The Child Who Would Not Thrive: Alcock and Anderson

[Marginal subscription] Andr: [H...; surname unresolved].

In dei nomine amen Coram vobis venerabili viro Gulielmo Easdall Legum Doctore Almae Curiae Cons[istorialis] Ebor[acensis] Officiali principali [unread contracted phrase] deputato aut alio Judice in hac parte competenti quorum[que?] ex parte discretae mulieris Margarettae Awcocke uxoris Will[iel]mi Awcocke contra et adversus Mariam Atkinson ux[orem] Francisci Atkinson de Elslacke parochiae de Broughton dioc[esis] Ebor[acensis] Ac con[tra] quemcunque alium pro eadem coram vobis in judicio [unread] intervenientem Ad omnem tam juris quam facti effectum exinde quovismodo sequi valent[em] omni meliori via modo et juris forma quibus melius aut efficacius de jure potuit aut potest dicit allegat et in hiis scriptis conjunctim divisim et articulatim de jure proponit prout sequitur.

1. In primis ponit et articulat Quod fuit et est quaedam Constitutio provincialis hujus Regni Angliae [unread contracted phrase] vi[delicet] per [unread] omnes et singuli hujus Regni Angliae subditi tenentur et ligantur in qua quidem constitutione provinciali omnes illi qui quavis causa odii vel favoris aut alia quacunque de causa alicui malitiose crimen imponunt unde infamatur si apud bonos et graves [unread contraction] in saltem [compurgationem?] indictam vel aliam [unread] fuerunt et sunt sententia majoris excommunicationis [innodati?] atque [unread] Ponit tamen de tali forma Constitutionis provincialis quod et quantum in eventu hujus litis probabitur conjunctim divisim et de quolibet.

2. Item ponit et articulat Quod dicta Margaretta Awcocke per spatium quatuor quinque vel septem annorum jam ultimo praeteritorum retroque etiam fuit et est mulier honesta bonae famae vitae et conversationis honestae nulloque crimine (saltem notorio) aspersa diffamata vel aliqua [unread] (Salvis infra dicendis) Ac eodem tempore fuit et est pro unica et [unread] Will[iel]mi Awcocke praedicti [unread] honesta et laudabili per totum tempus praedictum vivit modoque in praesenti vivit Ac pro tali et ut talis fuit et est [unread] habita vocata et reputata palam publice et notorie infra praedictam de Broughton aliisque loca vicina Et ponit ut supra.

3. Item ponit et articulat Quod Praemissis non obstantibus dicta Maria Atkinson mensibus Maij Junij Julij Augusti Septembris Octobris Novembris et Decembris Anno domini 1629 [unread connecting words] infra villam de Elslacke ac praedictam de Broughton praedictae dioc[eseos] Ebor[acensis] aliisque loca vicina malitiose ac animo diffamandi praefatam Margarettam Awcocke uxorem Will[iel]mi Awcocke ipsam diffamavit et injuriavit nonnullaque verba opprobriosa injuriosa rixosa contumeliosa ac diffamatoria

[Article 3 continued]
dictae Margarettae Awcocke seu de eadem emisit dixit protulit et asseruit et praecipue haec verba Anglica sequentia seu alia eis in effectu consimilia vizt:

“the articulate Francis Atkinson husband of the said Mary Atkinson being indebted to William Awcocke husband of the said Margarett Awcocke in a certaine sume of money she the said Margarett Awcocke within the tyme aforesaid And namely about Michaelmas was two yeares wente to the said Francis Atkinsons house in Elslacke to demaunde the said money And one Mr Francis Malham havinge then a childe at nurseinge with the said Marye Atkinson att her husbands house she the said Marye Atkinson shortly after that the said Margarett Awcocke had beene att her house went to the house of the said Mr Malham And said and reported (licet falso) That the said Margarett Awcocke was a witch and had an ill eye And that the said Mr Malham Childe did never like after she the said Margarett Awcocke did see it And further affirmed and said That she the said Mary Atkinson did verelie beleeve That the said Margarett Awcocke was a witch and that she had an ill eye and had bewitched or fore-spoken the said Mr Malham Childe.”

Ponit tamen de ac talis et tanto tempore modo et forma verborum quod et quantum in eventu hujus litis probabitur conjunctim divisim et de quolibet.

4. Item ponit et articulat Quod neque dicta Margaretta Awcocke neque praefatus Will[iel]mus Awcocke subarticulatis tempore et loco prolationis verborum diffamatoriorum praedictorum cum dicta Maria Atkinson praesentes personaliter interfuerunt Et quod [unread phrase concerning report or knowledge of the words and their utterance] ad aures et notitiam dictae Margarettae Awcocke et praefati Will[iel]mi Awcocke mariti sui infra duos menses saltem intra Annum [unread connecting words] Et super veritate contentorum in hujus articulo pars dictae Margarettae Awcocke obtulit se [unread contraction] et paratam ad faciend[um] fidem per juramentum suum vel al[ite]r juxta juris in hac parte exigentiam Et ponit ut supra.

5. Item ponit et articulat Quod post praemissa dicta Maria Atkinson coram testibus fide dignis in praesentia nonnullorum testium fide dignorum ad [unread] hujus verbi diffamatoria dictae Margarettae Awcocke seu de eadem dixisse emisisse ac tulisse et asseruisse confessa fuit et est ac recognovit Et ponit ut supra.

6. Item ponit et articulat Quod ratione et praetextu prolationis hujus verborum diffamatorum status bona fama et opinio ipsius Margarettae Awcocke

[Article 6 continued]
apud bonos et graves penes quos prius extiterat bonae famae et opinionis illicite graviter et enormiter laeduntur et diminuuntur Ac de verisimili plus laedentur in futurum Et ponit ut supra.

7. Item ponit et articulat Quod de et super praemissis dicta Maria Atkinson ux[or] Francisci Atkinson fuit et est de Elslacke parochiae de Broughton dioc[esis] Ebor[acensis] ac juxta [unread contraction] jurisdictionis Et ponit ut supra.

8. Item ponit et articulat Quod de et super praemissis omnibus et singulis fuit et est publica vox et fama in locis praenominatis aliisque locis vicinis Et ponit ut supra.

Unde facta fide de praemissis de jure requisita petit pars dictae Margarettae Awcocke praefatam Mariam Atkinson ex verbis diffamatoriis seu rixosis articulatis omnibus et singulis seu saltem eorum aliqua contra eandem Margarettam Awcocke [unread contraction] dixisse et [unread] eamque [unread] diffamasse et injuriasse dictamque Mariam Atkinson pro tanto temeritatis suae excessu in praemissis in sententiam majoris excom[municationis] juxta formam constitutionis praedictae in [unread] [unread clause on observing that sentence until absolution] corrigi et puniendam fore et debere Necnon in expensis ex parte et per partem dictae Margarettae Awcocke factis et fiendis condemnari condemnandamque ad debitam solutionem earundem efficaciter cogi et compelli atque vobis [unread] in praemissis omnibus et singulis [unread] ministrari per vos et vestram Sententiam definitivam [unread] Quo petit et fieri petit pars dictae Margarettae Awcocke conjunctim et divisim non arctans se ad omnia et singula praemissa probanda nec ad onus superfluae probationis de quo protestatur sed quantum probabit in praemissis obtineat in petitis juris beneficio in omnibus semper Salvo vestrum officium domine Judex antedicte humiliter implorando.

Salvo jure &c.
Et protestatur &c.

Awcocke
con[tra]
Atkinson.
1632.

[Later repository stamp CP.H.1961; remaining folded sheet and show-through contain no separately read entry.]

[31?] Maij 1632.
W: Easdall.

Responsiones personales Mariae Atkinson uxoris Francisci Atkinson factae positionibus et articulis Libelli ex parte Margarettae Awcocke uxoris Will[iel]mi Awcocke con[tra] eam dati et exhibiti.

Ad primam positionem respondendo refert se ad Constitutionem Provincialem articulatam (si qua talis sit) et ad jura Et al[ite]r non credit eandem esse veram in aliquo.
Ad secundam positionem respondendo credit eandem esse veram.
Ad tertiam positionem respondendo non credit eandem esse veram in aliquo.
Ad quartam positionem usque ad haec verba (Et super veritate contentorum) inclusive respondendo credit That this Rend[en]t never spoke any of the wordes praedict[as] the tyme and place articulate And therefore the said Margarett Awcocke or William Awcocke her husband articulate was not or could be p[rese]nt or privie thereunto. Et al[ite]r respondendo ad jura non credit eandem esse veram in aliquo.
Ad quintam et sextam positiones respondendo non credit easdem esse veras in aliquo.
Ad septimam positionem respondendo credit eandem esse veram.
Ad octavam positionem respondendo credit de Creditis et negat de negatis.

Signum Mariae [cross] Atkinson.

Vicesimo octavo Junij 1632.
Repet[it] [Robinson? contracted subscription].

Anna Kippax de Bolton in Craven in Com[itatu] Ebor[acensi] Spinster aetatis suae Viginti unius annorum aut eo circiter testis super positionibus et articulis Libelli ex parte et pro parte Margarettae Awcocke ux[oris] Will[iel]mi Awcocke con[tra] Mariam Atkinson exhibiti producta admissa jurata [unread] et primo de notitia partium [unread] dicit quod dictam Margarettam Awcocke per tres annos aut eo circiter et dictam Mariam Atkinson per idem tempus novit.

Super primo art[icu]lo exa[minata] dicit quod refert se ad Constitutionem provincialem articulatam et in jura Et al[ite]r nescit deponere.
Super secundo art[icu]lo non Examinatur quia pars rea fatetur.

Super tertio art[icu]lo exa[minata] dicit that she this ex[amina]te [deleted: being?] servaunt to Mr Frauncis Malham of Elslacke [unread connecting abbreviation] the ar[ticula]te Marie Atkinson betwixte hay time and harvest in the yeare last came to the house of the said Mr Malham (she having at that time a childe to nurse of the said Mr Malhams) and comeing into the Chamber where this ex[amina]te and her m[ist]ris wife to the said Mr Malham were seemed to be desirous to speake some what to this ex[amina]tes m[ist]ris (which this ex[amina]te perceiving went her way) forth of the Chamber, and saith that upon this ex[amina]tes comeing againe to her said m[ist]ris, her m[ist]ris told her that the childe (which she had at nurseing with the said Atkinsons wife was not well and that [deleted words] the said Marie Atkinson had told her that the ar[ticula]te Margarett Awcocke was the cause of it, and that she was a witch and had an evill ey &c.) And saith that shortly after that the said Marie Atkinson comeing againe to the

[Image 6 left]
house of this ex[amina]tes said maister in Elslacke ar[ticula]te she this ex[amina]te asked her [cancelled words] Howe her said maisters childe did which she then had at nurseing, calling it by the name of Richard, to which she answered that it was not well, but that she hoped that it mended, whereupon this ex[amina]te asked what she thought might be the cause of its [deleted: not thriveing] well, to which the said Marie Atkinson answered that Awcocke wife, meaninge the ar[ticula]te Margarett Awcocke was the cause thereof, saying moreover that she the said Margarett Awcocke was a naughtie bad woman and had an ill ey Et al[ite]r nescit deponere.

Super quarto art[icu]lo exa[minata] dicit quod nescit deponere Saving she saith that neither she the Margarett Awcocke nor her husband were p[rese]nt when she the said Mary Atkinson uttered the words predeposed upon by this dep[onen]t.
Super quinto art[icu]lo exa[minata] dicit quod nescit deponere aliter quam prius deposuit in hac causa.
Super sexto art[icu]lo exa[minata] dicit quod refert se ad jura Et al[ite]r nescit deponere.
Super septimo art[icu]lo non ex[aminatur] quia pars Rea fatetur.
Super octavo art[icu]lo exa[minata] dicit quod praedeposita per eam sunt vera [unread contracted witness qualification] nec consanguis aut affinis &c. nec curat &c. dummodo fiat Justitia.

[Mark and subscription] A K
Anne Kippax.

[Image 6 right blank facing sheet.]