Hanged for their crimes
Justice in the 1500 and 1600's was harsh on poor people with judges donning the black cap and sentencing prisoners to death by hanging for comparatively mundane reasons.
Records of many of the sittings of the Essex Assize Courts are held at Essex Records Office allowing a glimpse of justice at its most brutal.
Below is a list of people taken from the Assize records who were from Eastern Essex or who committed crimes in Eastern Essex and were sentenced to hang.
Some of the spelling may seem wrong but this reflects the practice in the 1600's where spelling was often guesswork based on the sound of the word.
Of the 34 people listed the last one was reprieved and the remainder hung.
Only four of the prisoners killed anyone and these cases involved an all female fight, alleged witchcraft and a young mother killing her illegitimate son.
Several of the prisoners were hung for theft and offences that nowadays would not even attract a short prison sentence.
The list is in Parish Order.
John
Pidgeon alias Damon of Althorne
Assizes held at
Chelmsford 24 July 1615
Stole two pairs of stockings worth 8s., "a
silver whissell" worth 10s.and money, belonging to
Rob.Tiffen.
John Hun of Althorne
Coroners enquiry held at Burnham on 1 February 1569
Assaulted Agnes Stephen previously Cobler, struck her on the head with an iron bodkin, killing her instantly
William Cravens of Asheldham
Assizes held at
Chelmsford 14 March 1650
Stole a brown gelding worth £10, belonging to John Blackwell.
John Rawe of Bradwell-juxta-Mare
Assizes held at
Chelmsford 18 March 1629
Between 12 and 1 at night broke into the house of Henry
Byford with the intention of taking his property, the said Henry being therein.
Richard Hewes of Bradwell Juxta Mare
Assizes held at Chelmsford 14 March 1610
Broke into the house of William Dedham and stole
five elles of lockeram worth 6s.8d., twelve Elles of quarter
cloth 16s., fifteen elles of canvas worth 25s. and nine
yards of wollen cloth worth 20s., beonging to Gregory Smyth.
Thomas Wayer of Bradwell next to Sea
Assizes held at Chelmsford 26 July 1566
Broke into the house of William Fleminge of Wratting and stole 21 pieces of cloth.
Joan Thorocke of Burnham on Crouch
Assizes held at Witham 27 July 1584
Bewitched Thomas son of Thomas Owgham so that he died
Bewitched to death 3 horses belonging to William Leper
Bewitched to death 2 cows belonging to John Gybbons
Bewitched Jasper son of William Leper so that he died
Bewitched Mary wife of Isaac Bowls so that she died
Bewitched to death 4 hogs belonging to John Lawe
Nicholas Oliver of Burnham on Crouch
Brentwood 22 July 1696
Stole a bay mare worth £8, belonging to
John Middleton.
Thomas Banckes of Burnham on Crouch
Assizes held at
Brentwood 4 March 1616
Stole a white ewe worth 10s., belonging to Wm.Eley.
Indicted afterwards for robbery near the highway
Francis Parker of Cold Norton
Assizes held at
Chelmsford February 1597
Between 6 and 7p.m.
broke into the house of Henry Midmaye and stole a freese coate
worth 5s.,a doublet fo fustian worth 10s., two breeches
worth 12s. and a shirt worth 2s., belonging to William
Brayford.
James
Osborne of Creeksea
Assizes held at
Brentwood 3 August 1698
Stole a brown bay gelding worth £6, belonging to Richard
Willis.
William Barker of Hazeleigh
Assizes
held at Chelmsford 18 July 1694
stole a grey mare worth £4, belonging to Robert Davidge
George Osborne of Hazeleigh
Assizes
held at Chelmsford 12 March 1592
Stole a boar from John Argent
Osborne had been allowed clergy for 6 thefts of livestock in 1591
Thomas Andrewe of Latchingdon
Assizes held at
Chelmsford 12 January 1576
Stole a sorrell gelding at Purleigh belonging to Thomas Kynge.
Stole a black gelding at Mundon
William Brighte of Latchingdon
Assizes held at
Brentwood 19 July 1585
Stole 37 sheep and 25 lambs at Margaret Roding
Brighte had been allowed clergy for 4 thefts of livestock in 1580
Thomas Turner of Mayland
Assizes held at
Brentwood 13 August 1712
Stole a brown gelding worth £7, belonging to Rich.Larke.
Robert Kinge of Mayland
Assizes held at
Brentwood 4 March 1616
Broke into the house of Rich.Fuller and stole four
cheeses worth 20s., two "cheese clothes"a worth 12d., and four aprons
worth 2s.
Also indicted
for highway robbery
Joan Caston of Mundon
Assizes held at
Chelmsford 26 June 1638
Was delivered of a bastard male child whom she strangled.
John
Trappes of Mundon
Assizes held at
Chelmsford 24 July 1609
at night broke into the house of the same Thomas Saffold and
stole two pairs of knives worth 3s., "a handkerchere"
worth 6d., "a borde cloth worth 12d., a silver
thimble worth 18d. and twelve silke pointes
worth 12d.
John
Raynor of Purleigh
Assizes held at Chelmsford 31 August 1685
committed
buggery with a bitch.
Thomas Rampton of Purleigh
Assizes held at Chelmsford 2 March 1592
At North Fambridge, stole 21 sheep from James Osborne.
At Colchester ,stole 3 heifers from Edward Webbe
Rampton had previously been allowed clergy
John
Yonge of Purleigh
Assizes held at Chelmsford 3 March 1575
Broke into the close of John Lock at hazeleigh and stole a Grey Gelding.
Thomas Wright of Purleigh
Assizes held at
Chelmsford 26 February 1634.
Stole
34s.8d., belonging to Thomas Anvill.
Mathew
Chapman of Purleigh
Assizes held at
Chelmsford 16 July 1610
On the highway assualted Thomas Hullman and
took 3s. in money and a hat worth 12d. from him.
Robert Offyn of Purleigh
Assizes held at
Brentwood 10 March 1628
stole two black
oxen worth £5 and two brown oxen worth £5, belonging to Richard Hale
Elizabeth
Glascock of Purleigh
Assizes held
at Chelmsford 28 February 1676
Assaulted and struck and kicked Elizabeth Williams upon the chest and stomach, giving her a mortal
bruise of which she died
Thomas Last
of Southminster
Assizes held
at Chelmsford 1 January 1610
In the
daytime broke into the house of Agnes Evans widow and stole 8s.6d. in money, a
silver ring worth 18d. and a paire of stockinges worth
12d.
Ralph Johnson of Stow Maries
Assizes held at
Chelmsford 13 March 1587
At Althorne stole £5 7s 6d in money, 3 silver rings, a silver pin, a fustian doublet and other items from William Munte.
William Sayers of Woodham Mortimer
Assizes held at
Chelmsford 9 March 1685
Stole a brown mare worth 50s., belonging to Thomas Underwood
Robert Berdsell of Woodham Mortimer
Assizes held at
Chelmsford 27 February 1598
Stole a sorrell dunne gelding worth 60s., belonging to Ralph
Cortman
Richard Fisher of Woodham Mortimer
Assizes held at
Chelmsford 14 March 1610
Broke into the
house of William Harrys knt., and stole "fower paire of sheetes"
worth 20s. a Pair, a sheet worth 5s. and "a velvitt cull" worth £4.
James
Ewers and George Burleigh of Woodham Walter
Assizes held at
Brentwood 19 July 1699
On the highway assaulted John Royse and tock from him a cloth coat worth
20s., "one calicoe waistcoat" worth 10s., a pair of red shag breeches
worth 20s., "one caster hat" worth 16s., a pair of shoes worth 3s., a
pair of gloves worth 18s., "one muslin flowered neckcloth" worth 3s.,
two linen handkerchiefs worth 2s., a satin cap worth 18d., a tobacco box worth
6d., a key worth 1d. and 13s. in money.
Richard Warde of Inworth
Assizes held at
Chelmsford 27 February 1598
At Woodham
Mortimer between 1 and 5 O'clock in the morning, broke into the house of Nicholas
Johnson clerk, he and his household being therein, and stole a black cloak worth
13s.4d.,four neckerchefes worth 12s., three crosse
clothes worth 3s.4d., three "coifes worth 4s., two
holland bandes worth 6s.8d., one table clothe worth
2s., three napkyns worth 2s., a pewter ewer worth 3s., six pieces kof
pewter worth 4s., two candlestickes of latyn and a le posnett
of brasse worth 3s.,le chafyngdyshe of latynworth 12d.,
le morter with a a pastle worth 2s., a greate rybb of
beafe worth 3s.4d., a legg of porke, a foreloyne of porke and a
brest of porke worth 5s.
Jesper Harman of Earls Colne
Assizes held at
Chelmsford 5 November, 1597
At Woodham Walter breaking into the house of
John Saunders between the hours of 4 and 5 p.m. and stealing
a pair of breaches worth 8s a frieze jerkin, two pairs of stocking worth 4s, a
hat worth 3s a waistcoat, a shirt worth 3s, three ruff-bands worth 7s, seven
falling-bands worth 7s a sheet worth 6s, three pillow beers, five kerchiefs
worth 10s, two silver rings worth 2s, a silk girdle worth 2s, tw smocks worth
6s and four cheeces worth 4s
The one that got away
Elizabeth Shoncke of Purleigh
Assizes held at
Chelmsford 24 March 1656
About 4 p.m. broke into the house of John Browne, no one being
therein, and stole "one purple tawny gowne" worth 20s., 1 3/4 yards
of cloth worth 7s., a hat worth 3s., a petticoat worth 3s., two spoons worth
6d., and a silver bodkin worth 6d.
Sentenced to be hung but reprieved after judgement