“And now in the tyme of this presente parliament, that is to saye in the xviijᵗʰ daye of Februarye in the xxij yere of his moste victorious reygn, one Richarde Roose late of Rouchester in the Countie of Kente coke, otherwyse called Richarde Coke, of his moste wyked and dampnable dysposicyon dyd caste a certeyne venym or poyson into a vessell replenysshed with yeste or barme stondyng in the Kechyn of the Reverende Father in God John Bysshopp of Rochester at his place in Lamehyth Marsshe, wyth whych Yeste or Barme and other thynges convenyent porrage or gruell was forthwyth made for his famylye there beyng, whereby nat only the nombre of xvij persons of his said famylie whych dyd eate of that porrage were mortally enfected and poysoned and one of them that is to say, Benett Curwen gentylman thereof ys decessed, but also certeyne pore people which resorted to the sayde Bysshops place and were there charytably fedde with the remayne of the saide porrage and other vytayles, were in lyke wyse infected, and one pore Woman of them that is to saye, Alyce Tryppytt wydowe is also thereof nowe deceased: OUR SAYDE SOVEREIGN LORDE THE KYNGE of hys blessed disposicion inwardly abhorryng all such abhomynable offences because that in no maner no persone can lyve in suretye out of daunger of death by that meane yf practyse thereof shulde not be exchued, hath ordeyned and enacted by auctorytie of thys presente parlyament that the sayde poysonyng be adjudged and demed as high treason, And that the sayde Richarde Roose for the sayd murder and poysonynge of the sayde two persons as is aforesayde by auctorite of thys presente parlyament shall stande and be attaynted of highe treason: And by cause that detestable offence nowe newly practysed and commytted requyreth condigne punysshemente for the same: It is ordeyned and enacted by auctoritie of this presente parliament that the said Richard Roose shalbe therfore boyled to deathe withoute havynge any advauntage of his clargie.” The Act goes on to declare that in future murder by poisoning shall be deemed to be high treason, punishable by boiling to death. This was the sequel:— “=1531.= The 5. of Aprill one Richard Rose a cooke, was boiled in Smithfielde, for poisoning of diuers persons, to the number of 16, or more, at yᵉ bishop of Rochesters place, amongst the which Benet Curwine Gentleman was one, and hee intended to haue poisoned the Bishop himselfe but hee eate no pottage that day whereby hee escaped: marie the poore people that eate of them, many of them died” (Stow’s Annals, ed. 1615, p. 559). Stow records another case in 1542, March 17, when Margaret Davy, a maid-servant, was boiled in Smithfield for poisoning three households in which she had lived.[31]