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Mr. URBAN,

March 29.

YOUR pages having been for

many years the vehicle which the late benevolent James Neild employed for conveying to the publick his Remarks on Prisons, let me request that you would also insert, as a proper and interesting sequel, the Memoir of his Life, written by himself, lately published by Mr. T. J. Pettigrew in the Memoirs of Dr. Lettsom," &c. The Silhouette of Mr. Neild (See Pl. II.) is copied from one first published among a series of modern Characters distinguished by patriotism and benevolence, in Dr. Lettsom's "Hints for promoting Beneficence, &c." B. N.

"I was born May 24, 1744 (old style), at Knutsford in Cheshire, in the neighbourhood of which my family possessed some good estates. My father died when I was too young to retain the slight est remembrance of him, leaving myself, three brothers, and one sister, to the care of our mother, who carried on the business of a linen-draper. She was a woman of merit and piety, and devoted herself to the bringing up, and virtuously educating, her children. I passed through the ordinary course of education at the town where I was born, with tolerable success, but quitted it before I was thirteen. A skilful perceptor would, about this time, have discovered the true bent of my temper or disposition, from the manner in which I was struck, at seeing a print of Miss Blandy, in prison, fast bound in misery and in irons, for poisoning her father; and another of Miss Jefferys and John Swan, whom she procured to shoot her uncle; and my frequent visits to the shop where they were exhibited for sale. The real principles of action, and a character impressed by nature, are in this way most likely to be found; for the efforts of nature will very rarely, if ever, deceive.

"After quitting school, I went to live with my uncle, who farmed one of his own estates; with him I continued about two years, but not liking the farm. ing business, I solicited my mother to put me apprentice to some trade or profession. An opportunity presented itself, and Doctor Leaf, of Prescot, near Liverpool, (all surgeons and apothecaries in the country are called Doctors) was desirous of having me; but in the conclusion of his letter be 6 says, After Mr. Neild's five years are expired, he needs

*"Ulysses adopted this mode to disCover Achilles."

GENT. MAG. April, 1817.

only take a trip or two to Guinea, and be will be qualified to practise any where. This excited my curiosity and inquiry, and final rejection of the offer.

"An advertisement about this time appeared in the Newspapers, from a person styling himself a jeweller; and of this business I had formed some idea, from the good-nature of a Jew, who, being a kind of itinerant jeweller, passed through Knutsford every year, and seemed pleased at the effect and inquiries buckles, buttons, &c. produced; a treawhich the shewing me his box of stone ty was set on foot, and soon concluded.

"I accordingly set out for London without either friend or recommendation there, and arrived the latter end of the year 1760. In a very short time (about a month) I found my situation very different to what I had expected, and that the preservation of my character required my immediate removal. much money in my pocket, I knew not Without a single acquaintance, and not what to do. I wrote a particular account of my situation to my mother; and my aunt, who was a woman of singular merit and abilities, wrote to a gentleman, who had been an officer of high rank in the Army: he interested himself so far as to get me released from my then situation, and placed me with Mr. Hemming, the King's goldsmith. After a short trial, I disliked the business; but in this connexion I was enabled to choose for myself, and soon agreed with a jeweller. Having a mechanical turn, I had here ample scope to indulge it; and in the latter part of my apprenticeship made many very curious arti cles, with which I waited upon several of the Nobility and Gentry, who patronized genius; and, among others, one of the Vice-presidents of the Society of Arts. Here I had frequent opportunities of meeting men of genius and learning, and of cultivating acquaintance, which was of the greatest service to me afterwards. We had an old German in our shop, a good Chemist, and he took great pleasure in communicating knowledge to me; till, in one of my experiments, I had nearly destroyed myself, and blown up the workshop. This put an end to my chemistry, in which the injudicious use of quicksilver had likewise done my nerves some injury. To the stated hours of work I generally

+"One of which was a man of war in full sail, with guns on board, which I set in the head of a ring."

"Duke of Marlborough, Countess Welderen, Ladies Gage, Gideon, and Banks."

added

added one or two daily; sometimes learning to engrave; sometimes to model, sometimes to draw. I was extremely assiduous in whatever I began, but wanted patience to make myself perfect, before a fresh pursuit engaged my attention. I learned to fence tolerably well, and was very expert with the single stick. In 1762 the young man (W. Pickett) who had been my elder apprentice, got embarrassed, and thrown into the King's Bench for debt. As soon as I was acquainted with his situation, I visited him. There appeared nothing of what I conceived to be a prison except the door of admission, and high walls. There was a coffee-room and a tap-room, both filled with persons drinking, though it was Sunday, and I had never before seen such a number of profligates and prostitutes, unabashed, without fears, without blushes. I thought, to be sure, all the wicked people in London had got together there With this impression I hastened to his mother's, who lived in Denmark-street, and told her to get him out directly, or he would be lost he would be ruined for ever. I visited him several times during his confinement, which was not of long duration, nor did it seem any punishment: he felt much less for himself than I felt for him. What became of him after he was liberated I know not: I believe he went to sea: I never saw him afterwards. My ideas of a prison not being at all answered in the King's Bench, I procured admission into Newgate, as far as the press-yard and the room extending over the street, which had a windmill ventilator. In this room all the prisoners were in irons, and amongst them, one, a very stout man, seemingly at the point of death. The tap-room was lighted by lamps, though it was noon day, and struck me with horror: the shocking imprecations, and the rattling of the chains, the miserable wretches ragged and drunk, frightened me so, that it was some time before I durst venture into another prison. I had gone alone into the tap, without knowing any person for whom I could inquire, and was glad to leave a shilling for a gallon of beer to secure my person from insult.

"About six months afterwards, going down Wood-street when a felon was being taken to gaol, I went and peeped through the apertures of the woodengrated door, and the turnkey said 1 might go in; yes, but, says I, will you let the out again? he said he would; so in I went, and looking down a very long flight of steps, a cellar seemed full of people in irons, drinking; this was called the tap-room, but I had been so

frightened in Newgate that I durst not venture down. So, putting threepence into the turnkey's hand, for a pot of beer, was glad when I got into the street again. I concluded that all the gaols in which felons were confined were the same, and my curiosity would bring me to some mischief, therefore dropt the pursuit. In 1766, being then in my 22d year, I had a desire to see my friends in Cheshire; but I took the stage only to Derby, intending to pass one day there, to see if the gaol was like those in town. This gaol had not been long built, and the situation was both airy and healthy; there was a large dungeon in it down a few steps, but in every respect it was so much better than Newgate or Woodstreet, that it gave me courage to visit others before my return. The convey. ance by the Duke of Bridgewater's Canal to Warrington cost me but sixpence; and for about half a crowu more I reached Liverpool, and from thence to Chester for a few shillings. As I had never seen either of these places, I carefully concealed the motives of my visits, particularly from my uncle, who doated upon me, and made his will during my stay, in which he left me almost the whole of his property. At Liverpool there was the same promiscuous intercourse of the sexes, the same drunkenness going forward, which I had observed in London; but the dungeons were worse, and so very offensive I did not stay to examine into them. In the Bridewell I saw a ducking-stool com plete, the first I had ever seen; we had two at Knutsford: one in a pond near the Higher Town, and another in a pond near the Lower Town, where the schoolboys were accustomed to bathe: in these, scolding and brawling women were ducked; but the standard in each, was all that remained in my memory. I never remembered them used, but this at Liverpool enables me to describe it. A standard was fixed for a long pole, at the extremity of which was fastened a chair, on this the woman was placed, and soused three times under water till almost suffocated. At Liverpool, the standard was fixed in the court, and a bath made on purpose for ducking; but why in a prison this wanton and dangerous severity was exercised on women, and not on men, I could no where learn. This mode of punishment seems formerly to have been general, for it is in the memory of persons now (1806) living, when a machine of this kind was in the Green Park. This, however, was not the only cruel punishment used at this Bridewell, for the women were flogged weekly at the whipping-post. In the

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polite city of Chester I expected to find better prisons; a better police I certainly did. The keeper appeared to me to be a civil humane man; but, as I went down steps, near seven yards below the court, to visit the dungeons, I almost now feel the horror with which I was then struck. There were six of them, very small, and as dark as pitch; three felons slept in each every night; not a breath of air but what was admitted through a small hole in the door. The same drinking and intercourse of the sexes as in Liverpool and London. The dungeon of the North-gate was yet worse than those of the Castle; it was nearly as deep, and had 14 inches deep of water in it. These subterraneous places, which are totally dark, are beyond imagination horrid and dreadful. On my return to London I do not recollect visiting any prisons; till, in 1768, I re-visited my native county, calling at Derby as before. My uncle died soon after I came down, having quitted the farming business in a short time after I left him in 1760. I was now out of my apprenticeship, and had taken up my freedom of the city. This year 1 employed myself in embanking some meadow land to protect my tenant from again suffering the great loss which the floods of a preceding year had occasioned. The large sum of money requisite to set up as a jeweller, made me hesitate whether I should go into business or not. The first thing I did was to pay off the legacies and incumbrances on my father's estate, which I did by selling some detached property. My rental then was not sufficient to support me as a gentleman, and I returned to London to consult my friends. They were unanimously in favour of trade, and their opinion was decisive. In 1770 I settled in St. James's-street, and immediately made it known to those ladies and gentlemen who, when I was an apprentice, had promised me their support. At this time French fashions were prevalent, and I thought a trip to Paris would give me a sauction and advantage. My house was under the care of my excellent aunt, and I left my shop to the care of a jeweller with whom I had been long acquainted, and set out, accompanied by Mr. Thomas Evans, bookseller, of King-street, Covent Garden. This gentleman could speak French fluently, and had several Correspondents at Paris. On our arrival at Calais we went to see the prison, and likewise at St. Omer's and Dunkirk, and be city prison at Lille; there were, I think, no prisoners in any of them. Some years afterwards, I visited Sir

William Burnaby, bart. who resided there, but he was not willing to accompany me to the prison in the Citadel, and I could not gain admittance. When we arrived at Paris, I got, through the interest of a bookseller, admission into a prison called Fou l'Eveque, and Petit Chatelet. The dungeons were dreadful, and, I then thought, worse than any I had seen in England. There were several prisoners in both, but I think not in irons. My recollection of them is, however, very imperfect. Col. (afterwards Sir Eyre) Coote lodged in the same hotel with us, and I made application to see the Bastille, but was unsuccessful. Mr. Evans said he believed I was prisonmad, and that my impertinent curiosity would perhaps send us both to prison: after this reproof I was silent on the subject. He however accompanied me to many of the hospitals, which appeared to be affectionately attended by some female religious order: and this I ob served in the provincial gaols, which in my several visits to France I visited. On my return home I found I had lost a diamond ring, in the place of which some sharpers had substituted one of paste.

"Fresh imported from Paris, from whence I had brought many curious articles, my shop soon became visited by carriages, and I found my business increase beyond my capital; but I found no difficulty in borrowing 5007.; which, with the frugal management of my aunt in my household concerns, soon opened flattering prospects. In 1772 a sermon was preached, on behalf of persons imprisoned for small debts, at which I was present. A general approbation of the idea was declared, and a few of us formed ourselves into a committee, and visited the prisons to search out proper objects. The distress and extreme wretchedness to which we were eye-witnesses, determined us to lay an account before the publiek, who instantly caught the flame, and enabled us to reach out the hand of pity to a very large number of miserable sufferers in confinement.

"In May 1773, the Society for the Relief and Discharge of persons imprisoned for Small Debts, was instituted or formed; and, in 1774, I was unanimously elected the Treasurer. At this time I visited some of the prisons in and about the metropolis, and reported upon them every week. The finances of our Society increased, and my visits and inquiries extended; so that in a few years I had travelled over a very considerable part of the kingdom.

"In 1778 I married the eldest daughter of John Camden, of Battersea, esq. by whom I had two sons and a daughter.

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