minute read
On July 4th, 1996, Hurford Salvi Carr became the first estate agent to open in Clerkenwell.
Whilst we certainly don’t expect our humble beginnings to be chronicled in the history books of Clerkenwell, so much has changed in the past 30 years, we thought it may be an opportune time to revisit Clerkenwell’s rich and eclectic history in a series of posts over the coming weeks.
The Road to Ruin: From Clerkenwell to the Antipodes
For thousands of Londoners in the 18th and 19th centuries, the path to a new life in Australia didn't begin with a dream, but with a gavel. The journey from the grand halls of Clerkenwell Sessions House to the penal colonies was a grim, three-stage descent into exile.
1. The Verdict: Middlesex Sessions House
Dominating Clerkenwell Green, the Middlesex Sessions House (now the Old Sessions House) was once England's largest and busiest courthouse. Beneath its majestic dome—modeled after the Pantheon in Rome—lavish quarters for judges stood in stark contrast to the "tiny" basement cells where the accused awaited their fate.
Sentencing here was notoriously tough. In a single year, the court could sentence as many as 200 convicts to transportation. For crimes as minor as stealing hams or silk handkerchiefs, many found themselves banished "beyond the seas" for terms of seven years, fourteen years, or life.
2. The Descent: Tunnels to the "Gaol House"
Once the sentence was read, the reality of the "Gaol House" (the Clerkenwell House of Detention) awaited. While the prison was a place of despair, legend and historical records mention a network of underground tunnels connecting the courthouse directly to the cells.
These tunnels served a dual purpose: they prevented escape and protected the convicts from "the mob" lurking on Clerkenwell Green, often eager to dole out their own brand of justice before the law could take its course. Today, the basement of the Old Sessions House still contains one of these original cells, now repurposed as a linen cupboard.
3. The Voyage: From the Thames to Botany Bay
The final stage of the journey was the most grueling. Prisoners were marched in chains to staging points like Newgate Prison or Millbank Prison. From there, they were rowed out to "hulks"—decaying warships anchored in the River Thames—to wait for a transport fleet.
The voyage to Australia could take up to eight months, covering 15,000 miles in cramped, unhygienic conditions. Many did not survive the journey, succumbing to illnesses like cholera. For those who did, the sight of Botany Bay or Van Diemen’s Land
marked the beginning of a life of hard labour in a strange, sun-drenched land—thousands of miles from the cold stone of Clerkenwell.
