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Edmund S. Morgan
The New England Quarterly, Vol. 15, No. 4. (Dec., 1942), pp. 591-607.
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http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0028-4866%28194212%2915%3A4%3C591%3ATPAS%3E2.0.CO%3B2-4
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Tue Jul 10 15:16:42 2007
THE
NEW ENGLAND
DECEMBER, 1 942
went downe the stayres, and at the stair foot, the latch of doore
was pulled in. I called several1 times and at the last said if shee
13 Middlesex Files, folder 99.
asked her where shee lived, and what her name was and shee told
him. and then shee asked his name, and he told her Saijing that
he was old Good-man Shepards man. Also shee saith he gave her
strong liquors, and told her that it was not the first time he had
been with maydes after his master was in bed.16
against her master John Harris senior for profiring abus to her
by way of forsing her to be naught with him: . . . he has tould her
that if she tould her dame: what cariag he did show to her shee
had as good be hanged and shee replyed then shee would run
away and he sayd run the way is befor you: . . . she says if she
should liwe ther shee shall be in fear of her lif.ls
Wee Elizabeth Jefts aged 15 ears and Mary tufts aged 14 ears
doe testyfie that their being- one at our hous sumtime the last
winter who sayed that thear was a new law made concerning
bastards that If aney man wear aqused with a bastard and the
19 William H. Whitmore, editor, T h e Colonial Laws of Massachusetts.
Reprinted from the Edition of 1660 (Boston, 1889), 257.
Go2 T H E NEW ENGLAND QUARTERLY
woman which had aqused him did stand vnto it in her labor that
he should bee the reputed father of it and should mayntaine it
Elizabeth Wells hearing of the sayd law she sayed vnto vs that If
shec should bee with Child shee would bee sure to lay it vn to
won who was rich enough abell to mayntayne it wheather it wear
his or no and shee farder sayed Elizabeth Jefts would not you doe
so likewise If it weare your case and I sayed no by no means for
right must tacke place: and the sayd Elizabeth wells sayed If it
wear my Caus I think I should doe so.20
A tragic unsigned letter that somehotv found its way into the
files of the Middlesex County Court gives more direct evi-
dence of the practice which Elizabeth Wells professed: