FRIENDS, being met together in the Name and fear of the Lord, to wait upon him, there came in four Rude Youths, viz. Thomas Towers, William Towers, John Groom, and John Copson, who did much Abuse Friends, and the Constable coming in and taking a view of our Meeting, after a little stay, went forth to an House near the Meeting: Then the Rude Youths said we will go to the Officers, and if they will Charge us, we will soon have them out, for they say we can do it better than they. So they going to Richard Moore the Constable, William Read Church-warden, Robert Bent Over-seer of the Poor, and having stayed but a little time, returned to our Meeting again: Which Rude Youths, beginning to excercise their Cruelties upon us, we asked for their Warrant, and they said they were set on by the Parish. So in the Execution of their Cruelties, Throwing at us Turnip Tops, Punching us with sticks, Throwing into the House Pieces of broken Punchins, Pulling our Hoods from off our Heads, and then laid Violent Hands upon us, and pluck'd us [Page 2] out of the Meeting, and then dragg'd Friends to and fro in the Dirt, The Officers standing by and not reproving them, saying, You may keep at home. So being thus in danger of our Lives, William Read said he would speaks to the Youths, That we should pass quietly home; but when Great Cruelties had been Acted on us, William Read said, they had a War­rant to break up our Meeting, after what manner soever they would: and the same day a Lass coming to the Meeting she was taken by Violence, and forc'd up [...]: And indeed it is too hard for us, to remember all our great Abuses, we being weakly Women, and having but one Man Friend with us that day, who was Sorely Abused, till he was almost Spent, and drawing Blood of another Friend; and an Antient Friend a Woman much Abused; so Praising the Lord for his Mercies to us, in supporting and preserving us Alive, notwithstanding these inhumane endeavours [...]o bereavd us there­of; we returned home. The Truth of this might be Testified by many, but being at a distance, we who were there give this under our Hands.

• Elizabeth Hilton.
• Jane Hilton.
• Ann Griffeth.
• Alice Griffeth.
• Elizabeth Hill, with several others.

ANd the next Meeting being the 4th day of 10th Month 1681. Friends being going to the Meeting, and some Friends being come before the rest, the rude Youths being there (before several Friends were come) quickly began to Act their Villanies, pulled down the Fire and thrower about the House: Then pulling out Elizabeth Hill with some other Friends, so the rude Youths dragged Elizabeth Hill through the Dirt, till she was almost Spent. Then some Neighbourly Women came out and said, What will you Kill the Woman: The rude Youths said, What care we, Mr. Cotton bid [...] so, the Woman said, Did he indeed, they said, Aye indeed; she said, Then he may be [Page 3] ashamed of it: He is the Priest, his Name is William Cotten. It seems more probable, that the said Priest Cotton did Incourage those Rude and [...]iotous person; seeing that above three Years agoe, he himself did Violently Pull and Hale Thomas Pitston out of his Lodging at Edward Earby's House in Thorp in the Parish of Broughton; and forced him before Justice Stafford, without any Legal Authority, or Warrant; and caused the Justice to put the Oath of Allegiance to the said Thomas Pit­stow, and also to Ed­ward Earby and John Swan lun. who only went along with him to Accompany him, and give the Justice an Account of their knowledge of him: Whereupon they a [...]l three were commit­ted to Prison for re­fusing to take it; the said Edward Earby being an Ancient man of about seventy years of Age. So Elizabeth Hill being [...]r Spent, the Youths said, Let us see if her Teeth be set, and one of them put his Finger into her Mouth, and perceiving her to Breath, said, Let us at her again; and said, The Devil is in her, and we will sqeeze him out. And then one of the Boyes went to the Constable, and came again and said, He bid them do so; and if any take their parts, we must serve them as bad. So the Neighbourly Women took her and led her in at the Metting-House-Gate; so when we came to go into the Meeting, they left Elizabeth Hill, whom they had so much Abused, and came to the rest of Friends, and began to fling Dirt at us in a Violent man­ner, and Tore our Cloathes; and through much hardship Friends got into the Meet­ing place. The Constable and the Youths came to us, and they laying Violent Hands upon John Brooks, drew him out by force, Tearing his Cloathes, and drew out Wil­liam Brooks, and then threw some of us on Heaps upon the Floor: So fearing there might have been Murther committed, a Neigh­bourly Woman came in several times, and said, Will you Murther the People that do you no harm. So she going out, said to those that were pulled out, I do not know, but one lyeth Dead on the Floor: Then John Brooks pressed in amongst them to see by whom it might be Acted; but they would not suffer William Brooks to come in: Then the Youths lifting up Elizabeth Hill, they said to the Constable, See if she do not breath. So having no Mercy (she being near Dead) They carried her out, and said her along in the Dirt; and then Dragg'd out some other Friends by the Head and Heels, and laid them also in the Dirt: And when they came in again, they fell Violently upon [Page 4] John Brooks, and drew him backwards over a high Doorsil, but through Mercy had not much hurt; and then Dragg'd him out of the House. And when they had thus used us; then they took Clouts, and dip'd them in the Dirt, and threw in our Faces, and upon our Cloathes, and so continued rubbing of our Faces with Dirty Wisps of Straw; and said, If any took our Parts, they should be served as bad as they; For the Youths said, The Constable bid them do so. And further said, We have good backers, the Parson bid us also. The Constable came to us in the Morning and bid us come; and we should be paid when we had done. These Cruelties with other shameful Abuses, which for Modesties sake we forbear to mention in this place. To the Truth of this we are Witnesses:

• William Brooks.
• John Brooks.
• William Webster.
• Elizabeth Hill.
• Elizabeth Hilton.
  With several other Friends.

ANd also here followeth the Testimony of John Parker (one of Priest Cotten's Parishoner and Hearer) I looking into the Meeting, saw the Rude Youths Lugg and draw and throw on heaps, the like I never saw in my Life before: And I asked who set them on work, and the Rude Youths said, Mr. Cotten: And I fearing there might have been Murther, spoke to them and said, Will you Murther them, that do you no Hurt: I saw them Hale and draw Elizabeth Hill out, and threw her in the Dirt, until her Life was almost Spent; and I helped to get her into the House, though they haled her out again. And I saw them so daub, and throw Dirt, it is hard to relate it. This and much more I saw the 20th of the 11th Month, 1681. This Testi­mony was taken from.
John Parker.

THe Testimony of Jonathan Phillips. I saw them much Daubed with Dirt, and Dragging John Brooks by the Collar.
Jonathan Phillips.

[Page] THe Testimony of Sarah Philipps I saw the Rude Youths Lugg and draw Elizabeth Hill into the dirt, into several places. And I saw them throw at William Brooks and John Brooks and others, and Chid them; And they said, they were set on by the Parson, And they said, they would tell the Parson of me. And said, if I talked, they would do as much at me.

And I Mary Moor likewise saw all this.
Sarah Phillipps.

ANd again upon the 11th day of the same Month, Friends coming to the Meeting; they found a Lock on the door, and the Gate nailed up: But we got into the yard and stood there; Then the Constable Richard Moor and William Read Warden, with other Officers came with their Warrants, and took our men Friends as Prisoners, And then caused the door to be opened, and kept them Prisoners in the Meeting-house; and then the Constable with William Read and others, In­humanely drew out the Women, not regarding the Conditions of any as if they had been Men Void of reason. So the next day they took John Brooks and William Webster to the Justices, the Priests Brother (a Grand Persecutor) called Samuel Cotten of Daddlington and Beamont Dixey of Market Bosworth, both Ju­stices (so called) who to Gratify the desires of the Persecutors, Ensnared them with the Oath, and sent them to Prison, where they now remain. Thus having left us few Men, then forcing us from our Meeting place hanging a lock on the door: The Woman Friend of the house being dead and her husband Edward Earby being cast into Prison upon the oath some years ago, who held the house but for his Wife's Life: so we presently got another place to Meet in, In the same Parish.

Again the 18th of the same month, Friends being come to the other Meeting House, where they were permitted to go; and quickly these Rude Youths came in again and fell to drawing us, and throwing us on heaps on the floor, then dragg'd out some by [Page] the Head and heels, and went and fetch'd dirt and Rubed on our faces. And the Priest's Man whose name is Thomas Ambrose came into the Home and said to the Youths, daub them soundly; for it is no matter if they were all put into the Millstream[?]. So the Youths going on with their Cruel pulling and Hailing, whilst the Priest's Man was there, pulling of us by the heads, as if they would have strangled us, and by our Arms, as if they would have pulled our Joynts asunder. And thus they continued (as Friends suppose,) about half an hour: And the Priest's Man said, His Master was one of the best Men in Eng­land, For if every one would serve them so; This See how like Papists this is, and that of the worst sort. Heresy would be rooted out. So when we were off from the Meeting Ground, and in the street, coming homew [...]rds, one of the Youths fell to gathering up dirt, and threw in the face of Elizabeth Hilton, and took an handful of dirt, and following of her, caught her by the hood and holding her behind her head with one hand, Cram'd the dirt in her mouth with the other, So Eliza­beth being near spent, and Leaning on a Gate, he caught her by the Head, and daubed her so that her Life being in dan­ger Two Friends (so soon as they could get to her) Came and led her towards an house. But before she could get to the house, the Youths came on again, add threw Elizabeth Hilton and Elizabeth Hill down in the street, and said, That be­fore they should go into the House, they would spend their Blood. And with much Striving Elizabeth Hilton got near to the Door, to go to a Houses but one of the Youths caught her by the Hood, and held her by the Hood till she was near Strangled; and when his Hands were Loosed, Elizabeth Hilton had a sore Fall over the Door Sill to her great Hurt: So the Neighbours came in, and they being affrightened, and Friends much spent by their Barbarous Cruelties: The Constable was sent for, but he came not, but one of the Youths coming in, and seeing how it was, said, I think she is dying indeed, but if she do, she is fitter for the Devil. Nevertheless all necessary means for her Recovery were used, yet she lay at Broughton (where she had the hurt,) near three Weeks before she got home, It being near Two Miles from the place of her outward abode, and then they brought her home though weak.

[Page] TO this preceding Meeting, here followeth the Testimony of Thomas Stretton, one of the Priests Hearers▪ I saw Elizabeth Hilton going towards Richard Bayliffes: And as she went up the Steps to his Door, Thomas Towers Caught her by the Hood; and I saw him throw her over the Threshold: Then the Rude Youths came into my House, and Cracked how one held her, and the other Cram'd Dirt in her Mouth, at William Harman's Gate.
Thomas Stretton.

THe Testimony of Elizabeth Stretton, another of the Priests Hearers: I saw Elizabeth Hilton her Mouth Daubed with Dirt; and so Abused she had been, that I thought she would have Died forthwith: And I saw the Youth Lugg her about, and throw her down in the Street.
Elizabeth Stretton.

THe Testimony of Jane Miller: I being going to Church, was called into Richard Bayliffes House, where I saw Elizabeth Hilton, had been much Abused, her Mouth being all Dirty: And though I did not see when she was so wrong'd, yet I heard Thomas Towers say twice, I for We, have Killed their Preacher, and she was very weakly.
Jane Miller.

[Page] THere was but one Young Man a Friend, at this last Meeting; they having (before these Cruelties were Acted) been by a wicked Informer John Smith, very much Ruinated by spoiling of their Goods; and since (by the Instigation of this Vile and wicked Priest Cotten) sent most of our Men Friends to Prison, and have now struck at the Lives of those that are left, by his wicked Agents.

Before these Transactions were thus Acted, Thomas Ambrost this Priests Man said, That nothing would drive them away, but either Fire or Water; and if the House was his, he would burn it on their Heads. And said to the Officers, That Elizabeth Hil­ton would be put into the Well: And they asked him, who should do it, and he said, He would, Witness.
William Brooks.

The four Youths mentioned herein; one of them was about 17, or 18 years of Age, and another about 15 or 16. And the other two about fourteen.