Chapter 7

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 assizes 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 circumstances, 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 assizes.

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 dicuntur. 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 cum caveri poterat, post acceptam illam maximam cladem explicatum est. Ara enim Aio loquenti, quam septam videmus, & adversus eum locum consecrata est."

i. e. Often even in battles have the Gods 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 Gods 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 gemissemens 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 massacre) was wont to hear screaches, like those of the persons massacred.

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 practitioner 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 God, 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 pass. 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 entitled "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, assise 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 assez 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."

i. e. The wild inhabitants, as well as the French, had presages of that dreadful earthquake. See here the depositions of a wild Indian, about twenty-six years of age, who was very innocent, simple, and sincere. On the night of the 4th or 5th of February, in the year 1663, being perfectly awake, and in sound judgment, and setting up as it were in my bed, I heard a distinct and intelligible voice, that said to me, There will happen to day many strange things. The earth will quake and tremble. I found myself seized with an extraordinary fear, because I saw no person from whom the voice could proceed. I, full of terror, with great difficulty, endeavoured to compose myself to sleep. And as soon as it was day I told my husband what had happened to me. About nine or ten of the clock the same day, going to a forest a wood- gathering, I was scarce got into the brow of the forest, but I heard the same voice again, which told me the same thing, and in the same manner as it had done the night before. My fear was much greater this time, because I was all alone. She got her burden of wood, and met her sister who comforted her, to whom she told this story, and when she came to her father's caben, she told the same story there; but they heard it without any reflections.

" --- La chose en demeure la, jusquez a 5. ou 6 heures du soir du mesme jour, ou un tremblement de Terre survenant, Ils reconnurent par experience, que cequ'ils m'avoient intendu dire avant Midy, n'estoit que trop vray."

i. e.---The matter rested there, till about five or six of the clock in the evening of the same day, when an earthquake coming suddenly upon us; experience made them recollect and acknowledge that, what they had heard me say before noon, was but too true.

"Envoyee au R. P. Andre Castillon Provincial de la Province de France par les Missioners de Peres de la Compagnie de Jesu. Imprime a Paris, 1664."

i. e. Sent to the reverend father Andrew Castillon, provincial of the province of France, by the missioners of the fathers of the Society of Jesus. Printed at Paris, 1664.

"Livy makes mention, that before the coming of the Gauls to Rome, Marcus Ceditius, a Plebeian, acquainted the Senate, that passing one night about twelve o'clock through the Via Nova, he heard a voice (bigger than a man's) which advised him to let the Senate know, the Gauls were on their march to Rome. How those things could be, it is to be discoursed by persons well versed in the causes of natural and supernatural events: for my part I will not pretend to understand them, unless (according to the opinion of some Philosophers) we may believe that the air being full of intelligences and spirits, who foreseeing future events, and commiserating the condition of mankind, give them warning by these kind of intimations, that they may the more timely provide and defend themselves against their calamities. But whatever is the cause, experience assures us, that after such denunciations, some extraordinary thing or other does constantly happen."

IMPULSES.

Cicero "de Natura Deorum", lib. 2.

"PRAETEREA ipsorum Deorum saepe praesentiae, quales supra commemoravi, --- declarant, ut ab his, & Civitatibus, & singulis Hominibus consuli. Quod quidem intelligitur etiam significationibus rerum futurarum, quae tum dormientibus, tum Vigilantibus portentantur. --- Nemo vir magnus sine aliquo afflatu divino unquam fuit".

i. e. Moreover the frequent presence of the Gods themselves, as I have above mentioned, plainly manifest, that they preside, with their good advice, as guardians, not only over cities, but particular men. This may be likewise certainly understood by the several significations of future events, which are predicted to men both sleeping and waking --- there was never any one single great man, but what has, in some measure, partaken of this divine inspiration.

"Testor Deum me olim ante plures menses melancolia ex adverso casu conceptam, Domini patris mei praesentisse, ac pronunciasse mortem, cum tamen ipso valde incolumi, nulla ejus mihi ratio probabilis afferretur: & sic ipse postea momentum sui obitus, septem circiter horas antea pronunciavit".

i. e. I call God to witness, that formerly some months before, having conceived it in a fit of melancholy, from an unlucky event, that I foreknew, and foretold my father's death, when he being quite in health, no probable account of it offered itself to me: and in like manner he himself afterwards pronounced the moment of his departure near seven hours before. "Imperialis Musaeum Physicum". 104.

Oliver Cromwell had certainly this afflatus. One that I knew, that was at the battle of Dunbar, told me that Oliver was carried on with a divine impulse; he did laugh so excessively as if he had been drunk; his eyes sparkled with spirits. He obtained a great victory; but the action was said to be contrary to human prudence. The same fit of laughter seized Oliver Cromwell, just before the battle of Naseby; as a kinsman of mine, and a great favourite of his, Colonel J. P. then present, testified. Cardinal Mazarine said, that he was a lucky fool.

In one of the great fields at Warminster in Wiltshire, in the harvest, at the very time of the fight at Bosworth field, between King Eichard III. and Henry VII. there was one of the parish took two sheaves, crying (with some intervals) now for Richard, now for Henry; at last lets fall the sheaf that did represent Richard; and cried, now for King Henry, Richard is slain. This action did agree with the very time, day and hour. When I was a schoolboy I have heard this confidently delivered by tradition by some old men of our country.

Monsieur de Scudery in his Poem, entituled "Rome Vaincue", fancies an angel to be sent to Alaric, to impel him to overrun the Roman empire with his swarms of northern people. The like may be fancied upon all changes of government; when providence destines the ends, it orders the means.

By way of parallel to this, the Pope by the like instinct, being at Rome in the consistory, did speak of the engagement in the famous battle of Lepanto, and that the Christians were victors. The fight at sea being two hundred miles or more distant from them.

King Charles I. after he was condemned, did tell Colonel Tomlinson, that he believed, that the English monarchy was now at an end: about half an hour after, he told the Colonel, "that now he had assurance by a strong impulse "on his spirit, that his son should reign after him."

This information I had from Fabian Philips, Esq. of the Inner- temple, who had good authority for the truth of it: I have forgot who it was.

The Lord Roscomon, being a boy of ten years of age at Caen in Normandy, one day was (as it were) madly extravagant in playing, leaping, getting over the table-boards, &c.

He was wont to be sober enough: they said, God grant this bodes no ill luck to him; in the heat of this extravagant fit, he cries out, my father is dead. A fortnight after news came from Ireland, that his father was dead. This account I had from Mr. Knolles, who was his governor, and then with him; since Secretary to the Earl of Stafford, and I have heard his Lordship's relations confirm the same.

A very good friend of mine and old acquaintance, hath had frequent impulses; when he was a commoner at Trinity College, Oxford, he had several. When he rode towards the West one time in the stage coach, he told the company, " We shall certainly be robbed," and they were so. When a brother of his, a merchant, died, he left him with other effects, a share of a ship, which was returning from Spain, and of which news was brought to the Exchange at London of her good condition; he had such an impulse upon his spirit, that he must needs sell his share, though to loss; and he did sell it. The ship came safe to Cornwall, (or Devon) and somewhere afterwards fell upon the rocks and sunk: not a man perished; but all the goods were lost except some parrots, which were brought for Queen Katherine.

The good genius of Socrates is much remembered, which gave him warning. The Ethnick Genij are painted like our Angels; strong impulses are to be referred to them.

The learned Dr. John Pell, hath told me, that he did verily believe, that some of his solutions of difficult problems were not done "Sine Domino auxilio".

Mr. J. N. a very understanding gentleman, and not superstitious, protested to me, that when he hath been over-persuaded by friends to act contrary to a strong impulse, that he never succeeded.

KNOCKINGS.

R. BAXTER'S Certainty of the World of Spirits. "A gentleman, formerly seemingly pious, of late years hath fallen into the sin of drunkenness; and when he has been drunk, and slept himself sober, something knocks at his beds-head, as if one knocked on a wainscot; when they remove the bed, it follows him, besides loud noises on other parts where he is, that all the house heareth".

" It poseth me to think what kind of spirit this is, that hath such a care of this man's soul, (which makes me hope he will recover). Do good spirits dwell so near us ? or, are they sent on such messages ? or, is it his guardian Angel ? or, is it the soul of some dead friend, that suffereth and yet retaining love to him, as Dives did to his brethren, would have him saved ? God keepeth yet such things from us in the dark."

Major John Morgan of Wells, did aver, that as he lay in bed with Mr. Barlow (son of the Dean of Wells) they heard three distinct knocks on the bed; Mr. Barlow shortly after fell sick and died.

Three or four days before my father died, as I was in my bed about nine o'clock in the morning perfectly awake, I did hear three distinct knocks on the beds-head, as if it had been with a ruler or ferula.

Mr. Hierome Banks, as he lay on his death bed, in Bell-yard, said, three days before he died, that Mr. Jennings of the Inner-temple, (his great acquaintance, dead a year or two before) gave three knocks, looked in, and said, come away. He was as far from believing such things as any man.

Mr. George Ent of the Middle-temple, told me, some days before he died, that he had such a "Deceptio Visus", he called it.

" In Germany when one is to die out of one's family, or some friends, there will sometimes likewise happen some token that signifieth the death of one, e. g. some (or one) in the house heareth the noise, as if a meal-sack fell down from on high upon the boards of the chamber; they presently go up thither, where they thought it was done, and find nothing; but all things in order".