RECUSANTS IN THE CASTLE
The idea of concentrating
Roman Catholic prisoners from
various jails into one place dates
from 1572, when the Privy
Council asked the Bishop of Ely (Cox) to report on
the suitability of Wisbech Castle for this purpose. It
was 'not ment that they shalbe burdenouse to any
man, but to lyve upon theyr own charges, with consideracion of all such as shalbe nedefull to attend and
guard them'. (fn. 47) Eight years later the deprived ecclesiastical Papists were ordered to be sent to castles such as
Wisbech and Banbury; the laymen were to be placed
under guard in London. (fn. 48) In August 1580 the bishop
was enjoined to put Wisbech Castle 'in order and
strength' to receive Papists (fn. 49) and by October the first
eight priests, of whom Bishop Watson of Lincoln and
Abbot Feckenham of Westminster were the bestknown, had arrived. (fn. 50) In 1584 it was suggested that
the number confined at Wisbech should be limited to
twenty. (fn. 51) At first the discipline was strict, the recusants
being locked in separate rooms except for meals and for
half an hour's exercise before dinner and supper. After
the Armada, however, at which time there were about
thirty-five prisoners, (fn. 52) there was a relaxation. Servants
were allowed to be kept, visitors to be admitted, friends
to send in food. Priests were allowed to go into the
town. They paid 12s. a month for their rooms. The
castle became a kind of ecclesiastical college, with
exhaustive theological debates, and a place of pilgrimage for Roman Catholic laity. (fn. 53) In 1590 allegations of
slackness were made against Thomas Gray, the keeper
of the castle, and a commission was sent to investigate. (fn. 54) It was recommended that the castle should
be strengthened, and certain trustworthy townsmen
appointed to assist the keeper, who was not to be absent
from the castle without special dispensation. Visitors
were only to be allowed by special permission, incoming
letters were to be censored, communication between
the prisoners was to be stopped except at meals, and
they were not to be allowed outside the castle grounds.
The diet of the Fleet prison was to be adopted. This
was defined as 16s. a week for knight's commons and
10s. for gentleman's, with 6s. 8d. and 2s. 4d. respectively for their lodgings. (fn. 55)
During this second period of stricter discipline
quarrels between Jesuits and seminary priests confined
in the castle broke out. The leader of the former party
was William Weston, a fanatical and ascetic Jesuit
who arrived at Wisbech in 1587, of the latter Christopher Bagshaw, a comparatively recent (1582) convert to Roman Catholicism. Weston began to be active
about 1593, he and his followers supporting the stricter
discipline so as to make their imprisonment as conducive
to sanctity as possible. As the more zealous party they
received most of the alms of the faithful; they were
suspected by Bagshaw and his followers as traitors, and
the latter in return were accused of loose living and
immorality. (fn. 56) Matters first came to a head with the
introduction of a hobby horse for the Christmas
festivities of 1594, and the following year a commission
was appointed 'to take verie particular notice of all the
prisoners there, of what condicion, qualitie and estate
they are and how manye of them stand condemned'.
It was considered that too many servants and outside
persons had access to the prisoners, and it was proposed
to send the latter overseas in due course. (fn. 57) Various
persons who had had dealings with the prisoners were
ordered to appear in the Star Chamber. (fn. 58) In 1597
the custody of the prisoners was entrusted to William
Medley and William Brewster, who were ordered 'to
see the prisoners more strightly looked unto than they
have bin of late'. (fn. 59) In the same year some form of
epidemic broke out, some of the prisoners being temporarily moved to Sir John Higham's house at Barrow
(Suff.), and others allowed 'to walk abroad to take
the ayre at suche tymes and so far as you [Higham]
shall thyncke convenyent'. (fn. 60) Towards the end of
1598 various priests, including Weston, were moved
from Wisbech to the Tower of London, and others
who 'have conformed themselves and go orderly to
church' were released to friends 'known to be well
affected'. (fn. 61) In 1602 thirty-six priests were transferred
to Framlingham (Suff.), guarded and manacled, (fn. 62)
but some remained at Wisbech four or five years later.
William Chester, constable of the castle, received'
£75 12s. for their diet in November 1607. (fn. 63) In
February 1606 Bishop Heton reported that a priest,
George Smith, had been converted and was 'an
excellent musician, especially on the organs'. (fn. 64) In
1615 twenty-four priests were brought to Wisbech
from London, and the regulations of 1590 for safe
custody brought into force again. (fn. 65) Three of this fresh
batch escaped, and the following year the hundred of
Wisbech as well as the town was called on to provide
trustworthy assistants to the keeper. (fn. 66) Nevertheless a
further escape of five prisoners took place. (fn. 67) In 1618
nine of the priests were deported, (fn. 68) and eight years later
the keeper of the castle was summoned before the
Council to give a full report. (fn. 69) This marks the end of
the use of Wisbech Castle for this purpose, though the
idea of removing Jesuit and other priests from London
prisons to stricter confinement at Wisbech was still
being mooted in 1628. (fn. 70)