[Footnote 581: June 16, 1663. At a county court at Charlestown, "Daniel Weld and Bertha his wife convicted of fornication before marriage, appeared and made humble acknowledgment of their sin craving the favor of the court. Admonished seriously to consider their great sin and fined £10 apiece. Execution respited during the pleasure of the court."--_MSS. Records of the County Court of Middlesex_, I, 243. On the same day before the same court John Roy and wife were convicted of the same offense, and "pleaded that it was committed a fortnight after their solemn contract in marriage and being hindered of marriage were overcome by the temptation." They had to pay only 40s.: _ibid._, 241.] [Footnote 582: In these volumes there are five cases of fornication by single persons. In the first, April 4, 1654, the two culprits got each twelve stripes; in another, April 1, 1684, a married man and a girl were parties, the man being sentenced to pay £20 or receive thirty stripes, the woman, £5; and in one instance, October 2, 1677, the woman was "whipt fifteen stripes." More cruel was the fate of Sarah Pore. On July 7, 1785, for refusing to name the father of her two children, she was condemned "to be whipt severely twenty stripes and to lie in the house of correction for twelve months, there to be kept at hard labor and to be whipt once a month until she confess." Of course, on August 14, she named the man. For these cases see _MSS. Records of the County Court of Middlesex_, I, 39; III, 107, 194; IV, 97, 171, 173.] On presentment by the grand jury[583] or voluntarily confessions were made by wives and husbands before the court; and these documents contain evidence of the close relation TABLE III CASES OF FORNICATION BEFORE MARRIAGE IN THE COUNTY COURT OF MIDDLESEX COUNTY, MASS., 1649-86 [EXCEPT 1663-71] During the same period these records contain five cases of fornication by single persons. 1. Fine only 15 married couples £20 (together) 1 " " £5 " 3 " " £4 " 6 " " £3 " 2 " " 40s. " 3 " " 2. Fine or stripes _a_) Fine 10 " " £1 (together) 5 " " £6 " 1 " " £4 " 3 " " £3 " 1 " " 50s. (wife) 1 _b_) Stripes 10 " 20 6 husbands 0 wives 15 1 " 0 " 10 3 " 10 " 3. Stripes only 15 1 " (the wife 50s. or whipped)