74. (L. ) John Love proceedingsdefend , was indicted for marrying Catharine Appleford proceedingsvictim , his former wife being living , March 17, 1749 + .

George Bacon < no role > . About three or four days before Christmas day, N S. mrs. Appleford came to town in order to recover 200 l that was due to her; she came and ask'd my advice. I told her I would write a letter to her husband, who was then at the Tower to desire he'd do it in an amicable manner, and I would assist him; I told him, if he would give me a letter of attorney, I would endeavour to recover the money, which he agreed to. This money was left by will of her father in the hs of her uncle, to be paid at the age of 28 years I sent for an attorney to act in behalf of them; he then said he could not do it, and begg'd some time to consider of it. Then I desired he would meet me at a house near Charing-cross, which he did ; he began to cry, and begg'd to be in private, and told me he had another wife and a son about fourteen or fifteen years of age, who was register'd in Newbury parish, and that his wife was living in that parish: I went for Newbury on the Friday morning, and got there the next morning: I went to the register, and had this certificate from it, it is wrote on the back of the book, The book of the registers at Newbury. The sexton and I examined it by the book.

I saw the first wife, she was at Easton, at the house of farmer Harsel, about five miles from Newbury.

It is read to this purport:

April 4, 1736.

'' John Love < no role > of this parish, and Hannah Little proceedingsvictim , '' of the parish of Shaw.''

This is the form of all in the book.

Q. Where is Shaw?

Bacon. It is about a quarter of a mile from Newbury.

John Primer < no role > . I was at the King's Arms tavern, in company with mr. Bacon, and the prisoner; I had seen him before, and had filled up the letter of attorney for him, which mr. Bacon speaks of: he there told me he came to confess that he had another wife living, and begg'd that we would be favourable to him ; and that he was sorry for what he had done.

Q. Did he say what his former wife's name was ?

Primer. He did; he said it was Hannah Little < no role > of Newbury, and that he had three children by her; he desired, and I advised, mr. Bacon to go there to see her: I saw the certificate when he returned.

Catherine Appleford < no role > . I was married to the prisoner at the bar four years ago, the 7th of March next, at the Fleet, according to the ceremony of the church of England, by the Reverend John Tarrant < no role > .

Q. Who was there at the time?

Appleford. None but the person who own'd the house, James Evans < no role > ; he gave me away.

Q. Did you cohabit together as man and wife ?

Appleford. He did a year and three quarters.

Q. Had you any children by him?

Appleford. I had one.

Q. When did he discover this affair to you?

Appleford. He did not till Christmas week last. The prisoner had nothing to say in his defence.

Guilty .

[Branding. See summary.]