Reference
HSA1668/S/48
Title
Deposition: Mary Cambers 26 Apr. 1668
No child since husband's death 15 months ago. In Apr. she confessed to birth of female child at 'The Rose', Sherrington (Bucks), baptised on following Sunday at Sherrington church. Father was Roger Hitchyson. Wished to return to London; Sherrington overseers conveyed her to Woburn - came to Bedford - Roxton - Gt. Paxton, and slept in close. Left child behind 'perceiving some maids comeing to milke', hoping that parish would take care of it'.
The examination of Mary Cambers of the town of Bedford, widow, charged with suspition of being delivered of a Bastard child within a fortnight last past and murdering the same, taken the 26th day of April, 1668. This examinant saith that her husband departed this life about 15 months since, then left her two children, the youngest child about 2 years old which child she weaned about 6 months after her husbands death, And that since the death of her said husband shee hath not bin delivered of any child neither hath any man had the carnall knowledge of her body. The said Marie Cambers uppon the 27th day of April 1668 saith That she this examinant was delivered of a bastard female child at the house of John Clarke, an alehouse known by the sign of the Rose in Sherrington, Bucks, on Thursday last was a fortnight, and that there were present at her said delivery the woman of the sd. house and [ ] Gutteridge her midwife and severall other women whose names shee knowes not and that her said child was baptised in Sherrington church the Sunday following by the minister of the parish by the name of Mary as her daughter begotten of her body by Roger Hitchyson who indeed was the father of her said child and had the carnall knowledge of her body about July last and that none other but the sd. Roger Hitchyson had the knowledge of the body of her the sd. examinant since the death of her sd. husband: and that about a weeke after her delivery she being desirous to returne to London from whence she came about a month before, being the last place of her habitation as she told the overseers of the poor at Sherrington aforesd., and thereupon they conveyed her towards London to Woburn in this County where they left her on Monday last, and from thence that night she came to Bedford with her said child and there durst not stay for feare of punishment but went immediately to Roxton in this county where the next morning being Tuesday last she there refresht her selfe and her said childe at an ale-house; and from thence went to Great Paxton in Hunts. Where she lay in close beyond the town all that night and early in the morning, being Wednesday last, perceiving some Maids coming to milke in the sd. close left her sd. child in the said close, which she hath since heard was Mr. Wymer's close, drest up in a holland shift with a linen bed and blankett and double cloutt a red sweather, a holland neck-cloth and biggen and a double cross cloth and over that a linen hood and two blew and two red blanketts lying in the sd. close hoping that the sd. maids would discover her child to the sd. parish of Paxton whereby it might be taken care off which she heares is accordingly done, and that her sd. child is in good health, and that upon Wednesday night last she came to her house in Bedford where she not finding her two children shee left there, went to look them, and found them at Stagsden in Beds. from whence she brought them to Bedford on Saturday night last and further saith not
Date free text
1668
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From: 1668 To: 1668
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No. of pieces: 1
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