A Warning-piece to all married men and women being the full confession of Mary Hobry the French midwife, who murdered her husband on the 27th of January 1687/8 (as also the cause thereof), for which she receiv'd the sentence to be burnt alive, and on Friday the second day of March between the hours of ten and eleven in the morning she was drawn upon a sledge to Leicester-fields, where she was burnt to ashes.

A Warning-piece to all married men and women being the full confession of Mary Hobry the French midwife, who murdered her husband on the 27th of January 1687/8 (as also the cause thereof), for which she receiv'd the sentence to be burnt alive, and on Friday the second day of March between the hours of ten and eleven in the morning she was drawn upon a sledge to Leicester-fields, where she was burnt to ashes.

Table of contents

A WARNING-PIECE TO All Married Men and Women. Being the Full CONFESSION of MARY HOBRY, The FRENCH Midwife, Who Murdered her Husband on the 27th. of January, 1687/8. (As alſo the Cauſe thereof.) For which ſhe receiv'd Sentence to be Burnt alive: And on Friday the Second Day of March, between the Hours of Ten and Eleven in the Mornings ſhe was drawn upon a Sledge to Leiceſter-Fields, where ſhe was burnt to Aſhes.

§

A WARNING-PIECE TO All Married Men and Women. Being the Full CONFESSION of MARY HOBRY, The FRENCH Midwife, Who Murdered her Husband on the 27th. of January, 1687/8. (As alſo the Cauſe thereof.) For which ſhe receiv'd Sentence to be Burnt alive: And on Friday the Second Day of March, between the Hours of Ten and Eleven in the Mornings ſhe was drawn upon a Sledge to Leiceſter-Fields, where ſhe was burnt to Aſhes.

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ALL you that Married Men and Women be

Give Ear unto this woful Tragedy,

That now befell a French man and his Wife,

Who liv'd together in continual Strife;

One Denis Hobry about Four years ſince

Took to his Wife a Woman Born a French,

Whom he Abus'd at ſuch inhumane rate,

That ſhe a thouſand times wiſh'd him ill Fate,

And thought within herſelf to end the Strife,

If ſhe were forc'd, to take away his Life:

The cauſe that mov'd him to thoſe Tyrannies,

Was her averſion to his Villanies;

At length into a private Room ſhe fled,

Intending never to Embrace his Bed,

Where ſhe remain'd four Months, and then by chance

Her Husband went beyond the Seas to France;

But when return'd, he Courted her again,

Tho firſt he feared it was all in vain.

He ſwore a thouſand times to pleaſe her Mind,

And prove a Husband, faithful, chaſte, and kind.

His Words prevail'd ſo much, that ſhe did yield,

Upon theſe Terms, to give him up the Field,

That he would firſt confeſs before a Prieſt

And two Witneſſes more, as he own'd Chriſt

To be his God, ſhe was his lawful Wife,

And would no more vex her during his Life.

Father Gaſper wrote this every Word,

Who placed it afterwards upon Record.

But ſcarce two days, or three at moſt, were paſt,

When he on her the old Reproaches, caſt.

In two months time he went to France again.

And gave the Woman juſt cauſe to complain;

For, nothing that he could come at or find,

But he brought with him, and left none behind.

When three months paſſed he returned home,

And with diſſembling Words to her did come;

Whom ſhe receiv'd, expecting his good Will,

But ſoon found him to be the ſame Man ſtill.

She often beg'd of him, with weeping eyes,

A Separation, or that otherwiſe

He would be civil; who gave this Reply,

He would her ruine; which caus'd her to cry,

And think to take his Life, or loſe her own,

Which ſhe did often tell him in her moan.

Long ſhe endur'd, at laſt ſhe told her Caſe

To Neighbours that dwelt near about the place,

And ſaid, ſhe fear'd Miſchief would be the end

Of his ill Actions, or he ſoon would mend.

Three months being paſs'd, one time ſhe took a Knife,

With an intent to take away his life:

But God did then bellow on her his grace,

Which made her give her Husband longer ſpace.

So twice ſhe did intend upon her Bed

To ſtab her Husband, and to leave him dead:

And to Himſelf ſhe did declare her mind,

Who dared her in a moſt fooliſh, kind.

Now he was going from her into France,

And ſhe told him, If that it were his chance

E're to come back, and follow the old Rule,

She muſt become unto him ſomething cruel:

Who promis'd her moſt earneſtly, and ſwore

He never would abuſe her as before.

In three weeks after he return'd again

Unto his Wife, who did him entertain;

And ſaid, dear Hobry, welcome thou to me

So that you henceforth a good Husband be.

I will, ſaid he, taking a thouſand Oaths,

If you'll me furniſh preſently with Cloaths.

She anſwered Him, The Times were very dear,

And hardly ſhe her honeſt Debts could clear.

He hearing her, moſt wickedly did curſe,

And ſwear he would to her be ten times worſe

Than e're he was; who then this Anſwer had

From her, That he already made her mad,

For that it was moſt commonly his way

When he did want, to threaten night and day,

If ſhe could not him furniſh, no Excuſe

Could get place with him, but ſtill her abuſe.

One Yard to her did openly declare,

That for her Ruine her Husband did prepare.

Thus they continued in the ſame degree.

To th' Twenty Seventh of laſt January;

When ſhe, about Ten of the Clock at night

Took her Repoſe, bearing no kind of Spight

Or Malice to her Husband, as before,

But open, for his Coming, left the door;

Who came at Five a Clock next Morning home.

And did in Rage and Gholer fret and fome,

And to his Wife, as dead as in a grave

(With Sleep,) a blow upon the Stomach gave,

Which made her ſtart; What, you are drunk (ſaid he,)

If I am not, 'tis like you are, quoth ſhe:

He anſwer'd I with Rogues all night did ſit,

Which made me mad, and you muſt pay for it;

Whereupon he gave her another Blow

Upon the Breaſt, which did renew her Woe:

To weeping ſhe immediately did fall,

And he then took her in his Arms with all

His force, till he did ſtop her Vital Breath,

So that ſhe wiſhed for a ſudden Death:

He forc'd on her ſuch barbarous Violence

In ſpight of what ſhe did in her Defence;

Forcing much Blood from her, ſhe cried out

To her Land-lady, who did not hear the Shout:

Unto the Neighbours I'll (ſaid ſhe) complain;

Wherewith he threw her on the Bed again,

And bit her like a Dog kept in a yard.

Shall this ſaid ſhe, be always my Reward?

Yea, anſwer'd he, be ſure thyſelf to keep

Well, and with that he fell in a dead Sleep;

Which ſhe beholding, and feeling the ſmart

Of his ill uſage to her; in her Heart,

What ſhall I do, (ſaid ſhe) muſt I, now Die?

Or Murther him that makes me, thus to Cry?

With that ſhe ſtarted full of Wrath and Evil,

Being thereto Spurr'd by th' inſtinct of the Devil,

And pull'd his Garter off his Leg in haſt,

Being a Pack-thread, which ſhe thought no waſt,

And doubling it about his Neck ſhe drew

The ends ſo feſt, that ſhe him quickly Slew;

But ſoon Repenting, hop'd he was Alive,

And thought that Brandy would him then Revive:

When all was done, her labour was in Vain,

For Life once loſt, can ne'er be had again.

Till Monday following the Corps was there,

For ſhe could not convey it any where

Untill ſhe brought her Son out of the Strand

Who durſt not ſpeak againſt her [...] Command:

When he beheld the Corps lye at this rate,

He did bemoan his Mothers wretched Fate:

What will you do? you muſt (ſaid he) now Die,

Or out of England you muſt quickly Flie:

She told him Money ſhe had none in hand

That would buy Paſſage to another Land;

My way ſaid ſhe is to Cut off his Head,

His Thighs and Arms, now that he is Dead,

And none can tell what Country man he's then,

Though he were found by the moſt wiſe of Men.

At Four or Five paſt Noon, this Curſed Wife

Cut off her Husband's Head with a ſharp Knife:

His Arms and Thighs came off, his Legs again,

And though his Neck did Bleed, he felt no Pain.

At Eight a Clock this Night through Caſtle-ſtreet

And Drury-lane ſhe went, and none did meet,

Until at Parkers lane to pleaſe her will

She laid the Corps near by a naſty Dung-hill:

She did in Linnen next the Thighs convey

Into a Privy that's in the Savoy,

Where ſhe again the Arms and Legs did caſt,

Nothing remaining but the Head at laſt;

She then adviſed with her Son to know

Where they might cloſely put the Head alſo;

Who ſaid the Water was for it the Place,

But ſhe then fear'd ſome Man might know his Face;

And ſhe at laſt reſolved to this end.

To throw't into the Privy of her Friend,

A Fringe-maker, that lives by the Savoy,

For they do ſtill two Privies there imploy.

The Corps being found, and all the truth well known.

She did her ſelf no word of it diſown;

But did confeſs that no untruth is here,

For God will not let Murtherers go clear.

She is now Burn'd, and beggs of all Mankind

And Women too, Wiſdom by her to find.

With Allowance.

§

LONDON, Printed and Sold by George Croom, at the Blue-Ball in Thames-ſtreet, near Baynard's-Caſtle. 1688.

Information about this book

Title statement

A Warning-piece to all married men and women being the full confession of Mary Hobry the French midwife, who murdered her husband on the 27th of January 1687/8 (as also the cause thereof), for which she receiv'd the sentence to be burnt alive, and on Friday the second day of March between the hours of ten and eleven in the morning she was drawn upon a sledge to Leicester-fields, where she was burnt to ashes.

Edition statement

1688

Publication

Publisher

Text Creation Partnership,

Place of publication

Ann Arbor, MI ; Oxford (UK) :

Date

2009-03 (EEBO-TCP Phase 1).

ID [DLPS]

A67665

ID [STC]

Wing W935

ID [STC]

ESTC R33557

ID [EEBO-CITATION]

13523292

ID [OCLC]

ocm 13523292

ID [VID]

99932

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Early English books online.

Notes

(EEBO-TCP ; phase 1, no. A67665)

Transcribed from: (Early English Books Online ; image set 99932)

Images scanned from microfilm: (Early English books, 1641-1700 ; 1559:10)

Source

— A Warning-piece to all married men and women being the full confession of Mary Hobry the French midwife, who murdered her husband on the 27th of January 1687/8 (as also the cause thereof), for which she receiv'd the sentence to be burnt alive, and on Friday the second day of March between the hours of ten and eleven in the morning she was drawn upon a sledge to Leicester-fields, where she was burnt to ashes.,

Extent

1 broadside.

Printed and sold by George Croom ...,. London :: 1688.. (Illustrated with woodcut.) (Imperfect: stained with loss of print.) (Reproduction of original in the Bodleian Library.)

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