The affection and loyalty inspired by the Stuarts brought many prisoners to the Tower, refusal to take the oath of allegiance to the joint sovereigns being answered by the authorities with confinement in the fortress, on the charge of “abetting and adhering to their Majesties’ enemies.” Of these, Francis Cholmondeley, Lord Yarmouth, and some others, were there in 1690, the names of Lords Newburgh, Clancarty, Tyrone, Morley, Monteagle, Dartmouth, Cahir, the Earl of Clarendon, Major-General Dorrington, and General Maxwell, also figure on the list, but against these no specific charge is now apparent. Two years afterwards a Mr Henry Grey, a member of the House of Commons, was there, accused of taking bribes, as well as Lord Falkland; and the Earl of Torrington’s defeat by the French fleet off Beachy Head was punished by an enforced residence in the State prison.

That the fortress was crowded with prisoners towards the close of William’s reign is apparent by two papers which, by the kindness of Mr Birch, the Curator of the Soane Museum, I have been allowed to copy here, but it must be added that out of all the State prisoners in the Tower under William’s rule only one suffered the extreme penalty of the law. The papers are as follows:—

At the Committee for ye Affaires of Ireland in ye Councill Chamber att Whitehall, Aprill the 15 1695.

It is ordered by their Ldps that Sir Christopher Wren Surveyr Genl. of his Majities Works doe repaire to the Tower of London to view Beauchamp Tower and Bloody Tower and report what it will cost to Repaire and putt them in a condition to hold Prisoners of State. Sir Christopher Wren is also to surveigh the ground behind the Chapell in the Tower where it is proposed to Erect some buildings for keeping prisoners, and to report in like manner what it will cost and how many prisoners it can be made to hold, and he is further to consider of the annexed Draught proposed for the Erecting the Said Buildings, and give his opinion upon it, or else make such other Draught as he shall think fitt, and Lay the same together with his report upon the whole matter before the Committee as soon as conveniently may be.

Wm. Bridgeman.

To Ye Rt Honble ye Committee of Councill for the Affaires of Ireland. May it please yr Lrs.

In obedience to yr Lrs Order of the 15th instant, that I should view the severall places in the Tower therein mentioned—viz. Beauchamp Tower and ye Bloody Tower and report wt Expense will put them in condition to hold prisoners of State and what number they will hold I have accordingly viewed the same and report that both the said places were put the last summer in better repair than they have been in many years being whited, mended, and made strong, but to make them fitt for prisoners of State, if by that Expression it be intended that they should be wainscotted and made fitt for hangings and furniture it may cost £200 or much more but with such walls, windows and winding stairs they never can be made proper with any cost without rebuilding. I have also in pursuance of yr Lrs Order viewed the place behinde the Chappell and considered and do approve the annex’d draught proposed to be built wch I take to be as Large as ye place will afford containing 15 square and if it be well built in 3 storeys, Cellars and garretts it will cost £600. As to the number of Prisoners the place may hold I can only report wt number of rooms each place contains. Beauchamp Tower hath a large Kitching 2 large rooms and 2 small servants rooms. Bloody Tower hath a kitching one room and one closset. The new building may contain 9 single rooms, besides cellars and garrets and a kitching all wch is humbly submitted.

Chr Wren
Apprill 17 1695.

The Tower of London, Commanded in Chief by the Rt. Honble Robert Ld. Lucas.

CHAPTER XVII

QUEEN ANNE

Few prisoners of any degree were committed to the Tower during the reign of Anne, except during the first year of her rule, when the Continental wars brought some French prisoners of war, who were confined there. In 1712, however, the famous Sir Robert Walpole was committed to the Tower “for high breach of trust and notorious corruption.” Walpole’s committal was entirely due to political intrigue, and his disgrace and imprisonment closely resembled that of the Duke of Choiseul in the reign of Louis XVI., when half of the French society of the day flocked to the fallen Minister’s house at Chanteloup. Walpole’s apartment in the Tower was crowded all day long with a succession of smart folk, among whom the Duke and Duchess of Marlborough, with whom the Queen had broken off her former great intimacy, were conspicuous; Godolphin, Somers, Sunderland, and Pulteney, Earl of Bath, were also frequent visitors.

Three years after Walpole had left his rooms in the Tower they were occupied by George Granville, Earl of Lansdowne—a nobleman of strong Jacobite proclivities. He was a poet as well as a Jacobite, and finding Walpole’s name written on the window of the room, he wrote beneath it the following distich:—