 |
||||
 |
||||
 |
|
|
|
|
*These sheweth, that on Jul the 22cond, 1648, wee, whosse names are
vnderwritten, were sworne by Mr Bradford, gouerner, to make inquiry of the
death of the child of Allis Bishop, the wife of Richard Bishope.
Wee declare, yt coming into the house of the said Richard Bishope, wee saw
at the foot of a ladder wh leadeth into an vpper chamer, much blood; and
going vp all of vs into the chamber, wee found a woman child, of about
foure yeares of age, lying in her shifte vppon her left cheeke, with her
throat cut with diuers gashes crose wayes, the wind pipe cut and stuke into
the throat downward, and a bloody knife lying by the side of the child, with wh knife all of vs
judg, and the said Allis hath confessed to fiue of vs at one time, yt shee
murdered the child with the said knife.
JOHN HOWLAND, JAMES COLE,
JAMES HURST, GYELLS RICKARD,
ROBERT LEE, RICHARD SPARROW,
JOHN SHAWE, THOMAS POPE
FRANCIS COOKE, FRANCIS BILLINGTON
JOHN COOKE, WILLIAM NELSON.
Rachell, the wife of Joepth Ramsden, aged about 23 yeares, being examined, saith that coming to the house of Richard Bishope vppon an erand, the wife of the said Richard Bishope requested her to goe fetch her som buttermilke at Goodwife Winslows, and gaue her a ketle for that purpose, and she went and did it; and before shee wente,shee saw the child lyinge abed asleep, to her best deserning, and the woman was as well as shee hath knowne her att any time; but when shee came shee found her sad and dumpish; shee asked her what blood was that shee saw at the ladders foot; shee pointed vnto the chamber, and bid her looke, but shee perseiued shee had kiled her child, and being afraid, shee refused, and ran and tould her father and mother. Morouer, shee saith the reason yt moued her to thinke shee had kiled her child was yt when shee saw the blood shee looked on the bedd, and the child was not there.
Taken vppon oath by mee, WILLIAM BRADFORD,
The day and year aboue written.
Of Richard Bishop...
Richard had a propensity to steal other peoples possessions in the
Plymouth Colony and later in Eastham. His wife's hanging gave Richard
some notoriety, but he remained in Plymouth and on March 6, 1649 was
presented at court for stealing a neighbors spade. He was judged guilty
and sentenced to both sit in the stocks and replace the spade prior to the
June court or be whipped. -C.W. Swift, "Cape Cod History and Genealogy",
(Yarmouth MA: p. 15).
He did not comply. He was in Eastham by 1654 and had tracts of land
allowed him. In 1670 he entered George Crisps property and helped
himself to the fleece taken from the sheep. He was arraigned and ordered
to pay thirty shillings, which he did. Soon after this affair, he left the
township with his family and removed to Piscataway, NJ. and lived with
his son-in-law, William Sutton. -Winsor's "Duxbury", p. 228; and
Monnette, "First Settlers of Piscataway and Woodbridge", p. 792.
Descendants of Alice Martin
Alice Martin, born 1616, died October 1648 in Plymouth, MA
Married first: George Clark b: 1620 married about 1640 died before 1644
The children of Alice and George:
Martha Clark born about 1644, died July 22, 1648
Abigail Clark born about 1642
Married second: Richard Bishop b: December 05, 1612 in England married December 05, 1644 in Plymouth
The children of Alice and Richard:
A. Damaris Bishop born 1645 in Eastham, Plymouth, MA died February 06, 1681/82
Middlesex, NJ Married William SUTTON b: May 25, 1641 in Scituate, Plymouth,
MA married July 11, 1666 in Eastham, Barnstable, MA died April 28, 1718 in
Piscataway, Middlesex, NJ
B. James Bishop born about 1646 married Mary HUDSON born after 1646 married
December 12, 1665 in Pembroke, Plymouth Co., MA died June 30, 1740 in
Pembroke, Plymouth Co., MA
Notes on Alice MARTIN:
Richard Bishop married Alice (Martin) Clark on December 5, 1644 [possibly as his second wife]. She was the widow of George Clark, and tragically ended her life by murdering her own child, and was subsequently hung therefor, in 1648. There is a mournful account of the murder by Alice Bishop of her daughter, Martha Clarke, 4 years old, July 22, 1648 (Savage, Vol. I, page 393). She also had another daughter, Abigail Clark. There is also reference to "Damaris, (wife of the first William Sutton), daughter of Alice and Richard Bishop". When William Sutton removed to New Jersey, Bishop sold his property at Duxbury, and went to live with him. Richard Bishop was called "of Piscattaway in Artercull or New Jersey," when he sold to Capt. Benjamin Church his property in the Colony (Winsor's Duxbury, page 228.).
Some Links to more research on Alice:
