Reference: CP.H.3802
Year: 1689
Plaintiff: female
Defendant: male
Defamatory words:
she was a whore and a common whore, and that she had playd the whore in Benjamin Mangyes house and made a bawdy house of the same for halfe a year together
Tagged: bawdyhouse, whore
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:
... upon the 16th day of September last one Mr Smith and some other company were drinking a glass of ale at this rondetns house scituate within the parish of St Ellens in Stonegate arte and the said Benjamin Mangye (comeing into the roome) asked the said Mr Smith if he could remember that one Lambert had taken some silver of or out of the said Benjamin Mangyes shopp counter to which the said Mr Smith replyed that he knew nothing of the matter and told him he wondered that he would offer such a thing to him or to that purpose, whereupon the said Benjamin Mangye grew very passionate & told the said Mr Smith that he had made a bawdy house of his the said Benjamin Mangyes house with Mr Bigg's daughter for halfe a yeare together and soon after he againe repeated the said words or words to that effect and also said that itt was with Sarah Bigg (meaning the plaintiffe in this suite) and that they (vizt the sd Mrs Bigg and Mr Smith) had been together in the said Benjamin Mangyes chamber for two or three houres together att a time, and had bolted locked or fastned the doore and that he the said Benj. Mangye and his wife had severall times watched att the doore and that they (vizt the sd Mrs Sara Biggs and Mr Smith had spoyld the sheets of the sd Benj Mangyes bed all which he the sd Benjamin Mangye with severall other most scandalous obscene & diffamatory words he the sd Benjamin Mangye spoke and repeated severall times there being there this deponent and her maide Elizabeth Heslop, Mr Matthew Wilkinson, Mr Richd Rawles, Mr Etty and the sd Mr Smith...
.. the good name and reputacon of the arte Mrs Sara Biggs is (as this exte beleifes) very much injured and diminished for that there has been a publiz report spread abroad concerning the premissed and for that the same has been publizly talked of and discoursed by many people... [autograph]
... about six weeks agoe... one Mr Smith was drinking with some company in the house of William Mountaine (this depts master) scituate within the pish of St Ellen in Stonegate att which time the said Benjamin Mangye came into the company and after some discourse the effect whereof this deponent (being but a servant and being obleiged to goe about her bisinesse in the house) did not particularly observe, but hse saies that she observed the said Mr Smith hastily to rise from his seat and tell the said Benjamin Mangye that he wondered he should desire him to be a witnesse in a thing he knew nothing of whereupon the said Benjamin Mangye abused the said Mr Smith and said that he and Mr Biggs daughter... had made a bawdy house of the said Benj. Mangyes house severall times for halfe a yeare together and that they had been bolted or locked in the said Benjamin Mangyes chamber for two or three houres att a time, and yt he the said Ben. Mangye and his wife had severall times watched at the doore & would justifye the same and he added further that they (vizt Mrs Biggs... and the said Mr Smith, had spoyled the said Ben. Mangyes sheets, or words to this effecte these, and other most scandalous and diffamatory words the sd Ben. Mangye spoke and repeated severall times over in the presence of Mr Etty, Mr Wilkinson, Mr Rawles, Mrs Mountaine... and the sd Mr Smith...
... this exte beleives the arte Mrs Sarah Biggs reputacon~ is much injured and impaired for that there has been a comon towne? talke and a publiz rumore spread abroad concerning the premisses ... [mark]
...that upon the 16th of September last he this examte was drinking a glass of ale with some company att the house of one Mrs Mountaine scituate in the pish of st Ellen's in Stonegate arte and the said Benjamin Mangye came into the company and speaking to one Mr Smith who was then in company, he told the said Mr Smith that he was a rogue and gave him very abusive language and further said that the said Mr Smith had made a bawdy house of the said Benjamin Mangyes house with Bigg's his daughter... for halfe a yeare together And that they vizt the sd Mr Smith and the arte Mrs Biggs had been private together in the sd Benj. Mangyes chamber or roome for two or three houres att a time for the continuance of halfe a yeare, the doores of the said roome being bolted locked or fastned, and that he the said Benj Mangye had severalll times watched att the doore and that they had polluted, stained or spoyled the sheets or linens of the sd Ben. Mangyes bed These words or words to very same effect the said Ben. Mangye spoke and repeated in the presence of ... [names as above]... this exte further saith that he now remembreth that he this depot. proferd the said Benj. Mangye (because he had heard the sd Benjamin Mangye say that his house was a bawdy house) and threw done a 5s. piece of silver upon the table which this dept told the said Ben. Mangye he should have in case he could or would procure a whore, and the sd Ben. Mangye replyed that he would bring the ame woman...
... [verily believes that Sarah Bigg's good name is damaged etc by the words] there is and has been a comon~ talke and report spred abroad touching this matter and much discourse has happened thereupon..
... on or abt the 16th of September last this dept was drinking a glass of ale with some company at one Mountaines in St Ellens pish arte and the sd Benjamin Mangye came into the roome and told one Mr Smith who was then in company that he the sd Mr Smith had made a bawdy house of the sd Benjamin Mangyes house with Bigg's daughter for halfe a yeare together... [etc, as above]
... [damage to Sarah's good name, 'publiq talke' etc]