Old Bailey Proceedings:
Old Bailey Proceedings: Accounts of Criminal Trials

17th January 1739

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Currently Held: Harvard University Library

LL ref: t17390117-61




140. Catherine Norton proceedingsdefend was indicted for wilful and corrupt Perjury, in a Deposition sworn by her before Sir John Barnard < no role > , Octo. 2 .

Mr. Windcup gave an Account, that one Deavis an Excise Officer brought the Information to him, and the Prisoner own'd she had sign'd the Deposition at the Foot thereof, and that she knew the Contents to be in all Parts just and true, &c. &c. upon which the Oath was administer'd to her, and she kiss'd the Book, &c.

The Affidavit. Catherine Norton < no role > of the Parish of St. Mary le Savoy maketh Oath, that Mary Tixon < no role > [ Tidcomb ] on the 30th of September did, in a Room of a House, situate in the Parish of St. Martin Vintry, sell unto this Deponent two Glasses of a Spirituos Liquor call'd Geneva, for which she paid the said Tixon [ Tidcomb ] 1 d. &c.

Mary Armstrong < no role > depos'd, that she had known Mrs Tidcomb three Quarters of a Year: That she liv'd in the House, and was coming down Stairs when the Prisoner and another Woman came into the Shop; that she staid below till they went out, and they had nothing but a Penn'orth of Apples, and a Ha'p'orth of Walnuts; and that this was about Six or Seven o'Clock in the Evening: That she never knew Mrs. Tidcomb had, while she knew her, dealt in any Spirituous Liquors.

Jane Rule < no role > had known Mr. Tidcomb half a Year, and was in the Shop when the Prisoner was serv'd with Apples, and her Companion with Walnuts; she saw them go out, and tho' she had been at the Shop five or six Times a Day, never saw a Drop of Spirituous Liquors in her Life.

Catherine Hunt < no role > , a Lodger in the House, gave much the same Account with Mrs. Armstrong.

Margaret Harris < no role > (for the Prisoner) depos'd, that the Prisoner ask'd her that Evening to go in at Tidcomb's with her for a Dram; but as she knew the Prisoner to be one that laid Informations against People, she did not care to be seen; so she stood at the Door, and saw the Prisoner and one Mrs Dyer serv'd with two Glasses of some Liquor, which the Prisoner paid for: That this was about Eight or Nine o'Clock, and a Girl at the same time was sleeping, with her Head upon the Compter; and when she came out, she went homeward with the Prisoner, toward Whitecross-street.

Mary Tarry < no role > said she was with Harris at the same time; that it wanted Quarter of an Hour of 9 o'Clock: She saw Mrs. Tidcomb fetch a Quart Bottle from the Back Room and pour out two Glasses, which were drank by Dyer and the Prisoner, and the Prisoner paid for them, while Harris and she stood at a little Distance from the Door.

Hugh Williams < no role > swore he found a Bottle with Brandy, and another with Geneva in a Back-Room after Mrs. Tidcomb had deny'd her having any in the House; and that he found them upon the Prisoner's ordering him to look in the Back-Room, and then Mrs. Tidcomb said, they were for her own Drinking. The Witness said he had been concerned in giving Informations himself.

Robert Jackson < no role > , the Constable that served the Warrant, saw the former Witness take up one Bottle in the Back-Kitchen, and heard him say - here's Gin or something, but he could not tell whether Williams tasted it or not; or indeed whether there was any thing in it.

Thomas Lloyd swore, Mrs. Tidcomb declar'd (when they went to take her) that she had sold no Drams since the Commencement of the Act; but that Williams upon the Prisoner's Direction, went backward and took up a Quart Bottle with Liquor which he tasted; that he afterwards took up a Pint Bottle and said, one was Brandy, and the other Gin; and the Prosecutor said, they were for her own Drinking. This Witness stood all the Time at the Kitchen Door. Acquitted .

She was a second Time indicted for a Conspiracy again the Prosecutor , and was acquitted .




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