Marshalsea
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The Marshalsea was a notorious prison in Southwark, just south of the River Thames. Although it housed a variety of prisoners—including men accused of crimes at sea and political figures charged with
First Marshalsea Prison, 18th century
Inside the Marshalsea Court, 1800, part of the prison
Notice remaining on a bridge in Sturminster Newton, Dorset, warning that anyone who damages it may be subject to penal transportation
Artist's impression of Charles Dickens, forced to work in a factory when his father was sent to the Marshalsea
Thumbscrew (torture)
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The thumbscrew, is a torture instrument which was first used in early modern Europe. It is a simple vise, sometimes with protruding studs on the interior surfaces. Victims' fingers or toes were placed
Marshalsea
…of debts, which increased as unpaid prison fees accumulated. The poorest faced starvation and, if they crossed the jailers, torture with skullcaps and thumbscrews. A parliamentary committee reported in 1729 that 300 inmates had starved to death within a three-month period, and that eight to ten were dying every…
17th-century thumbscrew, Märkisches Museum Berlin
17th-century thumbscrew, Märkisches Museum Berlin
Scottish thumbscrew
Scottish thumbscrews