Reference: CP.H.2507
Year: 1665/6
Plaintiff: male
Defendant: male
Defamatory words:
thou fathers a barne wch another man gott; he is a Cuckold
Tagged: cuckold
NB: these transcriptions are a work in progress and are provided without any guarantees of accuracy; checking the original documents wherever possible (via the reference links above) is recommended.
Common abbreviations:
... that he this exte~ hath well knowne ... Henry Hunter for twenty yeares last past & more during which time he hath been & still is a very honest man of good fame & life and conversacon~.... hath beene & still is comonly~ accompted reputed & taken to be within the citty of York...& for about twelve monethes last past hath beene a marryed man...
...that... Henry Hunter in the moneth of May last past or thereabouts... did take to wife ... Anne Holme in the face? of the Church & that ever since the said marriage he this exte hath well knowne... Anne Holme als Hunter during which time she hath civilly & honestly demeaned herselfe ...hath beene & still is comonly~ accompted reputed & taken to be an honest woman of good behavior life and conversacon~....
...that upon St Lukes day last past he this exte together with... Henry Hunter & James Younge James ?mond & George ffawcett being in the house of... George ffawcett ... situate in ffossgate? within the Citty of Yorke drinking a Cup of ale... James Younge tooke occation to speake to and of ... Henry Hunter & amongst other words told... Hunter that he fathered a barne which another man gott whereupon this exte reproved him for soe saying and asked him the reason why he spoke such words and ... James Younge thereupon said he (meaning the ante~ Henry Hunter) is a Cuckold & Ile pve him one which words were spoken & uttered in the pnce of ... Henry, James [?] & ... George ffawcett... this exte conceives that ... Younge by speaking the words deposed meant that the ante~ Anne Hunter was a dishonest woman of her body & had comitted the crime of Adultery or incontinency with some man who had begotten a child of her body wch she caused... Henry to father & thereby made him a Cuckold...
...[since then Young has confessed th he spoke the words...]
...[Young has lived in the city of York for the last 16 years]
...[this witness is uncle to Henry Hunter]
[autograph sig]
...[has known Henry Hunter for 15 yrs, honest, good fame, married for the last 12 months]
...[did not know Anne Holme]
...upon St Lukes day last past to the best of this extes~ now remembrance the arte~ Henry Huneter James Younge & John Hunter & another man whose name this exte~ knowes not being in company together in this extes~ house situate in ffoosgate in the citty of Yorke drinking a cupp of ale the arte~ James Younge tooke then & there occation to speake to & of the arte~ Henry Hunter & amongst others spoke these very words following thou (speaking to the arte~ Hunter & pointing to him with his finger) fatherest a barne which another man gott & being reproved by this exte~ & his ?precontest John Hunter why he spoke such words he ye arte~ James Younge replyed I know what I speake he (meaning ye arte~ Hunter is a Cuckold intimating thereby as this exte~ conceived that the arte~ Anne wife of the said Henry was a dishonest woman of her body & had comitted~ the Crime of Adultery or incontinency with some man who had begotten a child of her body which she caused her husband to father & thereby made him a Cuckold.... the words deposed were spoken in the presence of this exte his ?precontest John Hunt ye arte~ Henry Hunter & a strainger then & there present...
... by reason of the speaking of the words predeposed the good name & fame of the arte~ Henry Hunter is in this extes~ iudgment hurt & impaired...
...[James Younge has lived in the city for the last 6 months or thereabouts]