Reference: CP.H.3692
Year: 1686
Plaintiff: female
Defendant: male
Defamatory words:
she was a whore and a bitch, and called her London whore, Newgate whore and Billingsgate whore
NB: these transcriptions are a work in progress and are provided without any guarantees of accuracy; checking the original documents wherever possible (via the reference links above) is recommended.
Common abbreviations:
[1]
...he this deponent being the Kings collector of the harth money ariseing within the city of York, and being assisted by John Pattrick a constable for the said city did in one of the moneths lilate of the yeare 1685 goe to the house of John Ballard husband to Elizabeth Ballard the plaintiff in this cause, And then and there did demand the harth money due for the said John Ballard's house which was in arreare to the King's Majesty Whereupon she the said Elizabeth Ballard offered this deponent a shilling, and a copper or bad halfe crowne, but this deponent told her the halfe crowne was not good and wishd her to change it which she refused to doe and said he should either take that or none, And thereupon he this deponent offered to distrayne on some pewter that was nigh him, but the said Elizabeth Ballard comeing behind him, did in grreat rage and fury catch hold of this deponents face and scratch him about the eyes and nose and called him rogue pimping rogue scabb'd rogue and other buse? names and threatened to pull his nose of his face and did scratch the skin of severall places of his face and struck severall times att him and this deponent further saith that he this deponent did not give the said Elizabeth Ballard any ill words untill he was provoked to it by the words and actons~ aforesaid, Hee further saith and deposeth that he has been severall times before the time predeposed to att the said John Ballards house for the said harth money or Kings duty and cold not get it, And he further saith that he doth not remember that he did see John Stephenson and Elizabeth his wife nor either of them in the said John Ballards house till after that he was abused and provoked as aforesaid and beleives that neither of them came into the company till afterwards...
... that this exte being a constable haveing a warrt from the Lord Major to assist the said Mr Penrose in collecting the hearth money arlate did goe along with him to the house of John Ballard husband of the sd Elizabeth Ballard about the beginning of June last and the said Mr Penrose demanded three shillings for hearth money and the said Elizabeth layd down halfe a crowne and a shilling but Mr Penrose told the said Elizabeth that the halfe crowne was not a good one & desired her to change which she refused to doe & replyed that he should either take that or none, whereupon the said Mr Penrose offered to destreyne of some pewter that was standing nigh him but the said Elizabeth Ballard came behinde him & in great rage & fury catch'd hold of his face & scratched him abt the eyes & nose & called him rogue pimping rogue scabbed curre and other base names and threatned to pull his nose of his face and did scratch the skin of severall places of his face and struck severall times at him and this exte beleives that she would have done more peridire? if this exte had not beene present And he further deposeth that the said Mr Penrose did not give the said Elizabeth Ballard any ill words untill he was provoked to it by the words & actions aforesaid...
... on the sixth day of July last or therabts this exte & his wife were at Mr Ballards house where came in the said Mr Thomas Penrose who in a rude huaghty and incivill manner demanded of her the said Elizabeth Ballard the Kings duty for the said John Ballards fire hearths which she did not at all refuse to pay but readily tendred the same but the said Penrose refused to take a halfe crowne which was part of the money she tendred him (altho as this exte verily beleives it was good money), whereupon the said Elizabeth Ballard desired the said Thomas Penrose to stay till her husband came home or otherwise she would goe into the street to some of her neighbors & get it chang'd but the said Penrose denyed her the ?publy~ and said that he would pay himselfe and said that he shou'd to wait on her pocky arse then the said Eliz Ballard said that her father & relacons had paid more moneys to his Majtie then he had & that he needed not be soe hasty with her or to that effect whereupon the said Penrose replyed that that made her soe poore as she was and that she was a jade and whore with divers other opprobrious and scandalous words And then fell to distreyne upon some pewter without any further provocacon And then the said Elizabeth Ballard did offer to pull of the said Mr Penrose periwig and scratched his face a little but this exte beleives that the scratch was accidentall & done onely as she was snatching at his periwigg And that the said Mr Penrose got the said Elizabeth Ballard against the table end & did strike or ?bunch her with his knees and this exte verily beleives that he would have done the said Mrs Ballard a prejudice if this extes wife had not stept in she the said Mrs Ballard being then with child as now she is there being by & present this exte, his wife & the constable that came along with the said Mr Penrose...
... one day abt the time allegate the more certain time this exte cannot now remember her husband & her selfe went to visit Mrs Ballard, and the said Mr Penrose came in and a constable with him And in a haughty and uncivill manner demanded the kings duety of the said Mrs Elizabeth Ballard for her husbands firehearths and was very angry with her whereupon the said Mrs Ballard said to him that he need not be soe hasty forher relacons had paid his Majties more moneys than he had done or words to that effect and that the said Mr Penrose replyed that made her soe begarly as she was, then the said Elizabeth Ballard tendred him halfe a crown & a shilling and bid him give her sixpence again but he refused to take the halfe crowne whereupon she disired him to stay untill her husband came in or otherwise she would get it changed of some of her neighbors but he said he scorn'd to stay of her or her pocky arse and that he would please himselfe and ose distreyn'd of some pewter that was on a shelfe and the said Mrs Ballard endeavoured to hinder him and got hold of his perriwig and he rushed her against a table side and this exte beleives did her some harm she being then as now is with child And she says that the said Mr Penrose gave the first ill words & called her whore & bitch and other ill names, And gave her very ill words before she disturb'd him...
... it was betweene eleaven & twelve a clock or thereabouts of the day...
... he has known Mr Penrose for these 3 or 4 years but how long he has been his Majties collector within the citty of Yorke or how long the said John Pattrick has been a constable he knows not nor never see Pattrick that he knows of before...
[additional dep, similar]
... that the said John Stephenson and Elizabeth his wife are very poore (as he verily beleives) and that about eight or nine yers agoe the said John Stephenson lived at Murton and this exte haveing a close nere the town which was eaten more this exte expected one evening abt the time aforesaid he went down to his said close to watch who it was that did eat up his ground and as he was goeing he espied the said John Stephenson rideing that way and when the said Stephenson came at the gate he opened the same & rid in & then alighted from his horse and left him in the sd close & went his waye and then this exte and a man that was with him tooke the said horse and carried him to the pinfold & sent for the sd John Stephenson who came to this exte and confessed that he had put his horse into this extes said close, begg'd his pardon & promised never to doe the like againe... [autograph]
... that this exte beleives that the said John Stephenson & Elizabeth his wife are very poore and that the said John Stephenson is a man of very ill repute in the place where he lives and other places thereabts & this exte sayes that the last sumer~ this exte bargained with the said John Stephenson & another pson to pare a parsell of ground for this exte and was to give them nine shillings an acre for doeing it And thereupon this exte got a surveying chain to measure the said land [which he measured, 11 yards long] ... and afterwards he gave the chain to the said Stephenson to measure the said ground but... Stephenson stayed a little behind and took of about a yard of the chain & then fell to measuring the ground And this exte had got one Chrofer Benson to lead the chain & Stephenson followed it & when this deponents back was turned he the said John Stephenson gave the chain a pluck back, And this exte can the better depose herein for that the said Benson (after that the said ground was pared? [prepared?] and this exte had paid for the same) told this exte how he was cheated by the said John Stephenson whereupon this exte sent the sd Stephenson sumons~ and then the said John Stephenson came to this exte & confessed whats predeposed and paid him three pounds for satisfaccon~, And this exte beleives that the said Stephensonretails ale... [autograph]
... this exte has heard that the said John Stephenson put a horse into Richard Strakers ground & that he shortned a chain when he was to measure some of Richard Harrisons ground... [autograph]
...the arlate John Stephenson & Elizabeth his wife are in a very poore condicon~ as he verily beleives. And he further sayes that abt seaven years agoe this exte & the said Stephenson were working together at one Peter Pearsons at a place called Burton house where he see the said John Stephenson steale a peice of bacon of abt two pounds weight & put it in his pocket & this exte rebuked him for soe doeing & he further saith that when they have been working together the said Stephenson has wronged this exte of part of his wages & this exte beleives that the sd John Stephenson & his wife sell ale at Heslington Estate ... [mark]
... the said John Stephenson is a poore labouring man, And further sayes that he the said John Stephenson is man of ill repute & of knavish practices & more pticularly he & this exte being graving? [not sure about the v] together at Eskrick of some ground belonging to one Thomas Potter, he observed the sd Stephenson to goe to a cow that was the said Potters and milk her into a pitcher which he carried along with him, to the said ground, And further the said Stephenson told this exte that about spring last he measured some ground for one Richard Harrison & that he tooke two staves from the length of the chain that he measured it with... abt two years agoe & upwards he see the said John Stephenson have a book in his hand & he told him that it was a book of arithmatick which he had taken out of Roger Kayes house & desired this exte not to tell the sd Kay on it, for yt he design'd to learn something out of it & carry home again...
[2]
... he this examate hath knowne the arlate John Stephenson and Elizabeth his wife for about foureteen or fifteen yeares last past or more to the best of this examates remembrance, And that they lived at Morton for all that time, till wthin these two yeares, last past, that they have lived at Heslington arlate, and were near neighbores for part of that time to this examat, And he also saith that dureing all that time that they lived at Morton, they weere due frequenters of the church, and lived very peaceably and quietly amongst their neighbores, and were intrusted by this examate in his house, and he never found them or either of them dishonest to him, And he beleives that att the time of their producton swearing and examon~ in this cause they were and still are persons of good credit and repute and such as would not forsweare themselvesin this or any other cause whatsoever for any manner of gain or advantage... [autograph]
... the arlate John Stephenson and Elizabeth his wife were near neighbores to this examate at Morton for about twelve yeares ended about two yeares ago, that for all that time they were due frequenters of the church to heare divine service and sermons as is arlate, and very honest peaceable and quiett neighbores And belives that they would not forsweare themselves in this or any other cause for any advantage whatever... [mark]
... he this examate hath knowne the arlate John Stephenson and Elizabeth his wife for about fourteen yeares last past and that they were neighbores to this exte at Morton till about two yeares ago that they removed to Heslington, And dureing that time were due frequenters of the church to heare divine service & sermons as is arlate, and very peaceable and quiett neighbores... [mark]