Stephen College
Encyclopedia
Stephen College was an English joiner, activist Protestant, and supporter of the perjury underlying the fabricated Popish Plot
. He was tried and executed for high treason
.
s, by writing and singing political ballads, and by inventing a weapon for self-defence at close quarters, which he called 'the protestant flail. '
He knew many persons of rank. Lord William Russell
and Lady Berkeley showed him kindness.' He was one of the bitterest opponents of Lord William Stafford, and exulted over his condemnation and death. Among the writings attributed to him are coarse attacks on lawyers and Catholics,. Among these are 'Truth brought to Light, or Murder will out;' 'Justice in Masquerade, or Scroggs upon Scroggs;' another beginning ' Since Justice Scroggs Pepys and Dean did bail;' 'The Pope's Advice and Benediction to his Judge and Jury in Eutopia;' 'The Wolf Justice ' (against Scroggs); 'A Caution,' and 'A Satyr' against James, Duke of York, the Duchess of Portsmouth, and William Scroggs
, whom he hated for acquitting George Wakeman
.
When the parliament moved to Oxford, in March 1681, College went there on horseback, ostentatiously displaying weapons and wearing defensive armour, speaking threateningly against the king, and advocating resistance. In June 1681, after the condemnation of Edward Fitzharris
, College was arrested, carried before Secretary of State Leoline Jenkins
on 29 June, and committed to the Tower. He was indicted at the Old Bailey
on 8 July for seditious words and actions, but saved by the influence of Slingsby Bethel
and Henry Cornish
, sheriffs of whig sympathies. They packed a jury who returned a verdict of 'ignoramus, or “we do not know”.
The government then brought another prosecution, in Oxford. Aaron Smith, an attorney, favoured by William Russell and others of the “country party” or whig opposition, wished to defend College, something the understanding at the time of the adversarial system
made problematic. Smith attempted through Henry Starkey to bribe the chief gaoler, Murrel, to obtain access to College. Failing, he gained admission by an order from Sir Robert Sawyer, the attorney-general, and gave papers to College. These papers on examination by the authorities were accounted seditious, or beyond the privileges of defensive counsel as then allowed by law. They were therefore seized. Only mutilated copies were given to the prisoner, after long discussion, when the trial began on 17 August 1681, before Lord Norreys
, Lord-chief-justice North
, and other judges. The prisoner claimed, as a freeman of London, that he should be tried there, but he was told that for offences committed at Oxford he could be tried at Oxford. He pleaded for restoration of his papers, which would have guided him how to challenge the jury, and how to conduct his defence. He kept arguing in a circle, and at last pleaded not guilty.
Aaron Smith had next to submit to be browbeaten and to enter into recognisances for appearance, while Henry Starkey was summoned for attempted bribery. The examination of witnesses lasted until midnight. Stephen Dugdale
bore witness of treasonable talk, and that College avowed himself the author of various libels, the pretended 'Letter, intercepted, to Roger L'Estrange,' and the ballad of 'The Raree Show,' to the tune of Rochester's 'I am a senseless thing, with a hey.' Other witnesses for the prosecution were Edward Turberville
, Masters, Bryan Haynes, the two Macnamaras, and Sir William Jennings. But Shewin, Hickman, and Elizabeth Oliver tried to weaken the credit of Bryan Haynes, and Titus Oates violently assailed Turberville. Witnesses who had formerly been in league against the Catholics were now split. Dugdale, Turberville, and John 'Narrative Smith' swore positively to the guilt of College; Oates, Boldron, and others contradicted their testimony, and exposed the worthlessness of their personal character. At the trial of Lord Stafford, College had been the chief asserter of Dugdale's respectability; now he conducted his defence vigorously. Serjeant Jeffreys
argued to the jury that to disbelieve the prosecution witnesses would cast doubt on the Popish Plot
itself.
At nearly two o'clock in the morning the jury retired, and in half an hour gave their verdict of guilty. The court then adjourned until ten o'clock, when sentence of death was pronounced against him. He was visited in prison by two of the university divines, Dr. Marshall and Dr. Hall, who declared him to be penitent. His family was admitted to see him, and attempts made to obtain a remission of the sentence, but the sole concession granted was that his quarters should be delivered to his friends. On 31 August he was taken in a cart to the place of execution, and made a long speech, chiefly to clear himself from the charge of being a papist. He was then hanged and quartered. His body was buried the next evening at St. Gregory's Church, by St. Paul's.
Popish Plot
The Popish Plot was a fictitious conspiracy concocted by Titus Oates that gripped England, Wales and Scotland in Anti-Catholic hysteria between 1678 and 1681. Oates alleged that there existed an extensive Catholic conspiracy to assassinate Charles II, accusations that led to the execution of at...
. He was tried and executed for high treason
High treason
High treason is criminal disloyalty to one's government. Participating in a war against one's native country, attempting to overthrow its government, spying on its military, its diplomats, or its secret services for a hostile and foreign power, or attempting to kill its head of state are perhaps...
.
Life
He was born about 1635, and worked at the trade of carpentry. He became known as an anti-Catholic political speaker. He had been a presbyterian until the Restoration of 1660, when he conformed to the church of England. He made himself notorious by his declamations against the papistPapist
Papist is a term or an anti-Catholic slur, referring to the Roman Catholic Church, its teachings, practices, or adherents. The term was coined during the English Reformation to denote a person whose loyalties were to the Pope, rather than to the Church of England...
s, by writing and singing political ballads, and by inventing a weapon for self-defence at close quarters, which he called 'the protestant flail. '
He knew many persons of rank. Lord William Russell
William Russell, Lord Russell
William Russell, Lord Russell was an English politician. He was a leading member of the Country Party, forerunners of the Whigs, who opposed the succession of James II during the reign of Charles II, ultimately resulting in his execution for treason.-Early life and marriage:Russell was the third...
and Lady Berkeley showed him kindness.' He was one of the bitterest opponents of Lord William Stafford, and exulted over his condemnation and death. Among the writings attributed to him are coarse attacks on lawyers and Catholics,. Among these are 'Truth brought to Light, or Murder will out;' 'Justice in Masquerade, or Scroggs upon Scroggs;' another beginning ' Since Justice Scroggs Pepys and Dean did bail;' 'The Pope's Advice and Benediction to his Judge and Jury in Eutopia;' 'The Wolf Justice ' (against Scroggs); 'A Caution,' and 'A Satyr' against James, Duke of York, the Duchess of Portsmouth, and William Scroggs
William Scroggs
Sir William Scroggs , Lord Chief Justice of England, was the son of an Oxford landowner; an account of him being the son of a butcher of sufficient means to give his son a university education is merely a rumour....
, whom he hated for acquitting George Wakeman
George Wakeman
Sir George Wakeman was an English royal physician to Catherine of Braganza, Consort of Charles II of England. In 1678, he was perjured by Titus Oates, who had gained backing of Thomas Osborne, 1st Earl of Danby, highly placed in government...
.
When the parliament moved to Oxford, in March 1681, College went there on horseback, ostentatiously displaying weapons and wearing defensive armour, speaking threateningly against the king, and advocating resistance. In June 1681, after the condemnation of Edward Fitzharris
Edward Fitzharris
Edward Fitzharris was an Anglo-Irish conspirator. His prosecution at the time of the Popish Plot hoax became a struggle for jurisdiction involving the courts and the two Houses of Parliament.-Life:...
, College was arrested, carried before Secretary of State Leoline Jenkins
Leoline Jenkins
Sir Leoline Jenkins was a Welsh academic, jurist and politician. He was a clerical lawyer serving in the Admiralty courts, and diplomat involved in the negotiation of international treaties .-Biography:...
on 29 June, and committed to the Tower. He was indicted at the Old Bailey
Old Bailey
The Central Criminal Court in England and Wales, commonly known as the Old Bailey from the street in which it stands, is a court building in central London, one of a number of buildings housing the Crown Court...
on 8 July for seditious words and actions, but saved by the influence of Slingsby Bethel
Slingsby Bethel
Slingsby Bethel was a Member of Parliament with republican sympathies, during the period of the English Civil War.-Early life:Slingsby Bethel was the third son of Sir Walter Bethel of Alne, North Yorkshire, who married Mary, the second daughter of Sir Henry Slingsby of Scriven, near Knaresborough,...
and Henry Cornish
Henry Cornish
Henry Cornish was a London alderman, executed in the reign of James II of England.-Life:He was a well-to-do merchant of London, and alderman of the ward of St. Michael Bassishaw; in the London Directory for 1677 he is described as a factor residing in 'Cateaton Street, near Blackwelhall Gate.' He...
, sheriffs of whig sympathies. They packed a jury who returned a verdict of 'ignoramus, or “we do not know”.
The government then brought another prosecution, in Oxford. Aaron Smith, an attorney, favoured by William Russell and others of the “country party” or whig opposition, wished to defend College, something the understanding at the time of the adversarial system
Adversarial system
The adversarial system is a legal system where two advocates represent their parties' positions before an impartial person or group of people, usually a jury or judge, who attempt to determine the truth of the case...
made problematic. Smith attempted through Henry Starkey to bribe the chief gaoler, Murrel, to obtain access to College. Failing, he gained admission by an order from Sir Robert Sawyer, the attorney-general, and gave papers to College. These papers on examination by the authorities were accounted seditious, or beyond the privileges of defensive counsel as then allowed by law. They were therefore seized. Only mutilated copies were given to the prisoner, after long discussion, when the trial began on 17 August 1681, before Lord Norreys
James Bertie, 1st Earl of Abingdon
James Bertie, 1st Earl of Abingdon was an English nobleman.Bertie was the eldest son of Montagu Bertie, 2nd Earl of Lindsey by his second wife Bridget Bertie , 4th Baroness Norreys, suo jure Lady Norreys. He succeeded his mother as 5th Baron Norreys on the latter's death, c. 1657...
, Lord-chief-justice North
Francis North, 1st Baron Guilford
Francis North, 1st Baron Guilford PC KC was the third son of the 4th Baron North, and was created Baron Guilford in 1683, after becoming Lord Keeper of the Great Seal in succession to Lord Nottingham....
, and other judges. The prisoner claimed, as a freeman of London, that he should be tried there, but he was told that for offences committed at Oxford he could be tried at Oxford. He pleaded for restoration of his papers, which would have guided him how to challenge the jury, and how to conduct his defence. He kept arguing in a circle, and at last pleaded not guilty.
Aaron Smith had next to submit to be browbeaten and to enter into recognisances for appearance, while Henry Starkey was summoned for attempted bribery. The examination of witnesses lasted until midnight. Stephen Dugdale
Stephen Dugdale
Stephen Dugdale was an informer, and self-proclaimed discoverer of parts of the Popish Plot . He perjured himself on numerous occasions, giving false testimony.-Life:...
bore witness of treasonable talk, and that College avowed himself the author of various libels, the pretended 'Letter, intercepted, to Roger L'Estrange,' and the ballad of 'The Raree Show,' to the tune of Rochester's 'I am a senseless thing, with a hey.' Other witnesses for the prosecution were Edward Turberville
Edward Turberville
Edward Turberville or Turbervile was a Welsh informer, who perjured himself in support of the alleged Popish Plot.-Life:His father was from Sker, Glamorganshire. Edward Turberville, a younger son, was brought up a Roman Catholic, his elder brother Anthony being a monk at Paris...
, Masters, Bryan Haynes, the two Macnamaras, and Sir William Jennings. But Shewin, Hickman, and Elizabeth Oliver tried to weaken the credit of Bryan Haynes, and Titus Oates violently assailed Turberville. Witnesses who had formerly been in league against the Catholics were now split. Dugdale, Turberville, and John 'Narrative Smith' swore positively to the guilt of College; Oates, Boldron, and others contradicted their testimony, and exposed the worthlessness of their personal character. At the trial of Lord Stafford, College had been the chief asserter of Dugdale's respectability; now he conducted his defence vigorously. Serjeant Jeffreys
George Jeffreys, 1st Baron Jeffreys
George Jeffreys, 1st Baron Jeffreys of Wem, PC , also known as "The Hanging Judge", was an English judge. He became notable during the reign of King James II, rising to the position of Lord Chancellor .- Early years and education :Jeffreys was born at the family estate of Acton Hall, near Wrexham,...
argued to the jury that to disbelieve the prosecution witnesses would cast doubt on the Popish Plot
Popish Plot
The Popish Plot was a fictitious conspiracy concocted by Titus Oates that gripped England, Wales and Scotland in Anti-Catholic hysteria between 1678 and 1681. Oates alleged that there existed an extensive Catholic conspiracy to assassinate Charles II, accusations that led to the execution of at...
itself.
At nearly two o'clock in the morning the jury retired, and in half an hour gave their verdict of guilty. The court then adjourned until ten o'clock, when sentence of death was pronounced against him. He was visited in prison by two of the university divines, Dr. Marshall and Dr. Hall, who declared him to be penitent. His family was admitted to see him, and attempts made to obtain a remission of the sentence, but the sole concession granted was that his quarters should be delivered to his friends. On 31 August he was taken in a cart to the place of execution, and made a long speech, chiefly to clear himself from the charge of being a papist. He was then hanged and quartered. His body was buried the next evening at St. Gregory's Church, by St. Paul's.