Modernized Spelling Transcription
Culliford against Cornish
Depositions of witnesses to the articles of the libel on the part of and for Hannah Culliford.
11 December 1694
Repeated before the venerable Vicar General William Huglie and in the presence of the
N.P. G.L.Linton.
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 article of the libel she deposes and says that she refers to the law and otherwise knows nothing.
To Articles 2, 3 and 4 of the libel she deposes and says that upon a Friday sometime
after Midsummer last which is
within the time mentioned in the libel (but the day of the month she cannot remember), she this deponent went to the house of
William Rowling who is a
butcher in [...]Chewton
to buy a joint of meat. And she there saw George Cornish leaning upon the
window said Rowling's
shop window looking into the
shop and the plaintiff and her husband were in the
shop
and
one Hannah Dowling, who was then this deponent's servant was then with her. And she says that as she came to the shop door, she heard that the said Cornish was
very loud in his discourse and did speak very filthy scandalous words of the said
Mrs Culliford. And to her face told her that she was
a drunken, shiten whore, which words he often repeated and asked her if she could not be
drunkbut ple[...]
without besluting herself; and also 'how many families she had undone? and how many men's legs she had [...] between while she layon their cravatts and how many
bottles of wine she had for her pains', or words to this purpose. All this he spoke with great furiousness and seemingly in great anger.
And this deponent having done the business about which she came, she went her way, and her servant Hannah Dowling with her.
And otherwise she knows nothing, saving that she refers herself to the law.
To Article 5 she deposes and says that George Cornish lives at Chewton Mendip aforesaid in the county of Somerset.
To the final she deposes that what she has deposed is true and otherwise she knows nothing.
Signed Elizabeth Partridge ^her mark^
Deposition 2
On the above libel
Repeated before the Chancellor on 22 December 1694 in the presence of G.L. Linton
N.P.
Hannah 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. 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. And otherwise she knows nothing.
To Articles 2, 3 and 4 of the above libel she deposes and says that upon a certain Friday
about St James tide last to the best of her
remembrance (but she cannot remember the day of the month but says it was within the time libelled), this deponent then living with Elizabeth
Partridge her fellow witness, she, the said Partridge, sent this deponent to one William Dowling's house, who is by trade a
butcher,
to buy some meat.,
And she was no
sooner come to the
shop door but the said Elizabeth Partridge had overtaken her, and at that time the defendant, George Cornish was leaning
upon
the shop window looking into the said shop and the plaintiff
Mrs Hannah Culliford was in the shop, between whom there was some difference
in words. And the said Cornish then speaking to the said
Mrs Culliford, told her that she was
a whore, and a little nasty slutten whore, and
a pisspot whore and these he repeated many times, laughing at her and making a great noise at the window all the while. And the said
Elizabeth Partridge was then also present and there were then other people in the said Dowling's house but who they were, this
deponent knows not. And otherwise she knows nothing. Saving that she refers herself to the law.
To 5 she deposes that George Cornish lives at Chewton Mendip aforesaid in the county of Somerset.
To the final she deposes that what she has deposed is true. And otherwise she knows nothing.
Signed Hannah Dowling ^her mark^
Deposition 3
On the above libel.
Repeated before the Chancellor on
5 January 1694 in the presence of 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 first article of the libel she deposes and says that she refers herself to the law and otherwise knows nothing.
To Articles 2, 3 and 4 of the libel she deposes and says that one William Dowling of Chewton aforesaid, being a
butcher by trade,
he does
usually kill a
heifer upon a Friday. And this deponent, being willing to buy some beef, went to the said Dowling's house upon a certain
Friday towards the later end of this past [...]nner (but remembers not the day of the month yet it was
within the time mentioned in the second article of the libel). And she says that she had been in the said shop but a little while,
before the plaintiff,
Mrs Culliford, and her husband Mr John Culliford to came likewise to the said shop, and the defendant, George Cornish, came
there also between whom and the said
Mrs Culliford there passed some angry words. And the said George, speaking to the said
Mrs Culliford,
told her that she was
a whore, a drunken whore, a draggle tail whore, a filthy Pocky whore, and many other sort of whores, which
this deponent does not now well remember. Which this deponent hearing and fearing what the end of the quarrel might come to,
she left the said Dowling's shop and went into the kitchen, where she could easily hear the said Cornish and
Mrs Culliford at
hard words, but
could not distinguish what they were. And she says that there were then present the said William Dowling and his wife and
others. And otherwise she knows nothing saving that she refers herself to the law.
To 5 she deposes and says that George Cornish, the defendant, lives at Chewton Mendip aforesaid.
To the final she deposes that what she has deposed is true and otherwise she knows nothing.
Signed Anna Blinman A ^her mark^
Deposition 4
On the above libel.
Repeated before the venerable Vicar General William Huglie on
12 January 1694 and in the presence of 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,
butcher, 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 first article of the libel she deposes and says that she refers herself to the law.
To Articles 2 and 3 and 4 of the libel she deposes and says that on or about the twentieth day of July last past it being upon a
Friday to the best of her remembrance, this deponent's husband being a
butcher by trade and having killed some meat, several neighbours
came to buy. And amongst others the plaintiff,
Mrs Hannah Culliford, and her husband Mr John Culliford came to their shop and the defendant,
George Cornish, came there also, but whether on the same errand she knows not. And she says one Ann Blinman, her fellow witness, who then
also happened to be at the said shop, came to her as she was sitting in the kitchen
with her children and told her that there was likely to be
a great difference out in the shop between Mr Culliford and George Cornish and that she was much frightened, fearing what might be the end
thereof. And it seemed to this deponent as if she was under some consternation, upon which this deponent went out and called to
the said Mr Culliford and desired him to come [...] away from there, which he did, but the said
Mrs Culliford and the said Cornish and
some others were still without. And as this deponent went out towards the said shop, she heard the said George Cornish and Hannah Culliford at
hard words. And among others, she heard the said George call the said Hannah Culliford
drunken whore and told her that she did spew and
slut and had her go and wipe her slutten arse for shame. And she says that there were several then present Ann Blinman, Elizabeth Partridge and Hannah Dowling ther present and others but who they were
she knows not as she was not out with them at all. And otherwise she knows nothing, saving that she refers herself to the law.
To Article 5 of the libel she deposes and says that the defendant, George Cornish, lives in the parish of Chewton
Mendip aforesaid. And otherwise she knows nothing.
To the final she deposes that what she has deposed is true and otherwise she knows nothing.
Signed Martha Dowlin
