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Background
The Marshalsea (1373â1842) was a notorious prison in Southwark, just south of the River Thames. Although it housed a variety of prisonersâincluding men accused of crimes at sea and political figures charged with seditionâit became known, in particular, for its incarceration of the poorest of London's debtors. Over half of England's prisoners in the 18th century were in jail because of debt.
Run privately for profit, as were all English prisons until the 19th century, the Marshalsea looked like an Oxbridge college and functioned as an extortion racket. Debtors in the 18th century who could afford the prison fees had access to a bar, shop and restaurant, and retained the crucial privilege of being allowed out during the day, which gave them a chance to earn money for their creditors.
John Dickens (21 August 1785 â 31 March 1851) was the father of British novelist Charles Dickens and was the inspiration for the character Mr Micawber in his son's 1850 semi-autobiographical novel David Copperfield.
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John Dickens1785–1851 · journalist
