Berry

1679 · ref. 72074 — 1679. Victims of the Popish Plot of 1678 Trials. Popish Plot. Green Robert d.1679 Defendant. Henry Berry Henry d.1679 Defendant. Hill Lawrence d.1679 Defendant. The Tryals of Robert Green Henry Berry and Lawrence Hill For the Murder of Sr. Edmond-bury Godfrey Knt. One of His Majesties Justices of the Peace for the County of Middlesex; At the Kings-Bench Bar at Westminster Before the Right Honourable Sir William Scroggs Knt. Lord Chief Justice of the Court And the Rest of His Majesties Judges There; On Monday the 10th of February 1678/9. Where Upon Full Evidence They Were Convicted And Received Sentence Accordingly On Tuesday the Next Day Following. London: Printed for Robert Pawlet 1679. iii 92 pp. With an imprimatur leaf. Folio 11" x 7". Recent period-style quarter calf over marbled boards negligible light fading to spine. Moderate toning to text minor stains and spark burns to a few leaves light soiling to title page "4" in tiny hand to its upper margin. $450. DESCRIPTION TRUNCATED DUE TO CHARACTER LIMITS. PLEASE CONTACT US FOR A COMPLETE VERSION. Only edition. One of the cruelest hoaxes in British history and the inspiration for a wave of anti-Catholic violence the Popish Plot was the invention of Titus Oates an Anglican clergyman and his friend Dr. Israel Tonge a cleric and passionate anti-Catholic. They pretended to have discovered a Jesuit plot to assassinate the King massacre Protestants and set James Duke of York the King's Catholic brother on the throne. The trial of Green Berry and Hill was one of its most shameful episodes. In October 1678 Godfrey a justice of the peace to whom Oates first described the plot was found dead in a ditch apparently the victim of murder. The Catholic community was blamed and Green Berry and Hill were eventually hanged for his murder. Many questions about this case remain however including the exact circumstances of Godfrey's death. One theory holds that Godfrey was killed by Oates and his supporters to underpin their own invented plot another that he was murdered for reasons unconnected with any Catholic plot. It is also possible that Godfrey committed suicide; when his body was found it was manipulated to fit the plot scenario. In any event Godfrey was buried in an elaborate funeral as a martyr to the Protes. unknown books