day was wet and tempestuous; he sat, for several hours, in damp clothes; and as might have been anticipated, took a severe cold. On the 28th, the injurious effects became sadly apparent: a distressing cough, extreme difficulty of breathing, total sleeplessness, impossibility so much as to lie down. Mrs. Phelan, finding that the means prescribed wrought no abatement of suffering, now proposed, that he should go to his brothers at Killyman; for, she had often been led to remark, that the society of that dear relative, in his affection for whom, were blended the feelings of a brother, a father, and a friend, had, commonly, a salutary effect upon his health and spirits. He went accordingly. On entering the house, he first saw Mrs. James Phelan; towards whom, he had ever felt, and showed, the truest brotherly affection. To her he said, with that playful seriousness, which, in him, was quite characteristic, "Harriette, I am come to die with you." This was on the 6th of June. For the next three days, in the course of which he took two airings in an open carriage, some hopes were entertained of his recovery; his cough was more infrequent, his breathing less embarrassed, and he had a little sleep. But, on the 10th, all the old symptoms returned, with aggravation: and a new symptom appeared, which seldom fails to prove an immediate forerunner of dissolution. Still, however, on the 11th, he ventured, supported by his brother, to take a short walk in the garden: and next day, he was up a little while. But, at 9 o'clock A.M., on Sunday, June the 13th, he expired, without the slightest struggle. To the last, he retained full possession of his mental powers: and exercised, with unabated vigour, the kindliest of human affections. Nor is it presumptuous to hope, that, through the merits and mediation of a Divine Redeemer, he is gone to that state, where the aspirings of a purified spirit, shall not be weighed down by the pressure of a mortal body.— Pp. 84-86. A touching and highly characteristic incident, which took place within three days of his death, must not be omitted. The heavy expenses of his last illness had drained his purse; and, for some time, he had been unable to remit his father's allowance. Unexpectedly, there came in, for the renewal of a lease, five-and-thirty pounds. "Let that, immediately, be sent to my father," said Dr. Phelan, "I have been in his debt too long.' It was enclosed, accordingly: and his sister observing his extreme weakness, was about to direct the cover; but he said, quickly, "Give me the pen,.. if he saw any other hand-writing than mine, the dear old man might think me worse than I am." Within three days he breathed his last!— P. 70. ,, Appended to the memoir of this excellent man, is a brief sketch of his character, from the pen of his widow, which does no less honour to the heart of the bereaved writer than to the memory of the deceased. We would gladly have transferred it entire to our pages, but this being impossible, we cannot do it the injustice of presenting it to our readers in a mutilated form. Many of them, doubtless, have already felt their hearts beat over its perusal, and all who have, or may yet peruse, must be benefited by the task. ART. III.-The Fleet Registers: comprising the History of Fleet Marriages, and some Account of the Parsons and Marriage-house Keepers, with Extracts from the Registers: to which are added, Notices of the May Fair, Mint, and Savoy Chapels, and an Appendix relating to Parochial Registration. By JOHN SOUTHERDEN BURN, Author of the History of Parish Registers. London: Rivingtons. 1833. Pp. 121. 8vo. ALTHOUGH the Council of Trent interdicted the solemnization of marriage without a priest, it was not until the passing of the Act of 1754 that marriages in this country ceased to be regulated by the common law; and, though a form was enjoined for its religious celebration, yet other and more private modes of contracting a marriage were tolerated and acknowledged. Such informal marriages were punishable, and sometimes punished, in the Ecclesiastical Courts, and several Acts of Parliament were passed for their prevention; in the face of which, however, they continued to be performed in churches or chapels, which either were, or pretended to be, exempt from the visitation of the Ordinary. A check being at length put to these practices by the suspension of some of the officiating priests, they were taken up by certain real or pretended clergymen, who had neither money nor credit to lose by any proceedings which a Bishop might institute against them. These parsons were, for the most part, prisoners enjoying the rules of the Fleet and other prisons; but the same causes which induced people to marry clandestinely in the Fleet prison operated also in other places. In the neighbourhood of the King's Bench was a part of the Borough called the "Mint," a place of refuge for thieves and malefactors of the worst description; which, with the White Friars, the Savoy, and other places about London, afforded a kind of sanctuary to all debtors and thieves. Many of the early Fleet weddings were really performed in the chapel of the Fleet; but, as the practice extended, tavern-keepers and others fitted up a room in their houses as a chapel: and the fees were divided between themselves and the parsons. Every tavern kept its own register; in which, as well as in their own pocket-books, the parsons entered the weddings. In case, however, the parties refused to pay for registering, or if they wished the marriage to be secret, their surnames were not transcribed into the large register; so that their pocket-books, some of which are still in existence, are valuable, as containing particulars of an exclusive character. These curious documents were some time since purchased by Government, and deposited in the registry of the Bishop of London. In collecting materials for his Registrum Ecclesiæ Parochialis, which we noticed in our Number for September, 1831, Mr. Burn had occasion to refer to these registers; and some interesting gleanings from their entries are given in that truly useful publication. In the volume before us he has sifted their history to the bottom; and his work is not only interesting as a picture of society now happily obliterated, but valuable as matter of history. From the records contained it appears that the fees for these performances amounted to a considerable sum per month; and an anonymous letter in the Bishop's registry mentions "200l. per annum, at least, as the income of one individual," who "maintained a great family by these practices." For a trifling "consideration" it was easy to procure an antedate to a certificate, or even a register of a marriage which had never taken place; as a refusal in one quarter only turned the party aside to a rival parson, with a more flexible conscience. An idea of the abominations practised by these vagabonds will be readily drawn from the following extracts from their registers : November 5th 1742 was married Benjamin Richards of the parish of St. Martin in the Fields Br & Judith Lance Do Sp- at the Bull and Garter and gave g & for an antedate to March ye 11th in the same year, which Lilley comply'd wth & put 'em in his Book accordingly, there being a vacancy in the Book suitable to the time. On Tuesday Aprill the 20th 1742 came a man & woman to the Bull & Garter the man pretended he would marry y woman by which pretence he gott money to pay for marrying & to buy a ring, but left the woman by herself and never returned, upon which J. Lilley takes the woman from the Bull & Garter to his own house and gave her a Certifycate as if she had been married to the man. The Maid a Welch Girl call'd brought me a Guinea to change and told me the story.-P. 45. June, 26. 1744-Nathaniel Gilbert Gent of St Andrews Holborn and Mary Lupton-at Oddy's.-N.B. There was 5 or 6 in company, one amongst seem'd to me by his dress and behavi1 to be an Irishman. He pretended to be some Grand Officer in the army. He ye said Irish Gent. told me before I saw ye woman yt was to be married yt it was a poor Girl a going to be married to a Common Soldier, but when I come to marry them I found myself imposed upon, and having a mistrust of some Irish roguery, I took upon me to ask what ye Gentleman's name was, his age &c. and likewise the Lady's name & ageAnswer was made me- -What was that to me G.. dam me if I did (not) immediately marry them he would use me ill; in short apprehending it to be a conspiracy I found myself obliged to marry them in Terrorem-N.B. some material part was omitted. 1742 May 24 A Soldier brought a Barber to the Cock who I think said his name was James, Barber by Trade, was in part married to Elizabeth, they said they were married enough.-Pp. 47, 48. I have put a secret Wedding in my private Book of Memorandum on this day (Nov. 5. 1742.) and Sarah The woman ran across Ludgate Hill in her Shift.* March ye 4th 1740, William † he dress'd in a gold waistcoast like an Officer, she a Beautifull young Lady with 2 fine diamond Rings and a Black high Crown Hat and very well dressed-at Boyce's. N.B. There was 4 or 5 young Irish Fellows, seem'd to me after yo Marriage was over to have deluded ye young woman-gave d Clk y & ‡ N.B. behaved rogueshly, Broke the Coachman's Glass.-P. 48. 20 May 1737. Jn° Smith Gent of St James West Batch' & Eliz Huthall of St Giles's Sp' at Wilson's. By ye opinion after matrimony my Clark judg'd *It was a vulgar error that a man was not liable to the Bride's debts if he took her in no other apparel than her shift. The Daily Journal of 8 Nov. 1725, mentions a similar exhibition at Ulcomb, in Kent. In a great many instances the parties refused to tell their surnames. Letters were used to denote the Sums received for fees, in the same way as they are now used by Tradesman for their private marks. they were both women, if ye person by name John Smith be a man, he's a little short fair thin man not above 5 foot. After marriage I almost coa prove ym both women, the one was dress'd as a man thin pale face and wrinkled chin.-P. 49. Some of the entries are made partly in English and partly in Latin, and some in English, written in Greek characters. Jn Ellis & Jane Davis, she being dead left a house in ye Market Place in Ailsbury 2 Flower pots at ye Door. Wanted by ye Soror & Wax Work a Sham C of yr Nupt Oct 9th 1739.-P. 45. 28th page: Thenn & Ex 1735 October Pnvxn & own shiny Bay, Thomas, a Mealman, of Springfield, & Rebecka xnplifi a ungy Penly Brown, of Much Baddah, in Essex Geidn Pr Jno Floud. These goodly documents consist of about 2 or 300 large registers, and above 1000 pocket-books. Some of the registers contain above 5000 entries. Considerable competition prevailed among these "working clergy," and one who was in prison, to get a more tolerable subsistence, hung out the following notice-"Weddings performed cheap here." This opposition gave rise to repeated quarrels. The following is from the Grub-street Journal, December 12, 1734. On Wednesday two Fleet parsons preferred against each other Some of the rival advertisements are not a little curious. Take the following of one Keith, against whom a marriage-shop had been opened by another of the fraternity named Wyatt : : The Fleet Parson (who very modestly calls himself Reverend) married at the Fleet in Mr. L-yl's house, Mrs. Co-ks, at the Naked Boy, and for Mr. W-yt, the Fleet Parson. And to show that he is now only Mr. W-yt, the Fleet Parson's deputy, the said W-yt told one in May Fair that he intended to set up in opposition to Mr. Keith, and send goods to furnish the house, and maintains him and the men who ply some days at the Fleet, and at other times at May Fair. But not to speak of the men, if he himself was not a Fleet Parson, he could never stand in Piccadilly, and run after coaches and foot people in so shameful a manner, and tell them Mr. Keith's house is shut up, and there is no chapel but theirs; and to other people he says, their Fleet chapel is Mr. Keith's chapel, and this he has said in the hearing Mr. Keith's clerk, and it is known to most of the people about May Fair, and likewise Mr. Keith appeals to the generality of people about the Fleet and May Fair, for proof of Mr. Reverend's being only Mr. W-yt's the Fleet parson's deputy.-P. 28. Again : Marriages with a Licence, Certificate, and a Crown Stamp, at a Guinea, at the New Chapel, next door to the China Shop, near Fleet Bridge, London, by a regular bred Clergyman, and not by a Fleet Parson as is insinuated in the public papers; and that the Town may be freed mistakes, no Clergyman being a prisoner in the Rules of the Fleet dare marry; and to obviate all doubts, this Chapel is not in the verge of the Fleet, but kept by a Gentleman who was lately Chaplain on board one of his Majesty's men-of-war, and likewise has gloriously distinguished himself in defence of his King and Country, and is above committing those little mean actions that some men impose on people, being determined to have every thing conducted with the utmost decency and regularity, such as shall be always supported in law and equity.-Pp. 33, 34. As long as it was known that these marriages, however irregular, were valid and indissoluble, neither the penalties of the law, nor the sentence of excommunication to which all the persons present at a clandestine marriage were liable, had any effect in preventing them. All ranks of society, from the nobleman to the chimney-sweeper, who wished to be united with secresy and dispatch, flocked to these accommodating artizans; and the interval between the passing of the Marriage Act first coming into force was busily employed. At the Fleet there appear, by one register alone, to have been 217 marriages on the 25th of March, the day previous to its coming into operation. The contrast afforded by the subjoined entries is somewhat amusing 1724, May 6. Rt Hon. Lord Edward Abergavenny, & Cath. Tatton, B. & S. Charles a Countryman & Lusey would not tell their names vil Beheaver. J.F. 24 Dec. 1751. 1744, May 3. The Hon. H. Fox, B. & Lady Caroline Lenox, S. Robert Draper, Gardiner, & Ann Osborn, both of Battersea, married at Kit Linereles. I gave a certificate for wh I had only a quartern of brandy. 1752, Feb. 14. James Duke of Hamilton & Eliz. Gunning. Nov 6 1739. Richard Olives, Gent. of St. Katherines, Br and Eliz. Holloway, of St. Gregory's Spr Marr: upon Tick. 1753, June 29. Lord George Bentinck & Mary Davies, Hanwell. 28th (Nov 1742.) Smith, Robert, Hosier of St. Martins in ye Fields, Widw to Sarah Skett: appeared a Rogue.—Pp. 58. Numberless memoranda of a like nature will be found in the curious volume of Mr. Burn. Of the value of these registers, as evidence, there is much useful observation in the 5th chapter, and a draft of a Bill for the Better Regulation of Parochial Registration, deserves to be attentively considered. The compilation will be regarded as a proper appendage to the History of Parish Registers; and the curious, in such matters as those of which it treats, will find abundant source of amusement in its perusal. |