Eye, Dec. 16. 1851.
[The Act of 22 Hen. VIII. c. 9. recites, that "nowe in the tyme of
this presente parliament, that is to saye, in the xviijth daye of
Februarye in the xxij yere of his moste victorious reygn, one
Richard Roose late of Rouchester in the countie of Kent, coke,
otherwyse called Richard Coke, of his moste wyked and dampnable
dysposicyon dyd caste a certyne venym or poyson into a vessell
replenysshed with yeste or barme stondyng in the kechyn of the
Reverende Father in God John Bysshopp of Rochester at his place in
Lamebyth Marsshe, wyth whych yeste or barme and other thynges
convenyent porrage or gruel was forthwyth made for his famylye
there beyng, wherby nat only the nombre of xvij persons of his
said famylie whych dyd eate of that porrage were mortally enfected
and poysoned, and one of them, that is to say, Benett Curwen
gentylman therof is deceassed, but also certeyne pore people which
resorted to the sayde Bysshops place and were there charytably
fedde wyth the remayne of the saide porrage and other vytayles,
were in lyke wyse infected, and one pore woman of them, that is to
saye, Alyce Tryppytt wydowe, is also thereof now deceassed: our
sayde Sovereign Lorde the Kynge of hys blessed disposicion
inwardly abhorryng all such abhomynable offences because that in
maner no persone can lyve in suertye out of daunger of death by
that meane yf practyse therof should not be exchued, hath ordeyned
and enacted by auctorytie of thys presente parlyament that the
sayde poysonyng be adjudged and demed as high treason. And that
the sayde Richard [Rose or Roose] for the sayd murder and
poysonynge of the said two persones as is aforesayde by auctoritie
of this presente parlyament shall stande and be attaynted of highe
treason: And by cause that detestable offence nowe newly practysed
and com̅ytted requyreth condign̅e punysshemente for the same;
It is ordeyned and enacted by auctoritie of this present
parlyament that the said Richard Roose shalbe therfore boyled to
deathe withoute havynge any advauntage of his clargie. And that
from hensforth every wylfull murder of any persone or persones by
any whatsoever persone or persones herafter to be com̅ytted and
done by meane or waye of poysonyng shalbe reputed, demed, and
juged in the lawe to be highe treason; And that all and every
persone or persones which hereafter shalbe lawfully indyted
appeled and attaynted or condemned of such treson for any maner
poysonyng shall not be admytted to the benefyte of hys or theyre
clargye, but shalbe immedyatly committed to execucion of deth by
boylynge for the same.]