Peace to sara for the mother, inquiry was made through the town by
officers who had the warrants; and in the afternoon a widow woman namee
Sarah Simpson, who had been suspected some time before to have been wit
child, was apprehended and charged with being the mother of the child
found in the wells; which she denied, But at the same time said, she
would go and show where she had buried her chiled and accordinly went
with the constable who appréhended her and dug up her child (as she
said it was) being buried about ) inches under ground by the river
side; whereupon she was examined and sent to jail; and on Sunday last
in the afternoon an Irish woman servant of Dr. Jdseph Franklin of this
town was apprehended as a suspected person; but she denied that she ha
a child; however that did not satisfy the justices, so that they ordere
her to be examined by 4 or 5 skilled women; who reported that, accord-
ing to their judgement, she had been delivered of a child within a
weeks; but yet she denied the child found in the well to be hers, and
would not give directmanswers to questions put to her, However said at
last she might have done something as bad, and God was now about to ~
bring her to justice; but would, as yet, give no account what was be-
come of the child she had had, whereupon she was committed to prison, :
On Monday morning she desired to see the justices who had examined her
the evening before; accordingly they went to her, and then she owned
that she was alone delivered of a male child alive the Wednesday morn=
a
-
ch wes
Peacé to search for the mother, inquiry was made through the town by
officers who had the warrants; and in the afternoon a widow woman name¢
Sarah Simpson, who had been suspected some time before to have been wit
child, was apprehended and charged with being the mother of the child
found in the well; which she denied, But at the same time said, she
would go and show where she had buried her chiled and accordinly went
with the constable who appréhended her and dug up her child (as she
said it was) being buried about inches under ground by the river
side; whereupon she was examined and sent to jail; and on Sunday last
in the afternoon an Irish woman servant of Dr. Jdseph Franklin of this
town was apprehended as a suspected person; but she denied that she had
a child; however that did not satisfy the justices, so that they orderd
her to be examined by or 5 skilled women; who reported that, accord-
ing to their judgement, she had been delivered of a child within a
week; but yet she denied the child found in the well to be hers, and
would not give directmanswers to questions put to her, However said at
last she might have done something as bad, and God was now about to
bring her to justice; but would, as yet, give no account what was be-
come of the child she had had, whereupon she was committed to prison, _
On Monday morning she desired to see the justices who had examined her
the evening before; accordingly they went to her, and then she owned
that she was alone delivered of a male child alive the Wednesday morn=
Peacé'to ‘starch for the mother, inquiry was made throug!
officers who had the warrants; and in the
Sarah Simpson, who had been suspected some time before to have been wif
child, was apprehended and charged with being the mother of the child
found in the well; which she denied, But at the same time said, she
would go and show where she had buried her chiled and accordinly went
with the constable who appréhended her and dug up her child (as she
said it was) being buried about |, inches under ground by thi
side; whereupon she was examined and sent to jails and on Sunday last
in the afternoon an Irish woman servant of Dr, Joseph Franklin of this
town was apprehended as a suspected person; but she denied that she had
a childs however that did not satisfy the justices, so that they orderd
her to be examined by l, or 5 skilled women; who reported that, accord-
ing to their judgement, ‘she had been delivered of a child within a
come of the child she had had, whereupon she was committed to prison, _
On Monday morning she desired to see the justices who had examined her
the evening before; accordingly they went to her, and then she owned
that she was alone delivered of a male child alive the Wednesday morn=
Shie"the nie oes! ai za nelyenrinie perme
KENNY and SIMPSON, hanged Portsmounth, N, H,, 1739 - Continued
ing before; that she put it alive into a tub in her master s cellar,
and then left it til the Friday night following, when she threw it in-
to the river (as she said) and then went with the justices to the plac
which was withing sixty yards of the place where the other child was
dug up; upon which, some are of opinion that there is another mother
yet to be fornd for the child taken out of the wells; others think that
she is already found." VIRGINIA GAZETTE, Williamsburg, Vae,y 9=21-1739
i)
KENNY and SIMPSON, hanged Portsmounth, N. H., 1739 = Continued
ing before; that oe put it alive into a tub in her master's cellar,
and then left it til the Friday night following, when she threw it in-
to the river (as she said) and then went with the justices to the placq
which was withing sixty yards of the place where the other child was
dug up; upon which, some are of opinion that there is another mother
yet to be fornd for the child taken out of the well; others think that
she is already found.'' VIRGINIA GAZETTE, Wy ; lliamsburg, Vaey 9-21-1739
KENNY and SIMPSON, hanged Portsmounth, N. H., 1739 - Continued ~
ing before; that she put it alive into a tub in her master s cellar,
and then left it til the Friday night following, when she threw it in-
to the river (as she said) and then went with the justices to the placd
which was withing sixty yards of the place where the other child was
dug up; upon which, some are of opinion that there is another mother
yet to be fornd for the child taken out of the well; others think that
she is already found," VIRGINIA GAZETTE, Wylliamsburg, Vas, 9-21-1739
we
KENNY, Penelope and SIMPSON, Saran-——
Miss Kenney, "a foreigner",and Miss Simpson lived in Portsmouth, N.~
He, where they were convicted in 1739 of having murdered an illegiti-
~mate-child—bornto_one of them. ‘They became the first persons to be
hanged in New Hampshire on Dec, 27, 1739. Prior to their executions,
they were allowed to attend church ‘services, and Miss Kenney listened
to-a sermon preached at Queen's Chapel that was taken from the Sixth
Verse y 23rd Chapter, of the book of Proverbs. Miss Simpson attended
the South Parish Church where the text of the-sermon-was—taken from _
the forty-second-verse of the 23rd chapter of the book of Luke,
mor ip
THE ANNALS OF PORTSMOUTH, By Nathaniel Adams. Reprinted-in May, % _
L974. _ Peter, Randall, “Publisher, Hampton, N,. H,
"Ports smouth, N, He, Au hcg «Meg LAs edd “was found-dead
~in-a-well here, a- relngs 10, lately born, and supposed to be mur=
dered; and warrants being issued out by his Majesty's Ss Justices of the
“
KENNY, Penelope and SIMPSON, Sarah
Miss Kenney, "a foreigner",and Miss Simpson lived in Portsmouth, N.
H., where they were convicted in 1739 of having murdered an illegiti-
~~mate-childborn_to_one of them, ‘They became the first persons to be
hanged in New Hampshire on Dec. 27, 1739. Prior to their executions,
they were allowed to attend church services, and Miss Kenney listened
to a sermon -preached-at-Queen!s Chapel that was taken from the Sixth
Verse, 23rd Chapter, of the book of Proverbs. IMfiss Simpson attended
the South Parish Church where the text of the-sermon-was taken from_
the forty-second-verseof the 23rd chapter of the book of Luke.
THE ANNALS OF PORTSMOUTH, By Nathaniel Adams. Reprinted in May,
i97i. Peter H, tandall, Publisher, Hampton, N, H,
"Portsmouth, N. H. Auge ulyas Site. aturday morning was found-dead
ina well herey-a-female infant lately born, and supposed to be mur-
dered; and warrants being issued out by his Majesty's Justices of the
val
NNY, Penelope and SIMPSON, Sa
iss Kenney, "a forelgner",and Miss Simpson 1
H,, where they were convi
ate-child oe ae
7 Ea
ra biend- chix sezy ces, end Hiss Ken
0 at Queen's Chapel that wa om
Versa, 23rd Chapter, of the book of ae
the South Parish Church where the text of the sermon vas taken fron
forty-seconi verse of the 23rd aoa of the book of Luk
attended
ee
Ask
THE ANNALS OF PORTSMOUTH, By Nathantel Adams. Reprinted
197l.—Peter-£, Handall, Publisher, Hampton, N.
Kiva) was found dead
ely born, and supposed to be mur-
ae and warrants being issued out by his Majesty's Justices of the
