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news in chapel。 This too was one of her lies。 She had heard the news
hours before。 A turnkey； pointing out the lie to her； urged her to confess
for the easing of her mind。
One account I have of the Tanfield Court murders speaks of the
custom there was at this time of the bellman of St Sepulchre's appearing
outside the gratings of the condemned hold just after midnight on the
morning of executions。＇25＇ This performance was provided for by
bequest from one Robert Dove； or Dow； a merchant… tailor。 Having rung
his bell to draw the attention of the condemned （who； it may be gathered；
were not supposed to be at all in want of sleep）； the bellman recited these
verses：
All you that in the condemned hold do lie； Prepare you； for to…
morrow you shall die。 Watch all and pray； the hour is drawing near
That you before th' Almighty must appear。
Examine well yourselves； in time repent； That you may not
t'eternal flames be sent： And when St 'Pulchre's bell to…morrow tolls；
The Lord above have mercy on your souls！ Past twelve
o'clock！＇26＇
＇25＇ It was once done by the parish priest。 （Stowe's Survey of
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London； p。 195； fourth edition； 1618。）
＇26＇ The bequest of Dove appears to have provided for a further pious
admonition to the condemned while on the way to execution。 It was
delivered by the sexton of St Sepulchre's from the steps of that church； a
halt being made by the procession for the purpose。 This admonition；
however； was in fair prose。
A fellow…prisoner or a keeper bade Sarah Malcolm heed what the
bellman said； urging her to take it to heart。 Sarah said she did； and threw
the bellman down a shilling with which to buy himself a pint of wine。
Sarah； as we have seen； was denied the honour of procession to Tyburn。
Her sentence was that she was to be hanged in Fleet Street； opposite the
Mitre Court； on the 7th of March； 1733。 And hanged she was
accordingly。 She fainted in the tumbril； and took some time to recover。
Her last words were exemplary in their piety； but in the face of her
vindictive lying； unretracted to the last； it were hardly exemplary to repeat
them。
She was buried in the churchyard of St Sepulchre's。
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V： ALMOST A LADY＇27＇
＇27＇ Thanks to my friend Billy Bennett； of music…hall fame； for his
hint for the chapter title。
Born （probably illegitimately） in a fisherman's cottage； reared in a
workhouse； employed in a brothel； won at cards by a royal duke； mistress
of that duke； married to a baron； received at Court by three kings （though
not much in the way of kings）； accused of cozenage and tacitly of murder；
died full of piety； ‘cutting up' for close on L150；000there； as it were in a
nutshell； you have the life of Sophie Dawes； Baronne de Feucheres。
In the introduction to her exhaustive and accomplished biography of
Sophie Dawes；＇28＇ from which a part of the matter for this resume is
drawn； Mme Violette Montagu； speaking of the period in which Sophie
lived； says that ‘‘Paris； with its fabulous wealth and luxury； seems to have
been looked upon as a sort of Mecca by handsome Englishwomen with
ambition and； what is absolutely necessary if they wish to be really
successful； plenty of brains。''
＇28＇ Sophie Dawes； Queen of Chantilly （John Lane； 1912）。
It is because Sophie had plenty of brains of a sort； besides the
attributes of good looks； health； and by much a disproportionate share of
determination； and because； with all that she attained to； she died quite
ostracized by the people with whom it had been her life's ambition to mix；
and was thus in a sense a failureit is because of these things that it is
worth while going into details of her career； expanding the precis with
which this chapter begins。
Among the women selected as subjects for this book Sophie Dawes as
a personality wins ‘hands down。' Whether she was a criminal or not is a
question even now in dispute。 Unscrupulous she certainly was； and a
good deal of a rogue。 That modern American product the ‘gold…digger' is
what she herself would call a ‘piker' compared with the subject of this
chapter。 The blonde bombshell； with her ‘sugar daddy；' her alimony
‘racket；' and the hundred hard…boiled dodges wherewith she chisels money
and goods from her prey； is； again in her own crude phraseology； ‘knocked
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for a row of ash…cans' by Sophie Dawes。 As； I think； you will presently
see。
Sophie was born at St Helens； Isle of Wightaccording to herself in
1792。 There is controversy on the matter。 Mme Montagu in her book
says that some of Sophie's biographers put the date at 1790； or even 1785。
But Mme Montagu herself reproduces the list of wearing apparel with
which Sophie was furnished when she left the ‘house of industry' （the
workhouse）。 It is dated 1805。 In those days children were not
maintained in poor institutions to the mature ages of fifteen or twenty。
They were supposed to be armed against life's troubles at twelve or even
younger。 Sophie； then； could hardly have been born before 1792； but is
quite likely to have been born later。
The name of Sophie's father is given as ‘‘Daw。'' Like many another
celebrity； as； for example； Walter Raleigh and Shakespeare； Sophie spelled
her name variously； though ultimately she fixed on ‘‘Dawes。'' Richard；
or Dickey； Daw was a fisherman for appearance sake and a smuggler for
preference。 The question of Sophie's legitimacy anses from the fact that
her mother； Jane Callaway； was registered at death as ‘‘a spinster。''
Sophie was one of ten children。 Dickey Daw drank his family into the
poorhouse； an institution which sent Sophie to fend for herself in 1805；
procuring her a place as servant at a farm on the island。
Service on a farm does not appear to have appealed to Sophie。 She
escaped to Portsmouth； where she found a job as hotel chambermaid。
Tiring of that； she went to London and became a milliner's assistant。 A
little affair we hear； in which a mere water…carrier was an equal participant；
lost Sophie her place。 We next have word of her imitating Nell Gwynn；
both in selling oranges to playgoers and in becoming an actressnot；
however； at Old Drury； but at the other patent theatre； Covent Garden。
Save that as a comedian she never took London by storm； and that she
lacked Nell's unfailing good humour； Sophie in her career matches Nell in
more than superficial particulars。 Between s