Ordinary of Newgate Prison:
Ordinary's Accounts: Biographies of Executed Convicts

22nd September 1714

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Currently Held: Harvard University Library

LL ref: OA171409221409220004

18th August 1714


mission, under the Command of his Father Colonel Plunket, an Irish Gentleman, and a Relation of Father Plunket's, Primate of Ireland, (as he call'd him) who came to an Untimely End here in the Year 1679. As for himself, he said, That tho' he was made an Officer so young, (and therefore came to that Post of a Lieutenant more by Favour than Merit) yet, as he grew up, he shew'd himself worthy of it; for by his undaunted Courage he always faced, and never turn'd his Back to his Enemy. And so he would have gone on with a further Account of his Valiant Exploits, but I put a stop to it, by telling him, That the Consideration of those deserved Actions of his, would not in this Case have stood him in any stead, even with the King of France, in whose Service he was then engag'd, much less here in England, where such his Warlike Feats were unknown and useless: And besides, That as he own'd to me he was forc'd to fly out of the French Dominions for killing a Gentleman in a Duel there, so he could not with any colour of Reason expect that such a base Murder as he had committed here, and of which he was fairly convicted, should go unpunish'd. Here I endeavour'd to make him sensible of the greatness of his Offence, that he might duly repent of it, and so obtain God's Mercy; but he deny'd the Fact, and only own'd himself in general guilty of many Irregularities thro' the whole Course of his Life, for which he begg'd Pardon of God, and of those he had offended; but he would say no more as to the confessing in particular the Sins his Conscience was loaded with; telling me, that as he was a Roman Catholick , so he did not think fit to open his Mind to me, but he would do it to a Father-Confessor of his own Religion, who would absolve him. Upon which I observ'd to him, that he seem'd to be more concern'd for, and depend more upon, his Priest's Absolution, than the to following the Sound Advice I gave him, of Praying to God for Grace to repent of all his Sins, in such a manner, as that his Repentance might be sincere, and effectual to Salvation, thro' the alone Merits of Jesus Christ. After I had thus spoken to him, he own'd to me, That he was Guilty, and justly Condemn'd: And would say no more.

4. Joyce Hodgkis< no role > This name instance is in set 1248. , condemn'd for a Murder by her committed on the 18th of August last , upon the Person of John Hodgkis< no role > her Husband, who was a Shoemaker by Trade. She said, she was about 42 Years of age, born in Staffordshire , but from her Youth brought up in the Parish of Shadwell , and thence remov'd to Limehouse , about 15 Years since, where she was married to the said John Hodgkis< no role > , who prov'd a very cruel Husband to her all the time she was his Wife, which was Fourteen Years. When I first examin'd her, before her Condemnation, about this barbarous Fact she was committed for, she deny'd it: And in that her Denial she persisted for a great while after she had received Sentence of Death; but at last she confess'd it, saying, That in her Passion she gave him the Wound he dy'd of, bu did not design to have killed him: And now she was made sensible, that tho' her Husband was such a wicked Person as she had represented him, who dealt very ill with her, in using her most unmercifully, yet she ought not to have taken his Life away for that, but have endeavour'd by some proper Means (as having the Minister of their Parish, or some other serious Person, to discourse him) to bring him to a better Temper. This she acknowledg'd was a Fault in her, that she did not use such a Method, but instead thereof took a Course with him as rid her of him indeed, but brought a Guilt and Trouble upon her, more than she ever had before. I found her very ignorant in Matters of Religion, tho' she said she went frequently to Church; but not being able to read, she had not that Advantage of understanding Good Things, which they have who were brought up to Reading, and to know the Principles of the Christian Religion from their Youth. She being found Guilty of a Crime which the Law calls Petty-Treason, she was order'd to be, and so accordingly was Burnt for it, as I shall observe by and by.




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