Modernized Spelling Transcription
Cornish against Culliford
Depositions of the witnesses.
Repeated before the Chancellor on 11 Dec 1694 in the presence of G.L. Linton
N.P.
Deposition 1
Elizabeth Partridge of the parish of Chewton Mendip in the county of Somerset,
widow, where she has lived for the space of four years, age 32.
This witness, produced, admitted, sworn and examined, deposes and says as follows:
To the first the articles of the libel she deposes and says that having been examined as a witness in a cause of defamation promoted by Hannah Culliford, wife of John Culliford, the defendant
in this cause, and now being examined as a witness on the behalf of the said Cornish, she does first of all refer herself to the depositions what she has deposed in that cause, so far as
they it concerns this. And she further says that when she came to Wm. Dowling's shop with her servant as she has therein deposed upon a certain Friday somewhat
after
Midsummer last (it being within the time mentioned in this libel after as she has herein more at large deposed), amongst all the discourse and words which then happened between the said
Hannah Culliford and the said Cornish, and after the said Cornish had called the said Hannah
whore and slutted whore, she heard no other words come from the said or
his wife Mr John Culliford or his said wife. Only the said Mr Culliford told the said Cornish that he should again hear of this before his betters. And the said
Mrs Culliford amidst all the
said Cornish's reviling and reproachful language, only asked him if he thought the devil would not have him for abusing her so. To which he replied that the devil was in the eyes of her already. This was the
substance of the words which were spoken by the said Mr Culliford and his wife, but she did not at all hear the said Mr Culliford or his wife call the said Cornish
rogue or whoremaster rogue or by any
of these names mentioned in the second article of the libel upon which she is now examined. And otherwise she knows nothing saving that Hannah Culliford and her husband John Culliford
live in the parish of Chewton and that what she has before deposed is true to the best of her knowledge.
Signed Elizabeth Partridge ^her mark^
Deposition 2
On the
reconvention of the libel.
Repeated before the venerable Vicar General Williamo Hughes LL Bacc Vicar on 22 Dec 1694 in the presence of G.L. Linton
N.P.
Hanna Dowling of the parish of Chewton Mendip in the county of Somerset,
spinster, where she has lived for the most part since she was born and where
she was born, age 27. Hannah This witness, produced, admitted, sworn and examined, deposes and says as follows:
To the articles of the libel she deposes and says that she, being examined in a cause wherein George Cu Cornish (the now plaintiff) was in that defendant and
Mrs Hannah Culliford plaintiff, she refers herself to her depositions taken in that cause and prays they may be admitted as proof in this cause as to what it
does concern it. And she also further says that upon a certain Friday about
St James tide last as near as she can remember, she this deponent and Mrs Hannah Culliford
Elizabeth Partidge being at the shop of Wm. Dowling, a
butcher in Chewton aforesaid, Hannah Culliford the defendant and George Cornish the plaintiff were there also as she has
in her depositions taken to the other libel more fully deposed. And notwithstanding, the said Cornish often times called the said
Mrs Culliford
whore and little nasty slutten pisspott whore,
yet she the said
Mrs Culliford, made no other reply as this deponent heard, saving that she asked the said Cornish if he thought the devil would not have him for
abu abusing her so. This was the substance of what
Mrs Culliford returned in answer to the said George Cornish when he so often calld her
whore as aforesaid,
and she does not remember that she, called the said
Mrs Culliford, called the said Cornish any misbecoming name, especially such as are mentioned in the second article
of the libel upon which she is now examined. And otherwise she knows nothing saving that
Mrs Hannah Culliford lives in the parish of Chewton aforesaid and what
she has said before is true to the best of her remembrance, more than which she cannot depose.
Signed O ^her mark^ Hannah Dowling
Deposition 3
On the
reconvention of the libel.
Repeated before the Chancellor on
5 January 1694 in the presence of me, G.L.Linton
N.P.
Anna Blinman, the
wife of Stephen Blinman of the parish of Chewton Mendip in the county of Somerset,
miner, where she has lived for the most part since
birth and where she was born, age 48. This witness, produced, admitted, sworn and examined, deposes and says as follows:
To the article of the libel she deposes and says that she does not remember that she ever heard
Mrs Culliford, the defendant in this cause, call either George Cornish or his wife by
any unhandsome, misbeseeming name in her life, or more particularly any such name as is mentioned in the second article of this libel. She says that she being a witness sworn and examined on the part and
behalf of the said
Mrs Culliford (the said Cornish being the defendant in that cause), she has there deposed that the said Cornish did call the said
Mrs Culliford, diverse
sorts of
whores, to which depositions she refers herself. Yet neither at that time nor at any other time did she ever hear the said
Mrs Culliford call the said Cornish
rogue,
or whoremaster rogue, or sheep stealing rogue or murderous rogue, or any other ill name to the best of her remembrance and otherwise she knows nothing, saving that
Mrs Culliford is wife to
Mr John Culliford of Chewton aforesaid, and that what she has before deposed is true to the best of her remembrance.
Anna Blinman A ^her mark^
Deposition 4
On the
reconvention of the libel.
Repeated before the Chancellor on
12 January 1694 in the presence of me, G.L. Linton
N.P.
Martha Dowling, the
wife of William Dowling of the parish of Chewton Mendip in the county of Som[er]set,
victualler, where she has lived
for the space of 20 years, age 28. This witness, produced, admitted, sworn and examined, deposes and says as follows:
To the articles of the libel she deposes and says that she being a witness sworn and examined on the part and behalf of Hannah Culliford in a former cause in which she the said
Hannah is plaintiff, (and having therein deposed that on or about the 20th day of July last past) she did hear the def plain George Cornish the now plaintiff in this
cause call the said Hannah Culliford
drunken whore, to which depositions she refers herself and prays they may be admitted in part of proof of the libel on which
she is now examined in as much as they concern this cause. She farther says that she did not hear the said Hannah Culliford make any reply to the said Cornish only she said
when the said Cornish called her
whore she replied that none but a
roguewould call her
whore would say so or words
to that purpose and she further says that neither at the time aforesaid nor at any other time did she ever hear the said
Mrs Culliford call the said Cornish any name or names or say he was a
rogue, or whoremaster rogue, a sheep stealing rogue or a murderous rogue as mentioned in the libel on which she is now examined or any other sort of
rogue
whatsoever to the best of her remembrance. And otherwise she responds knows nothing saving that
Mrs Hannah Culliford lives in the parish of
Chewton Mendip aforesaid and what she has said before is true to the best of her remembrance.
Martha Dowling
Deposition 5
On the
reconvention of the libel.
Repeated before the Chancellor on
15 January 1694 in the presence of me, G.L. Linton
N.P.
Eleanor Merifield, the
wife of John Merifield of Chewton Mendip in the county of Somerset,
gentleman, where she has lived for the
space of one and a half years, age 49. This witness, produced, admitted, sworn and examined, deposes and says as follows:
To the first article of the libel she deposes and says that she refers herself to the law.
To Article 2 and 3 of the libel she deposes and says that about a week before
St James tide last to the best of her remembrance, but she
remembers not the very the very day of the month she cannot exactly remember, she this deponent having some occasion to go to Mr Culliford's house, when her business was over and about to return, the
defendant,
Mrs Culliford, went with her into the court without the door. And there they began a discourse about George Cornish, the plaintiff, and the said
Mrs
Culliford, speaking to this deponent in seeming told her in much passion that the said Cornish was a
rogue, a thief and a murderer, upon which
this deponent told her that those were very dangerous words and bade her have a care what she said. But she again replied that he was a sheep-stealing
rogue
thief and a murderer and she could prove him so to be, for he did stole Sage's cow. And further said that the said Corn that his wife was a
whore and had a bastard by a
carrier and that the biggest of the two Leicester boys who had a white[...]
of white hair in his pole was the carrier's bastard and that what when she saw that God had brought her roguery to light, she framed a lie and said that she longed for a line of veal, but
that she lied like a lying
whore as she was. Upon which this deponent went her way. [...] The substance of the discourse that then happened between the said
Mrs Culliford and this deponent, at which time there was none other present to hear what she said besides themselves as she remembers and otherwise she cannot respond.
To 4 she refers herself to the law.
To 5 she deposes that the said Hannah Culliford is wife of Mr John Culliford of Chewton aforesaid.
To the final she deposes that what she has already deposes is true and otherwise she knows nothing.
Signed Eleanor Merifield M ^her mark^
Deposition 6
On the
reconvention of the libel.
Repeated before the Chancellor on
20 January 1694 in the presence of me, G.L. Linton
N.P.
Richard Deerham of the parish of Chewton Mendip in the county of Somerset,
yeoman, where he has lived for the most part since
birth and where he was born, age 60. This witness, produced, admitted, sworn and examined, deposes and says as follows:
To the articles of the libel he deposes and says that he was not present when the difference happened between
Mrs Culliford and George Cornish, neither did
he ever hear them quarrel or speak evil of each other. But he says that he was told of a great quarrel that happened between the said
Mrs Culliford and George Cornish
at one Dowling's shop who is was a
butcher, and upon that same day, to the best of his remembrance after that quarrel was over, this deponent and the
said Mr Culliford (husband to the said Hannah Culliford) were standing at the said Dowling's shop and in the meantime the said George Cornish came up the street toward the said shop and Mr Culliford seeing
him, went and met him and took him by the collar and held up his stick, threatening to strike him. And called him
knave and
rogue and said that he
would rid the country of him before he had done with him, to which the said Cornish made no other reply than that he was no more a
knave or
rogue
than himself and asked him if he had a mind to take his purse or his life in stopping him upon the highway and spoke to the said Mr Culliford that he might quietly go on about his business. So away
he went and otherwise he knows nothing saving that Mr Culliford and his wife live at Chewton and that what he has him here deposed is true to
the best of his remembrance and that when this thing happened, the said Hannah Culliford, Mr John Hippesly, the said Dowling and his wife and others were present in the said Dowling's shop.
Rich: Deeham
Deposition 7
On the
reconvention of the libel.
Repeated before the Chancellor on
20 January 1694 in the presence of me, G.L. Linton
Not. Pub.
Susannah Cornish of the parish of Chewton Mendip in the county of Somerset,
spinster, where she has lived since birth, age 18.
This witness, produced, admitted, sworn and examined, deposes and says as follows:.
To the first, 2, 3, and 4 articles of the libel she deposes and says that George Cornish me the
producent in this cause, is her father against whom
Hannah Culliford, wife of Mr John Culliford, has brought an action of defamation in this court, as to which this deponent was can say but little of
either side, being not present to hear any such difference. But if there were any such, it was only an old quarrel continued, for the said
Mrs Culliford had before
that time been very abusive not only to this deponent's mother but to herself also. For she says that a little before
St James tide last and also a little before the quarrel
that happened between the said Hannah and this deponent's said father, this deponent was going to a neighbour's house in some business. And passing by the said
Mrs
Culliford as she stood at her own door, the said
Mrs Culliford came towards her and told her that she should tell her father and mother that they should not trouble themselves
about her business, and then further said that her father and mother were a
runagate rogue and
whore and that her father should go home and spread
his sheep skins or words to the purpose. So this deponent made haste and went her way and at her return told her mother how what the said Hannah Culliford had said unto
her, and it so happened that sometime afterward in the same day to the best of her remembrance, this deponent's mother stood at the door and the said Hannah Culliford came by and this deponent's said mother
asked her why she had so abused her and her husband in calling them
runagate rogue and
whore, to which the said
Mrs Culliford
replied that she could not call them worse than they were. And speaking to this deponent's said mother, told her that she was a
whore and a
carrier's
whore, and that a
carrier had lain with her on a bulk and broken her back and that one of her sons (naming the youngest save one) was a
carrier's bastard. This was the language she gave this deponent's said mother at the time in the open street, wherein the meantime many people passed to and fro, and in some few days
afterward, there happened some words between the said Hannah and this deponent's said father as she has heard, which she believes was occasioned by this and other former quarrels and otherwise she knows nothing.
To 5 and the final articles she deposes and says that Hannah Culliford lives at Chewton and that what she has said before is true to the best of her remembrance. And otherwise she knows nothing.
Signed Susanna Cornish ^her mark^
