The Prostitutes Bell: Unraveling London’s Grim Execution Legend

The so-called “Prostitutes Bell” refers to a specific handbell historically associated with St. Sepulchre-without-Newgate Church in London, notorious for its chilling role on the eve of executions at nearby Newgate Prison. Its grim nickname arose from the folk belief that prostitutes gathered near the prison when it rang, anticipating the condemned’s final night. This article delves into the bell’s factual history, its dark rituals, the origin of its macabre moniker, and its enduring legacy as a symbol of London’s brutal past.

What is the Prostitutes Bell?

The Prostitutes Bell is the common name for the execution bell of St. Sepulchre’s Church, used historically to toll near Newgate Prison the night before a scheduled hanging. Its official purpose was a solemn reminder of mortality and a call to prayer for the condemned, but its sound became synonymous with death and the associated activities outside the prison walls, leading to its infamous nickname.

This wasn’t a large church tower bell, but a distinct handbell. It was kept at St. Sepulchre’s, directly opposite Newgate Prison. The connection to prostitution stems from the grim reality and folklore surrounding executions. On the night before a hanging, the area around Newgate became a macabre fairground. Among the crowds gathering to witness the spectacle or engage in commerce were sex workers, capitalizing on the large, often rowdy, and emotionally charged assembly. The ringing of the bell signaled the imminence of the execution and, by association, this gathering. Over time, the bell itself became colloquially known as the “Prostitutes Bell,” embodying the entire morbid scene it heralded.

Why Was the Bell Called the “Prostitutes Bell”?

The nickname “Prostitutes Bell” originated from the observed activities outside Newgate Prison the night before an execution, coinciding with the bell’s tolling. It reflects the folk association between the bell’s sound and the presence of sex workers among the crowds.

Executions were major public events in London for centuries, drawing enormous, unruly crowds. Vendors sold food, drink, and souvenirs, ballad singers performed lurid tales of the condemned, and a carnival atmosphere often prevailed. Sex work was a common feature of such large, chaotic gatherings in the city, and the area around Newgate on the eve of an execution was no exception. The bellman’s ritual of ringing the handbell and reciting his verses outside the condemned cells became inextricably linked in the public mind with the raucous scene unfolding just beyond the prison walls. The bell didn’t summon prostitutes directly; rather, its ringing was the signal *for* the final night before death, which *included* the gathering of such crowds and the activities within them. The name “Prostitutes Bell” is a stark piece of social history, encapsulating the brutal reality and the commodification surrounding public death.

What Was the Original Purpose of the Bell?

The bell’s original, solemn purpose was purely religious and penitential: to offer spiritual comfort to the condemned and remind the living of their mortality. It was used as part of a specific ritual mandated by a charitable bequest.

In 1605, wealthy merchant Robert Dowe left money to St. Sepulchre’s Church to fund a specific ritual on the night before an execution at Newgate. The church sexton (bellman) was required to:

1. Ring the Handbell: At midnight, proceed to the prison and ring the handbell loudly outside the cell of the condemned prisoner(s).
2. Recite the Exhortation: Deliver a specific, lengthy verse urging repentance. It began: “All you that in the condemned hole do lie, Prepare you, for to-morrow you shall die…” and ended with the sobering lines: “When St. Sepulcre’s bell to-morrow tolls, The Lord above have mercy on your souls.”
3. Ring Again: Ring the bell again after delivering the exhortation.
4. Morning Tolling: Ring the bell again the next morning as the condemned were led to the cart for transport to Tyburn (or later, the drop outside Newgate).

The intent was charitable – to ensure no soul went to the gallows without a final, stark reminder to repent. The ritual continued for centuries, becoming deeply ingrained in London’s execution tradition.

Where Was the Prostitutes Bell Located and Used?

The bell was physically housed at St. Sepulchre-without-Newgate Church, located on Holborn Viaduct, directly opposite the site of the old Newgate Prison (demolished in 1902, now occupied by the Old Bailey). Its specific ritual use occurred at Newgate Prison itself.

St. Sepulchre’s Church: This historic church, still standing today, was the custodian of the bell due to Robert Dowe’s bequest and its proximity to Newgate. The bell itself was likely kept within the church building.
Newgate Prison: This was the primary location for the bell’s infamous use. The bellman would walk the short distance from the church to the prison entrance and perform the ritual directly outside the condemned hold (the cell block for prisoners awaiting execution). The sound echoed in the prison yard and was audible to the crowds gathering in the streets around Newgate. The morning tolling also occurred here as the execution procession began.

Is the Prostitutes Bell Still at St. Sepulchre’s?

No, the original handbell known as the “Prostitutes Bell” or “Execution Bell” is no longer at St. Sepulchre’s Church. It is held by the Museum of London as part of its permanent collection.

St. Sepulchre’s does have a bell on display, often mistaken for the original. This is actually the church’s sanctus bell, historically rung during mass at the elevation of the host. While it is a genuine historic bell from St. Sepulchre’s, it is not the execution handbell. The confusion is common. Visitors to the church can see the sanctus bell and learn about the execution ritual, but the actual instrument used by the bellman for centuries resides in the museum, preserved as a powerful artifact of London’s social and judicial history.

How Did the Execution Ritual Work?

The ritual was a meticulously followed procedure dictated by Robert Dowe’s 1605 bequest, performed by the church sexton (bellman) on the eve and morning of every execution at Newgate.

The Midnight Ritual:

• At precisely midnight before an execution, the bellman left St. Sepulchre’s carrying the handbell.
• He walked to the main gate of Newgate Prison.
• Standing outside the condemned cells, he rang the handbell twelve times in a slow, deliberate toll.
• He then recited the full exhortation verse, urging repentance.
• He rang the bell another twelve times.

The Morning Ritual:

• On the morning of the execution, as the condemned prisoner(s) were being prepared and brought out to the execution cart (or later, to the scaffold erected outside Newgate), the bellman would ring the handbell again.
• This tolling accompanied the procession as it began its journey (either to Tyburn or just outside the prison walls).
• The sound served as a final, public announcement that the execution was imminent.

This ritual was performed for over 250 years, becoming an inescapable part of the terrifying experience for those condemned to die and a familiar, albeit grim, soundscape for Londoners living near Newgate.

Who Was Robert Dowe and Why Did He Fund the Bell?

Robert Dowe (or Dove) was a wealthy London merchant and philanthropist who died in 1605. His bequest funded the execution bell ritual at St. Sepulchre’s, driven by a desire to offer spiritual solace to the condemned.

Dowe was a successful member of the Merchant Taylors’ Company. While details of his life are relatively scarce, his charitable intentions are clear from his will. He left £50 (a substantial sum at the time) to St. Sepulchre’s Church specifically to pay the sexton to perform the midnight and morning bell-ringing ritual for condemned prisoners at Newgate. His motivation appears rooted in the intense religious concerns of the era, particularly the belief in the necessity of repentance before death to avoid eternal damnation. By ensuring the condemned received this stark, verbal reminder and call to prayer in their final hours, Dowe believed he was performing an act of Christian charity, offering them a last chance to save their souls, regardless of their crimes. His bequest created one of London’s most enduring and macabre traditions.

What Did the Bellman’s Exhortation Say?

The exhortation recited by the bellman was a specific verse designed to shock the condemned into repentance. Its exact wording evolved slightly over centuries, but the core message remained consistent. A widely cited version is:

“All you that in the condemned hole do lie,
Prepare you, for to-morrow you shall die;
Watch all, and pray: the hour is drawing near
That you before the Almighty must appear;
Examine well yourselves; in time repent,
That you may not to eternal flames be sent.
And when St. Sepulchre’s bell in the morning tolls,
The Lord above have mercy on your souls.”

The final lines were later sometimes rendered as: “When St. Sepulcre’s bell to-morrow tolls, The Lord above have mercy on your souls.” The verse served as a blunt, terrifying reminder of imminent death and divine judgment, fulfilling Dowe’s charitable, if chilling, intent.

What is the Connection to the “Tyburn Tree”?

The Prostitutes Bell and the Tyburn Tree are intrinsically linked as key elements of London’s public execution machinery. The bell signaled the start of the condemned’s final journey, often ending at Tyburn.

The Tyburn Tree: This was the infamous triangular gallows located near the modern-day Marble Arch where most London executions took place for centuries. Prisoners condemned at the Old Bailey (adjacent to Newgate) were transported by cart to Tyburn for hanging.
The Connection: The bell ritual performed at Newgate the night before an execution was the prelude to the journey to Tyburn. The morning tolling of the Prostitutes Bell coincided with the condemned being loaded into the cart. The sound marked the commencement of their final procession through the streets, a journey that ended beneath the Tyburn Tree. When executions moved from Tyburn to the open space outside Newgate Prison in 1783, the bell’s role remained crucial, now signaling the final moments just steps from the prison door to the scaffold. Both the bell and the gallows were potent symbols of state power and public mortality.

How Did the Legend of the “Prostitutes Bell” Develop?

The legend developed through the grim convergence of the bell’s ritual, the location, public behavior, and the passage of time, transforming a somber religious act into a symbol of the sordid commerce surrounding death.

Several factors fueled the nickname:

• The Ritual’s Timing & Location: The midnight tolling marked the “last night” of the condemned. Newgate was located in a bustling, often seedy part of London.
• The Execution Eve Atmosphere: The night before a hanging saw large, unruly crowds gather near the prison – a mix of the morbidly curious, vendors, families of the condemned, pickpockets, and inevitably, sex workers seeking clients in the chaotic throng.
• Folk Association: People observed the correlation: the bell tolled at midnight, and prostitutes (among many others) were present in the area. Over time, cause and effect became blurred in popular imagination. The bell wasn’t *for* the prostitutes, but its sound *meant* they (and the crowds) would be there.
• Sensationalism & Stigma: The term “Prostitutes Bell” is inherently sensational. It captured the perceived depravity and moral decay associated with the execution spectacle – the juxtaposition of imminent death with base commerce and vice. The name stuck as a piece of dark, popular folklore, overshadowing the bell’s original religious purpose.

The name reflects less on the bell itself and more on the complex, often ugly, social realities surrounding public executions in London.

Where Can You See the Bell Today?

The original handbell used in the execution ritual is preserved and displayed at the Museum of London.

After the ritual ceased following the removal of public executions (the last at Newgate was in 1868), the bell remained at St. Sepulchre’s for many years. It was eventually transferred to the Museum of London’s collection for preservation and public display. Visiting the Museum of London (currently closed for relocation, but its collection will move to a new site in West Smithfield) is the only way to see the authentic artifact. It serves as a powerful, tangible link to this dark chapter of London’s past. At St. Sepulchre’s Church, while the original execution bell is absent, there is a replica handbell displayed near the entrance, and the church also houses a prominent memorial to Robert Dowe and his bequest, keeping the memory of the ritual alive.

What is the Legacy of the Prostitutes Bell?

The legacy of the Prostitutes Bell is multifaceted: a grim historical artifact, a symbol of penal severity, a piece of social folklore, and a reminder of the complex human realities surrounding death and punishment.

Historical Artifact: It provides a direct, chilling connection to the realities of capital punishment in London for over 250 years.
Symbol of Brutality: It represents the psychological torture inflicted on the condemned and the public spectacle of death sanctioned by the state.
Social History: The nickname “Prostitutes Bell” encapsulates the unintended consequences of public executions – the crowds, the commerce, the moral ambiguities, and the lives intertwined with the machinery of death at the fringes.
Cultural Memory: It persists in books, tours (like the “Haunted London” or “Execution” walks), and online lore, often focusing on the macabre and sensational aspects. It serves as a potent reminder of a time when justice was brutally public and death was a communal event marked by both piety and profanity. The bell’s story forces us to confront the uncomfortable intersections of punishment, religion, commerce, and public morality in the city’s past.