Information of Ann White of the p(ari)sh of
Stogumber taken before George Trevelyan
Esq and of the Justices of the peaces of this
County the 8
th day of Ffebuary 1658 upon her
Oath as followeth
This informant saith she beinge in her house, w(hi)ch
was adjoyninge
To the house of one John Morris of Stogumber aforesaid
barber
She this informant saw one Dorothy Knight of the
p(ar)ish aforesaid
Came in at the back dore of the house of John Morris
aforesaid
and made fast the dore after her, And then the said
John Morris
came in at the fordoore of the same house and made fast
ye
doore after him, Then this informant because they came
in soe one at the
foredore of the house and the other at the back dore,
had
a suspition of them that it was for noe good intent,
this
inform(an)t lookt in betweene the dornes and the dore
w(hi)ch parted
her chamber and the said John Morris his chamber; and
saw
the said John Morris and the said Dorothy Knight
inclose Them
selves together and the said Dorothy Knight put one of
her hands about his neck, and the other in his
codpeece, then
the said John Morris went and lay on the
bed then this inform(an)t went away out over the street
to call and
of her neighbours to rebuke them for it, but he was not
at home
And this inform(an)t staid about halfe
a quarter of an hower, and then
Came into her chamber and found them in the same manner
as
She left them, and this inform(an)t saith that
presently after she
Came in she saw the said John Morris come off from the
bed
And putt up his breeches and put his hand in his
codpeece to pull
Down his shirt, and then went downe out of the chamber
and
Left the said Dorothy Knight in the chamber and went
out at the
Back dore of his house, and went round about and came
in againe
To the foredore of the same house;
and there this inform(an)t meat
Him and then this inform(an)t rebuked
him for what she had seene
And told him w(i)th these words; fie John fie
I never thought to
Have seene soe much baseness by thea; I will never
dresse thee
One bitt of meat more whiles I live; then the said John
Morris
Made this reply to this inform(an)t that if he had
flifte my Lady
Meaninge the s(ai)d Dorothy he woudl flife her againe,
and if he
Had brought her w(i)th child he would father it, for
s(ai)d he it is an
Honour to flyfe a Lady (and noe more she can say)
The informacon of George White taken the day and yeare
Above and
on oath as followeth
This infom(an)t saith that he was sittinge in the
stares gooinge upp
To the chamber aforeseaid w(hi)ch
was the chamber of Ann White aforesaid
Makeinge of skiffers , and when his mother went out to
call her
Neighbours as
afores(ai)d this inform(an)t went upp higher in the stares
And heard teh bedsteed of th’aboves(ai)d John Morris
w(hi)ch was in the next
Chamber crack, he this inform(an)t
looked in at a hole betweene
The dornes and the dore and saw the John Morris come
From his bed and pull upp his breeches w(ith) one hand
and pull
Downe his shirt wth thother hand and then he saw
theaboves(ai)d
Dorothy Knight rise upp and sitt upon the foot of the
Bedsted (and noe more he can say).
The informacon of Elizabeth Bacon of the p(ar)ish
Aforesaid taken the day and yeare aforesaid upon
Oath as followeth
This inform(an)t saith (tha)t the next day after that
the aforesaid
Ann White had seene theaforesaid John Morris and
Dorothy Knight goe together
As aforesaid This infomr(an)t heard thaforesaid Ann
White to
Rebuke him the said John Morris w(i)th these words fie
John
Fie I ever thought you had byn an honest man, but now
I see it is otherwise I shall never abide thee any more
Then the said John made the same reply as the said Ann
Said he did to her when she rebuked
him for it the day
Before w(hi)ch words were if I have flifte my Lady I
will
Flyse her againe and if I have brought her w(i)th child
I will
Father it (and noe more can she say)
The
informacon of William Barby Tithyngman
Of this p(ar)ish afores(ai)d taken upon oath the day
And yeare afores(ai)d
This inform(an)t saith that he haveinge heard some
things (illeg) of
The passage that was betweene the aforesaid John Morris
&
Dorothy Knight, he this informant went to the foresaid
John Morris
And told him that he was very sorred? to heare of what
Misbehaviour was reported of him,
then this aforessaid John
Morris told him this inform(an)t w(i)th the words above
said that if
He had flyste my Lady he would flyse her againe and if
he
Had brought her w(i)th child that he would father it,
and further
He told this inform(an)t (th)at the truth of it is he
was a little folish
And this inform(an)t further saith when he came to take
Upp the said John Morris w(i)th a war(ran)t
w(hi)ch he had against him
The said John told this inform(an)t
that he did beleeve that it
Was Mr Bynham who is minister of the p(ar)ish aforesaid
&
Mr Hawkins one of the same p(ar)ish , their
dooeings to have
This war(ran)t against him but said he they are but
knaves
In soe doinge and further the said John Morris said
that
He would make thaforesaid
Ann as unto and her sonne rott
In gaole (& noe more can he say)
SRO Q/SR/98/46
The examinacon of John Morris
Of the p(ar)ish aforesaid
Barber taken the day
and yeare aforesaid
This inform(an)t confesseth that theforesaid Dorothy
Knight
Was in his chamber for she did use to make his bed and
to
wash his clothes for him and she came in then to make
it but he denyes all that is spoken against him by the
inform(an)ts aforsaid (and no more he can say)
The examinacon of Dorothy Knight of the
P(ar)ish aforesaid taken the day and yeare aforesaid
This exam(inan)t confesseth that she was in the chamber
of
The said John Morris but she saith (tha)t
all the dores belonging
To the house were open and she saith that she sate upon
The window in the chamber and the said John upon the
bed
W(hi)ch was very neare together but she saith that
there
Was noe such thinge comitted as is suspected by the
Informa(an)ts aforesaid (and noe more she can say
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