314:
courtroom. The Chief
Justice was shocked at their terrible condition, which was then attributed to lack of proper feeding, and made orders for future improvements, but it was too late as the disease had by then spread to the courtroom, to the judges and local people in attendance, and infected the population of the Westcountry for many months after.
313:
in Devon and transferred to the "dark pit and stinking dungeon" of Exeter Prison. The
Portuguese had been forced to wait in the jail for a long period until the time of the assize for their judgement, at which time those who were still alive were so weak and thin that they had to be carried into the
131:
transmitted by the human body-louse. Among the dead victims were 8 judges, 11 of the 12 jurors, several constables, and the surrounding population which was ravaged by the disease for several months. Amongst the dead were the following, many being prominent members of the
Devonshire gentry:
575:
Although his name was given as "Philip Wyote" by
William Palmer, 17th century mayor of Barnstaple who transcribed his journal, it is now believed his brother Adam Wyote was the town clerk and author of the journal (Lamplugh, Lois, Barnstaple: Town on the Taw, South Molton, 2002,
60:, the Clerk of Assize, the Lord Lieutenant, the High Sheriff of Oxfordshire, the Coroner and almost 400 others. The names of the dead were recorded and survive as "The note of such as ar ded of this infection in Oxenford" in Bodleian manuscript Tanner 79 folio 182.
242:, Devon. Humphry II Walrond of Bradfield and his second son Thomas Walrond were both buried on 7 April 1586 at Uffculme. Humphry II Walrond had legal connections, having married the daughter of Sir Thomas Willoughby, a Justice of the Common Pleas.
268:"A noisome and pestilential smell came from the prisoners who were araigned at the crown bar which so affected the people present that many were seized with a violent sickness which proved mortal to the greatest part of them".
24:" which struck various prisons and court-houses in England in the late 16th century and which caused the deaths of not only many prisoners awaiting trial but also the magistrates in the court buildings holding
327:
in North Devon and kept a personal journal from 1586 to 1611. The first entry records the Black Assize of Exeter, and lists the names of eight of the gentry of Devon who died from "gaoll sickness" as follows:
283:
116:
372:
Vivian, Lt.Col. J.L., (Ed.) The
Visitations of the County of Devon: Comprising the Heralds' Visitations of 1531, 1564 & 1620, Exeter, 1895
367:
Jenkins, Alexander, Civil and
Ecclesiastical History of the City of Exeter and its Environs, 2nd edition, Exeter, 1841, p. 125
423:
368:
363:
358:
637:
433:
434:
Hasler, P.W., Biography of Arthur
Bassett published in History of Parliament, House of Commons 1558–1603, London, 1981
169:
49:
150:
622:
330:"to wit one of the Justices of Assize, Mr Flowerdewe, Sir Barnard Drak, Mr Welrond, Mr Cary of Clovelly, Mr Cary
627:
183:
88:
36:
The basic cause was fever spreading from insanitary jails via prisoners into dirty and overcrowded courtrooms.
362:
Creighton, Charles, History of
Epidemics in Britain, Part 1, 2013, pp. 383–388, Exeter Assizes 1586
112:
632:
617:
144:
422:
Kohn, George C., Encyclopedia of Plague and
Pestilence: From Ancient Times to the Present, 2008, p.122
301:
Secondly that the disease originated from 38 Portuguese fishermen returning fully loaded with fish from
127:
and the courtrooms were within the castle buildings. The cause according to modern medical opinion was
72:
53:
154:
235:
227:
298:
Firstly due to the "close aire and filthie stinke" of Exeter Prison, which infected the prisoners.
162:
287:
246:
191:
187:
310:
177:
136:
68:
64:
173:
140:
128:
92:
57:
611:
306:
205:
124:
120:
302:
254:
209:
334:
of
Hackome, Mr Fortescue, Mr Rysdon, Justices of the Peace, Sir John Chichester"
76:
345:
324:
158:
84:
21:
80:
348:
died from the affliction in 1750, and there was another outbreak in 1772.
344:
Outbreaks of Gaol Fever were still common in the 1750s. Two judges and the
239:
198:
250:
213:
357:
Cockburn, J.S., History of English Assizes 1558–1714, Cambridge, 1972
517:
Lamplugh, Lois, Barnstaple: Town on the Taw, South Molton, 2002, p.47
25:
266:
An historical account written by Alexander Jenkins (1841) stated
108:
513:
511:
98:
1586 Black Assizes at Exeter Castle, end of March 1586
566:, 1587 edition, pp.1547-8, quoted by Creighton, p.383
413:, 1587 edition, pp.1547–8, quoted by Creighton, p.383
282:
The best contemporary account of the outbreak is by
226:. The only Devonshire gentry family listed in the
197:Thomas Carew, JP(died 28 March 1586, aged 68), of
405:
403:
393:
391:
389:
387:
385:
222:John Waldron, JP; given by Wyote (see below) as
535:Vivian, p.768, pedigree of Walrond of Bradfield
453:
451:
449:
447:
445:
443:
441:
194:, whose monument survives in Clovelly Church.
52:in Summer 1577. Among the dead victims were:
20:is an epithet given to several outbreaks of "
8:
474:
472:
107:The Black Assizes at Exeter Castle were the
294:(1587). He suggests three possible causes:
245:Thomas Risdon, JP (died 2 April 1586) of
562:Hooker, John, published in Holinshead's
409:Hooker, John, published in Holinshead's
323:Adam Wyote (or Wyatt) was town clerk of
505:Vivian, p.297, pedigree of Drake of Ash
381:
111:Assizes held from 14 March 1586 by Sir
117:Lord Chief Justice of the Common Pleas
44:The most notable Black Assizes were:
7:
526:Vivian, Walrond pedigree pp.768–770
123:was situated underneath the royal
602:. Oxford University Press. p. 485.
14:
587:Campbell, Chief Justices, vol.III
553:Vivian, p.649, pedigree of Risdon
305:whose vessel was captured by Sir
230:of Devon similar to this name is
208:, JP, (died 10 April 1586) of
1:
309:(c.1537–1586) and landed at
286:(c.1527–1601), published in
186:(died 1 April 1586), JP, MP,
75:and "Serjeant Drewe", namely
119:, who survived the disease.
654:
598:Dickens, Charles (1998).
332:(sic, should be "Carew")
585:Cockburn, p.53, quoting
172:(died 31 March 1586) of
103:Exeter Black Assize 1586
89:The Grange, Broadhembury
145:Baron of the Exchequer
79:(c.1542–1598), MP, of
67:. Among the dead were
63:1598 Black Assizes of
50:Black Assize of Oxford
638:16th century in Devon
273:Contemporary accounts
95:to Queen Elizabeth I.
600:A Tale of Two Cities
228:Heraldic Visitation
253:, twice reader of
219:John Fortescue, JP
192:manor of Clovelly
40:Notable outbreaks
645:
623:History of Devon
603:
596:
590:
583:
577:
573:
567:
560:
554:
551:
545:
542:
536:
533:
527:
524:
518:
515:
506:
503:
497:
494:
488:
485:
479:
476:
467:
464:
458:
455:
436:
431:
425:
420:
414:
407:
398:
395:
178:Sheriff of Devon
137:Edward Flowerdew
65:Northern Circuit
54:Chief Baron Bell
653:
652:
648:
647:
646:
644:
643:
642:
628:1586 in England
608:
607:
606:
597:
593:
584:
580:
574:
570:
561:
557:
552:
548:
543:
539:
534:
530:
525:
521:
516:
509:
504:
500:
495:
491:
486:
482:
477:
470:
465:
461:
456:
439:
432:
428:
421:
417:
408:
401:
396:
383:
379:
354:
342:
321:
280:
275:
264:
184:Robert III Cary
170:John Chichester
141:Serjeant-at-Law
113:Edmund Anderson
105:
93:Serjeant-at-Law
69:Baron Flowerdew
58:Serjeant Barham
42:
34:
12:
11:
5:
651:
649:
641:
640:
635:
630:
625:
620:
610:
609:
605:
604:
591:
578:
568:
555:
546:
537:
528:
519:
507:
498:
489:
480:
468:
459:
457:Jenkins, p.125
437:
426:
415:
399:
397:Cockburn, p.53
380:
378:
375:
374:
373:
370:
365:
360:
353:
350:
341:
338:
320:
317:
316:
315:
299:
279:
278:By John Hooker
276:
274:
271:
263:
260:
259:
258:
243:
220:
217:
202:
195:
181:
166:
153:(1541–1586),
147:
104:
101:
100:
99:
96:
61:
41:
38:
33:
30:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
650:
639:
636:
634:
633:Tudor England
631:
629:
626:
624:
621:
619:
618:Black Assizes
616:
615:
613:
601:
595:
592:
588:
582:
579:
572:
569:
565:
559:
556:
550:
547:
544:Vivian, p.768
541:
538:
532:
529:
523:
520:
514:
512:
508:
502:
499:
496:Vivian, p.144
493:
490:
487:Vivian, p.157
484:
481:
478:Vivian, p.174
475:
473:
469:
463:
460:
454:
452:
450:
448:
446:
444:
442:
438:
435:
430:
427:
424:
419:
416:
412:
406:
404:
400:
394:
392:
390:
388:
386:
382:
376:
371:
369:
366:
364:
361:
359:
356:
355:
351:
349:
347:
339:
337:
335:
331:
326:
319:By Adam Wyote
318:
312:
308:
307:Bernard Drake
304:
300:
297:
296:
295:
293:
289:
285:
277:
272:
270:
269:
261:
256:
252:
248:
244:
241:
237:
233:
229:
225:
221:
218:
215:
211:
207:
206:Bernard Drake
203:
200:
196:
193:
189:
185:
182:
179:
176:, JP. He was
175:
171:
167:
165:2 April 1586.
164:
160:
156:
152:
151:Arthur Basset
148:
146:
142:
139:(died 1586),
138:
135:
134:
133:
130:
126:
125:Exeter Castle
122:
121:Exeter Prison
118:
115:(1530–1605),
114:
110:
102:
97:
94:
90:
86:
82:
78:
74:
70:
66:
62:
59:
55:
51:
47:
46:
45:
39:
37:
31:
29:
27:
23:
19:
18:Black Assizes
599:
594:
586:
581:
571:
563:
558:
549:
540:
531:
522:
501:
492:
483:
466:Vivian, p.47
462:
429:
418:
410:
343:
333:
329:
322:
303:Newfoundland
291:
281:
267:
265:
262:Descriptions
255:Inner Temple
231:
223:
161:. Buried at
106:
43:
35:
17:
15:
284:John Hooker
163:Atherington
91:, Devon, a
77:Edward Drew
612:Categories
377:References
346:Lord Mayor
325:Barnstaple
288:Holinshead
224:Mr Welrond
159:Umberleigh
85:Broadclyst
71:, Justice
22:gaol fever
564:Chronicle
411:Chronicle
311:Dartmouth
292:Chronicle
236:Bradfield
81:Killerton
247:Bableigh
240:Uffculme
199:Haccombe
180:in 1585.
73:Beaumont
576:pp.45–6
352:Sources
251:Parkham
232:Walrond
214:Musbury
190:of the
174:Raleigh
26:assizes
589:, p.75
129:typhus
48:1577:
32:Causes
340:1700s
157:, of
238:,
204:Sir
188:lord
168:Sir
149:Sir
143:and
109:Lent
87:and
16:The
290:'s
234:of
210:Ash
614::
510:^
471:^
440:^
402:^
384:^
336:.
249:,
212:,
155:JP
83:,
56:,
28:.
257:.
216:.
201:.
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