;
'twas at the Hand and Pen, a barber's shop.
"_Counsel._ And is it not a wedding shop too?
"_Hall._ Yes, I don't know the parson's name, but 'twas a man
that once belonged to Creed Church, a very, lusty, jolly man.
"_Counsel._ Because there's a complaint lodged in a proper
court, against a Fleet Parson, whom they call The Bishop of
Hell."
Some verses, however, absolutely settle the title upon Gaynam.
"THE FLEET PARSON
A Tale,
BY ANTI MATRIM.... OF LONDON.
Some errant Wags, as stories tell,
Assert the gloomy prince of Hell
In th' infernal Region has
His Officers of all degrees,
Whose business is to propagate
On Earth, the interests of his State,
Ecclesiastics too are thought
To be subservient to him brought;
And, as their zeal his service prize,
He never fails to make them rise
As Dignitaries in his Church,
But often leaves them in the lurch;
For, if their Fear surmount their Zeal,
(They) quickly his resentment feel;
(Are) sure to meet with dire disgrace,
(And) warmer Zealots fill their place.
(To) make these Vacancies repleat,
He borrows P----ns from the Fleet,
Long has old G----m with applause
Obeyed his Master's cursed Laws,
Readily practis'd every Vice,
And equall'd e'en the Devil for device.
His faithful Services such favour gain'd
That he, first B----p was of H--l ordain'd.
Dan. W----e (rose) next in Degree,
And he obtained the Deanery.
Ned Ash----ll then came into grace,
And he supplied th' Archdeacon's place,
But, as the Devil when his ends
Are served, he leaves his truest friends;
So fared it with this wretched three,
Who lost their Lives and Dignity."
There is mention of Gaynam in two trials for bigamy--first in
chronological order coming that of Robert Hussey.
"_Dr. Gainham._ The 9th of September, 1733, I married a couple
at the Rainbow Coffee House, the corner of Fleet Ditch, and
entered the marriage in my register, as fair a register as any
Church in England can produce. I showed it last night to the
foreman of the jury, and my Lord Mayor's Clerk, at the London
Punch House.
"_Counsel._ Are you not ashamed to come and own a clandestine
marriage in the face of a Court of Justice?
"_Dr. Gainham_ (bowing). _Video meliora, deteriora sequor._
"_Counsel._ You are on your oath, I ask you whether you never
enter marriages in that book, when there is no marriage at all?
"_Dr. Gainham._ I never did in my life. I page my book so, that
it cannot be altered."
The other case is from the trial of Edmund Dangerfield in 1736.
"_Dr. Gainham._ I don't know the prisoner. I did marry a man
and woman of these names. Here, this is a true register: _Edwd
Dangerfield of St. Mary Newington Butts, Batchelor, to Arabella
Fast_. When I marry at any house, I always set it down, for I
carry one of the books in my pocket, and when I go home I put it
in my great book.
"_Court._ Do you never make any alteration?
"_Gainham._ Never, my Lord. These two were married at Mrs.
Ball's, at the Hand and Pen, by the Fleet Prison, and my name is
to her book.
"_Counsel._ 'Tis strange you should not remember the prisoner.
"_Gainham._ Can I remember persons? I have married 2000 since
that time."
We have heard of Alley, who married from 1681 to 1707; of Elborrow,
1698 to 1702; and of Mottram, who flourished between 1709 and 1725.
Of Daniel Wigmore, the Dean of the previous poem, we know little except
that he married between 1723 and 1754. The _Daily Post_ of May 26,
1738, says of him, "Yesterday Daniel Wigmore, one of the parsons noted
for marrying people within the Rules of the Fleet, was convicted
before the Right Honourable the Lord Mayor, of selling spirituous
liquors contrary to law."
The third dignitary, Edward Ashwell, the Archdeacon, was notorious, and
some of his misdeeds are recounted in a letter from Wm. Hodgson, to his
brother, a Clergyman. (Lansdowne MSS., 841, fol. 123).
_June_ 21, 1725.
"REVEREND SIR,--There was lately, at Southam, in Warwickshire,
one Edward Ashwell, who, in my absence, got possession of our
School, and preach'd in Several Churches in this Neighbourhood.
I take the Liberty to Inform you, Since I hear he is at
Kettering, that he is A Most Notorious Rogue and Impostor. I
have now certificates on my hand, of his having two wives alive
at this present time, and he was very Near Marrying the third,
in this Town, but the fear of a prosecution upon the Discovery
of the flaming and Scandalous Immoralities of his life, forc'd
him away from us. In a short time Afterwards, in a Village not
far from us, he attempted to Ravish a Woman, but was prevented
by a Soldier then in the house. I Can assure you he is in no
Orders, tho' the Audacious Villain preaches when he Can get a
pulpit. I have a whole packet of Letters by Me, all tending to
the Same Character, which I think Exceeds, for variety of all
Manner of Inormous practices, what Can be Charg'd upon the very
Scum of Mankind. The Accounts are from persons of integrity and
known Reputation.
"I prevented him preaching one Day at Brawnstin, Mr. Somes's
parish. It would be A very kind and Christian Office to give
some information among the Clergy, that they may not be Impos'd
upon by him, particularly to Mr. Heyrick, for I Married Mr.
Allicock's sister of Loddington. I know you will pardon this
trouble if the fellow be amongst you.
"I am, your affectionate Brother,
W. HODGSON."
We hear occasionally of this "professional beauty" in the Registers,
and give two or three examples:--
"June 21st, 1740. John Jones of Eaton Sutton in Bedfordshire,
and Mary Steward of the same, came to Wood's in Fleet Lane about
six o'clock in the morning. Mr. Ashwell and self had been down
the Market. Wood called him, and I went with him there, found
the said man and woman, offer'd Mr. Ashwell 3 shilling to marry
him; he would not, so he swore very much, and would have knocked
him down, but for me. was not married. took this memorandum that
they might not Pretend afterwards they was married, and not
Register'd."
"July 15 (1744). Came a man and wooman to the Green Canister,
he was an Irishman and Taylor to bee married. Gave Mr. Ashwell
2: 6. but would have 5s., went away, and abused Mr. Ashwell
very much, told him he was a Thief, and I was worse. Took
this account because should not say they was married, and not
Registered. N.B. The Fellow said Mr. Warren was his relation."
It was the custom for these Fleet Parsons to carry with them pocket
books, in which were roughly entered the names of the Married Couple,
and, occasionally, if they wished their names to be kept secret,
and paid, of course, a proportionate fee, their full names were not
transcribed into the larger Register, as the following shows:--
"September y^e 11th, 1745. Edwd. ---- and Elizabeth ---- were
married, and would not let me know their names, y^e man said he
was a weaver, and liv'd in Bandy leg walk in the Borough.
Pr. E. Ashwell."
He was so famous that he was honoured with an obituary notice in the
press, _vide_ the _General Advertiser_, Jan. 15, 1746.
"On Monday last, died, in the Rules of the Fleet, Doctor Ashwell,
the most noted operator in Marriages since the death of the
never-to-be-forgotten Dr. Gaynam."
John Floud, or Flood, did a good business from the time of Queen
Anne, 1709, to Dec. 31, 1729, when he died within the Rules of
the Fleet. He was a very queer Character, keeping a mistress
who played jackall to his lion, and touted for couples to be
married. He died suddenly whilst celebrating a wedding. Yet
even he seems to have had some compunction as to his course of
life, like Walter Wyatt: for, in one of his pocket books is the
following verse.
"I have Liv'd so long I am weary Living, I wish I was dead, and
my sins forgiven: Then I am sure to go to heaven, Although I
liv'd at sixes and sevens."
John Floud had a peculiarity; if ever he wanted to make
memoranda, which were not convenient to introduce into his
ordinary Register he partially used the Greek character, as
being "Caviar to the general," thus:
"13 Jan. 1728. [Greek: marr]: [Greek: t]h[Greek: rêê s]h[Greek:
illings] & [Greek: onê] [Greek: d]^o [Greek: chêrti]_f_[Greek:
ichatê]. Th[Greek: ê] [Greek: bridêgroom] w[Greek: as t]h[Greek:
ê brot]h[Greek: êr] o_f_ [Greek: t]h[Greek: ê mêmorablê]
J[Greek: onat]h[Greek: an] W[Greek: ild] E[Greek: chêchutêd at]
Ty[Greek: burn]."
Marr.: three shillings and one ditto Certificate. The bridegroom
was the brother of the memorable Jonathan Wild, Executed at
Tyburn.
"8 Mar. 1728. [Greek: Not]h[Greek: ing but a notê o]_f_ h[Greek:
and] _f_[Greek: or t]h[Greek: is marriagê] wh[Greek: ich]h
[Greek: nêuêr] w[Greek: as phaid]."
Nothing but a note of hand for this marriage, which never was
paid.
"27 August, 1728. [Greek: marriagê t]h[Greek: irtêên s]h[Greek:
illings] & [Greek: onê] & [Greek: sichphênchê chêrti]_f_[Greek:
ichatê. t]h[Greek: ê] w[Greek: oman not charing to bê marriêd in
t]h[Greek: ê phlêêt] I h[Greek: ad t]h[Greek: êm marriêd at mr
bro]w[Greek: ns at mr] H[Greek: arrisons in pheidgêonê chourt in
t]h[Greek: ê Old Bailê]y [Greek: at] _f_[Greek: our achlochch in
t]h[Greek: ê morning]."
Marriage thirteen shillings, and one and sixpence Certificate.
The woman not caring to be married in the Fleet, I had them
married at Mr. Brown's, at Mr. Harrison's in Pidgeone Court, in
the Old Bailey at four a'clock in the morning.
"12 Aug. 1729. [Greek: phd] _f_[Greek: iuê s]h[Greek: illings
phêr total]. N.B. Th[Greek: ê] 28th o_f_ [Greek: Aphril 1736
mrs bêll chamê and Earnêstl]y [Greek: intrêated mê to Erasê
T]h[Greek: ê marriagê out o]_f_ [Greek: t]h[Greek: ê booch] for
[Greek: t]h[Greek: at] h[Greek: êr] h[Greek: usband] h[Greek:
ad bêat and abusêd] h[Greek: er in a barbarous mannêr]....
[Greek: I madê] h[Greek: êr bêleiuê I did so,] _f_[Greek:
or] wh[Greek: ich]h I h[Greek: ad] h[Greek: al]_f_ [Greek: a
guinêa, and s]h[Greek: ê samê timê dêliuêrêd mê uph] h[Greek: êr
chêrti]_f_[Greek: ichatê. No phêrson phrêsênt (Achchording to]
h[Greek: er dêsirê])."
Paid five shillings per total. N.B.--The 28th of April, 1736,
Mrs. Bell came and earnestly intreated me to erase the Marriage
out of the book, for that her husband had beat and abused her in
a barbarous manner.... I made her believe I did so, for which I
had half a guinea, and she, at the same time, delivered me up
her certificate. No person present (according to her desire).
Perhaps, next to Dr. Gaynam, the bishop, no one did more business in
Fleet Marriages than Walter Wyatt. We have already read some of his
moral apothegms. He made a large income out of his Marriages, and,
looking at the value of money, which was at least three times that of
the present time, his profession was highly lucrative. Take one Month
for instance. October, 1748--
Oct. y^e 1 at home 2 11 6 abroad nil.
2 " 5 13 6 " 11 6
3 " 2 15 6 " 16 0
4 " 12 3 " 10 0
5 " 1 5 6 " nil.
6 " 10 6 " 1 4 6
7 " 1 8 6 " nil.
--------------------
Total... 17 19 3
From 8th to 15th " ... 17 6 6
" 15th " 21st " ... 10 0 6
" 21st " 27th " ... 6 17 0
" 28th " 31st " ... 5 9 6
----------
£57 12 9
==========
Or nearly £700 a year--equal to about £2,500 of our Currency. No wonder
then, that when he died, March 13, 1750, he left a will behind him,
which was duly proved; and by it he left his children in ward to his
brother, and different legacies to his family--to his married daughter
Mary, he bequeathed five pounds, and his estate at Oxford.
He describes himself, on the cover of one of the Registers, as "Mr.
Wyatt, Minister of the Fleet, is removed from the Two Sawyers, the
Corner of Fleet Lane (with all the Register Books), to the Hand and
Pen near Holborn Bridge, where Marriages are solemnized without
imposition." But there seem to have been other establishments which
traded on Wyatt's sign, probably because he was so prosperous. Joshua
Lilley kept the Hand and Pen near Fleet Bridge. Matthias Wilson's house
of the same sign stood on the bank of the Fleet ditch; John Burnford
had a similar name for his house at the foot of Ludgate Hill, and Mrs.
Balls also had an establishment with the same title.
He seems to have attempted to invade Parson Keith's _peculiar_ in May
Fair, or it may only be an Advertising ruse on the part of that
exceedingly keen practitioner, in order to bring his name prominently
before the public. At all events there is an Advertisement dated
August 27, 1748. "The Fleet Parson (who very modestly calls himself
Reverend), married at the Fleet, in Mr. L----yl's house, Mrs.
C----k's, at the Naked Boy, and for Mr. W----yt, the Fleet Parson. And
to shew that he is now only for Mr. W----yt, the Fleet Parson's
deputy, the said W----yt told one in May Fair, that he intended to set
up in opposition to Mr. Keith, and send goods to furnish the house,
and maintains him and the men who ply some days at the Fleet, and at
other times at May Fair. But not to speak of the men, if he himself
was not a Fleet Parson, he could never stand in Piccadilly, and run
after Coaches and foot people in so shameful a manner, and tell them
Mr. Keith's house is shut up, and there is no Chapel but theirs; and
to other people he says, their Fleet Chapel is Mr. Keith's Chapel, and
this he hath said in the hearing of Mr. Keith's clerk, and it is known
to most of the people about May Fair, and likewise Mr. Keith appeals
to the generality of people about the Fleet and May Fair, for proof of
Mr. Reverend's being only W----yts, the Fleet parson's deputy."
[Illustration]
[Illustration]