Selected quad for the lemma: death_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
death_n	age_n	life_n	year_n	4,245	5	4.7587	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A28422	Bloody news from Shrewsbury being a true and perfect relation of a horrible villain, by name Thomas Renolds ... he before he was eighteen years of age, murdered Alice Stephens, and her daughter ... for all which, and many other smaller facts ... he was condemned and hanged in chains at Shrewsbury the 14th day of March, 1672/3.		1673 (1673)	Wing B3279; ESTC R35350	2,714	8

Bloody Nevvs FROM SHREWSBURY BEING A True and Perfect Relation of a Horrible Villain by Name Thomas Re●nolds who ●ately lived at Aldow neer Ludlow in the County of Sal●p He before he was Eighteen years of Age Murdered Alice St●phens and her Daughter Martha Cutting their Throats as they were asleep and having done set their house on fire which consumed several of the adjacent Houses He likewise set on fire one Goodman Merick's House while he his Wife and one Child difficultly escaped through the Flames Also he twice attempted to Murder one Mis. C●rfeilds but was disappointed for all which and many other smaller facts as Robbery Burglary c. He was Condemned and Hanged in Chains at Shrewsbury the 14th day of March 1672 3 With Allowance London Printed for R. Burton and P. Brooksby next Doors to the Ball in West-Smith-field 1673. Bloody News From Shrevvsbury AT Aldow in the Parish of Steak-Sag neer unto Ludlow in the County of Salop there lived a fellow about eighteen years of age and though he were mean enough in his Parentage Habit and Education yet no way despicable except in his lewd life and shameful death His name was Thomas Reynols eminent for Pilfering even from his Child-hood w●ich he had ever an audacious and peremptory way of denying And as he increased in years so he did not only in inclinations to do ill but also in subtilty and strength to prosecute the projects which his wicked heart daily suggested to him and to which his subtile head continually shewed him the way Being grown to the Age of Sixteen he became a notable hardy and sturdy Villain excellently subtile in contriving and admirably audacious in prosecuting any mischiefs whatsoever Some of the most eminent you find in this Relation from which it will not be very difficult to guess at the rest Upon the Sixteenth day of February 1673 he was observed to rise very early in the morning before or as ●oon as ever the day began to appear and being asked what business he had to do so timely he either answered churlishly or doubtfully but however went away with a resolution of doing a Villany that my hand shakes to Write of and will I believe make many a mans heart ake to read There lived at that time in the same Parish one John Stephens and he was a very honest laborious man in his Calling it seems he was a day labourer and usually went abroad every morning early to some or other of his Masters thereabout to work which he did this morning as formerly he had done leaving Alice his Wife and his only Daughter Martha at home to such employments as became people of their degree and Sex this was perceived and observed by our hatcher of Wickedness the wretched Thomas Reynols who being informed by others or fancying of himself that there might be something in Stephen's house worth the putting in practice of this his murderous design animated by the Devil or what was almost as bad by his own diabolical and mischievous heart he enters the house about seven of the Clock in the Morning and bringing with him a large ●nife made very sharp for that purpose goes to their bed-side and while they poor wretches were asleep not thinking of doing harm or dreaming of reciving any this bloody Miscreant taking first the Mother and afterwards the Daughter by the throat he cuts them clean through the Wind-pipe whence issued forth such a fierce torrent of blood as flew all about the face and cloaths of the Murderer as if it had designed to discover or according to its power to revenge the injury done to those bodies to whom it had for many years been so friendly a Guest but though at present its endeavours are too weak to effect its desired revenge till Gods time is come yet in the mean while it crys loud for it so loud that one time or other the crys shall be assuredly heard as you shall see hereafter After this bloody Fact the Author of it thinking himself unsafe and imagining that should the dead bodies be found in that gastly manner he might in time be discovered he hardens himself in his Wickededness and to secure all goes with a Fire-brand ●nseen and sets fire to the house till it was all in Flames which not only consumed three or four of the adjacent houses but also the body of the murdered Guests it did contain Thus did that place which was a Shelter and Sanctuary to the living prove a Grave or rather an Urne to the dead and they who before had preserved its Roof then fed its Flames And now our bloody wretch thinking his Villany to have been consumed in those Flames it caused goes to a Well to wash away the substance of the Blood but not the guilt of it And having given himself imaginary absolutions he adventures boldly to behold his own Fires as ever Nero whom he out-did even in Cruelty Encouraged by this as he called it happy success he thought himself in a very fair way to get an estate as we say out of the Fire and therefore resolves to put in practice the Husbandry I have observed in some Countries believing he might better his Estate by burning To this purpose he resolves upon a design in all Circumstances exactly tallying the former but only in the success of it There lived not far from this place one Goodman Merick whose manner of life and other circumstances I for brevities sake omit as not pertinent to our present Relation supposing it sufficient to acquaint you that this Thomas Renolds with inventions equally bloody and designs altogether as cunning while the said Merick together with his Wife and one Child were all in bed sets fire to the house which imediately being Thatch becomes a body of Flames and the first Summons that the inhabitants received was an astonishing noise of Flame which yet hardly appeared through the thick Clouds of smoak Merick newly awakned is strangely surprised as well with the unexpec●●●ness as d●●ger of the accident But be is no Salamander he cannot stay there nor had he leisure to consult how to go but on a suddain takes up his Wife and Child and carries them through the flames in the Sheet they lay upon which had he not done with strange dexterity and strength they had doubtless found there both a Death-bed and a Winding-sheet and had become like the former as it were Sacrifices to his Cruelty To what intent he acted this hainous Fact whether out of Malice or design of Gain is not known But certainly what ever his designs were the means he made use of to accomplish them were the most unheard of and Tragical that any story mentions After this he breaks open another Neighbours House while the people were abroad and not finding in it a Booty answerable to his expectations he falls to work with a Barrel of Metheglin they had in the House of which he tasted so plentifully that he became very Drunk Yet was he so cunning as to retreat into an adjoyning Barn belonging to one Mr. Baughs where he was Apprehended and immediately committed by a Justice of Peace to Shrewsbury Goal Where he received his Tryal the 11th of this Instant March And by his own Conf●ssion he was found Guilty of all the forementioned Facts Together with the cruelty he had plotted against the Wife of one Mr. Corfeilds of Ferny-hall whom he had twice attempted to Murder but her Husband being at home he was disappointed But those he had the misfortune to effect were sufficient to entitle him to the Gibbet and accordingly Sentence was passed on him the 13th of the same March to be Hanged in Chains which was Executed on the morrow accordingly FINIS