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An oH plan of the town in Elizabeth's days shows these 

 walls and ten gates. The actual position of all these is somewhat 

 difficult to decide, but, thanks to an inscription let into a house or 

 wall where once stood the gate, we are able to determine the 

 sites of Biggin Gate, Snar Gate, and Cow or Common Gate. 

 Then, by careful study and comparison we can infer whereabouts 

 stood Adrian, Severus, and Butchery Gates. Part of this last one 

 was called, as I have said. Standfast Tower, and it was known by 

 this name till its demolition about the year 1820. A portion of the 

 Town Wall, which adjoined this gate, is still to be seen in To wnwall 

 Street, in the area of Wellesley Hall, but in my grandmother's days 

 it stood considerably above the level of the road, was called The 

 Mount, and a promenade was arranged on the top of the solid 

 masonry. When the gateway and tower were taken down, some of 

 the foundations were found to be of Caen stone. Why there was 

 not an inscription placed on Mr. Shipdem's round topped house, in 

 Townwall Street, now the residence of Mr. Bazcly, to the effect 

 that, "Here stood Butchery Gate, taken down by order of the 

 Corporation," I do not know, for all authorities seem to agree 

 that this was the spot where it once stood. It seems that in the 

 days of Edward IV. this tower was converted into a "lock-up," or 

 small prison, especially designed for the retention of obstreperous 

 freemen, and it acquired the name of the "Freemen's prison"; 

 sometimes, too, it was called the " Hole," and these names it 

 retained till early in this century. As a prison it became 

 the i)roperty of the Sovereign, and in Charles II. 's time we 

 read of his selling it to the Corporation, and it became from 

 thenceforth their property (as the other gates were) and its removal, 

 like theirs, could be effected simply by " order ot the Corporation." 

 The tower was not much used in our grandfathers' days as a prison, 

 and portions of it were let to anyone who cared to live there ; an 

 old sailor is remembered by elderly people as living there, and he 

 used often to tell stories about the prisoners "in the hole " in his 

 yoimg days. Under the Gate was a pathway leading to what we 

 now call the Sea Front, but it was known then as the Rope Walk, 

 and in the river (which passed under the western part in its course 

 to the sea) carts and horses wci'e accustomed "to water," as they 

 can now do only at Charlton Bridge. There were steps also leading 

 down to the river (which can still be seen) where fishermen used 

 to wash their nets. There is an amusing account, in an old record 

 of the town, of one of the prisoners who spent a short time in this 

 " Freemen's Prison," no less a personage than the Town Clerk 

 who, for his "naughty behaviour" (as the old document puts it), 

 was ordered there. He broke loose, apparently, and had further 

 punishment and fines inflicted in consequence. This was in the 

 time of Queen Elizabeth. Only two months before this disgrace 

 fell upon the Town Clerk, he and the Mayor had to inspect 

 some cheese which had been supplied for the Queen's Navy, and 



