A True and impartial account of the birth, parentage, education, life, and conversation of Edmund Audley: who was executed at Tyburn on Wednesday the 22d of June, 1698, for the barbarous murther of Mrs. Hannah Bullevant in St. Martins Le Grand, near Aldersgate : as also, an account of his marriage to a ministers daughter at Exeter ... to which is added, the particulars of his tryal and condemnation ...

A True and Impartial Account of the Birth, Pa∣rentage, Life and Conversation of Edmund Audley, &c.

MR. Edmund Audley was Born at Swansey (it being a Sea-Port in Clamorganshire in Wales) Anno 1661. His Father Mr. Humphrey Audley being a Merchant, who dealt in most sorts of Commodities, and lived in good Credit and Reputation, being no less beloved than well known in those parts, having two Sons and two Daughters, the eldest of the Sons was this Edmond, to whom he gave good Education, in order to qualifie him for the management of his business in the way of Merchandizing. How∣ever, finding his Inclinations wholly bent to Learning, and seeing he had improved himself therein, so far as to attain Arithmetick, fair Wri∣ting, and several parts of the Mathematicks; his Father advised him to keep a School in Swansey, which he willingly assented to, and accordingly continued in that Station with indifferent success for two or three years; but being of a mutable and unsettled Fancy, he desired of his Father to procure him a place of Residence at Exeter, •• order for a School there, which in a short tim•• was effected, and that seemingly to his satisfactio•••• However, he had not been long in Exeter befo•••• he fell in Love with a Beautiful Young Wom••…••…

Daughter to an Nonconformist Minister, whose Father had a respect for him, upon the account of his Parents, whom he knew, but not so much as to make him his Son in Law, which Mr. Edmond perceiving, and knowing the Maid had a more than ordinary Love for him, took the advantage of the Old Gentlemans absence one Evening, and stole her away privately in the Night; And the next Morning three or four Miles from thence, was Married together, contrary to the knowledge of her Father and Mother: Which news, tho' very unwelcome to them, yet considering it was past Remedy, they instantly sent for their Son and Daughter, and in short, a Reconciliation was made, and Mr. Audley and his Bride were admitted into the number of their Family, where they lived lovingly together for some time, till a strange Whimsey (or rather Jealous Humour) possessed his Noddle, that his Wife was Disloyal, though he could never shew any just ground for that suspition, yet his Jealousie encreasing, (it being a Fire which is sooner kindled, than extin∣guished) he secretly made a motion to some Mini∣sters for a Divorcement; but not being able to give a just Reason for such a separation, his Moti∣on was not only rejected, but himself much re∣proved, for having such an unworthy opinion of an Innocent and Vertuous Woman (for so she was generally esteem'd) However, being much perplexed, he takes a Horse, (some say without leave) it being in the Year 1695. and comes to

London, leaving his Wife with Child, who no sooner understood of his rude and abrubted de∣parture, but miscarried, and soon after dyed.

I shall omit particularizing his undecent Beha∣viour towards her before his departure, and of his attempting to sell her, being loath to reflect too much upon the unhappy Memory of this un∣fortunate Person, and that chiefly for the sake of his Father and Mother, who at the writing hereof were both living at the place aforesaid, being very Godly, Religious, and honest People.

Being come to London, he much frequented the Company of the Dissenting Clergy, and used all the endeavours possible to advance himself to the Ministry, having procured a Letter from an Emi∣nent Nonconformist Minister of the West of Eng∣land, by way of Recommendation to Mr. James, whose Meeting is in Nightingale-Lane in East-Smithfield, where he was admitted to Preach several times; and was also introduced to Preach several times in many Presbyterian Meetings in and about London, particularly in Southwark, &c. However, having no fix'd Station assign'd him, he at last became Usher to a School near Eastcheap, where his Revenue only amounted to 5 s. per Week and Dyet; but his Pride and lofty Spirit soon put him out of that mean (tho' honest) Im∣ploy, often saying (to use his own Expressions) That he was called to proclaim the Gospel; but whether with Sword and Pistol, I leave the Reader to judge, for he was often observed b••

his Landlady (where he lodged about a twelve Month since) to threaten several Persons (whom ••e called Traytors and Conspirators) with se∣••ere punishments, if he could bring his Business ••bout, which in part he perform'd upon the Per∣••on of Mrs. Bullivant, as hereafter will appear.

Having ofren frequented many Meeting-houses, and Preached in others, he of late much used to come to Mr. Dolittle's meeting in Silver-street; and we under∣••••and by his own Confession since, that he much ob∣served one Mrs, Hannah Bullivant, pretending that she was in a Plot against the King and Government, though I believe there's more in it than he has declared) he goes to Mr. Taylor a Gun-Smith near Algate, and asked him, If a Gentleman had not been there over Night for a pair of Pistols; and being an∣swered in the Affirmative, he said he came for them, and in short, they made a Bargain. During which time, Mr. Audley behaved himself like a warey Buyer, and not like one distracted, as the Gun-Smith made Oath of at his Tryal: Having paid for them, he gets suitable Amunition, and a Sword by his side, as also a Lathing-Hammer in his Britches, and goes sometime after to the Meeting-house in Silver-street, where he finds Mrs. Bullivant, his pretended King-killer, but whether he minded the Sermon or Mrs. Bullivant most, may be easily judged by the following discourse.

The Meeting being done, out comes Audley to watch for this supposed Traytoriss, but not being willing to put his barbarous design in Execution, where so many People were together, (as fearing to kill the Righteous with the Wicked,) he followed her till she went in∣to a Shop in Silver-street, where having occasion to stay about half an hour, Audley walked backward and for∣ward till she came out, and then he dogg'd her into

Saint Martins le Grand, near Aldersgate, where seeing the Street clear of People, fired one of his Pistols at her which tho' it missed, yet the noise so affrighted her (be∣ing so nigh) that she ran directly into a Glovers Shop at the Corner of Bell-Court, where he closely followed her, and Shot her dead with the other Pistol upon the place; whereupon he was seized, and that Evening be¦ing the first of June, was by Sir Edward Clark commit¦ted to Newgate, where he remain'd till Thursday, June the 9th. at which time he was brought to the Bar a•• the Old-Baily, where he was Indicted for the aforesaid Barbarous Murther, who after the Jury was call'd and sworn, had the boldness (or rather Impudence) to ex¦cept both against Judges and Jury too, telling the Cour•• That they were concern'd in a Plot and Conspiracy against the King, and therefore he appeal'd to the King and Council to be tryed: Adding, That he would not be tryed by those wh•• were Enemies to the King and Government. However, the Court rejecting his frivolous and trifling Arguments proceeded to his Tryal. And being asked whether Guil¦ty or not? he said, He owned that he kill'd the Wo¦man, but pleaded Not Guilty of the Murther, alled¦ging, That the deceased was (with several others) con∣cern'd in a Plot to take away the King's Life, and tha•• he had been at several Magistrates (whom he named in order to have her and others Apprehended, and find∣ing no Warrant could be obtain'd, and the King and Nation in danger, he conceived it lawful in such a de¦sperate case to execute Justice himself. Whereupon four Evidences successively were called, who depose•• That the Prisoner pursued Mrs. Bullivant, shooting o•••• Pistol at her in St. Martins near Aldersgate, and afte••¦wards followed her into a Glovers Shop in Bell-Co••…••… and there shot her on the left side of the Body, of whi•••• Wound she immediately dyed: And further depose•• That he said that he had killed Queen Mary, who ha••

been there Incognito, and that he endeavoured to escape. ••••••ther Evidences deposed, That they had several times ••••••rd the Prisoner Preach at Meeting-houses, and ne∣••••••er could perceive either in his Behaviour or Discourse, ••hat he was any ways troubled with Madness, Frenzey, ••r any thing like being Craiz'd or Distracted. And ••eing asked some Questions of his knowledge, relating ••o the particulars of his Pretended Plot, he said, That ••f he made Confession in Court, it was the way to have the ••lotters escape: But added, that he knew of 30 Waggon ••oad of Arms which was brought into the City for the late King James's Service one morning before day, and that he ••ad seen the Prince of Wales in the Lobby Chamber; and ••hat he had kill'd the Woman, supposing her to be the late Queen, having seen her often at Mr. Dolittle's Meeting-••ouse. But being told that King James's Queen was of 〈◊〉〈◊〉 contrary Religion to come to a Meeting-house. He ••eplyed, That the very Devils could transform themselves ••nto Angels of Light. However, the Evidence being ••lain and full, the Jury thereupon brought him in Guilty of Wilful Murther; and on the Monday follow∣••ng he received Sentence of Death for the same.

His Conference with several Divines, during his Confinement in New∣gate some Dayes before Execution, concerning the Barbarous Murther of Mrs. Bullivant.

A Learned Divine of the Church of England told him. That by ••his cruel Murther, he had stained the Christians Religion he professed. He replyed, That tho' many apprehended it to be a Bloody Fact, yet ••e thought otherwise of it, by reason he thought that Mrs. Bullivant was in a wicked Conspiracy against the present Government. But being told, A private Person ought not to have killed her, but rather have accused her in some Lawful Court of Justice. He said, He con∣ceived the Fact to be no Murther, by reason his Conscience stirred him up to perform it. But he was told, That was a wicked and Devilish 〈◊〉〈◊〉word. And further asked him, Whether any one had hired him to ••urther her. He answered in the Negative. And being further ••••••stion'd, What was the grounds of his Malice against her? He ••••…••••…rly reply'd, That he would give no further Account than what he

had done already. And seem'd much to depend upon his ••••••¦ceited knowledge, and continued very sullen and obstinate, tho' 〈…〉〈…〉 way resembling a Lunatick, or distracted Person, either in Di••••…••••… or Behaviour, as Dr. Bedford and several other Divines can witness.

On the 22d of June, about Noon, Mr. Edmond Audley was conve••¦ed from Newgate to Tyburn in a Cart with two other Criminals; 〈◊〉〈◊〉 appeared very obstinate and wilful for a considerable time, who b••¦ing asked; What induced him to kill Mrs. Bullivant? He said, He d•••• it for the common good of the Kingdom: And continued to repeat h•••• former Whimsical Stories of a Plot against the King; and upon th•• Ordinary's telling him, That 'twas supposed he killed her upon h•••• preventing his Marriage with a Young Gentlewoman. He said, was very false, and added, that there was a Conspiracy to bring in t•••• late King James; wishing, that he had an oppertunity to declare his mi•••• to the King about it, adding that he knew several of the Plotters; b•••• being desired to declare who they were, He said, he would make Confession to any but his Majesty. Whereupon it Was demanded in wh•••• Profession he Dyed, He said, in the Faith of a Christian as revailed the Scripture, desiring the Ministers not to ask him any more Questions hinder his Devotions. So after having refused to join in Prayer wi•••• the Ordinary, he made a short and silent Prayer to himself, and was turn'd off with the rest of the Criminals.

At his going from Newgate with the other Crm••…••…als, a ver•• Strange and Surprizing Accident happned, for just before the Ca•••• (wherein he was with two other Criminals, reached the end of S•…•… Pulchers Church-yard, the Wall being thronged and Loaded with Crou•••• of Numerous Spectators who pressed to see him, the greatest part 〈◊〉〈◊〉 it fell Flat to the Ground, almost from one end to the other, and wit•• it Multitudes of People one upon another, doing Extraordinary D••¦mage, Killing a VVine Porter out right, who Dwelt in Nightingga•••• Lane, and with the violence of its fall, Miserably Squeezed to peic•••• Armes, Leggs, Backs and Thighs of many, (Some says) to th•• Number af above 40 Persons, 4 or 5 of which are since Dead of the•••• VVounds, and tis Doubted that several of the rest are Mortally hu•••••• This unhappy Accident obliged the Officers to Convey the Criminal•• through Pye-Corner and so down Hosier-L••••e, the like having n•••• been known in the Memory of any Man Living before.

FINIS.