Trial of Mary Blandy by William Roughead

W >> William Roughead >> Trial of Mary Blandy

Pages:
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21

Did you see him come down?--I did not.

When was the first time you saw him that day?--It was betwixt nine and
ten. Miss Blandy and he were together; he was not well, and going to
lie down on the bed.

Did you see him in the evening?--In the evening Robert Harman came to
me as I was coming downstairs and told me I must warm some water
gruel, for my master was in haste for supper.

Did you warm some?--I warmed some of that out of the pan, of which he
had some the night before, and Miss Blandy carried it to him into the
parlour.

Did he drink it?--I believe he did; there seemed to be about half of
it left the next morning.

How did he seem to be after?--I met him soon after he had ate the
water gruel going upstairs to bed. I lighted him up. As soon as he was
got into the room he called for a basin to reach; he seemed to be very
sick by his reaching a considerable time.

How was he next morning?--About six o'clock I went up the next morning
to carry him his physic. He said he had had a pretty good night, and
was much better.

Had he reached much overnight?--He had, for the basin was half-full,
which I left clean overnight.

Was any order given you to give him any more water gruel?--On the
Wednesday Miss Blandy came into the kitchen and said, "Susan, as your
master has taken physic, he may want more water gruel, and, as there
is some in the house, you need not make fresh, as you are ironing." I
told her it was stale, if there was enough, and it would not hinder
much to make fresh; so I made fresh accordingly, and I went into the
pantry to put some in for my master's dinner. Then I brought out the
pan (the evening before I thought it had an odd taste), so I was
willing to taste it again to see if I was mistaken or not. I put it to
my mouth and drank some, and, taking it from my mouth, I observed some
whiteness at the bottom.

What did you do upon that?--I went immediately to the kitchen and told
Betty Binfield there was a white settlement, and I did not remember I
ever had seen oatmeal so white before. Betty said, "Let me see it." I
carried it to her. She said, "What oatmeal is this? I think it looks
as white as flour." We both took the pan and turned it about, and
strictly observed it, and concluded it could be nothing but oatmeal. I
then took it out of doors into the light and saw it plainer; then I
put my finger to it and found it gritty at the bottom of the pan. I
then recollected I had heard say poison was white and gritty, which
made me afraid it was poison.

What did you do with the pan?--I carried it back again and set it down
on the dresser in the kitchen; it stood there a short time, then I
locked it up in the closet, and on the Thursday morning carried it to
Mrs. Mounteney, and Mr. Norton came there and saw it.

Do you remember Miss Blandy saying anything to you about eating her
papa's water gruel?--About six weeks before his death I went into the
parlour. Miss Blandy said, "Susan, what is the matter with you? You do
not look well." I said, "I do not know what is the matter; I am not
well, but I do not know what is the matter." She said, "What have you
ate or drank?" upon which I said, "Nothing more than the rest of the
family." She said, "Susan, have you eaten any water gruel? for I am
told water gruel hurts me, and it may hurt you." I said, "It cannot
affect me, madam, for I have not eaten any."

What was it Betty Binfield[11] said to you about water gruel?--Betty
Binfield said Miss Blandy asked if I had eaten any of her papa's water
gruel, saying, if I did, I might do for myself, a person of my age.

What time was this?--I cannot say whether it was just after or just
before the time she had spoken to me herself. On the Wednesday
morning, as I was coming downstairs from giving my master his physic,
I met Elizabeth Binfield with the water gruel in a basin which he had
left. I said to the charwoman, Ann Emmet, "Dame, you used to be fond
of water gruel; here is a very fine mess my master left last night,
and I believe it will do you good." The woman soon sat down on a bench
in the kitchen and ate some of it, I cannot say all.

[Illustration: Miss Mary Blandy
(_From an Engraving by B. Cole, after a Drawing for which she sat in
Oxford Castle_.)]

How was she afterwards?--She said the house smelt of physic, and
everything tasted of physic; she went out, I believe into the
wash-house, to reach, before she could finish it.

Did you follow her?--No, I did not; but about twenty minutes or half
an hour after that I went to the necessary house and found her there
vomiting and reaching, and, as she said, purging.

How long did she abide there?--She was there an hour and a half,
during which time I went divers times to her. At first I carried her
some surfeit water; she then desired to have some fair water. The next
time I went to see how she did she said she was no better. I desired
her to come indoors, hoping she would be better by the fire. She said
she was not able to come in. I said I would lead her in. I did, and
set her down in a chair by the fire. She was vomiting and reaching
continually. She sat there about half an hour, or something more,
during which time she grew much worse, and I thought her to be in a
fit or seized with death.

Did you acquaint Miss Blandy with the illness and symptoms of this
poor woman?--I told Miss Blandy when I went into the room to dress
her, about nine o'clock, that Dame (the name we used to call her by)
had been very ill that morning; that she had complained that the smell
of her master's physic had made her sick; and that she had eaten
nothing but a little of her master's water gruel which he had left
last night, which could not hurt her.

What did she say to that?--She said she was very glad she was not
below stairs, for she would have been shocked to have seen her poor
Dame so ill.

As you have lived servant in the house, how did you observe Miss
Blandy behave towards her father, and in what manner did she use to
talk of him, three or four months before his death?--Sometimes she
would talk very affectionately, and sometimes but middling.

What do you mean by "middling"?--Sometimes she would say he was an old
villain for using an only child in such a manner.

Did she wish him to live?--Sometimes she wished for him long life,
sometimes for his death.

When she wished for his death, in what manner did she express
herself?--She often said she was very awkward, and that if he was dead
she would go to Scotland and live with Lady Cranstoun.

Did she ever say how long she thought her father might
live?--Sometimes she would say, for his constitution, he might live
these twenty years; sometimes she would say he looked ill and poorly.

Do you remember when Dr. Addington was sent for on the Saturday?--I
do.

Had Miss Blandy used to go into her father's room after that
time?--She did as often as she pleased till Sunday night; then Mr.
Norton took Miss Blandy downstairs and desired me not to let anybody
go into the room except myself to wait on him.

Did she come in afterwards?--She came into the room on Monday morning,
soon after Mr. Norton came in, or with him. I went in about ten
o'clock again.

What conversation passed between Miss Blandy and her father?--She fell
down on her knees, and said to him, "Banish me, or send me to any
remote part of the world; do what you please, so you forgive me; and
as to Mr. Cranstoun, I will never see him, speak to him, nor write to
him more so long as I live, so you will forgive me."

What answer did he make?--He said, "I forgive thee, my dear, and I
hope God will forgive thee; but thee shouldst have considered better
than to have attempted anything against thy father; thee shouldst have
considered I was thy own father."

What said she to this?--She answered, "Sir, as for your illness, I am
entirely innocent." I said, "Madam, I believe you must not say you are
entirely innocent, for the powder that was taken out of the water
gruel, and the paper of powder that was taken out of the fire, are now
in such hands that they must be publicly produced." I told her I
believed I had one dose prepared for my master in a dish of tea about
six weeks ago.

Did you tell her this before her father?--I did.

What answer did she make?--She said, "I have put no powder into tea. I
have put powder into water gruel, and if you are injured I am entirely
innocent, for it was given me with another intent."

What said Mr. Blandy to this?--My master turned himself in his bed and
said to her, "Oh, such a villain! come to my house, ate of the best,
and drank of the best that my house could afford, to take away my life
and ruin my daughter."

What else passed?--He said, "Oh, my dear! Thee must hate that man,
thee must hate the ground he treads on, thee canst not help it." The
daughter said "Oh, sir, your tenderness towards me is like a sword to
my heart; every word you say is like swords piercing my heart--much
worse than if you were to be ever so angry. I must down on my knees
and beg you will not curse me."

What said the father?--He said, "I curse thee! my dear, how couldst
thou think I could curse thee? No, I bless thee, and hope God will
bless thee and amend thy life;" and said further, "Do, my dear, go out
of my room, say no more, lest thou shouldst say anything to thy own
prejudice; go to thy uncle Stevens, take him for thy friend; poor man!
I am sorry for him." Upon this she directly went out of the room.

Give an account of the paper you mentioned to her, how it was
found?--On the Saturday before my master died I was in the kitchen.
Miss Blandy had wrote a direction on a letter to go to her uncle
Stevens. Going to the fire to dry it, I saw her put a paper into the
fire, or two papers, I cannot say whether. I went to the fire and saw
her stir it down with a stick. Elizabeth Binfield then put on fresh
coals, which I believe kept the paper from being consumed. Soon after
Miss Blandy had put it in she left the kitchen; I said to Elizabeth
Binfield, "Betty, Miss Blandy has been burning something"; she asked,
"Where?" I pointed to the grate and said, "At that corner"; upon which
Betty Binfield moved a coal and took from thence a paper. I stood by
and saw her. She gave it into my hand; it was a small piece of paper,
with some writing on it, folded up about 3 inches long. The writing
was, "The powder to clean the pebbles," to the best of my remembrance.

Did you read it?--I did not, Elizabeth Binfield read it to me.
[Produced in Court, part of it burnt, scaled up with the Earl of
Macclesfield and Lord Cadogan's seals.] This is the paper, I believe,
by the look of it; but I did not see it unfolded. I delivered it into
Elizabeth Binfield's hand on Saturday night between eleven and twelve
o'clock. From the time it was taken out of the fire it had not been
out of my pocket, or anything done to it, from that time till I gave
it her. I went into my master's room about seven o'clock in the
morning to carry him something to drink. When he had drank it, I said,
"I have something to say to you concerning your health and concerning
your family; I must beg you will not put yourself in a passion, but
hear me what I have to say." Then I told him, "I believe, sir, you
have got something in your water gruel that has done you some injury,
and I believe Miss Blandy put it in, by her coming into the washhouse
on Monday and saying she had been stirring her papa's water gruel and
eating the oatmeal out from the bottom." He said, "I find I have
something not right; my head is not right as it used to be, nor has
been for some time." I had before told him I had found the powder in
the gruel. He said, "Dost thou know anything of this powder? Didst
thee ever see any of it?" I said, "No, sir, I never saw any but what I
saw in the water gruel." He said, "Dost know where she had this
powder, nor canst not thee guess?" I said, "I cannot tell, except she
had it of Mr. Cranstoun." My reason for suspecting that was, Miss
Blandy had letters oftener than usual. My master said, "And, now thee
mention'st it, I remember when he was at my house he mentioned a
particular poison that they had in their country," saying, "Oh, that
villain! that ever he came to my house!" I told him likewise that I
had showed the powder to Mr. Norton; he asked what Mr. Norton said to
it; I told him Mr. Norton could not say what it was, as it was wet,
but said, "Let it be what it will, it ought not to be there"; and said
he was fearful there was foul play somewhere. My master said, "What,
Norton not know! that is strange, and so much used to drugs." Then I
told him Mr. Norton thought proper he should search her pockets, and
take away her keys and papers. He said, "I cannot do it, I cannot
shock her so much; canst not thee, when thou goest into her room, take
out a letter or two, that she may think she dropped them by chance?" I
told him, "I had no right to do it; she is your daughter, and you have
a right to do it, and nobody else." He said, "I never in all my life
read a letter that came to my daughter from any person." He desired,
if possible, if I could meet with any powder anywhere that I would
secure it.

Do you remember when Ann Emmet was sick (the charwoman)?--I do, but
cannot say how long or how little a time before this; I remember she
was ill some time before my master's death.

What did the prisoner order the old woman to eat at that time?--She
sent her some sack whey and some broth, I believe, to the value of a
quart or three pints at twice, about once a day, or every other day,
for four or five days.

Have you been ill from what you ate yourself?--I was ill after
drinking a dish of tea one Sunday morning, which I thought was not
well relished, and I believed somebody had been taking salts in the
cup before.

Who was it poured out for?--I believe it was poured out for my master.

Why do you believe that?--Because he used to drink in a different dish
from the rest of the family, and it was out of his dish.

When was this?--This was about six weeks and three days before his
death.

How did you find yourself after drinking it?--I found no ill-effects
till after dinner; I then had a hardness in my stomach, and
apprehended it was from eating plentifully of beans for dinner.

What symptoms had you afterwards?--My stomach seemed to have something
in it that could not digest, and I had remarkable trembling for three
days, and after that for three mornings was seized with a reaching.

Have you since that time been ill from what you ate or drank?--I
tasted the water gruel twice--once on the Tuesday evening when I was
mixing it for my master, and on Wednesday, when I was going to pour it
away, I put the pan to my mouth and drank a little of it.

How did you find yourself after that?--I did not find any remarkable
disorder till the Wednesday morning about two o'clock, before my
master's death; then I was seemingly seized with convulsions. My
throat was very troublesome for five or six weeks after, and seemed a
little soreish and a little swelled. I continued very ill for three
weeks and upwards after my master's death, which was on the Wednesday.
I went to bed sick at two that morning, and applied to Dr. Addington.

Do you remember anything besides letters coming from Mr. Cranstoun?--I
remember she had once a large box of table linen and some Scotch
pebbles in it; she said they came from him.

What time was this?--This was early in the spring, before my master's
death.

Had she more than one box sent to her?--She had a small box sent
afterwards of Scotch pebbles; that might be about three months before
his death, or less, I cannot say.

Did she use to show the pebbles to anybody?--She used to show them to
any person of her acquaintance; but I never heard of any powder to
clean them.

Cross-examined--For a year before the 5th of August last had anything
ailed your master so as to call in the apothecary?--About a year
before he had had a violent cold.

Was he, or was he not, in good health for a year before?--He was
frequently complaining of the gravel and heartburn, which he was
subject to for years.

Did he make any other complaints?--He used to have little fits of the
gout.

Was there any other complaint for seven, eight, nine, or ten
years?--Nothing particular, but that of the heartburn, which I cannot
tell whether I ever heard him complain of before or not.

Can you take upon you to say that he made any particular complaint of
the heartburn more than he had done at any other time?--I cannot say
positively, because I have not continued these things in my memory. He
ordered me to give him some dry oatmeal and water for the heartburn.

Is that good for the heartburn?--I have been told it is very good for
it.

How was her behaviour to her father?--Her general behaviour was
dutiful, except upon any passion or a hasty word from her father.

When did she call her father "old villain"?--She would use expressions
of that kind when she was in a passion.

Upon what account?--For using her ill.

KING'S COUNSEL--Were these expressions made use of before his face or
behind his back?--I have heard her before his face and behind his
back.

PRISONER'S COUNSEL--When have you heard it?--I believe in the last
twelve months, but cannot be sure.

KING'S COUNSEL--Recollect on what occasion?--It has been, I believe,
on little passions on both sides, and that generally from trifles.

PRISONER'S COUNSEL--When did you first communicate your suspicion to
Mr. Blandy about his being poisoned?--On the Saturday morning before
his death, from what I saw on the Wednesday before.

Why did you keep this suspicion of yours from Wednesday to
Saturday?--The reason I did not tell my suspicions to Mr. Blandy
sooner than Saturday was because I stayed for Mr. Stevens, the
prisoner's uncle, who did not come till Friday night; I told him then,
and he desired me to tell Mr. Blandy of it.

Did you ever say anything of it to Miss Blandy?--No, I did not.

Pray, what conversation passed between her father and her down upon
her knees, &c.?--She said, "Sir, how do you do?" He said, "I am very
ill."

Was anything said about Mr. Cranstoun's addresses to her?--Yes, there
was. That conversation was occasioned by a message that Mr. Blandy had
sent to his daughter by me on Monday morning.

What was that message?--That he was ready to forgive her if she would
but endeavour to bring that villain to justice.

Did she say with what intent the powder was given to her?--She said it
was given her with another intent.

Did she say upon what intent?--She did not say that. He did not ask
that.

Was not that explained?--It was no ways explained.

Did he treat her as if she herself was innocent?--He did, sir.

Then all he said afterwards was as thinking his daughter very
innocent?--It was, sir.

As to the ruin of his daughter, did he think it was entirely owing to
Cranstoun?--Mr. Blandy said he believed his daughter entirely innocent
of what had happened.

By what he said to you, do you think that the father thought his
daughter was imposed upon by Cranstoun when he used that expression,
"She must hate the man," &c.?--I do think so; he said, "Where is
Polly?" I answered, "In her room." He said, "Poor, unfortunate girl!
That ever she should be imposed upon and led away by such a villain to
do such a thing!"

Do you imagine, from the whole conversation that passed between her
father and her, that she was entirely innocent of the fact of the
powder being given?--I do not think so; she said she was innocent.

What was your opinion? Did the father think her wholly unacquainted
with the effect of the powder?--I believe he thought so; that is as
much as I can say.

When you told Miss Blandy that the washerwoman was extremely ill,
having ate some water gruel, was anything more said with relation to
the father's having ate some of the same water gruel before?--I don't
remember there was a word said about the father's having ate any of
it.

During the time of his illness was not Miss Blandy's behaviour to her
father with as much care and tenderness as any daughter could
show?--She seemed to direct everything as she could have done for
herself, or any other person that was sick.

Do you know that she was guilty of any neglect in this respect?--No, I
do not, sir.

KING'S COUNSEL--What did he mean when he said, "Poor, unfortunate
girl! That ever she should be imposed upon and led away by such a
villain to do such a thing!" What do you imagine he meant by such a
thing?--By giving him that which she did not know what it was.

COURT--When she told you that water gruel would serve for her father
on the Wednesday did she know that her father had been ill by taking
water gruel on the Monday and Tuesday nights?--She knew he was ill,
but I cannot tell whether she knew the cause of it; and knew that the
charwoman was ill before she proposed my giving him the same gruel,
but did not oppose my making fresh for any other reason than that it
would hinder my ironing.

[Sidenote: E. Binfield]

ELIZABETH BINFIELD, examined--I was a servant to Mr. Francis Blandy at
Henley, and had been almost three years.

When did you first discover his illness and hear him complain of
unusual prickings in has stomach?--About a fortnight before he died.

Did you ever hear Miss Blandy talk of something in the house which she
said presaged his death, or something like it?--I have often heard her
talk of walkings and music in the house that she had heard. She said
she thought it to be her mother, saying the music foretold her
father's death.

Whom has she said so to?--She has told me so.

How long ago?--For some time before her father's death; I believe for
three-quarters of a year.

How long did she continue talking in this manner?--She did till his
death. I have often heard her say he would die before October.

What reasons did she give for that?--By the music, saying she had been
informed that music foretells deaths within a twelvemonth.

Who did she say had informed her so?--She said Mr. Cranstoun had been
to some famous woman who had informed him so, and named one Mrs.
Morgan, who lived either in Scotland or London, I cannot say which.

Did she express herself glad or sorry?--Glad, for that then she should
soon be released from all her fatigues, and soon be happy.

Did she talk of the state of health in which he was?--Sometimes she
has said he has been very well, sometimes ill. I remember I heard her
say that my master complained of a ball of fire in his guts. I believe
it was before the Monday he ate the water gruel. I cannot particularly
say. I believe a fortnight before he died, then she said, Mr.
Cranstoun had told her of that famous woman's opinion about music.

Do you remember the first time one Ann Emmet was taken ill?--It was
about a month or six weeks before.

Do you know what Miss Blandy ordered her in that illness?--I do. She
ordered her some white wine whey, and broth several times. I made it
two or three times, two quarts at a time.

Do you remember a paper being taken out of the fire?--I do. It was on
the Saturday before my master died. I took it out myself.

Should you know it again if you see it?--I believe I should. (She is
shown a paper.) I really believe this is it, which I took out of the
fire and delivered it to Susan Gunnell, after which I had it again
from her, and I delivered it to Dr. Addington and Mr. Norton.

Do you remember Miss Blandy's saying anything about Susan Gunnel's
eating the water gruel?--I do. When Susan was ill she asked me how
Susan did. I said, "Very ill." Said she, "Do you remember her ever
drinking her master's water gruel?" I said, "Not as I know of." She
said, "If she does she may do for herself, may I tell you."

Did she bid you tell Susan so?--She did not bid me tell Susan, but I
did tell her.

What time was this?--It might be about a month or six weeks before Mr.
Blandy's death.

Do you remember any expressions she made use of about her father?--I
heard her say, "Who would grudge to send an old father to hell for
L10,000?" Exactly them words.

When was this?--It was about a month before his death, or it may be
more; I cannot justly tell.

How was this conversation introduced?--She was speaking of young girls
being kept out of their fortunes.

Who was with you at this time?--It was to me, and nobody else.

Have you heard her abuse him with bad language?--I have heard her
curse him, call him rascal and villain.

What was she so angry with her father about?--Mr. Cranstoun was at our
house about three-quarters of a year before Mr. Blandy's death. He
came in August, 1750, and stayed there till near Christmas. It was not
agreeable to my master. We used to think by his temper that he did not
approve of his being so much with his daughter, but I do not believe
he debarred his daughter from keeping his company.

Did you ever hear him say anything to her of his having been once like
to be poisoned?--I was in the kitchen when my master came in to be
shaved. I stayed there till he went out again. Miss Blandy was there,
and he said that once he had like to have been poisoned.

Pages:
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21