I restricted the original research to cases in (or close to) the city of York between 1661 and 1700 to give a manageable amount of material for a MA thesis project with the tools I then had available (WordPerfect and index cards!). I was also interested in exploring the period after the Restoration, which had had less attention than the century between the Reformation and Civil War.
Most of the listed causes were located using the paper indexes in the Borthwick that were the only finding aids before the online cataloguing project, and which were not always complete or completely accurate. There are a few additional cases not found in my original research and subsequently added from the online database, which I haven't yet been able to transcribe. (I include them in the list more in hope than expectation that this will actually happen...)
The 'words' column is closely based on the wording as alleged in the original documents (minus some legalistic verbiage!). Occasionally it's written as directly addressing the defendant but most often uses the third person. (This should not in itself be taken as a guide to whether the defamatory words were originally spoken to or about the plaintiff.)
To find cases of interest, you can:
I've attempted to categorise the defamatory words recorded in causes. This tagging is based primarily on the 'words' column as above, but in some cases, witnesses reported significant speech in depositions that was not reflected in the formal libel and I've added tags for these.
A few notes on common tags:
Reference numbers should link to the YCP images:
Reference | Plaintiff | Year | Tags | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
DC.CP.1661/1 | Jane Canbie spinster | more info (d) | 1661 | pox, rogue, whore | nolibel |
DC.CP.1661/2 | Susan wife of Christopher Hartnes | more info (d) | 1661 | pox, whore | |
DC.CP.1662/4 | Susan wife of Christopher Hartnes | more info (d) | 1662 | pox, whore | |
DC.CP.1663/16 | Margaret wife of William Hawkesworth | more info | 1663 | [not tagged] | |
CP.H.2473 | Jane Tyerman widow | more info (d) | 1664 | whore, witch | |
CP.H.2560 | Hester Browne | more info (d) | 1664 | bastardy | sentence |
CP.H.4958 | Robert Hewit | more info (d) | 1664 | rogue, thief, whoremaster | |
CP.H.4965 | Jane Tyreman widow | more info (d) | 1664 | whore, witch | |
DC.CP.1664/6 | Elizabeth wife of Daniel Russell | more info | 1664 | [not tagged] | |
CP.H.2679 | Anne wife of John Brittaine | more info (d) | 1665 | cuckoldry, whore | |
CP.H.2507 | Henry Hunter | more info (d) | 1665/6 | cuckold | |
DC.CP.1666/5 | Dorothy Cooke | more info | 1666 | [not tagged] | |
CP.H.2711 | Francis Field | more info (d) | 1667 | rogue, whoremaster | |
CP.H.2758 | Mary Allenson | more info (d) | 1667 | whore | |
CP.H.2821 | William Woodyeare | more info | 1667 | sonofwhore | sentence,nolibel |
DC.CP.1668/2 | John Baycock esquire | more info | 1668 | pox | |
DC.CP.1668/6 | Priscilla wife of Charles Farnehill | more info | 1668 | bawdyhouse, outsider, whore | |
DC.CP.1669/3 | Thomas Goodrick | more info | 1669 | cuckold | |
DC.CP.1671/12 | Anthony Middleton | more info | 1671 | [not tagged] | |
CP.H.3001 | Margaret wife of Edward Glaves | more info (d) | 1672 | cuckoldry, pox, whore | |
CP.H.3098 | Mary wife of Richard Titchmarsh | more info (d) | 1672 | impudent, pox, whore | |
CP.H.3107 | John Aveyard | more info (d) | 1672 | rogue, sonofwhore | |
CP.H.3109 | Mary wife of Henry Cowper | more info | 1672 | impudent, pox, whore | |
DC.CP.1672/1 | Mountague Gyles | more info | 1672 | rape, rogue, whoremaster | |
DC.CP.1672/2 | Mountague Gyles | more info | 1672 | rape, rogue, whoremaster | |
DC.CP.1672/4 | Catherine wife of Joseph Harrison | more info | 1672 | whore | |
DC.CP.1672/8 | Thomas Pinder | more info (d) | 1672 | whoremaster | |
CP.H.2909 | Elizabeth Ashton | more info (d) | 1673 | impudent, pox, whore | |
CP.H.3145 | Martha wife of Thomas Coates | more info (d) | 1673 | bastardy, impudent, whore | |
CP.H.2923A | Martha wife of Thomas Coates | more info (d) | 1674 | bastardy, impudent, whore | |
CP.H.3170 | Juliana wife of John Foster | more info | 1674 | whore | |
DC.CP.1675/11 | Anne wife of William Straker | more info | 1675 | impudent, whore | |
CP.H.3272 | Anne wife of Henry Way | more info | 1676 | bastardy, whore | |
DC.CP.1676/6 | Jane Peacock spinster | more info | 1676 | impudent, whore | nolibel |
CP.H.3296 | Frances wife of William Turnbull | more info (d) | 1677 | whore | |
CP.H.3300 | Thomas Steele | more info | 1677 | rogue, thief | office |
CP.H.3810 | Frances wife of William Turnbull | more info | 1677 | cuckoldry, whore | |
DC.CP.1677/7 | Elizabeth Pickard | more info (d) | 1677 | whore | |
CP.H.3443 | Maria wife of Philip Brocket | more info (d) | 1678 | impudent, whore | |
DC.CP.1678/5 | Anthony Wright clerk | more info | 1678 | [not tagged] | |
CP.H.3408 | Elizabeth wife of William Stringer | more info | 1679 | bastardy, whore | |
CP.H.3409 | Lucilia wife of Arnold Gooday | more info (d) | 1679 | thief, whore | |
CP.H.3410 | Magdalen wife of Richard Dibbs | more info | 1679 | whore | |
CP.H.3475 | John Mould | more info (d) | 1680 | whoremaster | |
CP.G.3491 | Thomas Scarth | more info | 1681 | [not tagged] | |
CP.H.4979 | Thomas Dalkin | more info (d) | 1681 | bastardy, rogue, whoremaster | sentence |
CP.H.4056 | Robert Hillary | more info | 1682 | cheat, rogue | office |
CP.H.4076 | Catherine wife of William Marston | more info (d) | 1682 | thief, whore | |
CP.H.4988 | Anne Mitchell | more info (d) | 1682 | bastardy, impudent, whore | sentence |
CP.H.3555 | Anne wife of Robert Ramscarr | more info | 1683 | bastardy | |
DC.CP.1683/5 | Mary wife of John Wild clerk | more info | 1683 | [not tagged] | office |
CP.H.3644 | Mary wife of James Edwardes | more info (d) | 1685 | thief, whore | |
CP.H.3646 | Alice Wood | more info (d) | 1685 | thief, whore | sentence |
CP.H.3649 | Alice Wood | more info (d) | 1685 | thief, whore | office,sentence |
CP.H.3654 | Richard Milburne | more info (d) | 1685 | rogue, thief | office |
CP.H.5008 | Mary wife of Thomas Spragg | more info (d) | 1685 | impudent, whore | |
DC.CP.1685/1 | Hester Beeforth | more info (d) | 1685 | whore | |
DC.CP.1685/3 | Jane wife of Edward Crofts | more info | 1685 | whore | |
DC.CP.1685/4 | Richard Dennis jr | more info | 1685 | rogue, whoremaster | |
DC.CP.1685/10 | Edward Wilberforce | more info | 1685 | [not tagged] | |
CP.H.5008A | Mary wife of Thomas Spragg | more info (d) | 1685 | whore | |
CP.H.3668 | Jeremy Welfitt | more info (d) | 1686 | cheat, rogue | office,sentence |
CP.H.3692 | Elizabeth wife of John Ballard | more info (d) | 1686 | outsider, pox, whore | sentence |
CP.H.4109 | Margaret wife of William Hawkesworth | more info (d) | 1686 | [not tagged] | |
CP.H.4020 | Mary wife of Thomas Newstead | more info (d) | 1687 | bastardy, pox, whore | |
DC.CP.1687/1 | Christabella Bethell | more info | 1687 | [not tagged] | |
DC.CP.1688/9 | Margaret wife of John Moore | more info (d) | 1688 | whore | sentence |
CP.H.3802 | Sara Bigg | more info (d) | 1689 | bawdyhouse, whore | |
DC.CP.1689/2 | Joan Daile spinster | more info | 1689 | whore | |
CP.H.4230 | Jane Pickering | more info (d) | 1690 | whore | |
DC.CP.1690/1 | Mark Gill | more info | 1690 | rogue | |
DC.CP.1690/5 | Christopher Welburne | more info (d) | 1690 | rogue | nolibel |
CP.H.4258 | Henry Thorpe | more info (d) | 1691 | rogue | office |
CP.H.4267 | Seth Potter | more info (d) | 1691 | rogue, sonofwhore | |
CP.H.4271 | Mary Sugden | more info (d) | 1691 | impudent, whore | |
DC.CP.1691/2 | Hannah wife of George Earby | more info | 1691 | [not tagged] | |
DC.CP.1691/5 | Valentine Nicholson clerk | more info | 1691 | cheat, rogue | office |
DC.CP.1691/6 | Seth Potter | more info | 1691 | rogue, sonofwhore, whoremaster | office |
DC.CP.1691/8 | Robert Rowsby gent | more info | 1691 | [not tagged] | |
DC.CP.1691/10 | Elizabeth wife of Francis Thompson | more info | 1691 | [not tagged] | |
CP.H.4293 | Elizabeth wife of Thomas Wrightson | more info | 1692 | whore | |
CP.H.4301 | Isabel wife of Thomas Thompson | more info (d) | 1692 | cuckoldry, thief, whore | |
CP.H.4302 | George Thwing | more info (d) | 1692 | rogue | office |
CP.H.4316 | Anne wife of William Marden | more info | 1692 | bastardy, whore | |
DC.CP.1692/1 | William Chapman | more info | 1692 | [not tagged] | |
DC.CP.1692/9 | Margaret Pape widow | more info | 1692 | outsider, whore | |
CP.H.4320 | William Anderson | more info (d) | 1693 | outsider, rogue, thief | office |
CP.H.4321 | James Howgill | more info (d) | 1693 | cheat, rogue | office |
CP.H.4325 | Jane Morrett | more info (d) | 1693 | impudent, pox, whore | |
CP.H.4326 | Frances wife of John Eyre | more info | 1693 | bestiality, whore | office |
DC.CP.1693/2 | James Howgill | more info | 1693 | cheat, rogue | |
CP.H.4379 | Walsingham Cooke | more info (d) | 1695 | cheat, rogue, whoremaster | |
DC.CP.1695/5 | Richard Pickard | more info | 1695 | [not tagged] | |
CP.H.4451 | Anthony Harland junr | more info (d) | 1696 | pox, rogue, whoremaster | |
CP.H.4456 | Mary Grayson | more info (d) | 1696 | pox, whore | |
CP.H.4469 | Jane Tocket als Young | more info | 1696 | [not tagged] | |
CP.H.4471A | Christian Needham | more info (d) | 1696 | whore | |
CP.H.4548 | Mary Grayson | more info (d) | 1696 | pox, whore | |
DC.CP.1696/1 | Grace wife of Thomas Watson | more info | 1696 | bastardy | office |
CP.H.4489 | Margaret Pape widow | more info (d) | 1697 | outsider, pox, whore | |
DC.CP.1697/2 | Leonard Fifield | more info | 1697 | [not tagged] | |
DC.CP.1697/3 | Elizabeth Hood | more info | 1697 | bastardy, whore | |
CP.H.4534 | Thomas Hewitson | more info | 1699 | rogue, whoremaster | office |
CP.H.4534A | Thomas Daniel | more info | 1699 | rogue, whoremaster | |
CP.H.4557 | Emma Smith widow | more info | 1699 | whore | |
DC.CP.1700/1 | Joseph Bawtry | more info | 1700 | [not tagged] | |
DC.CP.1700/2 | Dorcas Cussons | more info | 1700 | [not tagged] |