SOUTHWARK. 



cr fickly, can be admitted. Every child applying for ad- 

 miflion, muft produce a certificate from the mafter and 

 wardens of the lodge in which her father was made a malon, 

 with a certificate of the marriage of her parents. Sixty 

 girls are maintained and educated in this benevolent mftitu- 

 tion, which owes its origin to the philanthropic mind of the 

 late chevalier Bartholomew Rufpini, of Pail-Mall. 



To the fouthward of this, and on the fcite of the Dog 

 and Duck tea-gardens, is a noble edifice, the new Bethlehem 

 hofpital, which coil about 150,000/. in building. The 

 edifice is large, commodious, and admirably adapted to its 

 deftination. It is intended to accommodate 400 patients, 

 and has very recently been completed from the defigns of 

 James Lewis, efq., architeft. It was commenced in 1 8 1 2, is 

 about 580 feet in length, and is built chiefly with brick, hav- 

 ing Itone dreffings, a bold portico in the centre, and a dome. 

 About twelve acres of garden ground, &c. attach to this 

 hofpital, where fome of the patients are allowed to exercife. 

 Among the important improvements and reformations of the 

 prefent time, is the humane and rational fyftem of managing 

 infane patients, that has been very recently adopted ; and 

 in the further improvement of which the Englifli legiflature is 

 now engaged. See Bethlehem Hospital. 



At the point of conflux of the London, Weft;miniler, and 

 Blackfriars-roads, we find an extenfive range of buildings 

 for the protedlion and fupport of the indigent blind, main- 

 tained, like the other inlUtutions that we have mentioned, 

 by voluntary contributions. The unfortunate objefts are 

 taught to manufadture baflfets, clothes-lines, and fafti-cord, 

 which are fold at the fchool. See Blindness. 



On the right-hand fide of the London-road Hands the 

 building belonging to the Philanthropic Society, incor- 

 porated in 1806. See Philanthropic Society. 



Near Cuper's bridge is eltabliflied the Refuge for the 

 Deftitute. The objeft of this molt benign and excellent 

 charity is to provide a place of refuge for perfons difcharged 

 from prifon, or the hulks, unfortunate and deferted females, 

 and others, who, from Infs of charaSer, or extreme indi- 

 gence, cannot procure an honeft maintenance, though will- 

 ing fo to do. They are engaged in ufeful trades and manu- 

 faftures fuited to their fexes ; and as an incitement to good 

 conduct, a certain portion of their earnings is fet apart, and 

 allowed them, if difcharged with credit to themfelves. 



Prifens, Isfc At the end of the Borough High-ftreet 



is St. Margaret's Hill, the fcite of the ancient church of 

 the fame name ; which, being forfaken on the union of the 

 parilh with St. Saviour's, was converted into a fefGons- 

 houfe and prifon, fince removed to Mill-lane, and called the 

 Borough compter. The whole has lately bten rebuilt, but 

 has nothing worthy of particular notice. In the front, 

 facing Black man-ltreet, which is a continuation of the 

 High-ftreet, the huilings for the eleftion of reprefentatives 

 for this borough are ufually eretled. On the oppofite fide 

 of the itreet w?s the Tabard Inn, which was the refidence 

 of the abbots of Hyde, in Hampfiiire, whenever bufiuefs or 

 their parliamentary duty required their prefence in the me- 

 tropolis. This was the houte celebrated by Chaucer as the 

 place of rendezvous for pilgrims r^^airing to Becket's 

 fhrine at Canterbury ; and the very building defcribed by 

 bim exilted till 1 676, when it was burnt, with the feffions- 

 houfe, aud other contiguous edifices. When rebuilt, it was 

 ignorantly called The Talbot, under an idea that this was 

 the fame with Tabard ; and by that appellation it ftill con- 

 tinues ti-) be kiiown. 



On the north fide of Tooley-ftreet, next to the Thames, 

 is the Bridge-houfe, a foundation which feems to be coeval 

 with London-bridge j having been ufed as a ftore-houfe for 



II 



ftone, timber, and other materials employed in its repairs. 

 It is under the fuperintendance of two officers, called 

 bridge-mafters, who are elefted by the livery of London. 

 Below the Bridge-houfe, on the banks of the Thames, 

 Hood the inn of the abbot of Battle. The fpot, ilill called 

 Battle-bridge, was thus named from a bridge over a water- 

 courfe flowing out of the Thames, built and repaired by 

 this prelate, on whofe ground it was fituated. In the front 

 of this manfion were the gardens belonging to it ; the recol- 

 leftion of whofe embellifliment is yet perpetuated by the 

 Maze, and the Maze-pond. 



On the eaft; fide of Blackman-ftreet is the Marfbalfea, 

 a court of law and a prifon, originally intended for the de- 

 termination of caufes and differences between the king's 

 menial fervants, and under the controul of the knight- 

 marlhal of the royal houfehold. It had particular cog- 

 nizance of murders and other offences committed within the 

 king's court. To thi"; place alfo, perions guilty of piracies 

 and other off^ences on the high feas are committed, though 

 the offenders are tried at the Old Bailey, iu London. The 

 prifon, which contains about fixty rooms, is too fmall, and 

 much out of repair. In 1377 it w-as broken open by a 

 mob of failors, and four years afterwards by Wat Tyler's 

 followers. It efcaped, however, in the riots of 1780, 

 though the King's Bench, the Borough prifon, and the 

 Clink, were all at that time the objedls of popular fury. See 

 Court of Marjhaljea. 



The county-gaol and houfe of correftion is fituated in 

 Horlemonger-lane, at the fouth-eaft end of Blackman- 

 llreet. This gaol, which has been recently built, is ex- 

 clufively for the county of Surrey. It was rendered re- 

 markable in the year 1802, when colonel Edward Marcus 

 Defpard, and fix of his adbciates, were hanged upon a 

 platform on the top of the gaol, being convicted of high 

 treafon, upon the evidence of an accomphce. The heads 

 of thele wretched perfons were fevered from their bodies, 

 and held up to the view of the fpcftators, numbers of whom 

 fainted at the <ight. 



At the fouth-weft end of Blackman-ftreet is the prifon 

 of the King's Bench, a place of confinement for debtors, 

 and for all perfons fentenced by that court to fuffer im- 

 prifonment. It confifts of one large pile of brick buildings, 

 comprehending 224 rooms. The fouth centre has a pedi- 

 ment, under which is a chapel. The place is furrounded 

 by a brick wall about thirty feet high, defended by che-uaux 

 de frife ; without which the marlhal, or keeper of the prifon, 

 has very handfome apartments. Priforers in any other gaol 

 may remove here by habeas corpus. The liberties, or rulesy 

 as they are termed, extend about three miles round the 

 prifon ; and the right of refiding in any part of them may 

 be purchafed by debtors at the rate of ten guineas for the 

 firil hundred pounds, and about half as much for each 

 fucceeding hundred pounds, of the fums for which they are 

 in cuftody. Day-rules, of which three may be obtained in 

 every term, may be purchafed for four Ihillings and two- 

 pence the firlt day, and three fliillings and ten-pence the 

 others. Each perlon mull alfo give good fecurity to the 

 marflial. The day-rules, however, only authorife the pri- 

 foner to go out on the days for which they are bought. 

 The infide of tliis extenfive prilon refumbles a fmall town, 

 from the circumllance of its being furnilhed with butchers' 

 ftiops, bakers', green-ftalls, Ike. ; while the throng of 

 people coiiftantly at play give it the appearance of a fair. 

 See Court of king's Bench. 



The Clink wab a gaol at Bankfide for the confinement of 

 fuch as ftiould " brabble, fray, or break the peace on the 

 faid bank, or in the brothel-houfes." This prifon itiU 



exifts. 



