THE NEWGATE ORDINARY

THE NEWGATE ORDINARY

 FROM : THE NATIONAL ARCHIVES

SP9/251/213; account of an offender who was hanged. The "Ordinary of Newgate" was the prison chaplain (as we would now call him) of Newgate Prison. He made extra money by publishing accounts of the "behaviour, confessions and dying speeches" of those he accompanied to the gallows at Tyburn. This source describes an offender who was hanged, along with five others, at Tyburn, on 13th December, 1706.

The ORDINARY of NEWGATE his Account of the Be- haviour, Confessions, and Dying Speeches of the Malefactors that were Executed at Tyburn, on Friday the 13th of December, 1706.    VI. William Dabell, Condemned for breaking open the House of Mr. Thomas Plastel, both on the 17th and on the 31st of October last. He said he was 18 years of Age, born in the Parish of St. Andrews Holbourn, and that he had been well bought up by his Parents, by whose Religious Care he had receiv'd very good Instruction, and been made ac- quainted with what a Christian ought both to know and to practice : But he was tempted and yielded to the Temptation of the Devil, by whose only instigation it was that he went about to rob the House of Mr. Plastel ; which, he said, was the first ill thing of this nature he ever did. As he as not so old an Offender as the others were, so he appear'd to be much better than they, diposed to Repentance. He pray'd very earnestly, and was very devout ; and shew'd great Sorrow for his Offences against God and his Neighbour. He begg'd Pardon of both ; and declared that he dy'd in Charity with all Mankind, and hop'd to be saved through the alone Merits of his Redeemer. This Day they were all carry'd in two Carts to Tyburn, where I discharg'd my Ministerial Office to them for the last time ; exhorting them further to clear their Consciences, and lift up their Hearts to God, I ask'd them whether they had any thing more to say for the Satisfaction of the World, the Ease of their own Minds.