subs. (thieves’).—A prison; the inmates are called COLLEGIANS or COLLEGIATES (q.v.); Newgate was formerly called ‘the CITY COLLEGE.’ The Spanish Germania has colegio and collège is found in the argot of French thieves.
1703. Title, ‘The History of Whittington’s COLLEDGE otherwise (vulgarly) called Newgate. London, Printed in the Year 1703.’
1785. GROSE, A Classical Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue. COLLEGE, Newgate, or any other prison.
1836. DICKENS, Pickwick Papers (about 1827), p. 370 (ed. 1857). ‘Mornin’, gen’l’mem,’ said Sam, entering at the moment with the shoes and gaiters; ‘avay vith melancholly, as the little boy said ven his schoolmissus died. Velcome to the COLLEGE, gen’l’mem.’
1859. G. W. MATSELL, Vacabulum; or, The Rogue’s Lexicon, p. 20. COLLEGE: a State prison.
1889. Answers, 8 June, p. 25. I have since met several men whom I knew in prison at one time or other, and most of them have recognised me; but only one other has stopped me to remind me that we were at ‘COLLEGE’ together.
