The Chapel at Newgate Prison, 1810
According to Batty Langley author of An accurate description of Newgate[i] the chapel provided a divine service on the Sunday preceding the execution of criminals. Upon this occasion, a suitable sermon, called the condemned sermon, is preached by a clergyman; during which a coffin is placed on a table within an enclosure, called the Dock; and round this coffin are the prisoners condemned to die. In Langley’s description of the chapel there are three large Apartments called Penns, where the “Common Debtors and Felons of both kinds” are placed every Sunday. Near the pulpit are placed the “Male Common-Debtors, and adjacent thereunto are the Male and Female Felons; but in feparate Apartments through the fquare Grates” (53).
This co-ed church service is run the same way we see England’s entire criminal system run. They thought nothing of mixing felons with those unfortunate enough to be in debt; they also put men, women, and children in the same prison. A juvenile caught stealing a handkerchief would be placed right along an adult who had committed murder.
As we continue with Langley’s description of the chapel we see that in a society based on money, the penal system was no different; if you had money you could be sitting pretty.
Langley states that across from the felons penns were “two very handfome Inclofures for the Mafter-Debtors to fit in during Divine Service, which are better fituated than the oppofite ones.” The prisoners sentenced to death are placed right next to the pulpit in a large pew. According to Langley this is where they are “Adminiftred the Bleffed Sacrament unto them at proper times, and particularly on the Morning before their Execution.” “There are many very handfome open Pews, in which all Perfons who come are free to fit, which are generally well filled on fuch Sundays as the Condemned Sermons are Preached to the Prifoners before they Die” (54).
British society still saw executions as a form of entertainment as shown by Langley’s account of the chapel being full on the Sunday before an execution. It appears in the photo as though there is standing room only; so we can infer that it must be time for a hanging, and this is the Divine Sermon for the Condemned person. It is interesting to see that Langley’s account of the chapel is accurate according to what is shown in the photo, so from this we can also infer that Mr. Batty Langley has attended at least one of these Divine Services.