<!DOCTYPE ETS PUBLIC "-//UMDLPS//DTD EEBOPROOF 2.0//EN">
<ETS>
<TEMPHEAD>
<REVDESCR>
<CHANGE>
<DATE>2009-07-10</DATE>
<RESPSTMT>
<NAME>Lauren Proux</NAME>
<RESP>MURP</RESP>
</RESPSTMT>
<ITEM>Checklist:
x Add TEMPHEAD, change DATE, validate
x Add DIV TYPEs, validate
x Review structure, use BODY or rarely GROUP
x Check PB placement and completeness, ensure sequence of N=""
x Proof title page(s)
x Check HEAD TRAILER ARGUMENT EPIGRAPH OPENER CLOSER SIGNED SALUTE BYLINE
x Check ^, oe, abq, italic I / J, _Initals, space between &amp;c.
x Check &num; # @ -- UNCLEAR LB FIGURE
x Check q; startq endq Q
x Correct illegibles from proofsheet
x Check illegible page, para, line, span, word, dollar signs
Final validate

Corrected [  ] illegible groups out of [  ].
Converted [  ] illegible groups to GAP DESC="illegible".
DONE</ITEM>
</CHANGE>
</REVDESCR>
</TEMPHEAD>
<EEBO>
<IDG S="marc" R="UM" ID="A88735">
<STC T="W">L505bA</STC>
<BIBNO T="umi">99895715</BIBNO>
<VID>153247</VID>
</IDG>
<TEXT LANG="eng">
<BODY>
<DIV1 TYPE="text">
<PB N="1" REF="1">
<HEAD>The la&s;t SPEECH, CONFESSION AND EXECUTION of <HI>John Smith</HI> alias <HI>A&s;hburnham</HI> A <HI>Notorious Highway-Man</HI> who was hang'd at Stampford-Hill, where he is to be hung up in CHAINS: and <HI>Edward Jack&s;on,</HI> who was Drawn, and Hang'd, at TYBURN, FOR HIGH-TREASON, On <HI>Monday</HI> the 26th. of this In&s;tant <HI>May,</HI> 1684.</HEAD>
<P>OF the five Criminals condemned the la&s;t Se&s;&s;ions at the <HI>Old-Bayly, Edward Hubbart</HI> was Reprieved, <HI>John G<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 letter">wer,</HI> and <HI>Francis Robin&s;on,</HI> &s;uffer'd on <HI>Fryday</HI> the 23th. In&s;tant: and this day <HI>John Smith,</HI> and <HI>Edward Jackson</HI> were Executed.</P>
<DIV2 TYPE="part">
<P><HI>John Smith</HI> alias <HI>A&s;hburnham,</HI> was about 27 or 28 years of Age, a proper lu&s;ty young man and born at <HI>Holbourn-Bars,</HI> he has been a Notorious Highway-man, both in <HI>England</HI> and <HI>Ireland,</HI> where he committed &s;everal Robberies, and accord|ingly had his Name put into &s;everal <HI>Proclamations,</HI> with a re|ward to any per&s;on, who could apprehend him: the horrid Crime for which he was now Executed, was, that he with o|thers of the &s;ame Gang, having committed &s;everal Robbe|ries on the Road near <HI>Stoke-N<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 letter">wington</HI> in <HI>July</HI> was Twelve-month,
<PB N="2" REF="2">
being pur&s;ued by <HI>Andrew <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 letter">age</HI> a Headborough of the &s;ame Town, and other Watchmen they di&s;charg'd their Pi&s;tols upon the Watchmen and killed the Headbo|rough in the Execution of his Office: Of this he was Ind<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 letter">cted, found Guilty, and Condemned; the Witne&s;&s;e again&s;t him was one <HI>Denton,</HI> at pre&s;ent in <HI>Newgate,</HI> and one of his old Come|rade to whom he had formerly confe&s;t the murder of this Headborough <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 span"> Tryal, and &s;ince he has po&s;itively deny'd <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 span"> Companion &s;wearing again&s;t him with other c<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="2 letters">curing Evidence, made it appear &s;o plain, and unque&s;tionable a <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 span"> that the Jury brought him in Guilty.</P>
<P><HI>John Smith</HI> was properly his Name from his own Father, but his Mo|ther <HI>afterwards</HI> being Married to one <HI>A&s;hburnham;</HI> he a&s;&s;umed that Name or the other, as be&s;t &s;uited his pre&s;ent purpo&s;es. Being Convi|cted by the afore&s;aid Evidence of <HI>Denton,</HI> his former Comerade- and other violent Circum&s;tances of the Highe&s;t Nature <HI>of</HI> pre&s;umtive Ar|gument he &s;uffered for the afore&s;aid Fact, tho at his Tryal and during his Impri&s;onment after Sentence he peremptory deny'd it: However he had been &s;o Notorious an Offender (and now in Cu&s;tody) had he been acquitted of this charge, new Indictments had been prefer'd a|gain&s;t him: More particularly I &s;hall in&s;tance in one, which perhaps the World may not have heard of. He with &s;ome others <HI>of</HI> that wicked Fraternity de&s;ign'd a Robbery upon a Carriers Wagon, which they ac|compli&s;hed near St <HI>Albans,</HI> and Robbed his Carriage to the value <HI>of</HI> three&s;core pounds: After the Robbery committed, <HI>John Smith</HI> rid back perhaps under &s;ome apprehen&s;ions <HI>of</HI> Danger that the Carrier might pur&s;ue them, and rai&s;e a Hue and Cry <HI>after</HI> the Robbers and di&s;charge|ed his hi&s;t<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="3 letters"> in, the Bullet hit him in the Thigh, of which Wound <HI>after</HI> few days he dy'd, which Evidence, tho it did not appear again&s;t him as forrein to the Crime he &s;tood Indicted of, would certainly have been made good again&s;t him, upon a &s;econd Tryal (had he not before forfei<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 letter">ed his life) which the Law now ju&s;tly challenged from him.</P>
<P>As to his Education, as he him&s;elf confe&s;t in <HI>Newgate,</HI> he was fir&s;t put an Apprentice to a <HI>Chirurgeon,</HI> with whom he continued but 3 years, and then falling into the Acquaintance of Extravagant Compa|ny, grew fir&s;t in love with Debauchery; &s;ometime after a Wine Merch|ant, who had a kindne&s;s for him, put him into a Cellar at 'an <HI>Inn,</HI> at <HI>Barton M<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 letter">lls</HI> near <HI>Newmarket,</HI> and tru&s;ted him with &s;elling his Wine.</P>
<P>Here he fir&s;t grew acquainted with &s;ome <HI>Highway-men</HI> vvho u&s;ed the road about <HI>Newmarket,</HI> and coming often to the Inn at la&s;t drevv him in|to their Society; after &s;everal Robberies committed, he began to con|&s;ider in vvhat a de&s;perate condition he vvas if any of the Gang &s;hould di&s;cover him, re&s;olved to leave that place, and vvrit up to the <HI>Mer|chant</HI> to di&s;po&s;e him to &s;ome other place, for he vvas unvvilling to &s;tay there any longer. The Merchant accordingly placed him at <HI>Bo&s;ton</HI> in <HI>Lincoln&s;hire</HI> where he had been neer two months, when four Highway-Men coming to the Tovvn, tvvo of them lodged at this <HI>Inn:</HI> He as Ma&s;ter of the Cellar come up vvith a Bottle to vvellcome his Gue&s;ts, and knevv one of them vvho had been his former Comerade,
<PB N="3" REF="2">
upon Di&s;cour&s;e asking him what &s;trange Affairs, had brought him into tho&s;e parts they talked with all freedom of their former Exploits, and the two Highway-Men began earne&s;tly to per&s;wade him to lift him&s;elf once more into their Society, which he refu&s;ed, and &s;olemnly prote&s;ted whatever Nece&s;&s;ities &s;hould fall upon him, he would never more vent<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="2 letters">e on &s;uch di&s;hone&s;t Cour&s;es. Two days after a Procla|mation came down for the Apprehending of &s;everal Notorious Highway-Men, in which he found his own Name, &s;trangely &s;urprized with the imminent Danger he was in, he went off immediately to <HI>Ireland</HI> with three&s;core Guinys and &s;ome Sil|ver: Being arrived at <HI>Dublin,</HI> he happen'd to lodge in the &s;ame Street where Capt. <HI>Hur&s;t</HI> kept a publick Hou&s;e, who a little before had bro<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 letter">e Pri&s;on at <HI>Newgate</HI> and fled to <HI>Ireland;</HI> reque&s;ting this hou&s;e, a &s;hort time after, came over <HI>Francis Robin&s;on, J<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 letter">nney Va&s;s,</HI> his pretended Wife, and <HI>Eliza|beth Courtney,</HI> tho&s;e being all of a Gang formerly, renewed their Acquaintance and often met at Capt. <HI>Hu<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 letter">sts; John Smith</HI> was then agreeing for a Celler of <HI>Wine</HI> and contracted with the Merchant upon the payment of fifty Guinys down: When one Night it happned that a quarrel aro&s;e between the two Women; and <HI>Elizabeth Gourtney</HI> cut <HI>Jenney Vo&s;<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 letter"></HI> her head with a Quart-pot, upon which a great feud aro&s;e, the next Morning <HI>Elizabeth Courtney</HI> got a warrant for them, all and they were &s;ent to &s;everal Pri&s;ons: upon ordinary Bail <HI>John Smith</HI> got his liberty as the re&s;t had done, and with <HI>Jenney Vo&s;s</HI> came privately over for <HI>England: Ro|bin&s;on</HI> followed them clo&s;e and at la&s;t found them out; when renewing his intere&s;t with <HI>Jenney Vo&s;s,</HI> &s;he di&s;covered <HI>John Smith,</HI> and cau&s;ed him to be apprehended for the Murther and Robbery at <HI>Newington.</HI></P>
<P>He con&s;tantly denyed that he &s;hot the Headborrough whatever he had formerly &s;aid to <HI>Denton,</HI> which was only to ingratiate him&s;elf with him, but that <HI>William Hancock,</HI> now in <HI>Warwick</HI> Goal, was the per&s;on and <HI>John Shepherd</HI> who was ap|prentice at the Blew Bore in <HI>Long Lane</HI> to a Sale&s;man, was another, and one <HI>Moor,</HI> who were both hang'd at St. <HI>Edmunds-bury.</HI> The Curate of <HI>Newington</HI> at|tended him at the place of Execution, where after a &s;hort prayer the halter was put about his Neck, and before the Cart was drawn away, he had thrown him&s;elf off, had not the People called to bid him hold; he confe&s;t that as in his Con&s;cience he was not guilty of the Murder, it troubled him much le&s;s than tho&s;e other &s;ins of Sabbath-breaking, Fornication, Adultery, and &s;ome others, he had too frequently committed, and from the Bottom of his heart repented of.</P>
<P>The &s;ame <HI>Jenney Vo&s;s,</HI> who is here mentioned is now in <HI>Newgate</HI> and reprieved upon pleading her Belly who has been a Notorious Offender, and has already hang'd thirteen of her Husbands and Gallants.</P>
<P><HI>John Smith</HI> dyed vary penitent: was executed at Stampford-Hill where he now hangs in Chains.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="part">
<P><HI>Edward Jack&s;on</HI> lived in <HI>Bo<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 letter">-Lane</HI> of very good Credit and Reputa|tion and e&s;teem'd as a per&s;on of a very plentiful E&s;tate: He was Indi|cted of <HI>High-Trea&s;on,</HI> for that he on the 6th. of <HI>June,</HI> in the 33th. year of his Maje&s;ty's Reign, did Clip the Currant Coyn of this Kingdom, <HI>viz.</HI> twenty of Queen <HI>Elizabeths</HI> Shillings, and twenty other Shillings of King <HI>Charles</HI> the fir&s;t, and twenty other pieces of Silver, called Half-Crowns, the Evidence again&s;t the Pri&s;oner was one <HI>Nicol&s;on,</HI> and <HI>Thomas Matrin</HI> and others, who gave &s;o plain proof of the Fact, that <HI>Edward Jack&s;on</HI> was Condemned, and this day Executed; he was very penitent during his Impri&s;onment after Sentence, praying day and night, he confe&s;&s;ed he had been a great Sinner, but hoped through the Infinite Mercys of Almighty God, to receive Remi&s;&s;ion of all his Tran&s;gre&s;&s;ions. He lay in the <HI>Pre&s;s-Yard,</HI> and con&s;idering his Acquaintance was very great and Numerous, Vi&s;itants would very much <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="2 letters">di&s;po&s;e him from tho&s;e Religious Exerci&s;es of Fa&s;ting &amp; Prayer, he Seque&s;ted him&s;elf from all Company, and admitted but very few to conver&s;e with him. He was about a twelvemonth ago que&s;tioned upon the &s;ame Crime, but the Evidence not then appearing again&s;t him, he was cleared by Proclamation.</P>
<PB N="2" REF="3">
<GAP DESC="duplicate" EXTENT="1 page">
<PB N="3" REF="3">
<GAP DESC="duplicate" EXTENT="1 page">
<P><PB N="4" REF="4" MS="y">This Morning he was put into a Sledge at <HI>Newgate</HI> between ten and eleven, &amp; from thence being drawn to the place of Execution vvhere taken out of the Sledge and put into a Cart which was drawn un|der the Gallows, then turning him&s;elf round, directed his Speech to the People.</P>
<Q><HI>Gentlemen I being brought hither to &s;uffer according to Law, for Clipping, Cutting, &amp; Defacing the Current Coin of this Nation; I take God Almigh|ty to witne&s;s</HI> I <HI>am not Guilty of the Fact, for which I am now about to dye, neither am I Guilty of what I was Indicted.</HI></Q>
<P>Mr. Ordinary being in the Cart to a&s;&s;i&s;t him in Prayer, and al&s;o another Divine a Friend of his; Mr. Ordinary asked him how far he was Guilty, and what he would own of the Crime for which he was novv to &s;uffer, and whether he had no time of his Life aforepa&s;t, if not now as mentioned in his Indict|ment had been Guilty of that Fact, or what he could &s;ay as to that Point, to which he an&s;wered that the thing was thus;</P>
<Q><HI>That there were three Per&s;ons of his Acquaintance, which were in Pri&s;on for a Fact of this Nature, and were &s;et at liberty, to di&s;cover &s;ome other Per&s;ons of the &s;ame Gang upon which he was taken up, which three Per&s;ons, were</HI> Nichol&s;on, Martin, <HI>and</HI> Hickup, <HI>that</HI> Nichol&s;on <HI>being poor in Town, and de&s;titute of Friends, he had with all kindne&s;s a&s;&s;i&s;ted him; and afterwards recommend|ed him to a Gentleman of Quality to wait upon him, and became Engaged at the &s;ame time for his Truth and Hone&s;ty, that afterwards he being out of this Place, he put him into Imployment in his own B&s;ine&s;s, and had tru&s;ted him with the Receipt of &s;ome hundred pounds, that he had at &s;everal times re|ceived Clipp'd Money from him and had &s;old &s;everal Ounces of melted Sil|ver, but did never Clip any Silver him&s;elf or &s;ee any body el&s;e do it, that they were the per&s;ons really guilty, and had accu&s;ed him to &s;ave them|&s;elves That particularly</HI> Nichol&s;on <HI>had received two hundred pound at</HI> Darby, <HI>which he returned to him in Clipt Money:</HI></Q>
<P>Upon which Mr. Or|dinary told him, <HI>Mr. Jack&s;on,</HI> you could not recieve all this clipp'd mo|ney and put it off, but you mu&s;t know from whence you had it, and confederate with tho&s;e that clipp'd it, to which he only an&s;wer'd; <HI>You your &s;elf Sir, without doubt, and others too, have put off clipp'd money with|out being always inqui&s;itive from whence you recieved it.</HI></P>
<P>His whole Behaviour was mode&s;t and humble, and certainly never any Criminal at the hour of Death, gave greater Arguments of a bro|ken and contrite heart, of a true and &s;incere Repentance than this Ma|lefactor did. He prayed loud, with all fervency of Spirit, fir&s;t with Mr. Ordinary, and then de&s;ired another Mini&s;ter a Friend of his, to pray with him, which he did, with all the holy Violence of Devotion a poor penitent wretch could expre&s;s his abhorrence of his &s;ins, and beg mercy of Almighty God for his poor Soul, which was now &s;o &s;uddenly to appear before the great Judge of Heaven and Earth. His whole Conduct in the mid&s;t of all the Terrors of Death, was highly commend|ed by the Spectators who were very Numerous; he behav'd him&s;elf with Courage enough to &s;how he was not afraid to die, and with all the Expre&s;&s;ions of Sorrow and Penitence a good Chri&s;tian could expire withal. The generality of per&s;ons gave &s;ufficient Te&s;timony how much they were affected with his Chri&s;tian Behaviour, and few per|&s;ons Pre&s;ent departed with dry Eyes. He de&s;ired &s;ome Friends who were near him, to carry his Love and Ble&s;&s;ing to his poor Wife and child, and beg'd of them to be a&s;&s;i&s;tant to them in this their &s;orrowful <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 word"> di&s;tre&s;&s;ed E&s;tate.</P>
<P>His Body was cut down and put into a Coffin, and delivered to his Relations, who carried it away in a Coach.</P>
</DIV2>
</DIV1>
</BODY>
<BACK>
<DIV1 TYPE="colophon">
<P><HI>LONDON</HI> Printed by <HI>E. Mallet</HI> in <HI>Blackhor&s;e-Alley</HI> near <HI>Fleet-Bridge,</HI> 1684.</P>
<PB N="4" REF="5" MS="y">
<GAP DESC="duplicate" EXTENT="1 page">
</DIV1>
</BACK>
</TEXT>
</EEBO>
</ETS>
