The penitent murderer, or, An exact and true relation taken from the mouth of Mr. William Ivy (lately executed) concerning the murder by him committed upon the body of William Pew, servant to Sir Robert Long in Westminster, upon Monday the 28th of April 1673 with the reasons inducing him to that horrid crime, his resolution likewise to have killed the maid, his taking away seven hundred-pound bags, and his manner of disposing them : as also, his tryal, conviction, and condemnation : with his confession of the whole fact, and his contrition for the same, as it was delivered from his own mouth to a particular friend, and by him published, to prevent all false reports.

The penitent murderer, or, An exact and true relation taken from the mouth of Mr. William Ivy (lately executed) concerning the murder by him committed upon the body of William Pew, servant to Sir Robert Long in Westminster, upon Monday the 28th of April 1673 with the reasons inducing him to that horrid crime, his resolution likewise to have killed the maid, his taking away seven hundred-pound bags, and his manner of disposing them : as also, his tryal, conviction, and condemnation : with his confession of the whole fact, and his contrition for the same, as it was delivered from his own mouth to a particular friend, and by him published, to prevent all false reports.

The penitent murderer, or, An exact and true relation taken from the mouth of Mr. William Ivy (lately executed) concerning the murder by him committed upon the body of William Pew, servant to Sir Robert Long in Westminster, upon Monday the 28th of April 1673 with the reasons inducing him to that horrid crime, his resolution likewise to have killed the maid, his taking away seven hundred-pound bags, and his manner of disposing them : as also, his tryal, conviction, and condemnation : with his confession of the whole fact, and his contrition for the same, as it was delivered from his own mouth to a particular friend, and by him published, to prevent all false reports.

Table of contents

Title page

The Penitent Murderer, &c.

The Penitent Murderer, &c.

[Page]

MR William Ivy (the unhappy Subject of this following Diſcourſe) was a Gentleman, deſcended from the Ancient Family of the Ivies in Wiltſhire, his Grandfather Sir George Ivy, his Uncle Sir Thomas Ivy of Masbury in the County of Wilts; and his Father though a younger Brother, yet endowed with a Fortune plentiful enough to afford him liberal Education; But his own promptneſs and readineſs to learn, and his induſtry to improve that Learning, made him ſo little chargeable to his Friends, that after having been but a while at School at Weymouth, he grew capable of himſelf, and attained to an Imployment for his own Maintenance, after which he became Clerk to Mr. Blake (one of the late Surveyor-Generals of his Majeſty's Cuſtoms) with whom he remained till the death of the ſaid Mr. Blake; alwayes behaving himſelf ſo, as to deſerve the reputation of Diligent and Virtuous.

This had been encouragement enough to any indulgent Parent to take a particular care of, and have a peculiar delight in a Child; and his Father made as fair a ſhow of it as any man could do, and ſeem'd induſtriouſly [Page] to labour for his ſettlement, who had taken hitherto ſo good a care of himſelf; he therefore conſidering him now come to the 25th year of his age, determined to marry him, and in that his choice agreed with his Son's, pitching upon and encouraging him to the hopes of gaining Mrs. Elizabeth Rowland, late of the Three-Cups-Inn in Breadſtreet, againſt either whoſe Perſon, Virtue, or Fortune no exceptions were to be made.

'Tis therefore no wonder if the young Gentleman had eaſily directed to her his whole thoughts and inclinations; and 'tis natural to Youth, when once they love, to affect the purſuing their Amours with all the Vigour and Gallantry they can, and any croſs that lights in their way eaſily diſcontents them, and their eagerneſs turns into a kind of Frenzy; and the brain, thus diſtracted, is ready to admit any impreſſion to arrive at its end; and ſo Natures, that were before perfectly pure and good, become the eaſier vitiated, and are hurried on to ſtrange and prodigious Violencies.

Thus this unfortunate young Gentleman, finding ſome Friends falling off from their promiſes made to him in relation to his Marriage with the fore-named Mris. Elizabeth Rowland, began to think himſelf obliged in Honour to find ſome ways to proſecute it, and the ſtudying upon it drove him into Malancholly, and Malancholly increaſed his diſcontent, and then is the Devils time of working, who never omitts the playing upon ſuch Engins.

In this height of diſcontent he comes to Sir Robert Longs (where he had long been acquainted) and, unhappily [Page] for him, finds all the Family out of Town, but only one Young-man called William Pew, and a Maidſervant.

This Young-Man and Maid having before received their inſtructions from a Gentlewoman, Houſe-keeper to Sir Robert, and Countrywoman to Mr. Ivy, treated him with all manner of Civility and Reſpect, and they drank a bottle of Wine together, after which the youngman and Mr. Ivy ſpent ſome time in ſurveying the Furniture of the Houſe, and viewing the Pictures, till hapning into a Room where ſome Guns lay, he took down one and ſhot at a Mark, and then putting the Gun in its place returned to his former divertiſement of ſeeing the Houſe, when coming into Sir Robert Long's Bed-Chamber he pull'd a Piſtol out of his pocket and ſhot the young-man through the Back; who thereupon turning about, cryed out, Mr. Ivy, how could you have ſo much cruelty to ſerve me thus? upon which Mr. Ivy having a Cane in his hand ſtruck him over the Head; on which he fell down and never ſpoke more.

But here may be obſerved with what cunning the Devil works, who could put into the invention of man the taking down a Gun and ſhuting at a Mark, that the noiſe of his Piſtol might not afterwards be ſuſpected.

The Youngman thus made ſure of, he thought himſelf not ſecure whilſt the Maid who was gone to dreſs him ſome Eggs might poſſibly come too ſoon to call him, & therefore dragging the Youngman into the Celler, and there covering him with what he could find, he makes haſte to the Kitchin, with a full reſolution to [Page] have murdered the Maid likewiſe, at which he made many proffers, but was ſtill prevented by that good Angel which protected her; ſo that in a little time came in another Maid, and then his evil Angel draws him off from that to Sir Robert Longs Money-Cheſt, whence he took ſeven hundred-pound baggs, two of which he never carried out of the houſe, the other five he carried into the Garden, four of which he laid within the houſe of office door, the other he carried away with him into London, and there changed it into Gold; the ſame night he came for two more which he likewiſe carried away with him, and the other two he buried under the ſtairs of the Water-gate, which could not be found. The next day he changed the reſt of his money into Gold, and took a reſolution to take his leave of England.

But though he had ſo reſolved in his mind, yet it was not in his power to act it; and all the while he was in Southwark, whither he went with intent to take Poſt for the Sea-ſide, he felt the load of Blood and the villany of his Crime giving him a check, and infuſing into him (as himſelf expreſſed it) theſe kind of thoughts; If I do get beyond Sea, and there live ſome time more in ſins, in the midſt of them all I may be ſerved my ſelf, as I my ſelf have ſerved the young-man; and theſe conſiderations drew him again back to his Lodging, at one Mr. Naſh a Strongwater-man's in Little-Eaſtcheap, where the Officers of Juſtice found and ſeized him, and brought him to (as himſelf with all deſirable penitence confeſſes) his juſt and deſerved puniſhment. His free confeſſion [Page] of the whole matter of Fact, and his admirable Contrition for it before the Bench, immediately pleading guilty, and yielding up himſelf with a reverent ſubmiſſion to that puniſhment he confeſſed he had ſo juſtly deſerved, leaves no room for any more to be ſaid concerning his Tryal.

But here it is to be noted, that he had behaved himſelf alwayes with ſo much Civility and Regularity, that his Landlord thinking it impoſſible he ſhould ever be guilty of ſo heinous a crime as that wherewith he was charged, was ready to offer himſelf to be his Bail.

From all which it may be obſerved, that neither Birth, Wit, Education, Induſtry, nor a habit of well living, can, without the eſpecial Grace of God, free us from the ſnares of Satan; and therefore a much better uſe may be made of theſe fatal Accidents, then the common one of reviling and railing at the lapſes of our Brethren, by a due conſideration had of the neceſſity and Excellency of thoſe two ſhort Petitions of that Prayer taught us by our bleſſed Saviour, Lead us not into Temptation, but deliver us from evil. Amen.

FINIS.

§

[Page]

[Page]

THE Penitent Murderer: OR, An Exact and True RELATION taken from the Mouth of Mr. William Jvy (lately Executed) concerning the Murder by him committed upon the Body of William Pew, Servant to Sir Robert Long in Weſtminſter, upon Monday the 28th of April 1673: With the Reaſons inducing him to that horrid Crime; His Reſolution likewiſe to have killed the Maid; his taking away ſeven hundred-pound Bags, and his manner of diſpoſing them.

AS ALSO, His Tryal, Conviction, and Condemnation; With his Confeſſion of the whole Fact, and his Contrition for the ſame; as it was delivered from his own mouth to a particular Friend, and by him Publiſhed, to prevent all Falſe Reports.

Licenſed May 21. 1673.

LONDON, Printed for Roger Vaughan, in Biſhops-Court in Little Old-Baily, 1673.

[Page]

Information about this book

Title statement

The penitent murderer, or, An exact and true relation taken from the mouth of Mr. William Ivy (lately executed) concerning the murder by him committed upon the body of William Pew, servant to Sir Robert Long in Westminster, upon Monday the 28th of April 1673 with the reasons inducing him to that horrid crime, his resolution likewise to have killed the maid, his taking away seven hundred-pound bags, and his manner of disposing them : as also, his tryal, conviction, and condemnation : with his confession of the whole fact, and his contrition for the same, as it was delivered from his own mouth to a particular friend, and by him published, to prevent all false reports.

Edition statement

1673

Publication

Publisher

Text Creation Partnership,

Place of publication

Ann Arbor, MI ; Oxford (UK) :

Date

2006-06 (EEBO-TCP Phase 1).

ID [DLPS]

A54089

ID [STC]

Wing P1235

ID [STC]

ESTC R22687

ID [EEBO-CITATION]

12743818

ID [OCLC]

ocm 12743818

ID [VID]

93186

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Early English books online.

Notes

(EEBO-TCP ; phase 1, no. A54089)

Transcribed from: (Early English Books Online ; image set 93186)

Images scanned from microfilm: (Early English books, 1641-1700 ; 727:33)

Source

— The penitent murderer, or, An exact and true relation taken from the mouth of Mr. William Ivy (lately executed) concerning the murder by him committed upon the body of William Pew, servant to Sir Robert Long in Westminster, upon Monday the 28th of April 1673 with the reasons inducing him to that horrid crime, his resolution likewise to have killed the maid, his taking away seven hundred-pound bags, and his manner of disposing them : as also, his tryal, conviction, and condemnation : with his confession of the whole fact, and his contrition for the same, as it was delivered from his own mouth to a particular friend, and by him published, to prevent all false reports.,

Extent

7 p.

Printed for Roger Vaughan ...,. London :: 1673.. (Reproduction of original in Huntington Library.)

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