Three cruell felonies and two hated murders performed this last moneth by the father and brother in law against the Sun and brother, the neighbour against the neighbours child, the false familiar against his vnmisdeeming freend.
BIrdes obserue seasons, Beast knowe the course of tymes, eyther to their owne kind are kind: but men neither regard time, nor make vse of example but with a headlong fury follow their owne appetite. Experience in all ages hath approued that Sin hath not béen in the highest Estate vnpunished especially that sinne, that is to nature abhorting, before good men most detestable, of God from the beginning detested. Murder, I meane, that crying sinne, that sinne which gaue the first murderer horror of heart, and presents all his successors, with hell of conscience. Of so many thousand bloodthirstie tirants, close plotting poysoners, felonious waiting murderes, let any man tel me, which went vnto his graue in peace? the scripture, prophane Stories, the records and cronicles of all nations, remember not one, but all point out a miserable, sudden and certaine ruine to him that lay in wait for blood. The wisedome of our fathers in elder ages, the policie of maiestrates in these times, wherein iniquitie rageth, by punishmēt haue sought to warne the liuing vntoucht to remember the guilty put to death, that they may feare to fall into such misfortune. To this they thought good to [...]dde y t publishing of their detested crimes, that those whose eyes could not behold their deserued endes, might yet by hearing be warned. The imitation whereof wee follow, and in as few wordes as the matter wil giue leaue describe thrée sorrowful accidents, gathered from the confession of the malefactors.
The murder of Thomas Chambers.
In Essex not farre from London in the parish of vp master, at a place called Corbetts Tie, dwelt on Iohn wright, who had married the widdow of one Chambers a Tanner: whose Sonne Thomas Chambers being a yong man of great towardnes, of condition gentle, of body well proportioned, was bereft of life euen when he began to liue, by the conspiracie of his vnkinde brother in law Iohn Graygoose of Epping husbandman, that had maried Chambers sister, & Iohn Wrights cruelty the vnnaturall husband of his mother. The cause that mooued these two this sinne to attempt, arose from hence Thomas Chambers being by his father left heire to 30. l. a yeare, and a portion of 200. l and vpwards in money, which money and land at christmas next was to come to his hande, or if he died vnder age a great part of it, then to fall vnto the wife of the aboue named Graygoose: Graygoose (as at his death Wright protested) about Cādlemas last came vnto him and plotted murder, promising the benefit that by Chambers death to either of them might arise. O false temptation of deceiuing gaine: how blind are men to be so abused? how fond to fall so fondly? to beléeue the deuill so quickly? when they can no sooner haue perfected so odious an ill, but vengeance like a théefe in the night seazeth on them: nay like a violent tempest beates downe their violence. But to our matter. Graygoose was the wicked tempter, Wright as willingly tempted, the one conceiues the mischéefe, the other consentes: many times they méeteplott, conspire, & in the end conclude, that about Epping or Wéeldside in Essex, in one of the Whitson holidaies he should be slaine: which of thē could first méete him promised to be the murderer. So part these vile conspirators, eyther attending the dismall time of Chambers destruction. Wright being alwaies in the house, had fitter opportunity than his confederate, and on the sixt of Iune before the appointed time, knowing Thomas Chambers to be forth [Page 5] betwéene the howers of ten and twelue awaited at a place called Rushy gréene nere Barrow hill, in the parish of horne-church, and with a stake taken out of a style he there assaulted the vnmistrusting yong man, & at one blow giuē on the right side of his head stroke out his braines: which done dragd him into a bush, and there hid the murdred body: and with a bold face returned home. The youth being well beloued was in sundry places sought for, and no small suspition of his murder had by those of good conceipt. At length on whitson munday being the ix. of Iune a gray-hound found the murdred body, and neuer left baying till it was drawne forth. Oh wretched estate of blood guilty murderers, how often haue the foules in the ayre wonderfully bewraied your long concealed acts, how often haue bruite beastes wondered at you? howe often haue your trecherous hearts betrayed you? Though men see yée not God doth? though men bewray yée not, birds may? yf birdes doo not, beastes may, if neither doo, your own consciences shall, but if they be seared vp, God certainly wil find out a meane.
When Chambers body was thus found, a rufull sight it was to looke vpon, his faire countenance was discoulored, wormes cralled in his mouth, nose, eares, and his whole body was putrefied. The missing of Wright that euening the deed was done, some suspitious wordes, but chéefely Gods will made Wright to be suspected: and albeit, at the first he sought to face it out, yet before a Iustice he confessed it presently, in manner as is before recited: for which hee worthely suffered death on Munday the 14. of Iuly at Rumforde in Essex, and Graygoose is to abide his triall at Chelmesford. O that all stepfathers and mothers might possibly haue heard Wrights lamentation, how he exhorted them to beware, how he exclaimed on coueteousnes, how he desired forgiuenes, they woulde then remember the childrē that were orphanes committed to their patronage, were to be vsed as derely as their naturall children, but it séemed he knew his duity and forget it; and if [...] he not (as he was) giuen ouer, they will remember it.
The robbery of Pets house with the wounding of his sonne.
OVr Second seene of this thréefold tragedy, was acted in Rislip a country towne in Middlesex. Two neighbors dwelt in that parish, Murdox the one an honest wealthy Farmer, Pets the other a carpenter though not rich, yet of honest reputation: Murdox had among diuers children a yong man to his yongest sonne, of body well proportioned, of face louely, a great company kéeper, giuen much to riot, yea giuen ouer as it proued, so that no allowance of his father, nor counsell of his mother preuailed with him: but will was to him a law, no profit seemed to him so pleasing as wanton pleasure: but as one sinne is father to another, so riot be got gréedy desire of getting to maintaine wast, & this youth (being perswaded Pets was very rich) on sunday the 22. of Iune, after his owne Father was rid to Hounslow, Pets & his wife being at church, entred the house, and found a sonne of Pets about 10. yeres of age in the house. The child knowing Murdox, had no feare: albeit Murdox in his sight had rifled the house, & missed foure pounds that was tied in the corner of a shéete, taking onely a little purse (as was proued by euidence) wherein fourtéene pence was. Finding no more, he called the boy, Iacke saith he, wilt thou not tell? No indéed saith the child. Then come and bring a knife quoth Murdox, and wée will into the groue to cut whipstockes. The simple child tooke a knife & followed him, and beeing come through a close into the groue, hee with the knife the childe brought, gasht him about the throat but mist the weason, and so thinking the childe to bée dead left him, but hearing the boy crie, returned and [...] him into the right brest then listening againe, he againe returnd and sta [...] him againe: and the third time comming backe, stopping the childes mouth with [...], hee thinking him surely dead, and leauing him, went toward the Church, by which time [...] [Page 7] neighbor Petshis. Thether the mother and her eldest sonne went to sée the cause: the yong sonne would not goe. When Murdox wife came there, they saw the house rifled, but onely the wofull mother cried for her sonne, her sonne. Some neighbors spied a footing towardes the groue followed it, and found the boy all to be weltred in gore. And perceiuing life to bee in him, two layde him on a cloke, and beetwéene them brought him home. Where murdoxes mother most of any other when hee had recouered speech) sought to haue him tell who did the déed. At last with great feare he told, & presently yong Murdox was apprehended, and found bayle, denying the deed with many bitter curses. That day he carelesly followed his pleasure, but the childes constancie in his accusation, made the parents to bring him before the Lord Anderson, who so sifted him that he confessed the fact. For which he was condemned at the Sessions at newgate, and executed on munday the 14. of Iuly. The mone he made, y t gréefe he had of his misspent life, too late too helplesse was lamentable, but such is the rewarde of ryot, where no regard is had of spending aboue the course of lawful getting, necessity must néedes follow: games, wantonnes, & ease, are not continued without excessiue cost. He died in his prime of youth, in y e flower of his strēgth, in the blouming of his hopes, making his owne ende shamefull by wastfull ouersight. The child (by Gods power) is recouered, and at the barre gaue euidence against him.
The murder of the Grasier.
OVr last part is composed of enuie, Auarice, false freendship, murder, massacring, and their reward. For enuie. One Dernly a grasier about Essex side being very familiar with William Randolph a man of his owne profession, dwelling about Cardiffe, and hauing much dealing about Lōdon, stomacked (as diuers men of one trade doo) the great dealings of Randolph. Randolph séemed to be a man of gentle nature [Page 8] and verye open to his fréend, taking Dernley for no [...] of his, for Dernley was priuie that Randolph had receiued aboue thrée hundred pound, and was to ride from London through Ailsbury toward Wales. Whereupon he acquainted, one Parry dwelling in Shorditch, and Richardson another of his confedrats dwelling in Knight-rider stréete in London wyth Randolphs condition, charge of money, and the way hee had to ride. They fell in company with Randolph a little from London, and verie curteousty bare him company to Ailsbury: and by the way one Tailer of Ailsbury chanced among them, and noting by Randolphs talke that hee concealed not his charge of mony, besides obseruing how Parrey and Richardson were horst, and weaponed, tolde Randolphe secretly at his comming to Ailsbury, that hee did not wisely to ride so open, and willed him to looke well to Parrey and Richardson, for hee mistrusted them. The good old man beléeuing the faire spéeches of the ill intending murderers, better than the honest aduise of the plaine meaning man, replied, they were very fréendly Gentlemen dwelling in London, such as had vsed him very kindly, and that for a world of wealth he would not haue an euill thought of them, so honest they séemed, so gentle, so faire conditioned, whereupon Tailer séeing Randolphs minde des [...]ed to vse more words. But this talke of his, either by Randolphs meanes or some other course came to Parrey and Richardsons hearing, whereupon making shew or displeasure, in the morning they went before him out of towne, pretending hast also of their way. Randolph hearing they were gone, greatly blamed the Chamberlaine, and with all spéed hasted to poast after them, & comming about some mile from Ailsburie met one who tolde him two such Gentlemen were easely riding not a full mile [...]. When [...] is marhed to mischance, with what violence doth his euill [...] draw him onward. As fast as horse could runne he galleys after, and to some get sight of them that were readye to him his fight with eternal darknesse: when hee was [...] them they were [...] hollow [Page 9] hearted companions, vnder coleur of kinde salutation, turning their horses heades to bid him welcome, Parrey first with a Iudas like welcome dischargd his pistol in his bosome: with the entrance of the bullet the poore man laid his faint hand on his wounded brest, while Richardson with the second bullet shot him through hand and belly. So fell he downe, and they like bloodsucking wolues ceasd on this innocent, dubbling in his death wound vpon wound, mangling his face with such inhumane cruelty, as no barbarous tirant coulde more outragiously haue done. Then drew they him into a thicket, and rifled his dead body: where Richardson yet vnsatisfied with cruelty stabd him into the necke, with such violence that in pulling back his hand, the pummell and handle of his dagger cam off, but she blade he left sticking in his neck, which blade was one witnes against the murdrous maister. This done, they turnd his horse into the wood and houer about the country some two daies and more after. For it was the second day before y e murdred body was found, by a fellow that sought cattle. When the hue and cry came to Ailsbury, Tayler among other went to see the body, and by the apparell better than the face he knew it was the carcasse of that wretched man, who had refused his counsell at Ailsbury the other night before. He descried their apparell, proportions, horses and all such markes as hee aduisedly had taken while he rid in their company. To London, toward Wales, & euery way the hue and cry went. Parrey was taken in Wales, and contest the fact. Richardson at his owne doore in London. A while he denied the deed, but long he stood not in it, both of them accused Dernley, and to Ailsbury they are all gone to suffer desera [...]d death. God giue them repentant hearts so lament earnestly the cruelty of their handes, for w c more bloodinesse haue I not heard a murder of lōg time to be followed. The murdred man as I before said, was plaine, simple, & of no mistrustfull heart. The murderers to the worlde eye well thought off. Dernley the causer of Randolphs death, a very wealthy man estéemed of honest conuersation. Parrey and Richardson the executioners, [Page 10] borne of honest parentage, faire conditioned, not thought to liue so disorberly as it séemeth they now did. For had they not béen exercised to robbery and spoyle, howe durst Dernley haue broke so hainous a matter to them, or if he had not before time so purpost, how could hée so sodainly haue found them for his purpose: but the community of the euill hath an euil end, and though they band themselues for a time together, death gapes for them, & their destruction commeth sodainly. Would some by these and many more examples would take heed. It is impossible murder should be hid, and therefore it is folly for any man to follow it. This brother in law and father in law Graygoose & wright Murderers of innocent Thomas Chambers, thought that their secret mischiefe could haue been as secretly conceiled as wickedly conceiued? but euen the day the dead body was found, their treachery was found: Murdox thought he had made sure worke with youg Pets, but hee yet liues, whom he cruelly intended to haue slaine, and being but a child condemned him a man, before the seate of iudgement. These last thrée thoght thēselues as sure, but blood cried from the earth, and the voice of the reuenger hath made them tremble. Looke, looke, ye murderers how many miseries ye bring to those that liue, by your complotting others deaths: the parents, wiues, children, followers of those you murder, that neuer ment you ill, are when your hatefull déede is done, vexing followers of you to your deserued deaths: your parents wiues children, followers, fréendes mournfull and helplesse lamenters for your amisse, your owne names perpetually inrolled among murderers. If you be tempted to any ill, remēber the end, shame misery and confusion of face, you that were wont to walke fréely, must be led like bondmen, that haue béen wel thought on, must bee the peoples wonder: that were fréends sole comfort, are most sharp percing swords vnto their hearts. Let thought of blood be farre from ye, for it is a sinne God hats, & no man will not pity.