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PoultryCompterWikipedia,thefreeencyclopedia

PoultryCompter

Coordinates:51.5137N0.0906W

FromWikipedia,thefreeencyclopedia

PoultryCompter(alsosometimesknownasPoultryCounter)
wasasmallcompter,orprison,runbyaSheriffoftheCityof
Londonfrommedievaltimesuntil1815.
IttookitsnamefromitslocationonasectionofCheapsidecalled
Poultry,fromtheproducethatwasoncesoldinstreetmarkets
alongthethoroughfare.

Contents
1 History
2 Thefightagainstslavery
3 Notableinmates
4 References

PoultyCompter.Illustrationbasedon
aprintof1813.

5 Externallinks

History
In1580theCatholicprinterWilliamCarterwasheldinPoultryCompterbeforebeingtransferredtothe
TowerofLondonandexecutedonchargesoftreasonagainstQueenElizabethI.
Thecompterwasusedtohouseprisonerssuchasvagrants,debtorsandreligiousdissenters,aswellas
criminalsconvictedofmisdemeanoursincludinghomosexuality,prostitutionanddrunkenness.
On1August1772,forinstance,TheCraftsmanreportedthat"awelldressedmanwasdetected,near
Lombardstreet,inanunnaturalcrime,andimmediatelycommittedtothePoultryCompter."[1]On5July
1799,aFridayevening,at7o'clock,anakedmanwasarrestedattheMansionHouseandsenttothe
compter.Heconfirmedthathehadacceptedawagerof10guineas(equalto921today)torunnaked
fromCornhilltoCheapside.[2]
Theprisonbecamenotoriousforitspoorconditions.Acontemporaryaccountdescribestheprisoninthe
late18thcentury:
themixtureofscentsthatarosefrommundungus,tobacco,foulfeet,dirtyshirts,stinking
breaths,anduncleanlycarcases,poisonedournostrilsfarworsethanaSouthwarkditch,a
tanner'syard,oratallowchandler'smeltingroom.Theilllookingvermin,withlong,rusty
beards,swaddledupinrags,andtheirheadssomecoveredwiththrumcaps,andothers
thrustintothetopsofoldstockings.Somequittedtheirplaytheywerebeforeengagedin,
andcamehoveringroundus,likesomanycannibals,withsuchdevouringcountenances,as
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ifamanhadbeenbutamorselwith'em,allcryingout,"Garnish,garnish,"asarabbleinan
insurrectioncrying,"Liberty,liberty!"Wewereforcedtosubmittothedoctrineof
nonresistance,andcomplywiththeirdemands,whichextendedtothesumoftwoshillings
each.
Certainly,thestateoftheprisonwasgivingconsiderablecauseforconcernand,in1804,anofficial
reportsaidtheprisonwas:
insuchastateofdecay,astobecomeinadequatetothesafecustodyofthedebtorsand
prisonersthereinconfined,andextremelydangerous,aswelltothelivesofthesaiddebtors
andprisonersastootherpersonsresortingthereto.[3]
ThisreportwascontainedinapreambletotheLondonDebtors'PrisonsAct1804enablingtheCity's
authoritiestomoveinmatestoanotherCityprison(GiltspurStreetCompter),althoughthispurposewas
notachieveduntil1815,followingthepassageoftheDebtorsPrisonforLondonandMiddlesexAct
1815.ThePoultryCompterwaseventuallydemolishedin1817.

Thefightagainstslavery
ThePoultryCompterwasconnectedwithearlystrugglesagainsttheslavetradeseveralslavesreleased
byGranvilleSharpwereconfinedinthecompter.Forexample,in1765,Sharphelpedamistreatedand
abandonedslave,JohnStrong,recoverfromseriousinjuriesandfoundhimemploymentwithan
apothecary.Strong'sownersoughtthehelpofJohnRoss,keeperofthePoultryCompter,andWilliam
Miller,anofficerundertheLordMayorofLondon,tokidnaphim,andStrongwasthenimprisonedin
thecompterandsubsequentlysoldfor30.SharpappealedtotheLordMayor,RobertKite,andStrong
wasreleasedonthegroundsthatnowarranthadbeenissuedforhisarrestandconfinement.[4]

Notableinmates
SamuelBoyse(17081749)apoetandacquaintanceofDr.Johnson
ReverendJohnBradfordmartyr[5][6]
WilliamCarter(c.15481584)aRomanCatholicEnglishprinterandmartyr
ThomasDekker(15701632)dramatistandrivaltoBenJonson,imprisonedfordebtin1599
JohnGerrard(15641637)anEnglishJesuitpriest
CaptainJamesHindhighwayman[7]
JohnPenry(executed25May1593)Welshmartyr[8]
RowlandTaylormartyr
JohnTraskesabbatarian

References
1."Homosexualityin18thcent.England:NewspaperReports,1772".rictornorton.co.uk.Retrieved16June
2015.
2.TheTimes,8July1799,OfficialAppointmentsandNotices
3."HomeLawCommission"(PDF).lawcom.gov.uk.Retrieved16June2015.
4."GuildhallLibraryManuscriptsSection".history.ac.uk.Retrieved16June2015.
5."Foxe'sBookofMartyrs:ChapterXVI".sacredtexts.com.Retrieved16June2015.
6."LifeofMasterJohnBradford".iclnet.org.Retrieved16June2015.
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7.CompleteNewgateChronicles,Vol.1(http://tarlton.law.utexas.edu/lpop/etext/newgate/hind.htm)Archived
(https://web.archive.org/web/20060430064519/http://tarlton.law.utexas.edu/lpop/etext/newgate/hind.htm)30
April2006attheWaybackMachine.
8.DeadSailororImprisonedWriter?(http://members.aol.com/marlovian/inquest/penry.htm)Archived
(https://web.archive.org/web/20061015145758/http://members.aol.com/marlovian/inquest/penry.htm)15
October2006attheWaybackMachine.

Externallinks
ThePoultry,OldandNewLondon:Volume1(1878),pp.41624(http://www.british
history.ac.uk/report.asp?compid=45054)accessed:9January2007.
Retrievedfrom"https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Poultry_Compter&oldid=706285208"
Categories: 1815disestablishments Debtors'prisons DefunctprisonsinLondon
FormerbuildingsandstructuresintheCityofLondon
Thispagewaslastmodifiedon22February2016,at13:49.
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mayapply.Byusingthissite,youagreetotheTermsofUseandPrivacyPolicy.Wikipediaisa
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