AT Aldow, in the Parish of Steak-Sag, neer unto Lud­low, in the County of Salop, there lived a fellow about eighteen years of age, and though he were mean enough in his Parentage, Habit, and Edu­cation, yet no way despicable, except in his lewd life, and shameful death. His name was Thomas Reynols, eminent for Pilfering, even from his Child-hood, w [...]ich he had ever an audacious and peremptory way of denying. And as he increased in years, so he did not only in inclinations to do ill, but also in subtilty and strength, to prosecute the projects, which his wicked heart daily suggested to him, and to which his subtile head conti­nually shewed him the way. Being grown to the Age of Sixteen, he became a notable hardy and sturdy Villain, excellently subtile in contriving, and admi­rably audacious in prosecuting any mischiefs whatso­ever. [Page 2] Some of the most eminent you find in this Rela­tion, from which it will not be very difficult to guess at the rest.

Upon the Sixteenth day of February 1673 he was ob­served to rise very early in the morning, before, or as [...]oon as ever the day began to appear; and being asked what business he had to do so timely, he either answered churlishly, or doubtfully, but however, went away with a resolution of doing a Villany, that my hand shakes to Write of, and will I believe, make many a mans heart ake to read.

There lived at that time, in the same Parish, one John Stephens, and he was a very honest laborious man in his Calling; it seems he was a day labourer, and usually went abroad every morning early to some or other of his Masters thereabout to work, which he did this morning, as formerly he had done, leaving Alice his Wife, and his only Daughter Martha at home, to such employments as became people of their degree and Sex: this was perceived and observed by our hatcher of Wickedness, the wretched Thomas Reynols, who being informed by others, or fancying of himself that there might be something in Stephen's house, worth the put­ting in practice of this his murderous design, animated by the Devil, or (what was almost as bad) by his own diabolical and mischievous heart, he enters the house, about seven of the Clock in the Morning, and bring­ing with him a large [...]nife made very sharp, for that purpose, goes to their bed-side, and while they (poor wretches) were asleep, not thinking of doing harm, or dreaming, of reciving any, this bloody Miscreant taking first the Mother, and afterwards the Daughter by the throat, he cuts them clean through the Wind-pipe, whence issued forth such a fierce torrent of blood, as flew all about the face and cloaths of the Murderer, as if it had [Page 3] designed to discover, or (according to its power) to revenge the injury done to those bodies, to whom it had for many years been so friendly a Guest: but though at present its endeavours are too weak to effect its desired revenge, till Gods time is come; yet in the mean while it crys loud for it, so loud that one time or other, the crys shall be assuredly heard; as you shall see hereafter.

After this bloody Fact, the Author of it thinking himself unsafe, and imagining, that should the dead bodies be found in that gastly manner he might in time be discovered, he hardens himself in his Wicked­edness; and to secure all, goes with a Fire-brand [...]n­seen, and sets fire to the house, till it was all in Flames, which not only consumed three or four of the adjacent houses, but also the body of the murdered Guests it did contain.

Thus did that place which was a Shelter and Sanctu­ary to the living, prove a Grave, or rather an Urne to the dead, and they who before had preserved its Roof, then fed its Flames.

And now our bloody wretch thinking his Villany to have been consumed in those Flames it caused, goes to a Well to wash away the substance of the Blood, but not the guilt of it. And having given himself imagi­nary absolutions, he adventures boldly to behold his own Fires, as ever Nero, whom he out-did even in Cruelty.

Encouraged by this (as he called it) happy success, he thought himself in a very fair way to get an estate (as we say) out of the Fire, and therefore resolves to put in practice the Husbandry I have observed in some Countries, believing he might better his Estate by burn­ing. To this purpose he resolves upon a design in all Circumstances exactly tallying the former, but only in the success of it.

There lived not far from this place one Goodman Merick, whose manner of life and other circumstances I (for brevities sake) omit, as not pertinent to our pre­sent Relation, supposing it sufficient to acquaint you that this Thomas Renolds with inventions equally bloody, and designs altogether as cunning, while the said Merick, together with his Wife and one Child were all in bed, sets fire to the house, which imediately, being Thatch, becomes a body of Flames, and the first Summons that the inhabitants received was an astonishing noise of Flame, which yet hardly appeared through the thick Clouds of smoak; Merick newly awakned, is strangely surprised, as well with the unexpec [...]ness, as d [...]ger of the ac­cident.

But be is no Salamander, he cannot stay there, nor had he leisure to consult how to go, but on a suddain takes up his Wife and Child, and carries them through the flames in the Sheet they lay upon: which had he not done with strange dexterity and strength, they had doubtless found there, both a Death-bed, and a Winding-sheet, and had become like the former, as it were, Sa­crifices to his Cruelty.

To what intent he acted this hainous Fact, whether out of Malice, or design of Gain, is not known: But cer­tainly what ever his designs were, the means he made use of to accomplish them, were the most unheard of, and Tragical, that any story mentions.

After this he breaks open another Neighbours House, while the people were abroad, and not finding in it a Booty answerable to his expectations, he falls to work with a Barrel of Metheglin they had in the House, of which he tasted so plentifully, that he became very Drunk: Yet was he so cunning as to retreat into an adjoyning Barn, belonging to one Mr. Baughs; where he was Apprehended, and immediately committed by a Ju­stice of Peace to Shrewsbury Goal: Where he received his Tryal the 11th. of this Instant March, And by his own Conf [...]ssion he was found Guilty of all the fore­mentioned Facts.

Together with the cruelty he had plotted against the Wife of one Mr. Corfeilds of Ferny-hall, whom he had twice attempted to Murder, but her Husband being at home, he was disappointed.

But those he had the misfortune to effect, were sufficient to entitle him to the Gibbet; and accordingly Sentence was passed on him the 13th▪ of the same March, to be Hanged in Chains, which was Executed on the morrow accordingly.