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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
death_n	child_n	father_n	son_n	6,646	5	5.2190	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A28412	The Bloody murtherer, or, The unnatural son his just condemnation at the assizes held at Monmouth, March 8, 1671/2 with the suffering of his sister and servant, for the murther of his mother, Mrs. Grace Jones, for which the said son was prest to death, his sister burnt, and his boy hang'd : with a true accompt of their trials, penitent behaviour, prayers, speeches, and circumstances thereunto relating : with letters of several worthy divines.		1672 (1672)	Wing B3259; ESTC R18868	28,377	74

that Age which loyally though not always truly entitles us to discretion but he was freed from the Tyranny of the Rod and Ferula and Articl'd with an Attorney an Imploy not unlike to continue and thrive since Pride Fraud Malice Revenge and Contention do daily increase amongst Neighbours But Ludit in Humanis divina Potentia rebus We fondly to our selves great things propose But their Events 't is Heaven alone that knows Whilst his careful and Indulgent Parents feed themselves with hopes of his rising by the Law 'T is alas his destiny most wretchedly to fall by it He wore out his five years Tearm with his Master without any thing worthy of 〈…〉 unless we shall say that by keeping debauched Company learning to drink and other Extravagancies too frequently practised by some I had almost said in this seducing Age by most young Cl●rks he then laid a foundation for the sad Superstructure of his succeeding life and that his ruine may perhaps not amiss be calculated from thence After the Expiration of his said Tearm he continued some time in London making Addresses and Courtship to several Women but not succeeding herein and his father being lately dead leaving him some estate though it seems not enough to satisfie his boundless desires He thereupon returns home to Monmouth and married the Daughter of a Glocester-shire Gentleman with whom as 't is reported he had a competent Portion and one that had it stood with the Decrees of Providence seem'd to deserve a better Match since Fame gives her the commendable Character of vertuous and discreet But since Marriages are first ordained in Heaven before they are consummated on Earth 't is equal vanity in any that have submitted their Necks to that yoke to murmur and complain As 't is for Bowlers when they have made their Cast to cry either Rub or Fly Heaven to some gives agreeable and happy Consorts to assist and support their weaknesses to others lewd and unequal Yoke-fellows for the trial of their patience The first have Reason to applaud its mercy in Hymns of Thanksgiving the last to evidence their own obedience by a cheerful submission in the discharge of their Duties The old Gentleman his father being very tenderly affectionate towards his wife and having other children fot her to maintain left her at his death an estate of about 100 l. per ann for life that was afterwards to descend to the said Henry her son which brings us directly to the occasion that first excited this inconsiderate wicked young Man to the horrid thoughts of murthering her He found this rate of living above what his estate or Practice of Law which he followed in the Country could maintain and would often be borrowing money of his Mother somtimes pretending one urgent occasion and then another which she like a kind Mother for several times very readily supply'd him with At last finding by his often requests her small Exchequer would soon be exhausted and that he wasted it vainly and profusely she grew more reserved and less free to part with her money which put him into a rage and the devil takes hold of the opportunity to mind him of 100 l. per ann to come to him after her death and suggested that she liv'd too long hereupon without fear of God or regard to his soul he like an unnatural Villain entertains thoughts of sending her out of the world hellish thoughts and infernal resolutions which will not only strangle those that embrace but confound all that hearken to them he consults about this bloody business with his will not his conscience with his wicked heart but not with his precious soul His faith is so weak towards God and so strong with the devil that he will not retire with grace but advance with impiety His wilde youth hath no regard to her Reverend Age nor hath all the blood that streams in his veins power to prompt him that 't is derived from hers which he goes about most inhumanely to spill he is hellishly resolved on the matter and now proceeds to the manner of her Tragedy He proposes to himself several ways for to murther her and the Devil who is never absent on such hellish occasions makes him as well industrious as vindictive and implacable in the contriving and finishing it At last having a servant a Boy of about fifteen years of Age named George Bridges the son as is reported of a Butcher he resolves to make him his Confederate and Confident in this black design whereupon preparing him with fair words obliging him to secrecie with horrid Oathes and Imprecations and tempting him with a Promise of five pounds in Money and a new suit of Cloathes for his infernal service in the business he discovers to him his intentions of killing his Mother and engag'd him therein But she seldom going forth they knew not how to bring about their wicked purpose though for a Moneth together they waited for an opportunity At last he inspires them with a stratagem which took effect to all their Ruines Thi● wicked Son and his young Villain privately steal several Sheaves of Corn out of a Barn his Mother had in the Fields not above a quarter of a Mile distant from Monmouth Town and carry them down to a small Wood about two Furlongs beyond the said Barn on a River-side call'd Munnow being a place designed for Executing their Inhumane Villiany having thus laid the Train and spread his Nets for the Life of his Innocent Mother this graceless Son on Wednesday the Eleventh of October last past like a cursed Hypocrite under the officious and specious pretences of care and diligence invites his tender Mother to her own bloody Funeral coming and acquainting her that she had certainly lost Corn out of her aforesaid Barn and that he had often told her so but she would never beleeve it but now he could make it appear if she would be pleased to go with him thither and that she would do very well to look after it Hereupon through his much importunity she condescended and went with him towards the Evening in her Slippers to the Barn where seeing Corn scattered towards the afore-mentioned Wood he told her it was gone that way to his knowledge for says he if you go but a little further you shall find several Sheaves of your Wheat which she yielding to came to the Wood-side but was very unwilling to go in till by his Intreaties she was prevail'd upon and according to his Stories found indeed several Sheaves but meets also with a Death no less cruel then unexpected for as she was stooping to take up some of the ears of Corn and rubbing them in her hands to see whether they were thresh'd or no this graceless inhumane and unnatural Wretch her Son attended with his aforesaid Confederate George Bridges who had waited on them thither discharges a Pistol at her from which she received a mortal shot with a slug or loget in the right side

of her head about an inch above her ear the slug remaining in her head the Wound was found when prob'd by Chyrurgions to be about six inches in length she falling down they for the present left her but fearing it seems they had not compleatly done their work about two houres after they return and though one would have thought the direful Reflections on what they had done might have rais'd in them a Consternation and the ghastly spectacle of a Murthered Mother touch'd and somewhat mollified the obdurate heart of this wicked son yet contrariwise so little were they dismay'd thereat and such small Impression could this woful Object make on their savage spirits That these sons of darkness fell afresh to their bloody banquet it being then about 9. of the Clock the same Evening when the amazed and blushing Sun had withdrawn it self far enough from beholding so foul and barbarous an Action And then the young Assassinate George Bridges young indeed in years but old in wickedness steps on ●●e bloody stage to present the second Act of this most lamentable Tragedy for doubting she was not yet quite dead and her soul fully dispatch'd into the other world this young son of Belial George Bridges with a Knife cuts her throat making a Transcision about five inches long clear through the great Artery and Jugular veins and as 't is credibly related this Imp of Hell a stranger to Grace and Rebel to Nature scoffingly told his Master on that horrid occasion That his Mothers throat cut as tough as an old Ewes and here 't is observable how these two wretched creatures could be so hardned in wickedness and bold in villany as to have the impious courage to return unto the place and person where they had so lately committed such an abomination for although their Guide and Conductor the black Prince of the Air assisted them with the obscurity of Night yet every Bird and Bush might methinks have strucken Terror in their conscious souls and they might by time have reflected on what they had done and consider'd they had b●en hatching Cockatrice-Eggs and weaving the Spiders web But God was not i● all their thoughts and the Divel had lull'd the ●eared cons●ences into a lethargick Slumber not to be awakened but with Thunder their thoughts were wholly th●●ghts of Blood wasting and destruction were in their paths which in short time fell on their own heads this being done the son then took from her what money she had about her reported to be about 5 li. enough to pay the Villain his promised reward that assisted in her murther and several Rings off her fingers which Providence after order'd partly to discover it then they endeavor'd to drag her dead body to the before-mention'd river Munnow hard by the wood-side but it prov'd too heavy for them or on I know not what other considerations they at last left it neer the place where they did the Fact the boy went to the farm-house of his slain Mystriss near the wood the son home to her house in Monmouth who coming to the door gave a little rap with his fingers his Sister Mary who stay'd up for him presently let him in as 't was afterwards prov'd against her at the Assizes that night wash'd his bloody clothes Next morning early on Thursday Octob. 12. a poor woman of Monmouth going into this Wood to gather some sticks saw this dead body and approching neer fo●nd it to be Mrs. Jones whom she well knew and therupon returning back acquainted the Magistrates that in such a wood lay such a person murther'd on which they went to the house of Mrs. Grace Jones and found her son Henry in bed and told him they heard his Mother was murther'd he made strange of it and seem'd to be much troubled at it but going with the townsmen to the place where his mother lay dead by her was found several footsteps and measuring the feet of them that were present they found those footsteps ●o fit the feet of Henry Jones and suspecting him 〈◊〉 be concerned they charged him with the murther and had him and his Man before two or three Justices met for that purpose who examin'd first the Boy and then the Master the Boy confess'd that his Master shot her in the head and the Master said the Boy cut her throat and so the one impeach'd the other After this the daughter M. Jones was taken into examination suspecting her to be guilty with her brother in this Murther not only for beating of the little children for crying and making enquiry for their mother but for washing her Brothers bloody cloaths and endeavoring to conceal her mothers death yet some friends thinking her to be innocent became Bail for her shewent at liberty but within five or six weeks after she made her escape from Monmouth and was gone several miles towards London which the Bail hearing of she was pursued apprehended and carried back again where she was committed prisoner till the next Assizes together with her brother and the said George Bridges After Mr. Jones's commitment several able Ministers went to visit him viz. The Reverend and learned Dr. Goodwin Minister of the Town of Monmouth Mr. Pollington Minister of Newland and Mr. Betham Minister of Whit-Church who used their most strenuous endeavors to make him sensible of the heinousness of his sin with which from the first moment of his being taken into custody he seem'd to be extremely affected besides these one Mr. Jackman Minister of Newent sent a Letter of Advice to him which being full of excellent Matter we should not discharge our duty if we did not publish it here verbatim as followeth A Godly learned Ministers Letter to Mr. Jones soon after he was committed to prison SIR IN giving you the trouble of these Lines I have no other design than the discharge of my Conscience and the awakening of yours by a faithful and friendly admonition My Office as a Minister binds me to lay out my self for the salvation of mens Souls and being deeply apprehensive of the danger of yours both in respect of that bloody fact which you have committed and the sins which made God leave you to commit that unnatural Murder I could not but give you my best advice though at a distance Now since Conviction of Sin is the first step to Repentance I beseech you in the fear of God to consider how hideous and gastly the Sin is which you have commited which had it been only of a stranger that had no way obliged you might have made you go mourning to your Grave How much more then to take away the Life of her who gave you yours that bare you in her Womb dandled you on her Knees and nursed you in her bosom Oh! of what a deep dye is a Mothers Blood what a prodigious sin is Matricide In this how have you out sinned Cain as much as a Mother is dearer than a Brother and hath

done more for you than a Brother or Sister can do Can a Mother forget her Child saith the Prophet Isa 49.15 But can a Child forget a Mother Could you forget what pains she underwent in bearing what trouble in nursing what care in providing for you But then if you consider yet further How suddenly you thrust her out of the world whereby she was deprived of time to put the affairs of her Soul in order it may more humble you and consider whether depriving her of space to call on the Lord for mercy you may not have hurt her Soul more than her Body especially if she was taken away in an unprepared estate And further all this was done not rashly in your drink or passion but was a premeditate and deliberate act of your Soul Oh! how doth my Soul bleed at the consideration of your horrid Sin mine Eyes are not dry whilst I write I know not how yours are in reading it As t' was an act of your hand your body was guilty of the Sin but as it was a deliberate act your Soul is partaker in the guilt and both Soul and Body defiled with your Mothers blood But alas my Brother the act is not all though bloody the corruption of Nature and Fountain that sent forth those bitter streams is to be bewailed The Cause is worse than the Effect that deep pollution of your Nature and that corruption which put on this wicked act is to be bewailed The sins of your life which provoked God to give you up to shed a Mothers blood are to be lamented It is like by committing many other sins and by neglecting to serve God your heart came to be hardened by degrees and so from one wickedness to another till at last you adventured on this high crime Think then I beseech you in how full a manner your Heart was under the dominion of the Devil and what quiet and peaceable possession he had of your Soul so that if this sin had not been committed you might have perished for your other transgressions And now I beseech you to consider whether it doth not concern you to think in what a woful estate your Soul is when a studied and deliberate slaughter of a Mother fills up the measure of your sins what hope remaineth of escaping Eternal misery without deep and sound Repentance when the Scripture saith expresly that Murderers are shut out of Heaven Rev. 22.15 I write not this to drive you to despair but to draw you to Repentance And oh that you would cast your self down in the dust and bitterly bewail this bloody and black sin with the sins of your life which prepared you for this Oh that you would be continually on your Knees begging for Pardon and Peace Oh that your head were a Fountain of Tears and that you could weep day and night for the wrong you have done not only to your own Soul but also to him that made you and her that bare you Great sins must have great Repentance 't is not true except it he very deep 't is not true except it be for all as well as some 't is not true except it be for sin as sin t is not true except it bewails original corruption as Davids Repentance of his Murder and Adultery left not his depravity unlamented Psal 51.5 Now that you may not miscarry this great work of such high concernment but that your Repentance may be Repentance unto Salvation never to be repented of I beseech you for Gods and your own Souls sake to observe and follow these directions 1. Beware of whatsoever may be an hindrance to the true humiliation of your Soul Take heed of too much company or bad company privacy or retiredness may be much for your advantage vain company will have vain discourse desire all such to depart from you whose discourse tends not to your Souls profit let only such be conversant with you who will help you in your work which is to fit your self for an happy Eternity 2. Take heed of worldly and vain discourse loose not precious time in unprofitable talk spend not your Breath otherwise than in penitent sighs groans and prayers and in giving warning to such as come about you to avoid the sins which brought you to this sad condition 3 Take heed of pleasing your appetite in taking too much drink or in a too liberal use of meats be much in fasting which is an help to Prayer and let the diet you take be moderate and mean as becomes one that judgeth himself unworthy of life or comfort abstinence from the enjoyments of this life is a great help and furtherance of mortification and humiliation Bishop Atherton found that by shutting the Windows making the room somewhat dark was helpful to humiliation 4. Take heed of thinking that if your life pay for your Mothers you do thereby make satisfaction to God for though that be some satisfaction to the Law of the Land yet not to God who is only satisfied by the death of his Son Jesus Christ which satisfaction you must lay hold on by Faith and apply the blood of Christ to wash away the foul sins of your Mothers blood And such faith cannot be separated from true repentance therefore you must practice the one that you may be assured of the other 2. Embrace all means that may further and promote you in the way and work of Repentance 1. Read much in the Scriptures and such Soul-searching Books as may help to awaken direct comfort and further you in the way of Salvation especially look much into those books as treat of Conversion Repentance and the last things as Death Judgment Heaven and Hell it would do well also to get such Books as have been set forth of penitent Malefactors as Bishop Atherton Nathaniel Butler Thomas Savage and others who being cast into Prison for great crimes were through Divine mercy brought to Repentance and left the world not without hope of Salvation read also the Penetential Psalms and labour to get your heart affected by reading and be not contented except you profit by it 2. Meditate much on the guilt of your last great sin and the former that led you to it wast no thoughts about the world or worldly things think much how God might possibly chastise your Parents for their worldliness in and by you for whom it may be they were more careful to provide than for their immortal Souls And think also of your own ingratitude who requited a dear Mother so evil as to take away her life whose greatest fault it may be was that she was too eager to make you great and rich in this world Think also of the strict Justice and severe vengeance of God whose wrath is a consuming fire and also who is a terrible avenger of Innocent blood which cryeth for vengeance think also what is like to become of the Body and Soul of that poor wretch who was your Companion in guilt and

man die shall he live again All the days of my appointed time will I wait till my Change come Psal 88.2 3 9 10 12. Let my Prayer com● before thee incline thine ear unto my cry For my Soul is full of troubles and my life draweth nigh unto the Grave Mine Eye mournet● by reason of affliction Lord I have called dail● upon thee I have stretched out mine hands unt● thee Wilt thou shew wonders to the dead shall the Dead arise and praise thee shall thy wonders be known in the dark and thy Righteousness in the Land of forgetfulness Psal 6.1 4 5. O Lord rebuke me not in thine anger neither chasten me in thy hot displeasure Return O Lord deliver my Soul O save me for thy Mercy sake For in death there is no remembrance of thee in the Grave there is no giving thanks unto thee Psal 15.5 Behold I was born in sin and in Iniquity did my Mother conceive me Psal 25.11 Against thee O Lord have I sinned against thee even thee O Lord have I sinned and done wickedly and Lord pardon mine Iniquity for it is exceeding great John 6.37 And he that cometh unto me I will in no wise cast out 2 Sam. 12.9 13. David said to Nathan I have sinned against the Lord and Nathan said to David the Lord also hath put away thy sin Isa 45.18 19. I said not to the seed of Jacob seek ye me in vain Isa 55.7 Let the wicked forsake his way and the unrighteous man his thoughts and let him return unto the Lord and he will abundantly pardon Ezek. 18.23 30 32. Have I any pleasure at all that the wicked should die saith the Lord and not that he should turn from his ways and live Repent and turn your selves from all your transgressions so Iniquity shall not be your ruine for I have no pleasure in him that dyeth wherefore turn your selves and live Mica 7.18 Who is a God like unto thee that pardonest Iniquity and passeth by transgression that retainest not thy anger for ever and delightest in Mercy Mat. 18.11 the Son of man is come to save that which was lost 1 Tim. 1.15 This is a faithfull saying and worthy of all acceptation that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners whereof I am chief Isa 55.7 Let the wicked forsake his ways and the unrighteous his Imaginations and return to the Lord and he will have Mercy upon him and to our God for he is ready to forgive Isa 57.10 I have seen his ways and will hear him I will lead him and restore comfort unto him and to those that lament Psal 103.13 As a Father hath compassion on his Children so hath the Lord compassion on them that fear him Psal 144.3 Lord what is man that thou takest Knowledge of him or the Son of man that thou makest account of him Job 16.21 22. O that one might plead for a man with God as a man pleaded for his Neighbour When a few days are come then I shall go the way whence I shall not return In this manner this penitent Malefactor passed the time in a very sorrowfull and Religious frame of Spirit for about half a year in Prison untill the last assizes for Monmouth the seventh of March last past at which time being brought to his Tryal out of consideration as 't is believed to save his Estate for his VVife and Child whereof she was there ready to be delivered he would not plead to the Indictment but stood mute and thereupon had Judgment to be pressed to death a Sentence that carryes with it so much of terrour that we think it not improper to set it down with the Reason thereof as one published by that grand Piller of your Law the learned Lord Cook in the second Book of his Institutes in his Comment on Prim. Westm Cvp. 12. The Judgement or Sentence in case of standing mute called Pain Fort Dure THat the Prisoner shall be remanded to the Prison and laid there in some low and dark house where he shall lie naked on the bare Earth without any Litter Rush or other Cloathing and without any Garment about him but something to cover his Privities and that he shall lye upon his back his head uncovered and his feet and one Arm shall be drawn to one quarter of the house and the other Arm to another quarter and in the same manner shall be done with his Legs and there shall be laid upon his Body Iron and Stone as much as he can bear and more and the next day following he shall have three Morsels of Barley without any Drink and the second day he shall drink thrice of the water that is next to the house of the Prison except running water without any Bread and this shall be his diet untill he be dead Thus we see they are to die three manner of ways viz. Onere Fame Frigore by weight famine and cold and therefore if executed according to the severity of the Law 't is a punishment of all others the most grievous and fearful the reason of this terrible Judgment is there rendred because he refused to stand to the common Law of the Land that is Lawful and due Tryal according to Law and thereupon his punishment for this contumacy is more severe lasting and grievous then it should have been for the crime it self if he had been Convicted of it which he cannot be without Answer THis Action of Mr. Jones standing mute administred occasion to some to dispute its lawfulness and theteupon a very Judicious Casuist drew up the ensuing Case of Conscience CASE OF CONSCIENCE Whether a guilty Malefactor ought to Answer to the lawful Demands of his Judge Affirmatur Because 1. He cannot deny a Truth whereof he is himself Convicted without Lying nor can he deny or any way detract from his Duty of Answering being demanded by a superiour and lawful Power without being likewise guilty of Contumacy and sad Inobedience 2. A Malefactor who is condemned already in foro Conscientiae cannot without remorse deny nor indeed wave or conceal his Confession when he is Juridice demanded without giving offence to the glory of God as it was in the Case of Achan Josh 7.19 3 The publick Good which is intended by the lawful demands of the Judge ought not to be frustrated Give me leave to speak conscienciously by the private evasions of the Criminal 4. The Person guilty not pleading may be supposed to die for his Crime of Contumacy not the Fact which requires satisfaction in this life 5. All humane Policy when repugnant to the manifestation of Justice legal Procedure and the Convictions of a tender though doubtful Conscience is altogether unallowable But to proceed in our Narrative The same way that was appointed for putting the before-recited terrible Sentence in Execution March 11 last he writ to his Wife as followeth Henry Jones his last Letter to his wife Dearest Deare AFter my hearty prayers to the