The million-peopled city
Garwood, John
1853
The Pensioners not allowed to marry, and the bad Effects of this Rule.
"About 250 of the pensioners have entered the Hospital as married men. They are allowed to sleep out of the building every night but Saturday, and are to be found living with their wives in different parts of the town. But after enter- ing the Hospital, the pensioners are not allowed to marry. | |
96 | We are sorry to have to add, that many of them, however, live without marriage with women, as they call it, 'on the sly.' These women are too often, as may be supposed, women of very bad character. To support these women, they have frequently much difficulty. Some of them are obliged to carry on trades, such as shoemaking, tailoring, &c., and others manage secretly to carry out of the Hospital part of the provisions, and half starve themselves. The pensioners are prohibited from marrying, because they brought so very heavy a burden on the parish by their wives and children. But the prohibition has by no means remedied this evil, for the children of unmarried pensioners cost the parish a considerable sum. All such cases are marked in the parish books ' G. H.' It is truly disgraceful to see so many of these hoary-headed men in such constant company with young fallen females, in every part of the town. The tobacco-money, we fear, of a large number of them, is spent on such worthless characters, or at low public- houses. Many young unsuspecting girls are ruined by these old sinners. |
" The pensioners mess in common; and, in addition to their lodging, clothing, and maintenance, the boatswains are allowed 2s. 6d., mates Is. 6d., and privates Is. per week for pocket- money. Each private has a further allowance of three pints of beer a-day, and half-a-gallon on festival days. Much drinking and wickedness are carried on upon these latter occasions." | |