But it is not of the Chaplains I would speak, but of the irregular Clergy, or Lay men, who performed the Marriages. One thing they all agreed in, the wearing of the Cassock, Gown, and Bands. They would never have been believed in had they not. The accompanying illustration[155] gives an excellent idea of the Fleet Parson, and it is taken from an Engraving entitled "The Funeral of Poor Mary Hackabout, attended by the Sisterhood of Drury Lane" and it has a footnote calling attention to the "wry-necked" parson. "The famous Couple Beggar in the Fleet, a Wretch, who there screens himself from the Justice due to his Villanies, and daily repeats them."
The lady holds a sprig of Rosemary in her hand, which in polite society was always presented by a servant, when the funeral cortége was about to leave the house:—In this case, a dish full of sprigs is placed upon the floor, and a child is playing with them. The Mourners carried them to the grave, and then threw them in, as we now do, flowers and wreaths of the same.
Perhaps one of the earliest notices of these irregular Fleet Parsons is in the first year of Queen Anne's reign, very soon after she came to the throne, as it appears, in the Registry of the Consistory Court,—that on June 4, 1702, the Bishop of London visited the common prison called the Fleet, London, and took Master Jeronimus Alley, clerk, to task, requiring him to exhibit to the Chancellor of the Diocese, before the 24th June instant, his letters of ordination, "and his Lordsp ordered him not to marry or perform any divine Office in ye Chapell in ye ffleet, or any place within ye Dioces untill he has exhibited ye same. Mr. Alley soon afterwards fled from ye sd Prison, and never exhibited his orders."
But if Alley fled, there were others left, and the practice of marrying without banns, or licence, brought forth the act of the 10th Anne, before quoted. It was probably before this, but certainly during her reign, that the following letter was written, which also is in the Bishop's Registry.
"Sir,—I think it my Duty to God and y^e Queen to acquaint you with ye illegal practices of ye Ministers and Clark in ye Fleet Chappell for marrying Clandestinely as they do som weeks fifty or sixty couple. The Ministers that are there are as follows, Mr. Robt. Elborough, he is an ancient man and is master of ye Chapple, and marries but very few now without Banns or Licence, but under a colour doth allow his Clark to do wt he pleases, his name is Barth. Basset. There is there also one Mr. James Colton a Clergyman, he lives in Leather Lane next door to ye Coach and horses, he hath bin there these four years to marry, but no Prisoner, he marries in Coffee houses, in his own house, and in and about ye Fleet gate, and all ye Rules over, not excepting any part of City and Suburbs. This Clark Basset aforesaid registers wherever Colton marries in ye Fleet Register and gives him Certificates. Colton had a living in Essex till ye Bishop of London deprived him for this and other ill Practices. There is also one Mr. Nehemiah Rogers, he is a prisoner but goes at larg to his P. Living in Essex, and all places else, he is a very wicked man, as lives for drinking, whoring, and swearing, he has struck and boxed ye bridegroom in ye Chapple, and damned like any com'on souldier; he marries both within and without ye Chapple like his brother Colton. There was one Mr. Alley; he was a Prisoner, and ye benefit of weddings, but is gone to some other prefermt. The abovesaid Basset rents ye sellers of ye Fleet, and pays for yt and two watchmen 100 and £20 p. ann. but he him pays but £20 per ann. for ye Clergy pay all ye rest, and if they do not, they are threatened to be confined or outed. This Clark hath bin sworn in Drs Commons not to marry any without Banns or Licence, unless it be such poor people as are recommended by ye Justices in case of a big belly, but have married since many hundreds, as I and many can testifie who are confined Prisoners. The Chief days to marry are Sundays, Tuesdays, and Saturdays, but evry day more or less. The Clark Basset keeps a Register book, altho he told ye Bishop of London he had none; he also antidates as he pleases, as you may see when you look over ye Registers; he hath another at his son's; he does what he pleases, and maintains a great family by these ill practices. £200 p. ann. he hath at least. The Ministers and Clark bribe one Mr. Shirley, I think him to be Collector for ye Oueen's Taxes. I hope, Sir, you will excuse me for concealing my name, hoping yt you will inspect into these base practices.
For
Dr. Newton Chancellrs
to My Lord of London
at Drs Commons
These."
Footnotes
[154] These were touts, like those white-aproned gentry who used to infest Doctors' Commons, telling people where they could procure Marriage licences—only these "plyers" touted for the parsons.
[155] See previous page.