Ann Gardner

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Ann Gardner , of the Parish of St. John Wapping , was Indicted for the Murder of her Female Infant Bastard Child, by throwing of it into a House of office, where 'twas suffocated with Filth, on the 26th of December last . She was a second time Indicted for the Murder of the said Infant, upon the Coroners Inquisition. The Evidence depos'd, that the Prisoner on the 26th of December last, said she was ill with the dry Gripes, her illness continu'd upon her till Sunday Night, at which time it was observ'd, that the Bosom of her Shift was stain'd with Milk, which gave those about her reason to suspect that the Dry Gripes was not the Prisoners Distemper; that the Prisoner being then examin'd, she confess'd that she had been young with Child, but Miscarried, and that she put it in a Tub of foul Cloaths; upon search it was not there; but looking into the House of Office the Child was found, and being drawn up, prov'd to be a Girl, and own'd by the Prisoner, which by the growth of it discover'd that the Prisoner had gone her full time with it. The Prisoner could say little in her Defence, it did not appear that she made any Provision for the Birth of the Child, nor was she heard to cry out, or us'd any endeavour to discover it, as the Statute of King James I in such Cases requires. The Fact being clear, upon the whole the Jury found her Guilty of the Indictment.

Old Bailey Proceedings Online (www.oldbaileyonline.org, version 6.0, 10 October 2011), January 1708, trial of Ann Gardner (t17080115-1).