Miscellanies Upon Various Subjects Part 10

The murder was committed on Palm-Monday, being the fourteenth of April, about two of the clock in the afternoon, at which time the said Barwick having drilled his wife along 'till he came to a certain close, within sight of Cawood-Castle, where he found the conveniency of a pond, he threw her by force into the water, and when she was drowned, and drawn forth again by himself upon the bank of the pond, had the cruelty to behold the motion of the infant, yet warm in her womb. This done, he concealed the body, as it may readily be supposed, among the bushes, that usually encompa.s.s a pond, and the next night, when it grew duskish, fetching a hay-spade from a rick that stood in a close, he made a hole by the side of the pond, and there slightly buried the woman in her cloaths.

Having thus despatched two at once, and thinking him-self secure, (because unseen) he went the same day to his brother-in-law, one Thomas Lofthouse of Rufforth, within three miles of York, who had married his drowned wife's sister, and told him he had carried his wife to one Richard Harrison's house in Selby, who was his uncle, and would take care of her. But Heaven would not be so deluded, but raised up the ghost of the murdered woman to make the discovery. And therefore it was upon the Easter Tuesday following, about two of the clock in the after-noon, the forementioned Lofthouse having occasion to water a quickset hedge, not far from his house; as he was going for the second pail full, an apparition went before him in the shape of a woman, and soon after sat down upon a rising green gra.s.s-plat, right over against the pond: he walked by her as he went to the pond; and as he returned with the pail from the pond, looking sideways to see whether she continued in the same place, he found she did; and that she seemed to dandle something in her lap, that looked like a white bag (as he thought) which he did not observe before. So soon as he had emptied his pail, he went into his yard, and stood still to try whether he could see her again, but she was vanished.

In this information he says, that the woman seemed to be habited in a brown coloured petticoat, waistcoat, and a white hood; such a one as his wife's sister usually wore, and that her countenance looked extreamly pale and wan, with her teeth in sight, but no gums appearing, and that her physiognomy was like to that of his wife's sister, who was wife to William Barwick.

But notwithstanding the ghastliness of the apparition, it seems it made so little impression in Lofthouse's mind, that he thought no more of it, neither did he speak to any body concerning it, 'till the same night as he was at his family duty of prayer, that that apparition returned again to his thoughts, and discomposed his devotion; so that after he had made an end of his prayers, he told the whole story of what he had seen to his wife, who laying circ.u.mstances together, immediately inferred, that her sister was either drowned, or otherwise murdered, and desired her husband to look after her the next day, which was Wednesday in Easter week, Upon this, Lofthouse recollecting what Barwick had told him of his carrying his wife to his uncle at Selby, repaired to Harrison beforementioned, but found all that Barwick had said to be false; for that Harrison had neither heard of Barwick, nor his wife, neither did he know anything of them. Which notable circ.u.mstance, together with that other of the apparition, encreased his suspicions to that degree, that now concluding his wife's sister was murdered, he went to the Lord Mayor of York; and having obtained his warrant, got Barwick apprehended, who was no sooner brought before the Lord Mayor, but his own conscience then accusing him, he acknowledged the whole matter, as it has been already related, as it appears by his examination and confession herewith printed: to which are also annexed the informations of Lofthouse, in like manner taken before the Lord Mayor of York, for a further testimony and confirmation of what is here set down.

On Wednesday the sixteenth of September, 1690, the criminal, William Barwick, was brought to his trial, before the Honourable Sir John Powel, Knight, one of the judges of the northern circuit, at the a.s.sizes holden at York, where the prisoner pleaded not guilty to his indictment: but upon the evidence of Thomas Lofthouse, and his wife, and a third person, that the woman was found buried in her cloaths in the Close by the pond side, agreeable to the prisoner's confession, and that she had several bruises on her head, occasioned by the blows the murderer had given her, to keep her under water: and upon reading the prisoner's confession before the Lord Mayor of York, attested by the clerk, who wrote the confession, and who swore the prisoner's owning and signing it for truth, he was found guilty, and sentenced to death, and afterwards ordered to be hanged in chains.

All the defence which the prisoner made, was only this, that he was threatened into the confession that he had made, and was in such a consternation, that he did not know what he said or did. But then it was sworn by two witnesses, that there was no such thing as any threatening made use of; but that he made a free and voluntary confession, only with this addition at first; that he told the Lord Mayor, he had sold his wife for five shillings; but not being able to name either the person or the place where she might be produced, that was looked upon as too frivolous to outweigh circ.u.mstances, that were proofs to apparent.

**The information of Thomas Lofthouse, of Ruforth, taken upon oath the twenty-fourth day of April, 1690,

WHO sayeth and deposeth, that one William Barwick, who lately married this informant's wife's sister,came to this informant's house, about the fourteenth instant, and told this informant, he had carried his wife to one Richard Harrison's house in Selby, who was uncle to him, and would take care of her; and this informant hearing nothing of the said Barwick's wife, his said sister-in-law, imagined he had done her some mischief, did yesterday go to the said Harrison's house in Selby, where he said he had carried her to; and the said Harrison told this informant, he knew nothing of the said Barwick, or his wife, and this informant doth verily believe the said Barwick to have murdered her.

THOMAS LOFTHOUSE.

"Jurat die & Anno super dicto coram me,"

S. DAWSON, Mayor.

**The examination of the said William Harwich, taken the day and year abovesaid,

WHO sayeth and confesseth, that he, this examinant, on Monday was seventh night, about two of the clock in the afternoon, this examinant was walking in a Close, betwixt Cawood and Wistow; and he farther sayeth, that he threw his said wife into the pond, where she was drowned, and the day following, towards the evening, got a hay-spade at a hay-stake in the said Close, and made a grave beside the said pond, and buried her.

WILLIAM BARWICK.

"Exam. capt. die & Anno super dict, coram me,"

S. DAWSON, Mayor.

**The examination of William Barwick, taken the twenty- fifth day of April, 1690,

WHO sayeth and confesseth, that he carried his wife over a certain wain-bridge, called Bishopdike-bridge, betwixt Cawood and Sherborne, and within a lane about one hundred yards from the said bridge, and on the left hand of the said bridge, he and his wife went over a stile, on the left hand of a certain gate, entering into a certain close, on the left hand of the said lane; and in a pond in the said close, (adjoining to a quick-wood-hedge) did drown his wife, and upon the bank of the said pond, did bury her: and further, that he was within sight of Cawood Castle, on the left hand; and that there was but one hedge betwixt the said close, where he drowned his said wife, and the Bishop-slates belonging to the said castle.

WILLIAM BARWICK "Exam. capt. die & Anno super dict, coram me,"

S. DAWSON, Mayor.

**On Tuesday, September the seventeenth, 1690, at York a.s.sizes.

THOMAS LOFTHOUSE of Rufforth, within three miles of York city, sayeth, that on Easter Tuesday last, about half an hour after twelve of the clock, in the day time, he was watering quickwood, and as he was going for the second pail, there appeared walking before him, an apparition in the shape of a woman, soon after she sat down over against the pond, on a green hill, he walked by her as he went to the pond, and as he came with the pail of water from the pond, looking side-ways to see if she sat in the same place, which he saw she did; and had on her lap something like a white bag, a dandling of it (as he thought) which he did not observe before: after he had emptied his pail of water, he stood in his yard, to see if he could see her again; but could not: he says her apparel was brown cloaths, waist-coat and petticoat, a white hood, such as his wife's sister usually wore, and her face looked extream pale, her teeth in sight, no gums appearing, her visage being like his wife's sister and wife to William Barwick.

Signed, THOMAS LOFTHOUSE.

THE second was a murder committed by one Edward Mangall, upon the body of Elizabeth Johnson alias Ringrose, the fourth of September last past, at a place called King's Causey, near Adling-street, in the county of York. He had got her with child, at least as she pretended; and was brought to bed of a boy, which she called William, and laid him to Mangall's charge, and required him to marry her: which he refused at first to do; but afterwards pretending to make her his wife, bid her go before him down King's Causey, towards the church, and he would follow her, as he did; but knocked out her brains in a close by the way, and at the same time, as was shrewdly suspected, killed the child.

This Mangall being examined by Mr. William Mauleverer, the coroner, confessed that he had murdered the woman; but denied that he meddled with the boy. And being asked why he murdered the woman, he made answer that the Devil put him upon it; appearing to him in a flash of lightning, and directing him where to find the club, wherewith he committed the murder. So ready is the Devil with his temptations, when he finds a temper easy to work upon.

He was convicted and found guilty upon the evidence of Anne Hinde, and his own confession to the coroner, as may be seen by the information annexed; and was thereupon sentenced to death, and ordered to be hanged in chains, as Barwick was before him, he making no defence for himself for so foul and horrid a murder, but that he was tempted thereto by the Devil.

**Informations taken upon oath, September the 10th, 1690.

**The information of Anne Hinde, wife of James Hinde, of Adling-street, in the County of York, husband-man, upon her oath saith;

THAT on Monday, the first of September, one Elizabeth Johnson, alias Ringrose, came to her house in the evening, with a child she called William; and the said Elizabeth the next day told this deponent, that the said Elizabeth was going to Gawthrope, in the county of Lincoln, to seek for one Edward Mangall, who had got her with that child, to see if he would marry her: upon which this deponent went with the said Elizabeth, to persuade him to marry her; but he denied having any dealings with her. But this deponent doth further depose, that on the fourth of September, the said Edward came to this deponent's house, and asked for the said Elizabeth; if she were there she might serve a warrant on him, if she had one, for he was going to Rawclyff, to consult his friends about it; and after some private discourse had betwixt the said Edward and the said Elizabeth, the said Elizabeth told this deponent, that he said, the said Elizabeth might go down King's-Causey; and he would follow her, and marry her: and this deponent did see the said Elizabeth go down King's-Causey; and a little after this deponent saw the said Edward also go down the King's-Causey; and after that, this deponent did not see the said Elizabeth, nor the said child till she saw them lie dead.

ANNE HINDE.

Capt. 10. die Septembris 1690.

By me W. MAULEVERER.

Un. Coron, Commit, praedict.

THE examination of Edward Mangall, upon the murder of Elizabeth Johnson alias Ringrose, taken before me William Mauleverer, Gent, one of the Coroners of our Sovereign Lord and Lady King William and Queen Mary, &c.

THE said Edward Mangall did confess, that he did murder the said Elizabeth Johnson alias Ringrose, upon the fourth day of September instant, in a close nigh to King's Causey, he being asked the reason, said the Devil put him upon it, appearing to him in a flash of lightning; but denied that he medled with William Johnson alias Ringrose, the child.

Taken the 10th of Sept. 1690, By me W. MAULEVERER, Coroner.

VOICES.

"Saepe etiam & in praeliis Fauni auditi, & in rebus turbidis veridicae voces ex occulto missae esse dic.u.n.tur. Cujus generis duo sunt ex multis exempla, sed maxima. Nam non multo ante Urbem captam exaudita vox est a Luco Vestae, qui a Palatii radice in novem viam devexus est, ut muri & portae reficerentur: futurum esse, nisi provisum esset, ut Roma caperetur. Quod neglectum c.u.m caveri poterat, post acceptam illam maximam cladem explicatum est. Ara enim Aio loquenti, quam septam videmus, & adversus eum loc.u.m consecrata est."

i. e. Often even in battles have the G.o.ds of the woods been heard to speak, and in troublesome times, when the affairs of governments have gone wrong, and been in disorder and turmoil, voices have been known to steal upon the ears of persons, that came as it were from a corner, but they knew not whence, and told them important truths. Of which kind there are out of a great many, two examples, and those indeed very rare and extraordinary. For not long before the city was taken, a voice was heard from the grove of Vesta, which went from the foot, and basis of the palace, sloping and bending into a new road, that the city walls and gates should be repaired: and that unless care was taken of it, the consequence would be, that Rome would be taken. This being omitted, when provision might have been made, was explained after that most signal and dreadful overthrow. For the altar, which we see enclosed, and that fronts that place, was a consecrated altar.

"--- Negue solum deorum voces Pythagorei observaverunt, sed etiam hominum, quae vacant omina --- ."

i. e. Neither did the Pythagorean Philosophers observe the voices of G.o.ds only, but also those of men, which they called Omens.

"Nero --- & lo'n dit qu'on entendoit un son de trumpette dans les collines d'alentour, des gemiss.e.m.e.ns sur le tombeau de sa mere."

Nero, they say, heard the sound of a trumpet among the hills and the rocks round about him, and groans over the tomb of his mother.

In the life of King Henry IV. of France, written by the Arch-Bishop of Paris, it is recorded, that Charles IX. (who caused the ma.s.sacre) was wont to hear screaches, like those of the persons ma.s.sacred.

St. Augustin heard a voice, saying, TOLLE, LEGE, take, read. He took up his bible, and dipt on Rom. 13. 13. "Not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness," &c. And reformed his manners upon it.

One Mr. Smith, a pract.i.tioner of physic at Tamworth in Warwickshire, an understanding sober person, reading in Hollinshead's Chronicle, found a relation of a great fight between Vortigern and Hengest, about those parts, at a place called Colemore: a little time after, as he lay awake in his bed, he heard a voice, that said unto him, "You shall shortly see some of the bones of those men and horses slain, that you read of:" he was surprized at the voice, and asked in the name of G.o.d, who it was that spoke to him. The voice made answer, that he should not trouble himself about that; but what he told him should come to pa.s.s. Shortly after, as he went to see Colonel Archer (whose servants were digging for marle) he saw a great many bones of men and horses; and also pot-sherds; and upon the view it appeared to be according to the description in Hollinshead' s Chronicle; and it was the place where the fight was; but it is now called Blackmore.

This was about the year 1685, and I had the account from my worthy friend and old acquaintance Thomas Marriet of Warwickshire, Esq., who is very well acquainted with Mr. Smith aforesaid.

Extracts out of the book ent.i.tled "Relation de la Nouvelle France", 1662, and 1663, 12.

" Les Sauvages avoient eu de presentiments aussi bien que les Francois, et de cet horrible Tremble-terre. Voicy la deposition d'une sauvage age 20. fort innocente, simple, & sincere. La nuict du 4 ou 5 de Febr. 1663 estant entirement eveillee, & en plein jugement, a.s.sise comme sur mon seant, j'ay entender une voix distincte & intelligible, qui m'a dit, Il doit arrive aujourdhuy de choses extrangees, la Terre doit tremble. Je me trouveray pour lors saisie d'une grand frayeur, parce que je ne voyois personne d'ou peut provinir cette voix: Remplie de crainte, ja taschay a m'endormir auec a.s.sez de peine: Et le jour estant venu, je dis a mon mary cequi m'estoit arrive. Sur le 9, ou le 10 heure de mesme jour, allant au bois pour buscher, a peine j'estois entree en la Forest que la mesme voix se fit --- entendre, me disent mesme chose, & de la mesme facon que la nuicte precedente: La peur fuit bien plus grande, moy estant tout seule."