Poultry Compter
Encyclopedia
The Poultry Compter was a small compter
or prison
run by a Sheriff
in the City of London
from medieval times until 1815. It took its name from its location on a section of Cheapside
known as 'Poultry' due to the produce that was originally sold in streetmarkets along that part of the thoroughfare.
, prostitution
and drunkenness
.
On 1 August 1772, for instance, The Craftsman reported that: "a well dressed man was detected, near Lombard-street
, in an unnatural crime, and immediately committed to the Poultry Compter." On 5 July 1799, a Friday evening at 7 o'clock, a naked man was arrested, at the Mansion House, London
, and sent to the Poultry Compter. He confirmed that he had accepted a wager of 10 guineas (equal to £ today) to run naked from Cornhill to Cheapside
.
The prison became notorious for its bad conditions. A contemporary account describes the prison in the late 18th century:
Certainly, the state of the prison was giving considerable cause for concern and in 1804, an official report said the prison was:
This report was contained in a preamble to the London Debtors' Prisons Act 1804 enabling the City's authorities to move inmates to another City prison (Giltspur Street Compter
), although this purpose was not achieved until 1815, following the passage of the Debtors Prison for London and Middlesex Act 1815. The building was eventually demolished in 1817.
; several slaves released by Granville Sharp
were confined in the Compter. For example, in 1765, Sharp helped a mis-treated and abandoned slave, John Strong, recover from serious injuries and found him employment with an apothecary
. Strong's owner sought the help of John Ross, keeper of the Poultry Compter, and William Miller, an officer under the Lord Mayor of London
, to kidnap him, and Strong was then imprisoned in the Compter and subsequently sold for £30. Sharp appealed to the Lord Mayor, Sir Robert Kite
and Strong was released on the grounds that no warrant had been issued for his arrest and confinement.
Compter
A compter, sometimes referred to as a counter, was a type of small English prison controlled by a sheriff. The inmates were usually civil prisoners, for example dissenters and debtors...
or prison
Prison
A prison is a place in which people are physically confined and, usually, deprived of a range of personal freedoms. Imprisonment or incarceration is a legal penalty that may be imposed by the state for the commission of a crime...
run by a Sheriff
Sheriffs of the City of London
There are two Sheriffs of the City of London. The sheriffs are elected annually by the Liverymen of the Livery Companies, and it is a requirement for a Lord Mayor of the City of London to previously have served as a Sheriff. Sheriffs have only nominal duties now, but previously had large judicial...
in the City of London
City of London
The City of London is a small area within Greater London, England. It is the historic core of London around which the modern conurbation grew and has held city status since time immemorial. The City’s boundaries have remained almost unchanged since the Middle Ages, and it is now only a tiny part of...
from medieval times until 1815. It took its name from its location on a section of Cheapside
Cheapside
Cheapside is a street in the City of London that links Newgate Street with the junction of Queen Victoria Street and Mansion House Street. To the east is Mansion House, the Bank of England, and the major road junction above Bank tube station. To the west is St. Paul's Cathedral, St...
known as 'Poultry' due to the produce that was originally sold in streetmarkets along that part of the thoroughfare.
History
The compter was used to house prisoners such as vagrants, debtors and religious dissenters, and criminals convicted of misdemeanours, including homosexualityHomosexuality
Homosexuality is romantic or sexual attraction or behavior between members of the same sex or gender. As a sexual orientation, homosexuality refers to "an enduring pattern of or disposition to experience sexual, affectional, or romantic attractions" primarily or exclusively to people of the same...
, prostitution
Prostitution
Prostitution is the act or practice of providing sexual services to another person in return for payment. The person who receives payment for sexual services is called a prostitute and the person who receives such services is known by a multitude of terms, including a "john". Prostitution is one of...
and drunkenness
Drunkenness
Alcohol intoxication is a physiological state that occurs when a person has a high level of ethanol in his or her blood....
.
On 1 August 1772, for instance, The Craftsman reported that: "a well dressed man was detected, near Lombard-street
Lombard Street, London
Lombard Street is a street in the City of London.It runs from the corner of the Bank of England at its north-west end, where it meets a major junction including Poultry, King William Street, and Threadneedle Street, south-east to Gracechurch Street....
, in an unnatural crime, and immediately committed to the Poultry Compter." On 5 July 1799, a Friday evening at 7 o'clock, a naked man was arrested, at the Mansion House, London
Mansion House, London
Mansion House is the official residence of the Lord Mayor of the City of London in London, England. It is used for some of the City of London's official functions, including an annual dinner, hosted by the Lord Mayor, at which the Chancellor of the Exchequer customarily gives a speech – his...
, and sent to the Poultry Compter. He confirmed that he had accepted a wager of 10 guineas (equal to £ today) to run naked from Cornhill to Cheapside
Cheapside
Cheapside is a street in the City of London that links Newgate Street with the junction of Queen Victoria Street and Mansion House Street. To the east is Mansion House, the Bank of England, and the major road junction above Bank tube station. To the west is St. Paul's Cathedral, St...
.
The prison became notorious for its bad conditions. A contemporary account describes the prison in the late 18th century:
- "the mixture of scents that arose from mundungus, tobacco, foul feet, dirty shirts, stinking breaths, and uncleanly carcases, poisoned our nostrils far worse than a SouthwarkSouthwarkSouthwark is a district of south London, England, and the administrative headquarters of the London Borough of Southwark. Situated east of Charing Cross, it forms one of the oldest parts of London and fronts the River Thames to the north...
ditch, a tanner's yard, or a tallow-chandler's melting-room. The ill-looking vermin, with long, rusty beards, swaddled up in rags, and their heads—some covered with thrum-caps, and others thrust into the tops of old stockings. Some quitted their play they were before engaged in, and came hovering round us, like so many cannibals, with such devouring countenances, as if a man had been but a morsel with 'em, all crying out, 'Garnish, garnish,' as a rabble in an insurrection crying, 'Liberty, liberty!' We were forced to submit to the doctrine of nonresistance, and comply with their demands, which extended to the sum of two shillings each."
Certainly, the state of the prison was giving considerable cause for concern and in 1804, an official report said the prison was:
- "in such a state of decay, as to become inadequate to the safe custody of the debtors and prisoners therein confined, and extremely dangerous, as well to the lives of the said debtors and prisoners as to other persons resorting thereto."
This report was contained in a preamble to the London Debtors' Prisons Act 1804 enabling the City's authorities to move inmates to another City prison (Giltspur Street Compter
Giltspur Street Compter
The Giltspur Street Compter was a small Compter or prison, mainly used to hold debtors. It was situated in Giltspur Street, Smithfield, close to Newgate, in the City of London, between 1791 and 1853....
), although this purpose was not achieved until 1815, following the passage of the Debtors Prison for London and Middlesex Act 1815. The building was eventually demolished in 1817.
The Compter and the fight against slavery
The Poultry Compter was connected with early struggles against the slave-tradeSlavery
Slavery is a system under which people are treated as property to be bought and sold, and are forced to work. Slaves can be held against their will from the time of their capture, purchase or birth, and deprived of the right to leave, to refuse to work, or to demand compensation...
; several slaves released by Granville Sharp
Granville Sharp
Granville Sharp was one of the first English campaigners for the abolition of the slave trade. He also involved himself in trying to correct other social injustices. Sharp formulated the plan to settle blacks in Sierra Leone, and founded the St. George's Bay Company, a forerunner of the Sierra...
were confined in the Compter. For example, in 1765, Sharp helped a mis-treated and abandoned slave, John Strong, recover from serious injuries and found him employment with an apothecary
Apothecary
Apothecary is a historical name for a medical professional who formulates and dispenses materia medica to physicians, surgeons and patients — a role now served by a pharmacist and some caregivers....
. Strong's owner sought the help of John Ross, keeper of the Poultry Compter, and William Miller, an officer under the Lord Mayor of London
Lord Mayor of London
The Right Honourable Lord Mayor of London is the legal title for the Mayor of the City of London Corporation. The Lord Mayor of London is to be distinguished from the Mayor of London; the former is an officer only of the City of London, while the Mayor of London is the Mayor of Greater London and...
, to kidnap him, and Strong was then imprisoned in the Compter and subsequently sold for £30. Sharp appealed to the Lord Mayor, Sir Robert Kite
Robert Kite
Robert Kite was knighted on October 16, 1760. Sir Robert was appointed Sheriff of London for 1761 and Lord Mayor of London for 1766.- References :* Shaw, William A. . London: Sherratt and Hughes, 1906.* Graves, Lucia . cityoflondon.gov.uk...
and Strong was released on the grounds that no warrant had been issued for his arrest and confinement.
Notable inmates
- Samuel BoyseSamuel BoyseSamuel Boyse was an Irish poet and writer who worked for Sir Robert Walpole and whose religious verses in particular were prized and reprinted in his time.-Life:...
(1708 - 1749; a poetPoetA poet is a person who writes poetry. A poet's work can be literal, meaning that his work is derived from a specific event, or metaphorical, meaning that his work can take on many meanings and forms. Poets have existed since antiquity, in nearly all languages, and have produced works that vary...
and acquaintance of Dr Samuel JohnsonSamuel JohnsonSamuel Johnson , often referred to as Dr. Johnson, was an English author who made lasting contributions to English literature as a poet, essayist, moralist, literary critic, biographer, editor and lexicographer...
) - MartyrMartyrA martyr is somebody who suffers persecution and death for refusing to renounce, or accept, a belief or cause, usually religious.-Meaning:...
Rev. John BradfordJohn BradfordJohn Bradford was a prebendary of St. Paul's. He was an English Reformer and martyr best remembered for his utterance "'There, but for the grace of God, goes John Bradford". These words were uttered by Bradford while imprisoned in the Tower of London when he saw a criminal on his way to execution;... - William Carter (ca. 1548-1584; a Roman Catholic EnglishEnglandEngland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
printerPrinter (publisher)In publishing, printers are both companies providing printing services and individuals who directly operate printing presses. With the invention of the moveable type printing press by Johannes Gutenberg around 1450, printing—and printers—proliferated throughout Europe.Today, printers are found...
and martyrMartyrA martyr is somebody who suffers persecution and death for refusing to renounce, or accept, a belief or cause, usually religious.-Meaning:...
) - Thomas Dekker (1570-1632; dramatist and rival to Ben JonsonBen JonsonBenjamin Jonson was an English Renaissance dramatist, poet and actor. A contemporary of William Shakespeare, he is best known for his satirical plays, particularly Volpone, The Alchemist, and Bartholomew Fair, which are considered his best, and his lyric poems...
, imprisoned for debt in 1599) - John Gerard, S.J.John Gerard, S.J.John Gerard, S.J. was an English Jesuit priest, operating covertly in England during the Elizabethan period in which the Catholic Church was subject to persecution. He was the son of Sir Thomas Gerard of Bryn, near Ashton in Makerfield, Lancashire, who had been imprisoned in 1569 for plotting the...
(1564-1637; an English Jesuit priestPriestA priest is a person authorized to perform the sacred rites of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in particular, rites of sacrifice to, and propitiation of, a deity or deities...
) - HighwaymanHighwaymanA highwayman was a thief and brigand who preyed on travellers. This type of outlaw, usually, travelled and robbed by horse, as compared to a footpad who traveled and robbed on foot. Mounted robbers were widely considered to be socially superior to footpads...
Captain James HindJames HindCaptain James Hind was a 17th century highwayman and Royalist rabble rouser during the English Civil War.... - WelshWalesWales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
martyr John PenryJohn PenryJohn Penry is Wales's most famous Protestant martyr.-Early life:He was born in Brecknockshire, Wales; Cefn Brith, a farm near Llangammarch, is traditionally recognised as his birthplace. He matriculated at Peterhouse, Cambridge, in December 1580, being then probably a Roman Catholic; but soon...
(executed 25 May 1593) - Martyr Dr Rowland TaylorRowland TaylorRowland Taylor was an English Protestant martyr during the Marian Persecutions....
- Sabbatarian John Traske