tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2456802468539868519.post3462367166359784812..comments2023-10-12T02:21:40.102-07:00Comments on English Historical Fiction Authors: Marshalsea Debtors’ PrisonDebra Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03256313302199653185noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2456802468539868519.post-85810997653538429202012-04-26T20:17:36.479-07:002012-04-26T20:17:36.479-07:00Excellent information, I am sure we all had some d...Excellent information, I am sure we all had some distant relatives that were in that situation...Great reading, interesting history...Elizabeth Gayle Fellowsnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2456802468539868519.post-72102905363957346602012-04-26T01:44:54.131-07:002012-04-26T01:44:54.131-07:00Er, whilst I am clearly not in favour of the inhum...Er, whilst I am clearly not in favour of the inhumanity in general which has been practised throughout the course of history, I think it is important to not compare what they did in the 1600s with what is deemed acceptable in the West today, but if one must compare to do so within their own context. So a fairer assessment might be how did Marshalsea compare to the Tower or indeed to prisons in France of the same period?<br /><br />It's also important to recognise that however dire we consider the British legal system and its prisons of the period, it's also a time of steady progress. Not perhaps as fast as we would like to see it, but nonetheless it existed. <br /><br />The rebuilding of Marshalsea and its use thereafter in 1811 was in fact, great progress--in 1812 Parliament voted to separate debtors and their families from felons in prison. This was huge. It may not seem so to us, but it was. And it was the work of those same committed humanitarians as had led the fight for the abolition of the slave trade and the emancipation of slaves. <br /><br />So, however, rubbishy and infernally awful we (the British) were we were still the vanguard of the human rights movement.M.M. Bennettshttp://www.mmbennetts.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2456802468539868519.post-61302807200380942642012-04-25T22:12:46.263-07:002012-04-25T22:12:46.263-07:00A ghastly piece of history but one that is well bo...A ghastly piece of history but one that is well borne in mind.Katherine Ashehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12487069502818472478noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2456802468539868519.post-59703888847277042212012-04-25T20:09:12.708-07:002012-04-25T20:09:12.708-07:00I'm glad we don't have prisons like that n...I'm glad we don't have prisons like that now. There are so many people in debt because of this crappy economy. UGH! But I really enjoy reading your blogs my dear friend. You're so smart!Marie Higginshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06798408733684974308noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2456802468539868519.post-73844900732479590062012-04-25T18:21:15.913-07:002012-04-25T18:21:15.913-07:00I really enjoyed learning more about the Marshalse...I really enjoyed learning more about the Marshalsea. I always liked the movie "Little Dorritt" and had wondered about the prison. Thanks for sharing : )Megan Scotthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03705581377939713025noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2456802468539868519.post-9414169524943922852012-04-25T16:23:51.091-07:002012-04-25T16:23:51.091-07:00Thanks for sharing. A truly frightening bit of his...Thanks for sharing. A truly frightening bit of history given that accident or act of God could cause someone to be unable to pay a debt (as opposed to a deliberate act). And thus end up in such a horrible place. Also, I find it very odd - how was someone supposed to pay off the debt if they were starving to death in prison?Tim Guthathttp://www.tkguthat.comnoreply@blogger.com