Judith Defour Case, 1734

Judith Defour , was indicted for the Murder of Mary Defour, otherwise Cullinder, by choaking and strangling her with a Piece of Linen , Jan. 29 .

She was a second Time indicted on the Coroner's Inquisition for the said Murder.

John Wolveridge . I live in the Fields leading to Bethnal-green . About a Month ago, I heard an Outcry that a Child was murder'd in the Field. I went to the Place, and found a Child dead; it appear 'd to be upwards of two Years old. I found a black Circle about the Neck, and a Mark like the Print of a Thumb, under the right Ear. Some Gentlemen told me, they had seen three Women coming from the Place where the Child lay; and I afterwards found, that one of these three were the Prisoner, who was the Mother of the Child. I ask'd her, how she could be so barbarous as to murder her own Infant? She said she had only stripp'd it about 7 at Night, and laid it naked in the Ditch; and this was all that I could get out of her for a pretty while; but at last, in a violent Agony of Grief, she said, Then, Sir, I will tell you how I did it; but there was a Vagabond Creature, one Sukey, that persuaded me to it; and was equally concern'd with me. On Sunday Night we took the Child into the Fields, and stripp'd it, and ty'd a Linen Handkerchief hard about its Neck to keep it from crying, and then laid it in a Ditch. And after that, we went together, and sold the Coat and Stay for a Shilling, and the Petticoat and Stockings for a Groat. We parted the Money, and join'd for a Quartern of Gin. The Prisoner made the like Confession before Justice Chamberlain, insisting upon it, that the other Creature Sukey was equally guilty.

Elizabeth Scot . The Prisoner worked with me (at a Throwster's) she came to work at half an Hour past Seven, the Night the Murder was done, and work'd 'till Morning - She said, she had done something that deserved New gate, and at last, told us, she had left her Child in the Field all Night -

We went to the Place, found the Child dead, and then went to the Church-wardens.

Susan Jones . When she came to work, over Night, we ask'd her if she had carry'd her Child back to the Work house (for the Child was kept in the Parish Work-house, and she had got Leave to take it out for 2 or 3 Hours) she told me, she had not, but her Mother had. She worked 'till One in the Morning, and then had a Dram, and would have had another, but I would not let her. Thn she desir'd a Penny to buy a Roll and Cheese. I gave her a Penny; but instead of fetching a Roll and Cheese, she brought in a Roll and a h'p'orth of Gin - Then she said, she had done something that deserved Newgate. I told her I hoped she had not wrong' my Mistress, but if she had, her best way would be to make a plain Confession, and then I believe my Mistress, would be the more favourable to her. She said it was no such thing as that; but she had left her Child all Night in the Field. What? says I, in such a dismal cold Night! How can you be so cruel ? She said she had not done it, but one Sukey persuaded her to it. So I bid Elizabeth Scot take a piece of Bread and Butter, and go with me and the Prisoner to fetch the Child, for the Prisoner had not told me the Child was dead, and I thought it would be a hungry as well as Cold. But when we came to the Place, we found the Child stript and lying dead in a Ditch, with a Linnen-rag tied hard about its poor Neck.

Jane Prig . The Prisoner came on Sunday to take the Child out, but I would not let her, without an Order from the Church-Wardens; so she went away, and came again in half an Hour, and brought a Note, as from the Church-Warden, and upon that I let her have the Child out; but I afterwards found that the Church-Warden had given no such Note - The Child had been New-clothed but the Thursday before.

Job London , Surgeon. About the Fore-part of the Child's Neck, I observed part of a black Circle, like that in executed Persons, and I believe the Violence it was done with, was the Cause of her Death.

Then the Prisoner's Confession, before the Justice, being proved, was read in Court.

Middlesex}, to wit. The Examination and Confession of Judith Defour, taken this 30th Day of January 1733, before me one of his Majesty's Justices of the Peace for the said County.

'THIS Examinant confesseth, that about ' two Years and three Months since, she ' was deliver'd of a female bastard Child, be- ' got on her Body, by one John Cullender , ' who lives in Spittle-Fields Market, by ' Trade a Weaver; and that the said ' Child was haptized by the Name of Mary, ' and that her said Child, Mary hath been ' for some Weeks past in the Work house, ' belonging to the Hamlet of Bethnal-green, in ' the said Country of Middlesex; and that she ' went on Sunday last, about 9 or 10 in the ' Morning to the Work-house, to see her ' said Child, and found the Child had been ' within a few Days new clothed. And that ' she took away her Child, and kept it with ' her, till about 6 or 7 a Clock in the ' Evening, when being in Company with ' one Susannah - her Surname to her ' unknown; but that she has a Sister now ' in Shoreditch Work-house, who (that is, ' Susannah, not her Sister) pursaded her, ' this Examinant, to sell the Child's Clothes, ' and carry it into the Fields and leave it ' there. That they went both of them together ' into a Field near Joan Harding 's, where ' they stripp'd the said Child, and ty'd a linen ' Rag very hard about the Child's Neck, ' to prevent its crying out, which strangled ' her, and that afterwards, they went together, ' leaving the Child behind in a Ditch, ' near dead, to one Mary Witts , who lives ' in Swan-Yard, in the Parish of St. Leonard ' Shoreditch, and sold the Clothes, that is to ' say, a Coat, Stays, Petticoat, and Stockings ' to the said Witts, and received for them ' Sixteen-pence, and that they parted the Money ' equally between them.

The Mark of Judith + Defour.

Taken before me the Day and Year above written. Anthony Chamberlain.

Prisoner. I did not think to do any thing to the Child, but that wicked Creature Sukey seduced me to it.

Judith Defour , the Prisoner's Mother. She never was in her right Mind, but was always roving.

Mary Favoary . I have known her two Years, and never knew any Harm of her.

The Jury found her guilty . Death .