All the defence which the prisoner made, was only this, that he was
threatened into the confession that he had made, and was in such a
consternation, that he did not know what he said or did. But then it
was sworn by two witnesses, that there was no such thing as any
threatening made use of; but that he made a free and voluntary
confession, only with this addition at first; that he told the Lord
Mayor, he had sold his wife for five shillings; but not being able to
name either the person or the place where she might be produced, that
was looked upon as too frivolous to outweigh circumstances, that were
proofs to apparent.
**The information of Thomas Lofthouse, of Ruforth, taken upon oath the
twenty-fourth day of April, 1690,
WHO sayeth and deposeth, that one William Barwick, who lately married
this informant's wife's sister,came to this informant's house, about
the fourteenth instant, and told this informant, he had carried his wife
to one Richard Harrison's house in Selby, who was uncle to him, and
would take care of her; and this informant hearing nothing of the said
Barwick's wife, his said sister-in-law, imagined he had done her some
mischief, did yesterday go to the said Harrison's house in Selby, where
he said he had carried her to; and the said Harrison told this informant,
he knew nothing of the said Barwick, or his wife, and this informant doth
verily believe the said Barwick to have murdered her.
THOMAS LOFTHOUSE.
"Jurat die & Anno
super dicto coram me,"
S. DAWSON, Mayor.
**The examination of the said William Harwich, taken the day and year
abovesaid,
WHO sayeth and confesseth, that he, this examinant, on Monday was
seventh night, about two of the clock in the afternoon, this examinant
was walking in a Close, betwixt Cawood and Wistow; and he farther
sayeth, that he threw his said wife into the pond, where she was
drowned, and the day following, towards the evening, got a hay-spade
at a hay-stake in the said Close, and made a grave beside the said
pond, and buried her.
WILLIAM BARWICK.
"Exam. capt. die & Anno
super dict, coram me,"
S. DAWSON, Mayor.
**The examination of William Barwick, taken the twenty- fifth day of
April, 1690,
WHO sayeth and confesseth, that he carried his wife over a certain
wain-bridge, called Bishopdike-bridge, betwixt Cawood and Sherborne,
and within a lane about one hundred yards from the said bridge, and on
the left hand of the said bridge, he and his wife went over a stile,
on the left hand of a certain gate, entering into a certain close, on
the left hand of the said lane; and in a pond in the said close,
(adjoining to a quick-wood-hedge) did drown his wife, and upon the
bank of the said pond, did bury her: and further, that he was within
sight of Cawood Castle, on the left hand; and that there was but one
hedge betwixt the said close, where he drowned his said wife, and the
Bishop-slates belonging to the said castle.
WILLIAM BARWICK
"Exam. capt. die & Anno
super dict, coram me,"
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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