Blandy, Mary, 1720-1752 -- Trials, litigation, etc.; Trials (Murder) -- Great Britain; Trials (Poisoning) -- Great Britain
Did she say that she thought she had ever taken poison before?--On my
telling her that I ascribed her complaints to poison, which she had
taken in gruel at Mr. Blandy's on the 7th August, she said that, if
she had been poisoned by drinking that gruel at Mr. Blandy's, she was
sure that she had been poisoned there the haytime before by drinking
something else.
[Sidenote: Alice Emmet]
ALICE EMMET, examined--My mother is now very ill, and cannot attend;
she was charwoman at Mr. Blandy's in June last; she was taken very ill
in the night with a vomiting and reaching, upwards and downwards. I
went to Miss Blandy in the morning, by her desire, to see if she would
send her something, as she wanted something to drink, saying she was
very dry. Miss said she would send something, which she did in about
two hours.
Did you tell her what your mother had ate or drank?--No, I did not,
only said my mother was very ill and very dry, and desired something
to drink.
[Sidenote: R. Littleton]
ROBERT LITTLETON, examined--I was clerk to Mr. Blandy almost two
years. The latter end of July last I went to my father's, in
Warwickshire, and returned again on the 9th August, and breakfasted
with Mr. Blandy and his daughter the next morning, which was on a
Saturday. He was in great agony, and complained very much. He had a
particular dish to drink his tea in. He tasted his tea, and did not
drink it, saying it had a gritty, bad taste, and asked Miss whether
she had not put too much of the black stuff in it, meaning Bohea tea.
She answered it was as usual. He tasted it again and said it had a bad
taste. She seemed to be in some sort of a tremor. He looked particular
at her, and she looked very much confused and hurried, and went out of
the room. Soon after my master poured it out into the cat's basin, and
set it to be filled again. After this, when he was not there, Miss
asked me what he did with the tea. I said he had not drunk it, but put
it into the cat's basin in the window; then she looked a good deal
confused and flurried. The next day Mr. Blandy, of Kingston, came
about half an hour after nine in the morning. They walked into the
parlour, and left me to breakfast by myself in the kitchen. I went to
church. When I returned, the prisoner desired me to walk with her
cousin into the garden; she delivered a letter to me, and desired me
to seal and direct it as usual, and put it into the post.
Had you ever directed any letter for her before?--I have, a great
many. I used to direct her letters to Mr. Cranstoun. [He is shown a
letter.] This is one.
Did you put it into the post?--I did not. I opened it, having just
before heard Mr. Blandy was poisoned by his own daughter. I
transcribed it, and took it to Mr. Norton, the apothecary at Henley,
and after that I showed it and read it to Mr. Blandy.
What did he say?--He said very little. He smiled and said, "Poor,
love-sick girl! What won't a girl do for a man she loves?" (or to that
effect).
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account