THE Behaviour, Confession, And EXECUTION, of the Four Prisoners at TYBURN, William Blower, for High Treason; Robert Francis for the Murther of Tho. Dangerfield, Henry Anthony, and John Morgan for two several Burglarys and Fellonies.
On Friday the 24 of this Instant July, 1685.
VVith many remarkable Passages and Trans∣actious, during the Series of their lives, taken from their own Mouths, after their Condemnation.
ONe main Reason which Induces us to publish this Melancholly Ac∣count of the untimely ends of such as have forfeited their Lives to offend Justice, by breaking the known Laws, is to deter others from such rash and lawless Enterprizes, as must inevitably end in their Ru∣in and disgrace; with which, frequent Examples furnish the word, of which, after many precedent, take the following.
William Blower Chirurgion, of the Parish of St. Allhallows Barkin, being Tryed upon an Indictment of High Treason, for Cliping, Fileing, and Defa∣cing the Lawful and Current Coin of this Kingdom, and upon proof that Clipings, and Cliping-Instruments were found in his house found Guilty and received Sentence of Death on the 18th of July; when returning to, Newgate he betook himself to his retirement, and for a time was much de∣jected and discontented in Sighs and Groans, deploring his sad misfortune, but being comforted by the wholesome Advice of such Reverend Divines, as in Christian Charity came to fit and prepare him for another World; laying a∣side all thoughts of any long continuance in this; and looking upon himself as a dying man, he betook himself to Prayer and Meditation, confessing the depravity of his Nature, and acknowledging himself to be a Sinner in a high degree: they earnestly pressed him to lay open the secrets of his Heart be∣fore the great God of Heaven; and with all Humility and Prostration to Page 2humble himself, and implore Mercy and Forgiveness, through the Merits of our Blessed Saviour who laid down his Life for Sinners; laying before him the Penitence of David, the Patience of Job, the humble and submissive Expressions of the Prodigal in his return; the Expression of the Penitent Goaler, and the dying words of the Thief upon the Cross; the sorrow of Mary Magdalen, and divers Recorded in Sacred writ, for true Penitents, and unfeigned Converts, assuring him that God, in the Name and for the sake of his beloved Son, our ever Blessed Saviour, is at all times willing to accept of those that repent, and turn from the evil of their ways, and that he will in no wise rejeect the humble, and those that are of a broken and contrite Spirit, admonishing him to try and examine himself, for the good and well-fare of his Immortal Soul, of more value than the whole World, and therefore ought to be highly prised above what he could think or imagine, not regarding what became of his Body, so that inestimable Jewel arrived safe at the Hea¦venly Canaan, and that a bare belief that Christ shed his precious Blood to save him was not sufficient, but that he must wholly cast himself upon him; counting himself altogether unworthy of any favour at the hands of the Al∣mighty, whom he many ways highly offended, but in and through the Merits of his Blessed Son, who shed his precious Blood to attone for the sins of man∣kind.
After these, and many the like pious Expressions, a worthy Divine proceeded to ask him how it fared with him, and how he found himself, as to his State in another World, requiring him to give him an Account what as∣surance or hope he had, &c. to which, with much meekness and humility he replyed, that at first, viz. Immediately after his Condemnation, he found great strugling within himself, and laboured under strange Temptations, his heart not being plyable as it ought, but that he had earnestly laboured to over∣come them, and reduce himself to a calm and plyable temper, fit to take the Impressions of saving Grace, but could not soon prevail; yet after much serious and fervent Prayer to Almighty God, to strengthen and enable him to resist and overcome the Tempter; he found the Tempest or strug∣ling in hir Soul allayed, and succeeded by a sedate calmness, which ever since continued to his great comfort; acknowledging that he had been a great sin∣ner, and that for his perseverance in many known sins, God had suffered him to fall under this affliction: Then being asked by the Reverend Divine, whether he used not Prayer and reading the Holy Scripture, he answered that the hurry of Business had of late made him somwhat remiss in those Holy Du∣tys, but that he was exceeding sorry for his neglect, beging pardon of God for such his neglect. After these and divers other sacred admonitions, they prayed with him, beseeching the Almighty to give him a true sense of his sins, and a heart sincerely to repent: That he would par∣don his former Transgressions, and have mercy upon his precious and immor∣tal Soul. When after some other necessary Exhortations and an Application of what had been urged, he left him in a calm temper of mind, altogether un∣shaken by fear of approaching Death, but rather expressing a kind of a joy, or a lacritie that God had made him sensible of his latter end, and given him knowledge of the certain Number of his days.
Robert Francis, of the Parish of St. Andrews Holbourn Indicted the same Sessions as the former; upon his Tryal was found Guilty of wilful Murther, for giving Thomas Dangerfield a Wound in the Eye, with a little stick on the 4th. of July, of which Wound he dyed in Newgate, on the 5th of the same Month, for which, receiving Sentence of Death on the 18th. and being returned to the Press-yard he began seriously to consider what he had done, becoming more Melancholly than ever, and as muh as stood with conveniency, retired from company, seriously reflecting upon his latter end, saying, what he had done was rashly, Page 3and altogether without any premeditated Malice, that he was unfortunately coming along and pressed into the Croude out of curiosity to see the Prisoner, of whom he had little or no knowledge only by report, and that an unhappy word passing, he pushed at him with his Cane, not imagining it would have proved of fatal consequence; saying, that he had lived in credit and reputati∣on, not being given to quarrel, nor transported with passion to a degree of mischiefeing any person before this unhappy Accident, hoping the God of Mercys would pardon his sins: As for Death, altho' it should be his misfor∣tune to fall untimely, yet he would chearfully submit to what the Laws infli∣cted on him, giving much heed to such as admonished him to be mindful of his future state, often reading and meditating both before and after he had notice a Warrant was signed for his Execution, expressing a calm temper and quiet of mind, speaking chearfully to such as daily come to visit him, desiring them not to be troubled or concerned at his mirfortune, since it was befallen him and could not now be remedied; and that he was sensibly sorry for what he had done, notwithstanding the deceased was a person of Evil Fame, saying, that he hoped it would be a warnging to others, thereby to hinder them from such rash and unadvised Action; and so continued as one extreamly sensible of his latter end.
Henry Anthony, being found Guilty as the former, for breaking open the house of one Mr. Trevor in the Parish of St. Catherines, on the 23d. of June last, and stealing three Gold-Rings, a Silk-Hood, and other things of va∣lue; himself being taken in the Fact. After his return to Newgate, promise∣ing himself a Security of Life, as is imagined by those that visited him, he appeared not to be so sensible of his latter end as a person in his condition ought; notwithstanding to such questions as were proposed by divers vi∣sitants, he chearfully answered saying, he had been well educated and care∣fully brought up, but being of a rambling Nature, as soon as he was capable he betook himself to the Seas enterprizing divers Voyages to Spain, France, and Italy, making good returns, suitable to his Station, but being out of em∣ploy as to Maritim affairs and his mony growing short, he betook himself to evil courses, being rather perswaded thereto, than any way prompted by his Natural Inclinations, adding, that he had considerable Relations, but was willing to conceal their Names, &c. least his disgraceful end should any ways reflect upon their Reputation, confessing he had been guilty of many Capital Sins, and would not be reclaimed neither by severity nor civil per∣swasion, but following his own headstrong resolution he by haunting such Houses as were frequented by bad Company, he was drawn in to portake with them in their unlawful Enterprises, one Sin calling on another, so that in the end he was hardened in Iniquity scoffing at and dispiseing good Admo∣nitions, which if he had seriously regarded would have prevented the mis∣chief that was befallen him, but seeing time was past he must make the best on it, and bear it as patiently as he could hoping God would give him strength to go through it: and that although he had offended him in a high Nature, he would in his last Extreamity give him Comfort and have pitty on his Soul, and that it might go well with him in the other World. He de∣sired the Prayers of all good Christians whilst he was yet Alive, being in the End very attentive to those that gave him good advice relateing to his Immortal State: But could hardly be induced to pray for himself.
John Morgan, Tryed the same Sessions as the former and found Guilty, for breaking open the House of one Mr. Filkins of the Parish of St. Leonard Shoreditch, on the 30th. of June last, and stealing two Cloth Coats, a pair of Breeches, a Crape Gown and other things the goods of the said Filkins, upon his being returned to Newgate, confessed himself to be an notorious Sinner, and that after his providential Escaping many dangers, God had Page 4suffered him at last to fall into the Snare: Being asked whether he was drawn in to committ this Robery by the Alurments of bad Company: he said he never kept any Company that was so bad as himself, he having been an un∣happy proficient in most Vices, which had in a manner hardened his Heart and obliterated the fear of Death due to his many Crimes, yet he was not left altogether without hope, for he was sensible God was a merciful God, though he had but small reason to expect it at his hands, whom he had so highly dishonoured in the Series of his Life, which was now come in a man∣ner to a Period, and he beleived this had befallen him to give him a sight and sense of his Sins. For the Almighty had as he had 〈◊〉 often been informed wonderous ways to bring preverse Wretches home to himself, and humble them for their past Failings, as for the fear of Death he said it little troubled him, for he knew he must Die, and to be so cut off was but to go out of the World a little sooner than ordinary though he could have been content it had been otherwise.
This being the material substances of what they were Condemned, for the manner of their Behaviour and Discourse &c. In Newgate the six days af∣ter Sentance [viz.] on Friday the 24th. of this instant July, about 10 in the Morning were brought out of the Goal and delivered to the Sherifs Officers, who in the usual manner conveyed them to Tyburn the place of Execution, viz. Blower on a Sledg, Francis in a Coach and the other 2 in a Cart, where being prayed with part of Psalm Sung and the other usual Offices perfor∣med, the Cart drew away and left them to the mercy of their Creator.
As for the other Nine who received Sentence with them viz. William Vanderhurst, George Attwell, Samuel Anderton, Thomas Wexl, Nathaniel Page, John Smith, John Henly, John Somerset and Mary Hancock, they are Re∣prived.
