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Queen Mary and Westfield College London University PhD Thesis ...

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ack home. When, for example, in 1675-6, William Lane of St. Bride was arrested 'for running<br />

ab[ou]t the streetes'; found to have 'fallen distracted'; sent to Bridewell <strong>and</strong> from thence ordered<br />

returned home <strong>and</strong> to be provided for by the parish; the churchwardens went to considerable<br />

trouble <strong>and</strong> cost in appealing to the Lord Mayor <strong>and</strong> persuading the Bridewell Porter (with the<br />

help of a jar at the Bear Tavern) 'to keepe ye Madman a little longer in Bridewell till hee can<br />

bee gott into Bethlem" 22 , Detention in Bridewell often served itself as a method of assessing<br />

whether a prisoner were knavish or mad. Although the parishioners of Newington, in Bucks,<br />

brought an order from the Privy Council for the committal of Henry Wayne to Bethlem, in<br />

1638, they acknowledged before the Court of Governors that 'he is more a knave than a Mad-<br />

man', <strong>and</strong> while the Governors agreed to set him to work at Bridewell (provided a warrant<br />

was obtained from two JPs), this was only because 'there is noe roonae in Bethlem' <strong>and</strong> 'untill<br />

tryall may be made whether he be madd" 23 . In many cases, it was sot until prisoners proved<br />

themselves not amenable or disruptive to the regime of Bridewell (or other institutions), that<br />

they were distinguished as insane <strong>and</strong> removed to Bethlem, or discharged' 24 . The tolerance of<br />

the Court of Governors in dealing with insane individuals like Jenkin Williams, a water bearer,<br />

arrested in 1640 'for threateninge the death of divers Watermen', but, it being 'reported hee<br />

is crazed in his braines', discharged with merely a warning' 25 , deserves considerable emphasis.<br />

Such tolerance was largely, however, the result of a lack of any comprehensive provision to deal<br />

with insane offenders. Margaret/<strong>Mary</strong> Houlstane/llurlestone/IIud diestone, was arrested <strong>and</strong><br />

brought to Bridewell at least four times, during 1639-44; twice 'suspected' of prostitution, once<br />

being 'drunke', <strong>and</strong> once 'wishing the Cittie on fire'; but being found, variously; 'crackbrained',<br />

'seems distracted', 'bath beene distracted <strong>and</strong> is not well now' or 'crased/crackt in her brayne';<br />

was 'delivered' each time, <strong>and</strong> only on one of these occasions is there evidence of her being<br />

122 Lane was allowed to remain at Bridewell until! 'a Roome shalbe empty in...Bethlem', which indeed occurred<br />

soon after 18 Feb. 1676, & he continued there for roughly another 8 months, before fetched out of Bethiem,<br />

conveyed to 'the country' (possibly for reasons of health or banishment) & given an outfit of clothing. See CActi<br />

MS6552/I, 22 Dec. 1675-8 Nov. 1676; BCCM, 28 Jan., 4 Feb. & 3 March 1676, loIs 214, 216 & 225. See, also,<br />

e.g. case of Rose Pace of the same parish, whose churchwardens concurrently went to similar lengths getting her<br />

continued 'at Bridewell till shea [could) bee gott into Bethiern'. GidF&aii MS 6552/1, 28 Nov. 1672-21 April 1678,<br />

esp. entry dated 1 March 1676; BCCM, 3 March 1676, fol. 225.<br />

123 Ibid, 22 Aug. 1638.<br />

124 See e.g. cases of William Everard, deemed 'soc outragious that hee cannot bee kept hem [in Bndewellj any<br />

longer without danger', in 1651; & also of widow Davies & Abraham Barnes/Barron ihid, 28 Aug. 1638, 29 Jan.<br />

1651, 2, 9 & 23 March 1659, fols 193, 478, 484, 112-3, 116 & 120.<br />

125 Thid, 24 July 1640, fol. 298.<br />

445

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