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245. The Trial of WILLIAM IRELAND, THOMAS PICKERING, and JOHN GROVE, at the Old Bailey, for High Treason: 30 CHARLES II. A. D. 1678.*

did. Thomas Pickering, hold up thy hand: Which he did. John Grove, hold up thy hand: Which he did.

ON Tuesday the 17th day of December, 1678, Thomas White alias Whitebread, Wm. Ireland, John Fenwick, Thomas Pickering and John Grove, were brought from his majesty's gaol of You stand indicted by the names of Thomas Newgate to the Sessions-house at Justice-Hall White alias Whitebread, late of the parish of in the Old Bailey, being there indicted for High St. Giles in the fields, in the county of MiddleTreason, for contriving and conspiring to mur-sex, clerk: William Ireland, late of the same der the king, to receive their trial; and the Court proceeded thereupon as followeth: The Court being sat, proclamation was made for attendance, thus:

Clerk of Crown. Crier, make proclamation. Crier. O yes, O yes, O yes! All manner of persons that have any thing to do at this general sessions of the peace, sessions of Oyer and Terminer holden for the city of London, and gaol-delivery of Newgate, holden for the city of London and county of Middlesex, draw near and give your attendance, for now the Court will proceed to the pleas of the crown for the same city and county. God save the king.

Cl. of Cr. Crier, make proclamation. Crier. O yes! All manner of persons are commanded to keep silence upon pain of imprisonment. Peace about the Court.

Cl. of Cr. Crier, make proclamation. Crier. O yes! You good men of the county of Middlesex that are summoned to appear here this day, to enquire between our sovereign lord the king and the prisoners that are and shall be at the bar, answer to your names as you shall be called, every one at the first call, and save your issues.

The Jurors being called and the defaulters recorded, the Clerk of the Crown called for the prisoners to the bar, viz. Thomas White alias Whitebread, William Ireland, John Fenwick, Tho. Pickering and John Grove, and arraigned them thus:

:

parish and county, clerk: John Fenwick, late
of the same parish and county, clerk : Thomas
Pickering, late of the same parish and county,
clerk and John Grove, late of the same parish
and county, gent. For that you five, as false
traitors, &c. against the peace of our sovereign
lord the king, his crown and dignity, and
against the form of the statute in that case
made and provided. How sayest thou, Thomas
White alias Whitebread, art thou Guilty of this
High Treason whereof thou standest indicted,
or Not Guilty?

Whitebread. Not Guilty.
Cl. of Cr. Culprit, how wilt thou be tried?
Whitebread. By God and my Country.

Cl. of Cr. God send thee a good deliverance. How sayest thou, William Ireland, art thou Guilty of the same High Treason, or Not Guilty?

Ireland. Not Guilty.
Cl. of Cr.
Ireland.
Cl. of Cr.

Culprit, how wilt thou be tried?
By God and my Country.

God send thee a good deliverance. How sayest thou, John Fenwick, art thou Guilty of the same High Treason, or Not Guilty?

Fenwick. Not Guilty.
Cl. of Cr.
Fenwick.
Cl. of Cr.

Culprit, how wilt thou be tried?
By God and my Country.

God send thee a good deliverance. How sayest thou, Thomas Pickering, art thou Guilty of the same High Treason, or Not

Cl. of Cr. Thomas White alias White-Guilty? bread, hold up thy hand: Which he did. William Ireland, hold up thy hand: Which he did. John Fenwick, hold up thy hand: Which he

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Pickering. Cl. of Cr. Pickering. Cl. of Cr. ance. How thou Guilty of Guilty?

From a pamphlet, intitled : The Trials of William Ireland, Thomas Pickering, and John Grove; for conspiring to Murder the King: who upon full evidence were found Guilty of High Treason, at the Sessions-House in the Old Bailey, December 17, 1678. And received Sentence accordingly. London, printed for Robert Pawlet at the Bible in Chancery-ance. lane, near Fleet-street, 1678. December 17, 1678. I do appoint Robert Pawlet to print 'the Trials of William Ireland, Thomas Pickering, and John Grove: And that no other person presume to print the same. WILLIAM "SCROGGS.'"

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* See the Introduction to the Trials for the Popish Plot, ante, vol. 6, p. 1420.

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Grove. Not Guilty. Cl. of Cr. Culprit, how wilt thou be tried? Grove. By God and my Country. Cl. of Cr. God send thee a good deliverYou the prisoners at the bar, those men that you shall hear called and do personally appear, are to pass between our sovereign lord the king and you, upon trial of your several lives and deaths; if therefore you or any of you will challenge them or any of them, your time is to speak unto them as they come to the book to be sworn, before they be sworn. Sir Philip Matthews to the book."

Sir Philip Matthews. I desire sir William Roberts may be called first. Which was granted.

Cl. of Cr. Sir William Roberts to the book. Look upon the prisoners. You shall well and truly try, and true deliverance make between our sovereign lord the king and the prisoners at the bar, whom you shall have in your charge, according to your evidence. So help you God.

The same oath was administered to the rest, the prisoners challenging none, and their names in order were thus: Sir William Roberts, bt.; sir Philip Matthews, bt.; sir Charles Lee, kt.; Edward Wilford, esq.; John Foster, esq.; Joshua Galliard, esq.; John Byfield, esq.; Thomas Eglesfield, esq.; Tho. Johnson, esq.; John Pulford, esq.; Thomas Earnesby, esq.; Richard Wheeler, gent.

Cl. of Cr. Crier, count these. Sir William Roberts.

Crier. One, &c.

Cl. of Cr. Richard Wheeler. Crier. Twelve good men and true, stand together and hear your evidence.

CL. of Cr. Crier, make proclamation. Crier. O yes! If any one can inform my Lords the king's Justices, the king's Serjeant, the king's Attorney, or this Inquest now to be taken between our sovereign lord the king and the prisoners at the bar, let them come forth and they shall be heard, for now the prisoners stand at the bar upon their deliverance: and all others that are bound by recognizance to give evidence against any of the prisoners at the bar, let them come forth and give their evidence, or else they forfeit their recognizance. And all jurymen of Middlesex that have been summoned and have appeared, and are not sworn, may depart the court and take

weighing, but being moved and seduced by the instigation of the devil, the cordial love, and true, due, and natural obedience, which true and faithful subjects of our said sovereign lord the king towards our said sovereign lord the king should and of right ought to bear, altogether withdrawing, and endeavouring, and with their whole strength intending, the peace and common tranquillity of this kingdom of England to disturb, and the true worship of God within this kingdom of England used, and by law established, to overthrow; and to move, stir up, and procure rebellion within this kingdom of England, and the cordial love, and true and due obedience, which true and faithful subjects of our said sovereign lord the king toward our said sovereign lord the king should and of right ought to bear, wholly to withdraw, vanquish, and extinguish, and our said sovereign lord the king to death and final destruction to bring and put, the 24th day of April, in the year of the reign of our said sovereign lord Charles 2, by the grace of God of England, Scotland, France, and Ireland, king, defender of the Faith, &c. the 30th, at the parish of St. Giles in the Fields aforesaid, in the county of Middlesex aforesaid, falsely, maliciously, deceitfully, advisedly, and traitorously, they did propose, compass, imagine, and intend to stir up, move, and procure sedition and rebellion within this kingdom of England, and to procure and cause a miserable slaughter among the subjects of our said sovereign lord the king, and wholly to deprive, depose, throw down, and disinherit our said sovereign lord the king from his royal state, title, power, and government of this his kingdom of England, and him our said sovereign lord the king to put to death, and utterly to destroy, and the government of this kingdom of England, and the sincere religion and worship of God in the same kingdom, rightly and by the laws of the same kingdom established, for their will and pleasure to change and alter, and wholly to subvert and destroy the state of the whole kingdom, being in all parts thereof well instituted and ordered, and to levy war against our said sovereign lord the king within this his realm of England: And to fulfil and bring to pass these their most wickYou shall understand, that they stand in-ed treasons and traitorous designs and purdicted by the names of Thomas White otherwise Whitebread, late of the parish of St. Giles in the Fields in the county of Middlesex, clerk; William Ireland, late of the same parish in the county aforesaid, clerk; John Fenwick, late of the same parish in the county aforesaid, clerk; Thomas Pickering, late of the same parish in the county aforesaid, clerk; and John Grove, late of the same parish in the county aforesaid, gentleman: For that they as false traitors of the most illustrious, serene, and most excellent prince, our sovereign lord Charles 2, by the grace of God of England, Scotland, France, and Ireland, king, defender of the faith, &c. their supreme and natural lord, not having the fear of God in their hearts, or the duty of their allegiance any ways

their ease.

CL. of Cr. Make proclamation of silence. Crier. O yes! All manner of persons are commanded to keep silence, upon pain of imprisonment.

Cl. of Cr. Thomas White alias Whitebread, hold up thy hand: Which he did, and so of the rest. You that are sworn, look upon the prisoners, and hearken to their cause.

VOL. VII,

poses aforesaid, they the said Thomas White otherwise Whitebread, William Ireland, John Fenwick, Thomas Pickering, and John Grove, and other false traitors unknown, the said 24th day of April, in the said 30th year of the reign of our said lord the king, with force and arms, &c. at the parish of St. Giles in the Fields aforesaid, in the county of Middlesex aforesaid, falsly, maliciously, deceitfully, advisedly, devilishly, and traitorously did assemble, unite, and gather themselves together, and then and there falsly, maliciously, deceitfully, advisedly, devilishly, and traitorously they did consult and agree to put and bring our said sovereign lord the king to death and final destruction, and to alter and change the religion rightly and by the laws of the same kingdom established, to the G

superstition of the church of Rome;, and the and times afterwards at the said parish of St. sooner to bring to pass and accomplish the Giles in the fields and in the said county of same their most wicked treasons and traitorous Middlesex, falsely, deceitfully, advisedly, maimaginations and purposes aforesaid, they the liciously, devilishly, and traitorously, they did said Thomas White otherwise Whitebread, prepare and obtain to themselves, and bad and William Ireland, John Fenwick, Thomas did keep musquets, pistols, swords, daggers, Pickering, John Grove, and other false trai and other offensive and cruel weapons and intors of our said sovereign lord the king un-struments, to kill and murder our said sovereign known, afterwards (to wit) the said 24th day of lord the king: And that they the said Thomas April, in the said 30th year of the reign of our Pickering and John Grove afterwards, to wit, said sovereign lord the king, at the said parish the said 24th day of April, in the said 30th of St. Giles in the Fields, in the county of Mid-year of the reign of our said sovereign lord the dlesex aforesaid, falsely, deceitfully, advisedly, king, and divers days and times afterwards with maliciously, devilishly, and traitorously they did force and arms, &c. at the said parish of St. consult and agree, that they the said Thomas Giles in the Fields in the county of Middlesex Pickering and John Grove should kill and mur- aforesaid, and in other places within the said der our said sovereign lord the king: And that county of Middlesex, falsely, deceitfully, adthey the said Thomas White otherwise White- visedly, maliciously, and traitorously, did lie bread, William Ireland, John Fenwick, and in wait, and endeavour to kill and murder our other false traitors unknown, should therefore said sovereign lord the king; and further, that say, celebrate, and perform a certain number they the said Thomas White otherwise Whiteof masses (then and there agreed on among bread, William Ireland, John Fenwick, and them) for the good of the soul of the said Tho- other false traitors unknown, afterwards, to wit, mas Pickering, and should therefore pay to the the said 24th day of April, in the said 30th said John Grove a certain sum of money (then year of the reign of our said sovereign lord the and there also agreed on among them): And king, at the said parish of St. Giles in the Fields, further, that the said Thomas Pickering and in the county of Middlesex aforesaid, falsely, John Grove upon the agreement aforesaid, then deceitfully, advisedly, maliciously, devilishly, and there falsely, deceitfully, advisedly, mali- and traitorously, did prepare, persuade, excite, ciously, devilishly, and traitorously did under- abet, comfort and counsel four other persons take, and to the said Thomas White otherwise unknown, and subjects of our said sovereign Whitebread, William Ireland, John Fenwick, lord the king, traitorously to kill and murder and other false traitors of our said sovereign our said sovereign lord the king, against the lord the king unknown, then and there falsely, duty of their allegiance, against the peace of our deceitfully, advisedly, maliciously, devilishly, said sovereign lord the king, his crown and dig and traitorously they did then and there pro-nity, and against the form of the statute in that mise, that they the said Thomas Pickering and behalf made and provided. John Grove our said sovereign lord the king would kill and murder: And further, that they the said Thomas White otherwise Whitebread, William Ireland, John Fenwick, Thomas Pickering, and John Grove, and other falsetraitors of our said sovereign lord the king un- Your charge therefore is to enquire, whether known, afterwards to wit the said 24th day of they or any of them be Guilty of the HighApril,in the said 30th year of the reign of our said Treason whereof they stand indicted, or Not Sovereign lord the king, at the said parish of Guilty. If you find them or any of them St. Giles in the fields in the county of Middle- Guilty, you are to enquire what goods or chatsex aforesaid, falsely, deceitfully, advisedly, tels, lands or tenements, those you and guilty maliciously, devilishly, and traitorously, did had at the time of the High-Treason commitseverally plight their faith every one to ted, or at any time since. If you find them or other of them, and did then and there swear any of them Not Guilty, you are to enquire and promise upon the Sacrament, to conceal whether they did fly for it: If you find that and not to divulge their said most wicked trea- they or any of them fled for it, you are to ensons, and traitorous compassings, consultations, quire of their goods and chattels, as if you had and purposes aforesaid, so among them had, found them Guilty. If you find them or any traitorously to kill and murder our said so- of them Not Guilty, nor that they nor any of vereign lord the king, and to introduce the them fled for it; say so, and no more, and hear Roman religion, to be used within this king- your evidence. dom of England, and to alter and change the true reformed religion, rightly and by the laws of this kingdom of England in this same kingdom of England established; And further, that they the said Thomas Pickering and John Grove, in execution of their said traitorous agreement, afterwards, to wit, the said 24th day of April, in the said 30th year of the reign of our said sovereign lord the king, and divers other days

Upon this Indictment they have been arraigned, and thereunto have severally pleaded, Not Guilty, and for their trial have put themselves upon God and their country, which country you are.

Make Proclamation of Silence on both sides." Which was done.

learned counsel in the law, opened the IndictThen sir Creswell Levinz, one of the king's

ment thus:

Sir Creswell Leving. May it please your lordship, and you gentlemen of the jury: These prisoners at the bar, Thomas White alias

then severe against them), to destroy the queen and alter the religion established here in England, and so introduce Popery and the superstition of the Church of Rome.

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But the conspirators from time to time, during all the queen's reign were disappointed, as Edmond Campion, and several other Jesuits, who came over in that time, and were executed, and did suffer for their treasons according to law: At length, about the latter end of the queen's time, a Seminary for the English Jesuits was founded at Valladolid in Spain, and you know the employment such persons have.

Whitebread, William Ireland, John Fenwick, Thomas Pickering, and John Grove, do all stand indicted of High-Treason; for that whereas they, as false traitors, meaning and designing to disturb the peace of the kingdom, to levy war within the kingdom, to make miserable slaughter against the king's subjects, to subvert the religion established by the law of the land, to introduce the superstition of the church of Rome, and to bring to death and final destruction, and to murder and assassinate our sovereign lord the king, they did, to effect these things, the 24th of April last assemble themselves together, with many other false And soon after the queen's death, in the betraitors yet unknown, in the parish of St. ginning of the reign of king James several perGiles in the Fields in the county of Middlesex, sons came over into England from this very se and there, being so assembled, the better to minary, who together with one Henry Garnet, † effect these designs did make agreements and Superior of the Jesuits then in England, and conspire together; first, that Pickering and divers others English papists, hatched that helGrose should kill the king, and that White and lish Gunpowder-Plot; whereby what was dethe rest of the persons that stand indicted, with signed you all know; but as it fell out, these many other traitors, should say a great num- persons, as well as those in queen Elizabeth's ber of Masses for the soul of the said Picker- time, were likewise disappointed, and for their ing, I think 30,000; and they did further agree | execrable treasons in the 3d year of king James there, that Grove should have a great sum of were executed at Tyburn and other places. money; and upon this agreement Grove and Pickering did undertake and promise they would do this fact, and did then and there take the Sacrament and an oath to one another upon the Sacrament, that they would conceal these their treasons, that they might the better effect them; and that in pursuance of this, Grove and Pickering did divers times lie in wait to murder the king, and did provide arms to do it: And the Indictment further sets forth, that White and Ireland, and Fenwick, and many other traitors yet unknown, did procure four other persons yet also unknown, for to kill the king, against the peace of our sovereign lord the king, his crown and dignity, and against the form of the statute. These are the heads of those facts for which they stand indicted. They have all pleaded Not Guilty: If we prove them or any of them Guilty of these or any of these facts, according to the evidence you shall have, we hope you will find it.

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Sir Samuel Baldwin. May it please your lordship, and you gentlemen of the jury, the persons here before you stand indicted of HighTreason; they are five in number, three of them are Jesuits, one is a priest, the fifth is a layman, persons fully prepared for the work in band.

Gentlemen, it is not unknown to most persons, nay to every one amongst us that hath the least observed the former times, how that ever since the reformation there bath been a design carried on to subvert the government, and destroy the Protestant religion established here in England; for during all the reign of queen Elizabeth several attempts were made by several Priests and Jesuits, that came from beyond the seas (though the laws were

This is evident by the very act of parliament in 3 Jacobi, in the preamble whereof mention is made that Creswell and Tesmond, Jesuits, came from Valladolid in Spain to execute this Gunpowder-Treason with the popish party here in England.

And, gentlemen, after this treason, so miraculously discovered, was punished, one would not have thought that any future age would have been guilty of the like conspiracy,; but it so falls out, that the mystery of Iniquity and Jesuitism still worketh, for there hath of late been a sort of cruel and bloody-minded persons who, in hopes to have better success than they bad in former times, during the reigns of queen Elizabeth and king James, have set on foot as horrid a design as that of the Gunpowder-treason; I can resemble it to no other Plot, or design, or treason in any other time, and truly it does resemble that in many particulars: I may say, it doth at the least equal it, if not exceed it.

in which this Plot doth resemble that.
I shall mention two or three particulars

1. That horrid design was to take away the life of the then king, to subvert the government, to introduce the popish religion, and to destroy the established Protestant religion in England; and so gentlemen, we think our proofs will make it out that in each of these particulars this design is the same that that was.

2. The great actors in that design were Priests and Jesuits that came from Valladolid in Spain, and other places beyond the seas. And the great actors in this Plot are priests and Jesuits, that are come from St. Omers and other places beyond the seas nearer home than Spain.

3. That plot was chiefly guided and managed

*See vol. 1, p. 1049, of this Collection,
+ See vol. 2, p. 218.

by Henry Garnet superior and provincial of the Jesuits then in England; and the great actor in this design is Mr. Whitebread, superior and provincial of the Jesuits now in England; so that I say in these several particulars it does resemble the Gunpowder-Plot.

Gentlemen, In this plot, of which the prisoners now stand indicted, several persons have several parts: Some of these persons are employed to keep correspondence beyond the seas (of which more hath been said in another place, and so I shall not speak of it here): others were to procure and prepare aid and asistance here in England who were to be ready when there should be occasion to use it. But the great part that these persons (the prisoners at the bar) were to act in this conspiracy, was, to take away the life of our sovereign lord the King, on whose preservation the safety and welfare of three nations (and millions of men) doth depend. Now the facts for which the five prisoners stand indicted, I shall open thus e

1. They are here indicted for conspiring the death of his sacred majesty: they did agree to take away the king's life; and entering into such an agreement, they hired some persons amongst them to do it ; and this agreement was made the 24th of April last 1678.

pointed, to be at Mr. Whitebread's lodging, and that was in Wild-Street, at one Mr.Sanders's house; others were appointed to go to Mr. Irelands's lodging, which was in Russel-Street (and this Mr. Ireland was treasurer of the Society): and others were to meet at Mr. Fenwick's chamber in Drury-Lane; and he was at that time Procurator and Agent for that Society. Others were appointed to meet at Harcourt's lodging; and others at other places.

When they came there, they all agreed to the general design of the first meeting, which was To kill the king. Then there was a Paper, or some instrument to be subscribed. This was done, and the Sacrament was taken for the concealment of it. After that, Whitebread, Ireland, Fenwick, and others did agree that Mr. Grove and Mr. Pickering should be employed to assassinate the king. One of them (Mr. Grove) being a lay brother, was to have 1,500/. a great sum; the other, as a more suitable reward for his pains, was to have 30,000 masses said for his soul. Mr. Whitebread, Mr. Ireland, and Mr. Fenwick, were all privy to this design; and this was the 24th of April. In August after (they being appointed to kill the king, but it not taking effect, either their hearts misgave them, or they wanted opportunity) there was another meeting at the Savoy, where the witnesses will tell you, four Irish persons were hired for to kill the king. And this was ordered, in case the other design took not effect. There was fourscore pounds sent down to them to Windsor, where they were to have done the fact. After this, other persons were appointed to do the execution, and they were to take the king at his morning walk at New-Market.

These persons were all disappointed in their design. But you shall hear what was the Agreement how it was carried on, and what rewards were given to carry it on. We shall acquaint you likewise, that for the bottom of this design (when so many Jesuits should come over, when they should have so many consultations, and when they should resolve to kill the king) there could be no less than the altering of Religion, and introduction of Popery here in England. And that time, at the first meeting, they had ordered, That Mr. Cary a Jesuit, as their procurator and agent, should go to Rome, to act their concerns there. All which things and more will be made out to you by

2. There is another fact they likewise stand indicted for That they did endeavour and contrive to change and alter the religion established in the nation, and introduce popery in the room of it.' The manner how to effect this was thus, if my information be right; you shall hear that from the evidence. Mr. Whitebread being resident here in England, and Superior of the Jesuits, did in February last think fit (being Impowered by authority from Rome) to give summons to the Jesuits abroad, at St. Omers, and other places beyond the seas, that they should come over here into England, to be ready at London, on the 24th of April, the day laid in the Indictment, and which is the day after St. George's day; and their design was (as will appear by the proof) to contrive how they may take away the life of the king: for if that were once done, they thought, in all other things, their design would easily be accomplished. After the Summons were out, they were so officious for the accomplishing of this great end, that between 40 and 50 Jesuits did appear here at London at the time (for thither they were summoned), and there the meeting was ap-witnesses produced. There are likewise some pointed to be. At the White Horse Tavern in the Strand they were to meet first; but being so great a number that they were likely to be taken notice of, if they came all together, it was so ordered, they should come but a few at a time and go off in small numbers and others should succeed them, till the whole number had been there. And there were directions given, and a course taken, that there should be some person to tell them whither they should go from thence. After they had met there at several times in the same day, they were appointed, and adjourned to be at several other places; some of them were ap

other circumstances that will be material to confirm those witnesses. We shall produce to you a Letter written in February last, about that time that Mr. Whitebread sent over his summons for the Jesuits to appear here. This Letter was written by one Mr. Peters, a Jesuit now in custody; and now it is written to one Tunstal, a Jesuit, to give him notice, That he should be in London about the 21st of April, and be ready on the 24th of April: That he knew what the business was; but he did advise him, that he should conceal himself, lest the Plot (by observation) should be discovered. We shall likewise produce several other evi

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