Selected quad for the lemma: justice_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
justice_n	person_n	say_a	session_n	3,171	5	10.8441	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
B02896	A declaration in answer to several lying pamphlets concerning the witch of Wapping being a more perfect relation of the arraignment, condemnation, and suffering of Jone Peterson, who was put to death on Munday the 22 of April, 1652. Shewing the bloudy plot and wicked conspiracy of one Abraham Vandenbernde, Thomas Crompton, Thomas Collet, and others.		1652 (1652)	Wing D598; ESTC R171711	5,374	14

A DECLARATION IN Answer to several lying Pamp 〈…〉 concerning the Witch of WAPPING BEING A more perfect Relation of the Arraignment Condemnation and Suffering of Jone Peterson who was put to death on Munday the 12 of April 1652. SHEVVING The Bloudy Plot and wicked Conspiracy of one Abraham Vandenbemde Thomas Crompton Thomas Collet and others LONDON Printed in the Year 1652. A Declaration In answer to severall lying Pamphlets concerning the witch of Wappin THe said Abraham Vandenbemde with other the said confederates having laid a Plot to take away the life of Mrs. Anne Levingston because the Lady Powel had given her an estate which some of them expected in December last repaired to one Jone Simpson and proffered her 10 l. in hand and 500 l. more in Hillary term following if she would swear that Mrs. Levingston had used sorcery withcrast to take away the Lady Powels life And on the 10 of Jan. then following one Anne Hook who pretends her self to be a cunning woman being imployed by the said confederates did perswade her thereunto offering her six score pounds and half the money which the said Vandenbemde and the said Cr●mpton were to give her and her husband for making their Affidavits if she would do the like But the said Simpson abhominating so wicked a practice to take away an innocent Gentlewomans life discovered the Plot for which conspiracies of the said confederates a speciall Supplicavit was granted out of Chancery to bind them to the good behaviour and other legal prosecutions are still depending against them But the said confederates not resting there in further prosecution of the Plot did imploy the aforesaid Hook to procure witnesses to swear what they desired who accordingly about January last came to the above-named Jone Peterson at her house in Spruce Island near Wapping and there made offer of 100 l. to her to swear that the said Mrs. Levingston had received from her the said Peterson certain powders and bags of seeds to help her in her law suits and to provoke unlawfull love as the said Jone Peterson did affirm before her triall But she refusing to do the same the said confederates to prevent the punishment which justly and vnavoidably must have befallen them in case the said Peterson should have revealed this their practice as Simpson before had done the other they lay a new design to anticipate the same as followeth On the 7th of March last the said confederates came to Wapping and got a warrant from one Mr. Waterton a Justice of the Peace to apprehend the said Petersons person and to search her house for Images of Clay Hair Nails which accordingly they did but upon strict search and diligent inquiry could find no such thing whereupon the said confederates carried her before the said Justice to have her examined where the said Vandenbemde Collet their Sollicitour and two or three other persons whom they brought with them sate at the table as the Justices Clerks to take her examination where the said Justice examined the said Peterson upon oath contrary to law concerning her using of witchcraft and sorcery to take away the life of the Lady Powel of Chelsey To which she answered that she never used sorcery or Witch-craft neither had she ever heard of the Lady Powel saving that not long before one Anne Hook an Irish woman came to her with one Goodwife Garland to have perswaded her to have made such an oath against Mrs. Levingston as she the said Hook her self before had done as the said Jone Peterson likewise did affirm before her death Whereupon the said Iustice contrary to law gave order to search her which was done but the searchers could find nothing on her body which might create the least suspition in them of her being a witch whereupon the said Justice took bayl for her appearance at the next Sessions And on the 14 of March following being the Sabboth day was by the said confederates means again apprehended and examined a new about the said Lady Powels death And the Argument which they then made use of to perswade the said Peterson to confess was that she needed not fear what she confessed for it was not her life they aimed at but to have matter whereby to accuse one Mrs. Levingston who had gotten the said Lady Powels estate and thereby had undone 36 Persons of the said Ladyes Kindred And then told her that they were shortly to question the said Mrs. Levingstone for the same either in the Parliament house or before a Committee as the said Jone Peterson did likewise affirme before her death Whereunto the said Jone Peterson replyed that she never knew nor heard of the said Lady Powell otherwise as aforesaid And that she had not heard from the said Mrs. Levingstone for above a yeare before that time Then they caused her contrary to Law to be searched againe in a most unnaturall Barbarous manner by fower women whom they themselves for that purpose had brought along with them on of which women told the Justice that there was a Teat * of flesh in her secret parts more then other women usually had whereupon the said Justice committed her first to New-prison and from thence to Newgate where she was left to the ordering and mercy of one Brooks a Keeper there and an Agent of the said confederates On Munday the 5th of April instant two Bills of indictment were preferred against her at Hicks-hall * and found by the Grand-Jury upon which indictments upon the 6th of April she was arraigned before Mr. Recorder who is of Councel for the conspirators and on the 7 of Apr. she was tried at which triall the said confederates who before had spent three weeks time at Wapping in procuring witnesses were present with three Councellors to prosecute the said Peterson Then the Court proceeded upon the first indictment which was for bewitching the Lady Powel to death whereupon many women persons of mean degree and of ill fame and reputation were produced against her and interrogated by the said Councel according to the Briefs delivered unto them wherein were all the witnesses testimonies written before hand And being asked what she had to say for her self upon her knees she took God to witnesse that she never knew the Lady Powel nor the house where she dwelt nor was any wise guilty of her death and delivered a paper of such witnesses as she had to defend her desiring that they might be called whereupon Dr. Bates and Dr. Colledon Physitians together with Mr. Stamford and Mr. Page Chyrurgians and divers other persons of good quality testified the disease manner of sickness and the cause of the said Ladies death which were the Dropsie the Scurvey and the yellow Jaundies and that they wondred how she was able to live so long having most of those diseases growing on her for many years before amongst which evidences the innocency of Mrs. Levingstone formerly by the confederates

maliciously aspersed and bespattered was now fully vindicated to their great astonishment trouble and disgrace Then the Court proceeded to the other Indictment which was for bewitching one Christopher Wilson who doth not himself complain of any such thing but the Confederates only and the only materiall evidence that then was against her was one Margaret Austin who had formerly been a wandering person but was in charity taken up relieved and kept by the said Jone Peterson until shee perceived that the said Austin had purloined some of her goods out of her house and two Witnesses more the substance of whose Testimony was as followeth That the said Wilson having been a long time sick and hearing that the said Peterson had done good to many sent for her to come to him who accordingly did and administred meanes for his Recovery which at first was conceived to do him good But he afterwards relapsed and the reason that was urged to induce the Court and Jury to believe that he was Bewitched was that dureing his sickness shee sent to him for monyes ●or her Phisick to whom Answer was returned that he could then send her none Whereupon it was then deposed that shee did reply that he had better have sent her monies for he should be to times worse then ever was And that afterwards he became very ill again and remained languishing Many other witnesses were produced but could only swear to generallities hear-says and most absurd and rediculous impertinences then being by 〈◊〉 Court demanded what she could say for her selfe she ●●sired that such Witnesses as she had then there prese●● might be called some of which durst not appeare becau●● that the said Mr. Waterton as the witnesses them selves doe and will affirme had threatned to send them to Ne●gate if they did appeare Whereupon severall witness●● were called and being demanded what they could say for the Prisoner they began to tell that they had knowne her a long time and that she had done many Cures and much good amongst the Neighboures but never knew that she did any ill But the Officers of the Court interrupted them saying in a taunting manner are you for a Witch and is this all you can say and so turned severall of them away before they could be further heard Then one came to the Court a Stranger to the prisoner and offered to depose that one in black called Thomas Southwick knowne to be servant to Thomas Cromton another of the confederats stood in the Sessions yard offering money to strangers there to come in and swear that the said Peterson was a Wtich and amongst the rest offered to give her mony if she would doe the same but he being called for could not be had nor would appeare although Colonell Okey and some other Justices upon the Bench desired the Recorder to take notice of it and to give Order that the said Thomas Southwick might be brought into Court Whereupon the Jury went forth and brought in their verdicts that the said Peterson was not guilty upon the first Jndictment of bewiching the Lady Powell to death But found her guilty upon the second for which she was then cast and the next day condemned to dye as a witch And after that the said confederates and their agents went very often to her promising her a Repreive or Pardon if she would confesse that Mrs. Levingstone had Imployed her to make away the life of the Lady Powell to which she replyed she could not because it was altogether false But one of the said confederates urging her againe to say something against Mrs. Levingstone she told him he was a rogue and gave him a blow on the face which made his nose bleed Where it is to be noted that what for love of money they could not tempt her to they resolved at last for love of her life to force her to by necessitating her either unjustly to confesse a notorious falsehood against the said Mrs. Levingstone or else to dye without mercy or Repreive which otherwise was proffered her by the said Confederates to make her unjust in doing the same On the 12 day the said Jone Peterson being brought to the place of Execution was by the Ordinary nine or ten times earnestly pressed to confesse something against the said Mrs. Levingstone Whereupon the Executioner told the Ordinary he might be ashamed to trouble a dying woman so much to which he replyed he was commanded so to doe and durst doe no otherwise And afterwards the said Ordinary still insisting in his discourse and very often pressing the said Peterson to confesse and discharge her conscience before God and the world she answered that she had already confessed before the Bench all she had to confesse that she had made her peace with God and therefore desired to dye in quiet for now she was to appeare before God who presently would Judge her and that God was witnes that she dyed Innocently and was in no wise guilty of what was laid to her charge and that she hoped he would freely forgive her all her sins and to this effect she still replyed to his frequent importunities And having gone to prayers she shewed her selfe very attentive and penitent and after Prayer called to sing the 25th Psalm which she performed very Christianly and cheerfully and so died c. The Copy of a Certificate under the hands of severall Doctors of Phisicke Chirurgions concerning the death of the Lady Powell October the 8. 1651. In the Body of the Lady Powell who dyed the seventh of this instant was observed The Skin vniversally discovered Yellow The Belly swolne very much the Thighs also and Legs The Cavity of the Abdomen possessed with yellowish obscure water the quantity whereof not much above one Gallon and an half The Stomack and Guts not dissafected nor the Kidnies The Pancreas canceorus in part some part being degenerated into a feculent matter like Amurca or dregs of oyle yet contained in a Ciste The Liver larger then it ought black of an unequal schirrous or rather Cancerous substance exangues The Spleen joyned with the left part of the hallow of the liver as if they were one body very black and hard outwardly inwardly rotten The Gall large and full but of a deeper Yellow inclined to red and black matter In the cavity of the Breast or Thorax water of the same substance and colour neer a Gallon The Lungs something thicker and more discoloured then usual The heart well The Bones very easily broken Phisitians Colladon George Bate Goddard George Chabrey Chirurgians Charles Stamford Thomas Page Besides the Apothecaries and several other persons who testified the same And are still ready to do the like Coll. Okey Coll. Berkstead and divers other Justices of the Peace both at Hixes hall and at the old Baley did declare themselves that they were not satisfied either with the proceedings or proof against this Peterson that she was guilty of witchcraft but that there was a design in it relating to the prejudice of Mrs. Levingstone which they are ready to testifie to the Parliament when they shall be required thereunto FINIS * Note that this Teat upon the view of the Physitians was the day before her death found to be natural ' lesse then in many other women the said Physitians also affirmed that she was then quick with child * Note That Sir Jo. Danvers Mr: Snape Mr. Winstanley and Mrs Waterton Justice of the Peace were with the confederates at a Tavern near Hicks-hall consulting when the Bill of Indictment was preparing and that Sir John Danvers came and dined at the Sessions house and had much private discourse with the Recorder and many of the Justices and came and sate upon the Bench at her Trial where he hath seldome or never been for these many years