By Esther Ives, with the Assistance of John Noyse a Cooper; on the Body of William Ives, her Husband, at Rum­sey in Hampshire, on the Fifth day of February, 1686.

MAny and Notorious have been the Murthers of late committed by divers Wicked People, and in sundry manners: But I think none in the Horridness of the Action can exceed, if paral­lel, what I am about to relate; and for which, as you will plainly find, the Hand of Justice overtook the Murtherers and brought them to their deserved Punishment. The Relation of which, take as followeth.

In West-Weller, a place in the County of Hants or Hampshire about two miles from the Town of Rumsey, Lived one John Noyse, by Trade a Cooper, but a Person of ill Fame, and a very desolute Liver. This Man keeping Company, in a more familiar manner, than was conveni­ent, with the Wife of one William Ives, who kept a Victualling-House in Rumsey, known by the sign of the Hatchet. On the fifth day of February last, h [...] stayed there drinking till about one or two of the clock in the morning, at what time, as it afterward appeared, Ives's Wife and Noyse having conspired against Ives, Murthered him by strangling or breaking his Neck, to make a freer way for their unlawful Lust; Or as it is conjectured, be­ing rid of h [...]m, they might Marry. However Ives his Children, who were in the House, having notice that their Father was dead, which their Mother had possessed them happened naturally or suddenly, they fell into loud La­mentations; which the Town Bell-man, being then upon his Rounds, hearing, and much desirous to know the cause of the Childrens cryes at so unseasonable a time, came under the Window of Ives's House and calling to them, demanded the reason? who, with mournful voices, told him their Father was dead. At which, the Bell-man being somewhat surprised, for that a little before, he h [...]d heard Ives in a kind of a disorderly or confused Tone, cry out or say; What dost thou do to me, Noyse? went and ac­quainted the Constable of the Watch therewith: who ta­king along with him a Guard, came to the House of the said Ives; and upon their coming thither, found that the Wife had been abroad to light a Candle; and likewise at a House, known by the Sign of the Black Boy; and there [Page 5] had called up the Woman, to have of her Some Strong-water; under pretence that her Husband was very much indisposed: but upon their entering the House of Ives, and going up stairs; they found Noyse and Esther Ives the Wife, very busie about Ives, who was indeed dead, in dressing him: viz. putting on his Breeches, Stockings, Shoes, and other wearing Apparel; having newly as was supposed, taken him out of his Bed, it being then warm. The Design of which, as many imagined, and they in part confessed was, that being so cloathed; they would have tumbled him down Stairs, that so the Bruises ther by occasi­oned might colour the Pretence they intended to make: that he accidently and unfortunately fell down them, and so consequentl [...] had lost his Life. But they being known to be People of bad Conversations, the Constable would not be so satisfied; but with the Light he then had, proceeded to make a narrower Inspection into the unhappy Business: Causing the Dead Body to be diligently searched, securing at the same time Noyse and Esther Ives, as suspecting the matter to be otherwise than they pretended; whose pre­tence then was, that he dyed suddenly of some extraordi­nary Distemper, at which they could not guess. But upon a narrow search of the Body, much violence ap­peared to be done to the Neck of the Party deceased, ei­ther by strangling or twisting; insomuch that the Blood had issued from him in abundance, and stained the the Pillow whereon his head had lain; as also upon his Shirt: And it further appeared, that through the vehemen­cy of his Strugling and Contending for Life, his Water had come from him, with which not only his Shirt, but part of the Bed was wet.

These plain signs and palpable demonstrations of a Murther, made the Constable, and those that were his Attendance, make a narrower search upon the Criminals; and thereupon found much Blood upon Esther Ives, supposed and verily con­jectured to proceed from her Husband; either when she was Assistant to Noyse, in perpetrating the wicked and unnatural Murther; or when she went about to remove him. However that night they were both secured, and the next day carried before a Justice; who, upon examining the Busi­ness, and by the two Chyrurgeons that viewed the Body, finding it Murther, according to the Circum­stances as before-mentioned; & they having nothing material to offer in their own defence, committed them to Rumsey Gaol, where they continued in order to their Tryals, till the Judges came in their Circuit to Winchester in the County aforesaid; to hold there the Lenten Assize: at what time, being brought from Rumsey to Winchester, in order to take their Tryals, the Coroners Inquest having before found it wilful Murther.

The Assize [...] aforesaid, being held on the 24th. day of February last, they were brought to their Tryals: where Noyse, after the Evidence was [Page 7] given against him, as to the Circumstances of the Murther, pleaded in his own defence; That being in Ives's his House, a Quarel happened between the said Ives and his Wife, and that all that he did on that occasion, was only to interpose, that he might do the good Office of part­ing them: but Esther Ives, did in Court declare that Noyse was the Person who Murther'd her Husband. Upon which, and the other Circumstances, the Ju­ry after some consideration of the Matter of Fact; gave in their Verdict, That John Noyse and Esther Ives, were guilty of the wilful Murther whereof they stood Indicted. So that in the close of the Assize, they accordingly received Sentence of Death, Viz. the former to be Hang'd and the latter to be Burnt; and so returned to Prison, in order to be Executed according to the said Sentences.

The 11th. day of March, the day appoin­ted for their Execution being come, they were by the Sheriffs Officers taken our of Winchester Gaol: where for some days they had remained, to bewail their Wicked and Barbarous Act; and being placed upon one Horse, were in that manner conveyed to Rumsey, the place ordered for their Execution; Where John Noyse [Page 8] turning to the Spectators, who came to see him Executed, desired them, especially the younger sort, above all things, not to prophane the Sabbath-day, but to keep it with all Reverence and due Regard; as likewise, to refrain from Drunkenness, which occasions so many evils and mischiefs in the world. He confessed he had long kept company with Esther Ives, in a lascivious and unlawful Manner. After this and some other Expressions, he went up the Ladder, and vvhen the Rope vvas made fast, tur­ned himself off; and about half an hour after, vvas cut down, in order to his Interment or Burial.

Esther Ives being brought to the Stake, said very little; but being fastened thereto, and the Fewel placed about her; after the Executioner had strang­led her, the Fire was kindled, and she consumed to Ashes. And thus, Reader, the miserable Wretches came to a shameful, though a deserved end; which I hope may be a Warning to deter others from com­mitting the like Crime.