Prison in Unknown Townland

The Black Dog Gaol or Prison is shown on the W side of Upper Bridge Street on Rocque's 1756 map of Dublin City. Annotated 'Black Dog (Site of)' on 1899 ed. OSi 25-inch map where the levelled site of the Debtor's prison is depicted as standing to the E of the line of the Dublin City Wall between Gormond's (Wormood) Gate (DU018-020029-) and the New Gate (DU018-020377-). In 1576 the Dublin Assembly Roll recorded that 'Henrie Kynge shall have in chardge the keeping of such wares as shall com into the new hall, and that John Fitzsymons shall have the keping and chardge of all suche prisoners as shalbe comytted therunto' (CARD Vol. 2, 112). According to Gilbert (1854, vol.1, 341); 'the site of the present upper Bridge Street being occupied by the "Black Dog" Gaol, and New Hall Market, the latter containing upwards of eighty butcher's stalls'. In 1730 the Black Dog Gaol which was a Debtors Prison and his Majesty's Gaol of Newgate weredescribed as follows; 'the Office of Keepers of his Majesty's Gaol of Newgate, and that of Sheriffs Marshal of the City of Dublin, have generally been executed by one Person, and that John Hawkins has enjoy'd those two Offices for eight Years last past, having been by Act of Assembly, dated the 9th Day of May, 1721, appointed Keeper of the Gaol of Newgate, in the Room of one Isaac Ashenhurst, who in the said Act is charged with letting Numbers of Prisoners escape. However, the said Hawkins was obliged to give him, the said Isaac, the Sum of £245. That the City of Dublin pay a Salary of £10. per Ann. to the said Keeper of Newgate. That the said Hawkins has been annually appointed Sheriffs-Marshal of the City of Dublin, since he has been Keeper of Newgate, and that he generally makes the Sub-Sheriff a Present of Twenty Pounds, or Twenty Guineas, and makes the House call'd the Black-Dog his Gaol. A Practice prevails of taxing every Prisoner that comes into the said Prison of the Black-Dog, tho' it be but for a Night, 2s. 2d. for a Penny-Pot, (as it is there term'd) and if refused, the Prisoner is abus'd, violently beaten and stripp'd: And it appear'd, That convicted Persons under Rule of Transportation, are constantly admitted to be among the Debtors, and to treat them with the utmost Cruelty in levying this arbitrary Imposition; particularly, That William Wilkinson, having no Money to answer their Demands, was knock'd down with such Violence, that the Blood gushed out of his Ears, That his Perriwig was taken off his Head in the Presence of the said Hawkins's Wife, who order'd them to take his Coat, if the Wig was not sufficient. But this is but one of the many Artifices used by the said Hawkins and his Wife, to squeeze Money out of the unfortunate People who fall into their Hands. By a Statute the 4th of King George I. it is enacted, That all Officers whatsoever, who demand Fees in their respective Offices, should register Lists of such Fees in the Council-Office, on or before the 25th Day of March 1718, and should likewise have Duplicates of such Lists, posted up in some convenient Part of their Offices. In the Prison of the Black Dog, there are no more than 12 Rooms for the Reception of Prisoners, two of which have five Beds each, the rest but one, and are, indeed, no better than Closets: The general Price of Lodging in these Rooms is 12d. per Night each Man, (unless there be a particular Agreement for less, which seldom happens) and upon extraordinary Occasions, the Committee find, that the Price is vastly greater, particularly that Mr. Audovin paid two Moidores per Week for his Lodging in that Prison. The Rent the Committee found these Chambers set at, during the Time of their Enquiry, amounted in the whole to £7 16s. 6d. per Week, which makes £406 18s. per Ann. and this is but a moderate Computation of the constant Rent which they produce, because one Room was quite empty, and no more than two lay in any one Bed; and it appear'd to the Committee, that frequently three have been obliged to lie together, and sometimes four and five, and the same Rent of 12d: per Night for each Man always exacted. At the Week's End, the Rents of all the Rooms are collected by Mrs. Hawkins; and the wretched Prisoner, who perhaps has exhausted his Substance, and even the Charity of his, Friends, to answer all the extravagant Demands of her and her Husband, is, upon Failure of Payment, instantly haul'd down into a Dungeon, which has no Light but what comes thro' a Common-Shore, and is a Room of about 12 Feet [4m] square, and 8 [2m] high, extreamly damp, being quite under Ground, and was not boarded 'till this Winter. The Common-Shore that runs just by it, and carries off all the Filth of the Prison, as also a House of Office that is close to it, render it so noisome, that the Committee could slay there no longer than just to take its Dimensions. It goes by the Name of the Nunnery, as being the Place where (among other Vagabonds) all the strolling Women, who are taken up by the Watch are lodged; and some of the Debtors which the Committee found there, inform'd them, that frequently 14, and sometimes 20 Persons, have in one Night been there crouded together, and have been robb'd and abus'd by Criminals thrown in (as they conceiv'd) on purpose to make their Misery still more insufferable; and if the Wretches attempt to come up Stairs in the Day Time, for the Refreshments of the Air and Light, they are menaced, insulted, and sent down again, sometimes with Blows, by the said Hawkins, or the Turnkey, one Martin Coffey, who appears to the Committee to have been an Accomplice, and constantly aiding and assisting to the said Hawkins in all his Extortions and Cruelties. This Method of exacting extravagant Rents has been so rigorously put in Practice, that no Instance could be produced of any Person's having refused Payment, with out being sent to this noisome Dungeon, and by the two following Examples it appears, that there has been no Distinction or Regard shewn either to Age or Sex. John Perry, Cutler, was confin'd last Spring in this Prison for Debt, and agreed for half a Bed, at the Rate of 3s. 6d. per Week, which he duly paid for some Time; but finding himself not able to support the Demands of the House, he talk'd of bringing a Habeas Corpus to remove himself to the Four-Court Marshalsea; which coming to the Ears of the said Hawkins, he was immediately call'd upon (tho' late at Night) for his Week's Rent; and on his begging Time 'till the next Day, (it being too late at Night to send to his Wife for Money) was, with many Insults, hurry'd into the said Dungeon, where he lay for fix Days and Nights upon the Ground, without being ever suffer'd to come up Stairs. By this cruel Usage, and being upwards of 65 Years old, he got such a Cold in his Limbs, that he became at last not able to stir, but as he was help'd by his Fellow Prisoners; and even in this deplorable Condition, all kind of Refreshments were deny'd him 'till he was remov'd by Habeas Corpus to the Four-Court Marshalsea. Mrs. Mary Campbell, a very old Woman, who had liv'd in Plenty and good Esteem, being reduc'd by the Death of her Husband, and other Misfortunes, was thrown into this Prison about the same Time. As soon as he came in, the Penny-Pot Tax was demanded from her by convicted Persons, who seiz'd and threaten'd to Strip her, if she did not pay them Two Shillings and Two-pence. Mrs. Hawkins, being present, told her it their Due, advised her to pawn the Cloak which she wore, and that she would take it for so much: And so pressingly was this Demand insisted on, that her Daughter was obliged to Pawn a Silver Spoon to answer it. This Woman could get no other Lodging but a Place under the Stairs leading to the Nunnery, and divided from it by a thin Partition, where he was annoy'd by all Sorts of Vermin, as well as the Stench of the Common-Shore; and for this she was made to agree at Three Shillings and Six-Pence per Week. The fifth Night, Payment was demanded for the Time she