The tryal of Mary Blandy, spinster; for the murder of her father, Francis Blandy, Gent. At the assizes held at Oxford for the county of Oxford, on Saturday the 29th of February, 1752 / Before the Honourable Heneage Legge, esq; and Sir Sydney Stafford Smythe, knt., two of the barons of His Majesty's Court of exchequer. Published by permission of the judges.

  • Blandy, Mary, 1720-1752.
Date:
1752
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The tryal of Mary Blandy, spinster; for the murder of her father, Francis Blandy, Gent. At the assizes held at Oxford for the county of Oxford, on Saturday the 29th of February, 1752 / Before the Honourable Heneage Legge, esq; and Sir Sydney Stafford Smythe, knt., two of the barons of His Majesty's Court of exchequer. Published by permission of the judges. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    In the prefent Cafe, which is to be made out by Circumftances, great Part of the Evi¬ dence mult reft upon Prefumption, in which the Law makes a Diltirtflion : A flight or probable Prefumption only, has little or no Weight, but a violent Prefumption, amounts in Law to full Proof, that is, where Circumftances fpeak fo ftrongly, that to fuppofe the contrary, would be abfurd: I mention this to you, that you may fix your Attention on the feveral Circumftances, that have been laid before you, and confider, whether you can colledl from them, fuch a Prefumption, as the Law calls a violent Prefumption, and from which you muft conclude the Prifoner to be guilty •, I would obferve further, that where that Prefumption neceflarily arifes from Circumftances, they are more convincing and fa- tisfadlory, than any other kind of Evidence, becaufe Fadts cannot lye. I cannot now go through the Evidence again, but you will confider the whole toge¬ ther, and from thence determine, what you chink it amounts to. Thus far is undeniably true and agreed on all Sides, that Mr. Blandy died by Poifon ; and that That Poifon was adminiftred to him by his Daughter, the Prifoner at the Bar. What you are to try, is re¬ duced to this Angle Queftion, Whether the Prifoner, at the Timefhe gave it to her Father, knew that it was Poifon, and what Effedt it would have ? If you believe, that fhe knew it to be Poifon, the other Part, viz. that fhe knew the Effedf, is confequential, and you muft find her guilty : On the other Hand, if you are fatisfied, from her general Charadler, from what has been faid by the Evidence on her Part, and from what fhe has faid herfelf j that (Ire did not know it to be Poifon, nor Jhad any malicious Intention againft her Father, you ought to acquit her. But if you think fhe knowingly gave Poifon to her Father, you can do no other, than find her guilty. The. Jury confulted together about five Minutes, and then turned to the Court. Cl. of Arr. Gentlemen, are you all agreed on your Verdidl ? Jury. Yes. Cl. of Arr. Who fhall fay for you? Jury. Our Foreman. Cl. of Arr. Mary Blandy, hold up thy Hand, (which foe did.) Gentlemen of the Jury, look upon the Prifoner: How fay you, is Mary Blandy guilty of the Felony and Murder whereof fine ftands indidled, or not guilty ? Jury. Guilty. Cl. of Arr. What Goods or Chattels, Lands, or Tenements had fine at the Time of the fame Felony and Murder committed, or at any Time fince, to your Knowledge ? Jury. None. Cl. of Arr. Hearken to your Verdidt as the Court hath recorded it. You fay that Mary Blandy is guilty of the Felony and Murder, whereof flie ftands indidled ; and that fhe had not any Goods or Chattels, Lands, or Tenements, at the Time of the faid Felony and Murder committed, or at any Time fince, to your Knowledge •, and fo you fay all. Cl. of Arr. Mary Blandy, hold up thy Hand. You have been indidled of Felony and Murder. You have been thereupon arraigned and pleaded thereto not guilty, and for your Tryal you have put yourfelf upon God and your Country, which Country have found you guilty. What have you now to fay for yourfelf, why the Court fhould not proceed to give Judgment of Death upon you according to Law ? Cryer. Oyez •, My Lords the King’s Juftices do ftridlly charge and command all Manner of Perfons to keep filence, whilft Sentence of Death is palling on the Prifoner at the Bar, upon pain of Imprifonment. Mr. Baron Lecce. Mary Blandy, you have been ihdidled for the Murder of your Father, and for your Tryal, have put yourfelf upon God and your Country : That Country has found you guilty. You have had a long and a fair Tryal, and forry I am, that it falls to my Lot, to ac¬ quaint you, that I am now no more at Liberty to fuppofe you innocent, than I was be¬ fore to prefume you guilty. You are convidled of a Crime, fo dreadful, fo horrid in itfelf, that human Nature Ihud- ders at it.--The wilful Murder of your own Father!-A Father, by all Accounts, the mod fond, the moft tender, the moll indulgent that ever lived:-That Father, with his dying Breath forgave you j——May your heavenly Father do fo too. N It