City and Liberty
of Westminster
in the County of
Middlesex } to wit.

An Inquisition Indented, taken for our Sovereign Lord the
King, at the Parish of Saint Covent Garden
within the Liberty of the Dean and Chapter of the Collegiate Church of St. Peter, Westminster ,
in the County of Middlesex , the Eighth day of April in the Nineteenth Year
of the Reign of our Sovereign Lord GEORGE the Third, by the Grace of God, of Great-Britain,
France and Ireland, King, Defender of the Faith, and so forth, before Thomas Prickard< no role > , Gentleman,
Coroner of our said Lord the King for the said City and Liberty, on View of the Body of
Martha Ray< no role > then and there lying dead, upon the Oath of Joseph
Hawkes< no role > Christopher Golding< no role > John Pond< no role > , John Henry Rigg< no role > Moses Lany< no role > John Helsa< no role > ,
William Smith< no role > Robert Whitworth< no role > John French< no role > , Thomas Jeremy< no role > , John
Oakley Clarke< no role > Richard Woods< no role > Michael Guest< no role > Leonard Tresilian< no role > John Dick< no role >
Hassell Hutchins< no role > Thomas Kerett< no role > , Richard Egan< no role > John Abraham Fisher< no role > , Barnaby
Darley< no role > Edward Barnett< no role > , Joseph Withers< no role > Robert Partridge< no role >
and Edward Blackshaw< no role > good and lawful Men of the said Liberty, duly
chosen, who being then and there duly sworn and charged to enquire for our said Lord the
King, when, how, and by what Means the said Martha Ray< no role > came to
h er Death, do upon their Oath say That James Hackman< no role > Clerk late of the Parish aforesaid
within the Liberty and County aforesaid, not having the fear of God before his Eyes, but
being moved an seduced by the Instigation of the Devil, on the Seventh day of April
in the Year aforesaid with Force and Arms at the Parish aforesaid within the
Liberty and County aforesaid, in and upon the said Martha Ray< no role > in the Peace of
God and of our said Lord the King then and there being feloniously wilfully and of his
Malice afore thought did make on Assault And that the said James Hackman< no role > a
certain Pistol of the Value of five Shillings charged and loaded with Gun powder and a
leaden Bullet which he the said James Hackman< no role > then and there had and held in his
Right Hand to and against the Head of her the said Martha Ray< no role > did then and there
shoot off and discharge, by Means whereof he the said James Hackman< no role > feloniously wilfully
and of his Malice afore thought did then and there give unto her the said Martha Ray< no role >
with the leaden Bullet aforesaid so as aforesaid shot off and discharged out of the
Pistol aforesaid by the force of the Gun powder aforesaid in and through the Head
of her the said Martha Ray< no role > one mortal Wound, of which said mortal Wound
she the said Martha Ray< no role > then and there instantly died. And so the Jurors aforesaid
upon their Oath aforesaid do say that the said James Hackman< no role > her the said Martha
Ray< no role > in Manner and by the Means aforesaid feloniously wilfully and of his
Malice afore thought did kill and Murder against the Peace of our said Lord the
King his brown and Dignity. And that the said James Hackman< no role > at the time of
the committing of the Felony and Murder aforesaid, or at any time since
had no Goods or Chattels Lands or Tenements within the said Liberty or
elsewhere to the Knowledge or Notice of the said Jurors, In Witness
whereof as well the said Coroner as the said Joseph Hawkes< no role > Foreman of
the said Jurors on the behalf of himself and the rest of his said Fellows, in
their presence have to this Inquisition set their Hands and Seals the Day
Year and Place abovementioned.

Tho. Prickard< no role > Coroner .

JoshHawkesForeman