The trial of Joseph Hodges for carnally abusing one Maranata Freestone, a girl under ten years of age, and sentenced to twenty years penal servitude / by Jonathan Wybrants.

  • Wybrants, Jonathan, 1818-1883.
Date:
1861
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The trial of Joseph Hodges for carnally abusing one Maranata Freestone, a girl under ten years of age, and sentenced to twenty years penal servitude / by Jonathan Wybrants. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The Royal College of Surgeons of England. The original may be consulted at The Royal College of Surgeons of England.

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    Somerset Summer Assizes, \ Wells, August 3rd, 1857. f The Queen, on the prosecution of John Butler, Vi Joseph Hodges, For carnally abusing one Maranata Freestone, a girl under ten years of age. Brief for prosecution. The prisoner, Joseph Hodges, is indicted for the following offence :—For that he, the said Joseph Hodges, on the twenty-fourth day of July last past, at the parish of Shepton Mallet, in the said County, did unlawfully assault one Maranata Freestone, a girl under the age of ten years, to wit, of the age of eight years, and her, the said Maranata Freestone, did, unlawfully and carnally know and abuse. Copy of Depositions as taken before the Committing Magistrates, 3rd August, 1857 :— Maranata Freestone, on her oath saith as follows :—I live with my uncle and aunt, Thomas and Caroline Freestone, at Catsash, in Shepton MaUet. The prisoner, Joseph Hodges, works at velvet weaving in my aunt’s house. In the afternoon of one day in the week before last, I got upon the loom the prisoner was working at to get a wigwam used in velvet weaving; the prisoner put his hand up my clothes and I got down ; he then took me in his lap and kissed me; he then undid his breeches and took out a long thing and hurted me; I could not think what it was ; he took up my clothes and put it between me ; he was doing this three or four minutes ; I cried out and he put me down. Last Saturday I told my aunt, Caroline Freestone, what Hodges done to me. My father and mother are living at Warminster, I am between eight and nine years of age. The mark of Maranata Freestone. Caroline Freestone, on her oath saith as follows:—I am the wife of Thomas Freestone, and reside at Catsash, in the parish of Shepton Mallet, Maranata Freestone is my niece, and has been brought up by me from childhood. I t^ke in people to learn them velvet weaving. 1]^he prisoner, Joseph Hodges, has been learning the trade at my house during this summer. On Saturday last, in the morning, when my niece was getting up, I remarked that her shift was stained; I showed it to my neighbours, who said they thought it was the bad disorder. During the same morning the prisoner came in. I said “ Joe, I am in a deal of trouble about the child, he replied “I thought there was something the matter. Carry, you seem so dull;” I told