32 



Facts relating to Marlborough. 



the writer states several public grievances, and makes ten suggosl ions 

 for their remedy ; the tenth suggestion being as follows : — 



" X. And that a law be created for death to such as shall commit 

 perjury, forgery, or accept of bribery." 



Against this some one has written in the margin of the British 

 Museum copy — " The author suffer'd death for forging of guineas : >n 

 the handwriting of this piece of interesting information being 

 apparently of the reign of Queen Anne or George 1. 



At p. 110 the following Deposition occurs, to which is prefixed 

 the well-known engraving, which has been frequently copied, 

 representing a female wearing the branks. 



"(A.) John Willis of Ipswich, upon his oath said, that he, this Deponent, 

 was in Newcastle six months ago, and there he saw one Ann Bidlestone drove 

 through the streets by an officer of the same corporation holding a rope in his 

 hand, the other end fastened to an engine called the Branks, which is like a 

 Crown, it being of Iron, which was musled over the head and face, with a great 

 gap or tongue of Iron forced into her mouth, which forced the blood out. And 

 that is the punishment which the Magistrates do inflict upon chiding and 

 scoulding women, and that he hath often seen the like done to others. 



"(B.) He, this Deponent, further affirms that he hath seen men drove up and 

 down the streets with a great Tub or Barrel opened in the sides, with a hole in 

 one end to put through their heads and so cover their shoulders and bodies down 

 to the small of their legs, and then close the same, called the new-fashioned 

 Cloak, and so make them wear it to the view of all beholders, and this is their 

 punishment for drunkards and the like. 



"(.C) This deponent further testifies that the Merchants and Shoemakers of 

 the said Corporation will not take any apprentice under ten years' servitude, 

 and knoweth many bound for the same terme,, and cannot obtain freedom with- 

 out." 5 Eliz. 4. 



"(D.) Drunkards are to pay a fine of five shillings to the poor, to be paid 

 within one week, or be set in the Stocks six hours ; for the second offence to be 

 bound to the Good Behaviour. I. K. James, 9, 21, 7. 



, "(E.) Scoulds are to be Duckt over head and ears into the water in a Ducking- 

 stool. 



"(F.) And Apprentices are to serve but seven years. 5 Eliz. 4." 



Dr. Plot, in his " Natural History of Staffordshire/' chap, ix., 

 97, says — " We come to the Arts that respect Mankind, amongst 

 which, as elsewhere, the civility of precedence must be allowed to 

 the women, and that as well in punishments as favours. For the 



1 Counterfeiting gold or silver coin was a capital offence in the reign of Charles 

 II., but no forgery of any document was so till the reign of George I. 



