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Marshalsea

American  
[mahr-shuhl-see] / ˈmɑr ʃəlˌsi /

noun

British History.
  1. the court of the marshal of the royal household.

  2. a debtors' prison in London, abolished in 1842.


Marshalsea British  
/ ˈmɑːʃəlˌsiː /

noun

  1. (formerly in England) a court held before the knight marshal: abolished 1849

  2. a prison for debtors and others, situated in Southwark, London: abolished in 1842

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of Marshalsea

1350–1400; Middle English marchalsye, variant of marschalcie. See marshal, -cy

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

He briefly ran his own financial consultancy, which he named Marshalsea Associates, after the prison in “Little Dorrit.”

From New York Times • Aug. 15, 2021

His grandfather was a servant, and his father, John Dickens, was an impecunious minor civil servant ultimately sent to the notorious debtors’ prison, Marshalsea.

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 6, 2020

Left: took his selfie while filming at the wall of Marshalsea debtors' prison.

From BBC • Apr. 7, 2014

John Dickens, the father of the novelist, was thrown into the Marshalsea for debt, an experience young Charles never forgot – and used to brilliant effect in Little Dorrit.

From The Guardian • Mar. 18, 2013

On the 29th of October Holles, with Eliot and Valentine, was transferred to the Marshalsea.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 13, Slice 5 "Hinduism" to "Home, Earls of" by Various

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