A Full and True ACCOUNT OF A MOST Barbarous and Bloody MURTHER, COMMITTED

By Eſther Ives, with the Aſſiſtance of John Noyſe a Cooper; on the Body of William Ives, her Husband, at Rum­ſey in Hampſhire, on the Fifth day of February, 1686.

MAny and Notorious have been the Murthers of late committed by divers Wicked People, and in ſundry manners: But I think none in the Horridneſs of the Action can exceed, if paral­lel, what I am about to relate; and for which, as you will plainly find, the Hand of Juſtice overtook the Murtherers and brought them to their deſerved Puniſhment. The Relation of which, take as followeth.

In Weſt-Weller, a place in the County of Hants or Hampſhire about two miles from the Town of Rumſey, Lived one John Noyſe, by Trade a Cooper, but a Perſon of ill Fame, and a very deſolute Liver. This Man keeping Company, in a more familiar manner, than was conveni­ent, with the Wife of one William Ives, who kept a Victualling-Houſe in Rumſey, known by the ſign of the Hatchet. On the fifth day of February laſt, h•ſtayed there drinking till about one or two of the clock in the morning, at what time, as it afterward appeared, Ives's Wife and Noyſe having conſpired againſt Ives, Murthered him by ſtrangling or breaking his Neck, to make a freer way for their unlawful Luſt; Or as it is conjectured, be­ing rid of h•m, they might Marry. However Ives his Children, who were in the Houſe, having notice that their Father was dead, which their Mother had poſſeſſed them happened naturally or ſuddenly, they fell into loud La­mentations; which the Town Bell-man, being then upon his Rounds, hearing, and much deſirous to know the cauſe of the Childrens cryes at ſo unſeaſonable a time, came under the Window of Ives's Houſe and calling to them, demanded the reaſon? who, with mournful voices, told him their Father was dead. At which, the Bell-man being ſomewhat ſurpriſed, for that a little before, he h•d heard Ives in a kind of a diſorderly or confuſed Tone, cry out or ſay; What doſt thou do to me, Noyſe? went and ac­quainted the Conſtable of the Watch therewith: who ta­king along with him a Guard, came to the Houſe of the ſaid Ives; and upon their coming thither, found that the Wife had been abroad to light a Candle; and likewiſe at a Houſe, known by the Sign of the Black Boy; and there5 had called up the Woman, to have of her Some Strong-water; under pretence that her Husband was very much indiſpoſed: but upon their entering the Houſe of Ives, and going up ſtairs; they found Noyſe and Eſther Ives the Wife, very buſie about Ives, who was indeed dead, in dreſſing him: viz. putting on his Breeches, Stockings, Shoes, and other wearing Apparel; having newly as was ſuppoſed, taken him out of his Bed, it being then warm. The Deſign of which, as many imagined, and they in part confeſſed was, that being ſo cloathed; they would have tumbled him down Stairs, that ſo the Bruiſes ther by occaſi­oned might colour the Pretence they intended to make: that he accidently and unfortunately fell down them, and ſo conſequentl•had loſt his Life. But they being known to be People of bad Converſations, the Conſtable would not be ſo ſatisfied; but with the Light he then had, proceeded to make a narrower Inſpection into the unhappy Buſineſs: Cauſing the Dead Body to be diligently ſearched, ſecuring at the ſame time Noyſe and Eſther Ives, as ſuſpecting the matter to be otherwiſe than they pretended; whoſe pre­tence then was, that he dyed ſuddenly of ſome extraordi­nary Diſtemper, at which they could not gueſs. But upon a narrow ſearch of the Body, much violence ap­peared to be done to the Neck of the Party deceaſed, ei­ther by ſtrangling or twiſting; inſomuch that the Blood had iſſued from him in abundance, and ſtained the the Pillow whereon his head had lain; as alſo upon his Shirt: And it further appeared, that through the vehemen­cy of his Strugling and Contending for Life, his Water had come from him, with which not only his Shirt, but part of the Bed was wet.

Theſe plain ſigns and palpable demonſtrations of a Murther, made the Conſtable, and thoſe that were his Attendance, make a narrower ſearch upon the Criminals; and thereupon found much Blood upon Eſther Ives, ſuppoſed and verily con­jectured to proceed from her Husband; either when ſhe was Aſſiſtant to Noyſe, in perpetrating the wicked and unnatural Murther; or when ſhe went about to remove him. However that night they were both ſecured, and the next day carried before a Juſtice; who, upon examining the Buſi­neſs, and by the two Chyrurgeons that viewed the Body, finding it Murther, according to the Circum­ſtances as before-mentioned; & they having nothing material to offer in their own defence, committed them to Rumſey Gaol, where they continued in order to their Tryals, till the Judges came in their Circuit to Wincheſter in the County aforeſaid; to hold there the Lenten Aſſize: at what time, being brought from Rumſey to Wincheſter, in order to take their Tryals, the Coroners Inqueſt having before found it wilful Murther.

The Aſſize•aforeſaid, being held on the 24th. day of February laſt, they were brought to their Tryals: where Noyſe, after the Evidence was7 given againſt him, as to the Circumſtances of the Murther, pleaded in his own defence; That being in Ives's his Houſe, a Quarel happened between the ſaid Ives and his Wife, and that all that he did on that occaſion, was only to interpoſe, that he might do the good Office of part­ing them: but Eſther Ives, did in Court declare that Noyſe was the Perſon who Murther'd her Husband. Upon which, and the other Circumſtances, the Ju­ry after ſome conſideration of the Matter of Fact; gave in their Verdict, That John Noyſe and Eſther Ives, were guilty of the wilful Murther whereof they ſtood Indicted. So that in the cloſe of the Aſſize, they accordingly received Sentence of Death, Viz. the former to be Hang'd and the latter to be Burnt; and ſo returned to Priſon, in order to be Executed according to the ſaid Sentences.

The 11th. day of March, the day appoin­ted for their Execution being come, they were by the Sheriffs Officers taken our of Wincheſter Gaol: where for ſome days they had remained, to bewail their Wicked and Barbarous Act; and being placed upon one Horſe, were in that manner conveyed to Rumſey, the place ordered for their Execution; Where John Noyſe8 turning to the Spectators, who came to ſee him Executed, deſired them, eſpecially the younger ſort, above all things, not to prophane the Sabbath-day, but to keep it with all Reverence and due Regard; as likewiſe, to refrain from Drunkenneſs, which occaſions ſo many evils and miſchiefs in the world. He confeſſed he had long kept company with Eſther Ives, in a laſcivious and unlawful Manner. After this and ſome other Expreſſions, he went up the Ladder, and vvhen the Rope vvas made faſt, tur­ned himſelf off; and about half an hour after, vvas cut down, in order to his Interment or Burial.

Eſther Ives being brought to the Stake, ſaid very little; but being faſtened thereto, and the Fewel placed about her; after the Executioner had ſtrang­led her, the Fire was kindled, and ſhe conſumed to Aſhes. And thus, Reader, the miſerable Wretches came to a ſhameful, though a deſerved end; which I hope may be a Warning to deter others from com­mitting the like Crime.