The tryal of Spencer Cowper, John Marson, Ellis Stevens, and William Rogers, Gent : upon an indictment for the murther of Mrs. Sarah Stout, a Quaker. Before Mr. Baron Hatsell, at Hertford Assizes, July 18. 1699. Of which they were acquitted. With the opinions of the eminent physicians and chyrurgeons on both sides concerning drowned bodies, delivered in the tryal. And the several letters produced in court.

  • Spencer Cowper
Date:
1699
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The tryal of Spencer Cowper, John Marson, Ellis Stevens, and William Rogers, Gent : upon an indictment for the murther of Mrs. Sarah Stout, a Quaker. Before Mr. Baron Hatsell, at Hertford Assizes, July 18. 1699. Of which they were acquitted. With the opinions of the eminent physicians and chyrurgeons on both sides concerning drowned bodies, delivered in the tryal. And the several letters produced in court. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    L 20 ] CI. of Art: This is Jire&ec tor Mrs. jrW Elhn ; 'cis dated March the 5th, without atiy SIR, March the jth. I/f;« glad you, have not quite forgot that there is fuch a Person as 1 in being, bat I an roiling to (hut my Eyes, and not fee any :hirgthat looks like Unkindnefs in you, and rather content my ft If with what Excufes you are f leafed to make, than be inquifitive into what I mull not know ; I fhduld very readily comply with your proportion of changing the Scafon, if it were in my Power to do it, but you know that lies altogether in your own Ureas! : J am Jure the Winter has been too unpleafant for me to defire the continuance of it. And I wijhyou were to endure the Jha -pnrjs of it, but for one Hour, as Ih've done for many long Nights and Days, and then I believe it would r*oie thit rocky H art of yours, that can be fo thoughtlefs of me as you are ; but if it were deftgndfor that end, to • ike the Summer the more delightjul, I wijh it may have the Efeff fo far as to continue it to be fo too that the Wi» her may never over.cafl again ; th- which if I could be ajurd of, it would recompence me for all that I have ever fujfer'a, anu make me as eajy a Creature as J was the firft moment I received breath ; when yv* come to H pray let your Steedj$uide you, and dont do as you did the laft time; and bejure order your Affairs to be here as foon as yoi( can, which cannot be fetner than you mill be heartily welcome to your tor Mrs. Jane LUen, at Mr. HargiaveV very fincere Friend. near Temple-bar, London. Mr. Cowper, Trough 'tis directed to Mrs. Jane Ellen, it begins in the infide, Sir ; and 'tis dated the 5th of March next before the 13th. Mr. Baron Hat fell, What March was it ? M r. Marfhall, I kept no account of the time, buc I am very pofitive by the Contents, tint Mr. Cowper ffiiew'd l e this Letcer and I read it, but by rry now remembrance, it iViould be longer fmce than March laft. Mr. Cowper. It was March laft. That which will fee Mr. Marfhall's memory tp rights is this other Le to 'i i received it the R inbow, when he was by, and he read ir, and it importuning me to a matter qf ;hii Kind, 1 d.d produce ir to my Brother and hifti, they both knew of it, and both read it, ahd thar uill ref'tfii his memory concerning the date of the other. Mr. M.irfh.il! My Lord1, I was in the Gpffee-houfe with Mr. Cowper when he received this Lerter, and he : ifds (hew'd it to Ivlr WlliamCowptr, at the Covent-Garden Tavern, when I was by. tl. of Art. rhiS is dated the 9:h of March, and directed to Mrs Jane Ellen, at Mr. Hargravss. SIR, March 9. IWrit to you by Sunday's Pojl, which I hope you have reeeiv d ; howev.r, as * Confirmation, I will affure you, I know of no i. ■ v-:x. ncy that can attend your cohabiting with me, unlefs the Grand Jury jbould thereupon find a Bill a^ainjl us, ftu wo. fly '<,rt, for come Life, c.mt Death I am refolved never to dtfert you, therefore ac- iording to 0 .r af\ untment, 1 will expeil you, and till then I jha.'l only tell you, that I am Yours, &c. For Mrs.Jme Ellen, at Mr, Hargrave'/ near Temple-bar, London- Mr. Cower, If ymr Lordlhip pleafe, I will further prove this Letter by my Brother. Mr. W. Cov.pe\ i can ear my Brother Witnefs, that when lie has been advifed to make thefe Lette'S pa; t of h'S dc fence, he nas exprelfei great unwillingnefs, and has faid, nothing but the Life of thefe Gentlemen could incline him to it. M Lord all I can fay to this matter is this, I do remember, that when (lie was one time in London, I think ir was about a year and a half fmce, I am not poffciVe as to Che time, but w hen flie was in London, riij Brc'hercame in the morning to my Chamber in the Temple, and after fome difcourfe, he told m he h d -ece.-'ed a Letter from Mrs. Stont chat day. wherein fhe faid fhe intended him a vilic at his Chamber thar Afternoon^ he to!d me at the fame time, tttat I>'.j P.-:«>.,4 t.t»rp,\ll had fome thoughts or her, and therefore for that, as well as other reafons, he would decline receiving the vilit intended him, and upon conlideration, this was fhe method agreed upon . At that time I lived with my Father in Hat- t.on-Gardm, and this Gentlewoman having writ in the fame Letter I now fpeaS of, that fhe dellgned to dme t e e, a id to tome ttom thence in the Afternoon ; fays my Brother, you may cafually, as it were, take occafion to fay at Dinner, that my bullnefs obliges me to go to D ptford in the Afternoon, as in fpod earneft ir did, as he then told me, and from that fiie may take a hint of my not being at home, and fo fave her elf the d'ifeppgintmbrit of coming to my Chamber ; I told him I would find an opportunity of doing of it if I coul J. At Dinner my Father happened to avk me, as he often did, when I f*w my Brorher I took this hint and fai \ I nad feen him at my Chamber in the M >rning, and that he wasgone to Dcptford that Afcernoon about fome Law budnefs. My Lrrd, Vsrs. Stout was then at the Table. I nofomer faid ir, but I oisferv'd fhe c .ang'd olour prerently, and rofe with her Napkm, and went into the back Yard, and we faw her through a Safh-window fail into a Woma i's Fit of Swooning, and they gave her rhe afliflance that is uiual in fuch cafes. My Lord, the next thirg f can fpeak to is this; the Parliament fitting late the Friday before the A/oh- d^y of the laft AfTizeS at Hertford, I came late fiorn Dinner, I had din'd about j a Clock, as I remember, and having occafion to fpeak with my brother, I found him out by enquiry at the Covent-Garden Tavern> and there was Mir; Marfba'J of Lyons Inn with him. I had not drank ajove a Glafs or two of Wine, buc my Brother began with me, and Uid, I feld >m trouble you with Affairs of mine, but now I do not know well how to avoid it. I have received an imporruna'e Letter, which I will fhew you, it came fro.n a Lady whofe Name I believe you will guefs ; fo he pull'd it out of his Prcket, and I read it fo often, be- caufe of the oddnefs of the Expreflion, that I can fay, I am fure this is the very Letter he fhew'd me aC the Covent-Garden Tavern, the Friday before thelai\ Afiizes ; faith he, the occafion of my fhewiing ir is not to expofe a Woman's Weaknefs, but I would not wiliinglv lie unJer too many Obligations r,or en- gage too far ; nor on the other hand, would I be at an unnecefiary Lxpence for a Lo.lging. Upon this Subject there was fome Difcourfe I think foreign to th spurpufe, and Therefore I would nottrouble your Lordfliip with the Repetition of it , that which is rr>arerial is this, I did undertake to write to Mr. Bare- foot to difpofe of his Lodgings, where I us'd to beat the time of the Afiizes, and my Brother with me. I faid I would write the next day, being Satwday, but when I fiiould have writ it was very late, and I was weary, being then tied down to the Bufinefs of Parliament, and partly for that reafon, and partly in point of discretion, which I had upon my fecond thoughts, that 'twould be Setter for my-brothers Bufi -e s to be at Mr. Barefoot's, which is near the Court, and in the Market-place ; I did negleft writ- ing, and tho' I thought of it about II a Clock ; yet as I faid, partly for one reafon, and partly for the H other.