JOHN CƲPPER was born at Snitton, in the Parish of Bitterley, and a short time educated at the School of Bitterley; not making any proficiency in Learning, his Father Thomas Cupper, removed him from thence to Ludlow, to a Writing-School: Where after he had spent some time, his Father put him out to several Services; but not behaving himself well in some of them, he returned to his Fathers house; and afterwards Marryed Han­nah the Daughter of John Wheeler, Rector of Wafers Hopton, about three Miles distant from Bitterley, against the consent of her Father and all her Relations. Not long after they were Married, though her Fortune was beyond his Merit: Continual Jars and Quarrels happened betwixt them, in so much, that their Neighbours were in daily fear, lest some mischief should at­tend their ungodly way of living.

[Page 4] At last, he with his Servant Judith Brown, a notorious Strumpet, contriv'd the Death of this miserable and unfortunate Woman. They both long debated, how they should accomplish their wicked design, and after several consults, they con­cluded the securest way to effect it, was by Poyson.

This they attempted for the space of a Month together: and what they thus basely and wicked­ly design'd, at last they brought to pass.

Her Death being sudden, her Neighbours came and told me that they were afraid, that John Cup­per had made away with his Wife: I told them, that if they did suspect it, (as indeed there was just cause, by the words they had given out) that they ought to go to the next Justice of Peace, for his Warrant to apprehend both Cupper and his Servant Brown; and after Apprehension, to send for the Coroner; who summoned a Jury at Bitterly upon Ascension day last, and caus'd the Body of the Mur­thered Person to be taken up again, being Buried the Lord's day before. After the Body was viewed, and Cupper and his Servant brought to touch the Corps, the Coroner causeth them to be separated, and examined them asunder very strictly; and I must needs say, with much Prudence and Caution.

But they had so combin'd together, that for some hours they stifly denied the Guilt charged against them, and their Tales were but little differing one from the other.

[Page 5] At last his Servant being removed, whilst Cupper was under a second or third examination, A Far­mer of the Parish, with the Maids Sister, goes to her, and told her if she would confess truly, she might be in some hopes of being sav'd; if not, they were both like to suffer together; the Witnesses that were examined, having Sworn so materially against them.

Judith Brown listening to this, confess'd present­ly that her Master and she had poyson'd her Mi­stress, the Farmer and some others acquainted the Coroner privately with it; upon that he was re­moved, and she brought under Examination again, and confessed the Fact before the Jury and several other By-standers, and set her hand to the Confes­sion. She being again removed, Cupper was called in, and when he perceived that his Servant had declared it, he likewise confessed it, and set his Hand to his Confession. Upon this they were both the same Night sent towards Shrewsbury Gaol, and the next day were secured there.

During the time of their Imprisonment, I went with two of his Neighbours to visit him, where we found him seemingly not much concern'd; and after some little time of Discourse with him, and lamenting the miserable state and condition, that he had brought himself into, I desired the Jaylor and my Neighbours to withdraw; and discourst him an hour at least by my self. He then utterly [Page 6] denied what he had set his Hand unto before, and pleaded, with Tears in his Eyes, his own Inno­cency; and did not doubt, but at his Tryal he should clear himself, and that he was there in Chains by the malice of his next Neighbours. I told him that whatever he did propose to himself, he would certainly die for this offence, and that poysoning of his Wife was so horrid and dismal a Crime, that he could have no hopes of Pardon; and therefore perswaded him what I could to be­take himself to his Prayers and tears day and night, to secure, if possible the Salvation of his Soul. When I had said what I could to him, I desired the Jaylor that his Servant might have the Liberty to come to me; he granted it presently, and when she came, she pleaded her own innocency likewise, and though she had put her Hand to her Confession before, yet vow'd she was not Guilty: But I as­sur'd her, as a little before I had her Master, that they would both die for that black and fearful Crime; and desired and intreated them both, that they would prepare for their Latter End; that their times were but short in this World; and that in a wretched and shameful manner they would be cut off: And then I took my leave of them, com­mending them to the mercy of Almighty God, with my earnest Prayers and Supplications for them.

After I had left them both in tears, they having the conveniency it seems, through the favour of the Under-Jaylor, (as some of the People in the [Page 7] Town informed me) of coming frequently toge­ther, He perswaded his Servant to take the whole upon her, and that if he was acquitted, he would get a Pardon for her.

His Servant (as I was acquainted by some of my Parishioners that heard the Tryal) when she was brought to the Bar before the Honourable Sir Tho­mas Street, one of His Majesties Judges of As­size for the Oxford Circuit, being ask't whether she was Guilty or not, she then pleaded her own Guilt, and her Masters Innocency; her Master continu'd obstinately denying the Fact; and that he was not in the least Guilty; but the Jury going out upon him, brought him in equally guilty of that Crime, which his Servant had took upon her self, and after that, the day following, Sentence past upon them both: Cupper to be Hang'd in Chains in the Old Field near Ludlow; and Judith Brown to be burnt for poysoning her Mistress.

When she saw her self under the Sentence of Condemnation, she pleaded her Belly; and was respited till her Delivery, and when she was deli­vered of a Man Child, which she Father'd upon one Nott, her Execution was deferred for a Month or longer. But Cupper was brought to be Execu­ted in the Old Field near Ludlow, the twenty fourth day of July. I met him on the way at Roger Bur­ton's House in Onybury, where the Officers staid a­bout two hours with him. And after Prayers with this poor condemned Malefactor, I then privately [Page 8] put him upon that which before he had denyed in Prison, viz. The Poysoning of his Wife, he then confessed it presently, and withal told me, That Judith Brown and he had attempted it several times after his Wife had lain in her Month, and finding that through the strength of her Body, she had workt off small Potions infused sometimes in Milk, and sometimes in Beer, at last they were resolved to give her a greater quantity of White Arsenick in Milk. After she had eaten the Milk, a violent Vomiting and Purging seiz'd her, and being very thirsty, called for Water to drink; they thinking her then in a fair way to have their ends, bring her water with more Arsenick infused in it; and after the drinking of it, being violently torn in her Sto­mach, a Neighbour coming in accidentally to see her, Cupper's Wife told her they had given her her last, and she not long after dy'd.

After he had thus confest his Guilt towards his Wife, I ask't him about the death of his two Chil­dren; it being reported that he had murthered them; this he denyed, and told me he had never any thoughts of ill towards them; and that the Accident of scalding Pitch falling upon one of them, hastened its end which had troubled him very much; and that the other dyed of a Natural Death, which his Neighbours could not but be well satisfied about.

Then I enquired of him whether he had been Guilty of stealing Sheep upon the Clee-hill, or not, [Page 9] having been long suspected: He answered, That he was Innocent; and wisht he had been as Guilt­less towards his Wife, that then he had never come to so shameful an end, as he was presently like to do in the view of all his Neighbours and Acquain­tance. I desir'd him to tell me truly whether he know of any about the Hill, that were Sheep­stealers, and advised him to have a care that he did not die with a Lie in his mouth, or any thing that then might burthen his Conscience. He told me he would have a care of that; and said he knew of none; only there was a common Report in the Neighbourhood, that there was a Person in the Township of Snitton given that way, but he knew nothing of it.

What relates to the Scotchman that was mur­thered some years since on the Clee, of which he was suspected, I know nothing of, I my self be­ing but lately setled in the Parish; and no man in his Wits can think that I could charge him with that I never heard of till since the Execution of the Criminal, nor did he mention the least title of it to me.

All he further confest to me, was, that he had had Carnal knowledge of his Servant Judith twice the Month before his Wife was brought to Bed, and though she was with Child, yet she was not so by him, but by another that was conversant with her before.

[Page 10] And now in Contemplation of approaching Death and Judgment, with tears at the Gibbet he bewails this wicked Act of poysoning his Wife, and all other sins that he was guilty of, and with a heart swell'd with the dreadful thoughts of his sad Condition, repeats that excellent Prayer for Condemned Malefactors, written by Dr. Patrick in his Devout Christian.

When he had ended that Prayer, after a Psalm, I joyned with him in another, and then rising up, the Chains were presently fastened to his Body, then in another short Prayer he desired that God would ease his disturbed mind, his wounded and dejected Soul, heartily praying that God would ease his broken heart, hoping in his Goodness, that now crying and bewailing his sins, God would hear him; and then going up the Ladder about the middle, he turn'd to the People, acknow­ledged his faults, for which he suffered, and begg'd of them to pray for him, that his Soul might be saved, and begg'd Young and Old to take warn­ing by him, and was Turn'd off.

The one and twentieth of August, Judith Brown was Burnt at Shrewsbury, where she confest (as appears by Captain Reignolds Paper sent me) she consented with her Master to poyson her Mistress, and her Master was the cause of bringing her to that unhappy end; desiring that all would take Example by her just and shameful death, and was so consum'd to Ashes in a dreadful Bed of Flames.

[Page 11] Thus both underwent the due punishment of their hainous Crimes contriv'd and executed upon a poor and an unhappy Wretch, a Wife to the one, and a Mistress to the other.

Let me desire every one to examine himself to the bottom, touching all crying sins, particularly touching Cruelty. God himself is rigorous in the scrutiny he makes in any bloody Crimes: As if he would upon occasion take the Coroners Inquest in­to his own hand, he himself maketh inquisition for Blood.

These two Wretches that were justly Executed, had time enough after the Fact to have fled from the rigour of the Law, having the opportunity of four or five days to make their Escape; but sur­priz'd with the Villanousness of the Action, and their Consciences being harrast with the sense of Guilt, they could not flee, but Justice necessarily took hold upon them.

It hath past into a Proverb long since, That Mur­der will out, and the History of all Ages affords us wonderful Discoveries of it. Wherefore we ought to take warning, and not to suffer any revengeful Inclinations to harbour in our minds, no Cruelty to Neighbours, no bloody Practices against Parents or Relations: If we give way to these things, our hearts becoming hardened through the deceitful­ness of sin, no wonder if the blackest Crimes do [Page 12] follow, and one wickedness slily draw on another. These despicable Wretches neglected instruction, hated to be reform'd, lived in all manner of Licen­tiousness, Prophaned the Sabbath, slighted Ordi­nances. The Master often engaged in Quarrels, both at home and abroad, would not be perswaded, but still persisted in wickedness, and we have seen the End, a sad and a shameful End; a way of Dy­ing abhorr'd by Good men, and the Wicked may tremble at it, and learn to amend their Lives, to be­come better Christians than they have been for­merly; which God of His Infinite Mercy grant, through Jesus Christ our Lord.