Record Number: 23133

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Reading Experience:

Evidence:

24pp pamphlet describing a reading by Mrs Fry to the female prisoners at Newgate, at which the author was present. pp.8-9: 'The silence was at length broken by that mild voice which the prisoners had often heard. Mrs Fry began to read from the Bible. She had selected the 12th and 13th chapters of the epistle to the Romans. This selection did honour to her judgement, and while, with distinct articulation, she dwelt upon the more important of the words of Holy writ, every hearer appeared affected. The convicts shewed their interest in the instruction thus afforded them by the eye fixed on the reader, and their anxiety by heads put, as it were, forward to meet the sound, while the eye had the tear quivering on the lash, or the cheek shewed that it had overflowed its bounds. When she had finished the chapters which she had read slowly, to give time to the hearers to receive the words, and to comprehend their meaning, she remained for a few seconds perfectly silent, and the silence was a silence which might be felt.'

Century:

1800-1849

Date:

22 Dec 1820

Country:

England

Time

morning

Place:

city: London
specific address: Newgate Gaol
other location: prison

Type of Experience
(Reader):
 

silent aloud unknown
solitary in company unknown
single serial unknown

Type of Experience
(Listener):
 

solitary reactive unknown
single serial unknown

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Reader / Listener / Reading Group:

Reader:

Elizabeth Fry

Age:

Adult (18-100+)

Gender:

Female

Date of Birth:

21 May 1780

Socio-Economic Group:

Professional / academic / merchant / farmer

Occupation:

wife of merchant

Religion:

Quaker

Country of Origin:

England

Country of Experience:

England

Listeners present if any:
e.g family, servants, friends

female prisoners, Sir James Williams (author of pamphlet), other ladies and gentlemen

Additional Comments:

n/a

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Text Being Read:

Author:

[n/a]

Title:

Bible (New Testament)

Genre:

Bible

Form of Text:

Print: Book

Publication Details

n/a

Provenance

owned

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Source Information:

Record ID:

23133

Source:

Print

Author:

Sir James Williams

Editor:

n/a

Title:

An hour in His Majesty's Gaol of Newgate

Place of Publication:

London

Date of Publication:

1821

Vol:

n/a

Page:

8-9

Additional Comments:

n/a

Citation:

Sir James Williams, An hour in His Majesty's Gaol of Newgate, (London, 1821), p. 8-9, http://www.open.ac.uk/Arts/reading/UK/record_details.php?id=23133, accessed: 21 December 2024

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Additional Comments:

None