Title:  The Proceedings on the King’s Commissions of the Peace And Oyer and Terminer, and Goal-Delivery of Newgate held for the City of London and County of Middlesex, at Justice-Hall in the Old-Bayly, The 13th. 15th. and 16th. days of October, 1686. And in the 2d. Year of His Majestys Reign , 1686, London, 3
Date: 13 October 1686-16 October 1686
Place: London

OLD BAILEY

John Wright and Edmond Anthony, of the Parish of St. Andrews Holbourn, was Indicted for breaking the House of Matthew Pluck Esq; on the 23d. of August last, and stealing six flowr'd damask Curtains value 40s. four Mohair Curtains 40s. one Quilt value 20s. one Perriwig 20s. one Sarsnet Quilt 10s. 16 Diaper Towels 2s. 3 coarse Napkins 10d. 3 Diaper Table Cloths 10s. one pair of Holland Sheets 20s. 3 pieces of Woollen Cloth 11s. one Muff 5s. one pair Cloth Breeches 12d. one silver Hilted Sword 20s. one lac’d Crevat 30s. with several other Goods of good value. The Evidence against the Prisoners deposed, that whilst the Family were in the Country they Robbed the House of the aforesaid Goods, some of which were found upon the Prisoners, and they being known to be very idle Fellows, having both together with Thomas Fann broke out of Newgate lately, (but were again taken) and being found in several Stories and Lyes, they were both after a full hearing found Guilty .

John Wright, along with six other convicted criminals, was executed at Tyburn on the 25th October 1686.

I know nothing more about Mathew Pluck. He was obviously a wealthy man of some standing; the title of Esquire at that time implies a man of more than Gentleman's status. This is an early Pluck, probably not descended from a line of Pluckroses.

The following is taken from the 'Proceedings of the Old Bailey' Website.

The Ordinary of Newgate was the chaplain of Newgate prison, and it was his duty to provide spiritual care to prisoners who were condemned to death. One of the perquisites of the Ordinary's position was the right to publish an account of the prisoners' last dying speeches and behaviour on the scaffold, together with stories of their lives and crimes. Sold at the affordable price of three or six pence, print runs ran into the thousands. As a result, this was a profitable sideline for the Ordinary, earning him up to £200 a year in the early eighteenth century. He published The Ordinary of Newgate's Account of the Behaviour, Confession and Dying Words of the Condemned Criminals... Executed at Tyburn (titles varied slightly) following almost every hanging day at Tyburn, and over 400 editions were published, containing biographies of some 2,500 executed criminals.

THE TRUE ACCOUNT OF THE BEHAVIOUR AND CONFESSIONS Of the Criminals Condemned, on Saturday the 16th. of October, 1686. At Justice-Hall in the Old Bayly. And in the Second Year of his Majesties Reign.

Fourteen of which, received Sentence of Death, viz. John Evans, W. Richard Johnson, Edward Newgent, Michael Wakeland, Richard Norgrave, John Cooley, Thomas Faun, John Wright, Edmond Anthony, Ann Philmore, Richard Richardson, Joseph Hensteys and Edward Skelton.

Of which John Wright, Richard Norgrave, John Cooly, Michael Wakeland, John Clarke, alias Evans, and Anne Philmore, were in the Dead-Warrant to be Executed at TYBURN On Monday the 25th. of this Instant October, 1686. The other Condemned Criminals, are by His Majesty Graciously Repreived.

The Ordinary cannot but stand amazed at, and deeply deplore the incorribility of such sinner, who are so habituated in a course of sinning, that no Examples of publick justice can prevail upon them to take warning, not wilfully to pervert their ways, and yet their Hearts fret against the Lord, when he finds them out, and brings them to Condign Punishment, for their Atheistical promising themselves, impurity, in the hardning of their Hearts against all former Covictions, abusing even the sparing Mercy of God and the King, which ought to have led them to Repentance and Amendment of Life.

On Saturday the 16th. of this Instant October, the foresaid Criminals were Condemned, and in the Afternoon the Ordinary visited so many of them as were willing to submit themselves to his Counsel and Prayers for them, to fit them for their approaching Death. He defined them that they would beseech the Lord, the Supreame judge of Heaven and Earth, by whose Smile Frown, Men live or die Eternally, that he would prevail upon them, to search and try their Hearts, and to call to Remembrance their former ill course of Life, for which he had justly suffered them, to run into such Notorious Crimes, which the Law of the Nation doth pass a Sentence of Death upon, and he warned them against that Advantage, which Satan would endeavour to get against them, by making them secure in a sinful State, as they had hardened their own Hearts, by the deceits of sensual Pleasures, and the prefering the fordidness of unjust gain, before the integrity of their precious Souls, to the hazarding their Eternal Destruction.

After other Advice given them, they seemed not to be so affected with their dreadful State, as went to be defined. Therefore the Ordinary prayed for them, that the Lord would remove their Stupidity, and make them to be more considerative of the Nature of their several Crimes; some having barbarously shed innocent Blood, which crys loud to Heaven for vengeance, and yet lesser sins are not inexcusable, because committed against the frequent Conviction of Conscience, and former sparing Mercy, so that they are become Guilty of great Ingratitude against God, and of and of a contemptious Self-cruelty, against their precious and immortal Souls.

The Ordinary earnestly desired them to prepare their Hearts, for the serious and sincere improvement of the Dutys of the Lords Day, because most who publickly suffer, acknowledge that the Prophanation thereof did provoke the Lord to leave them to such Crimes as bring upon them condign shame and punishment and that in all probability, this Sabbath might be the last, which they had to observe solemny on Earth, that it might be a Pledge of enjoying an Eternal Rest of heavenly Felicity. After this, they were dismist.

On the Lords Day, I Preach’d to them on the 5th. Verse of the 31st. Psalm, into thy Hand I commit my Spirit, for thou hast Redeemed me, O Lord God of Truth.

LENGTHY SERMON OMITTED

Here the Ordinary press’d the Condemned Criminals to Reconcile themselves to the Supreame Judge of Heaven and Earth. No mean person will accept of any Charge or Intrustment from a dying Enemy, much less can it be supposed that God will admit any infamous sinner to be a Co-heire with Christ; in heavenly Glory. How canst thou bequeave to the Father of Spirits a degenerate soul, laden with Guilt, defiled with sin, and alienated to Satan, unless thou make a Renunciation of thy League with thy Lusts, and enter into Communion with God purely for his own infinite excellencies, before thou be forced to flye to him for Refuge in distress. Proud sinners oppose the strength of God, but humble penitentiarys submit in time to the terms of Reconciliation with the Lord, that they may become his Favourites in Life and Death: Otherwise the Intrustment of their fouls to him, will prove but a Dream of Happiness, and the disappointment of false Confidences, will more grieve and distract them than the loss of heaven in an ordinary way of security.

Here were produced the Characters of such, who may with sincere Confidence, Commit their Souls to God at Death.

Lastly, some directions were prescribed to the Condemned, how to meet their approaching death, with a serene Conscience, and a lively Hope of Future Blessedness.

On Monday and Tuesday I Visited the Condemned, beginning and concluding my Discourses with Prayer, that God would awaken them from their Security, for I observed that they were little affected with my Preaching on the Lords Day precedent, for which I am deeply troubled, yet not altogether despondent of some Impressions to be made upon them.

Some are of a different Religion, and refused to come under my help of Prayer or Counsel; they who did submit, were very slight in their answers to my Inquires, how they had spent their Lives. Such Account which any them gave.  I now set down.

1st. Richard Richardson, Condemned for Murthering Mr. Howard, the Tryal may be seen at large, I assured him, that it would prove a dreadful Imprecation upon himself, if he did attempt to hide or extenuate so soul a Crime; I could not bring him to any acknowledgment. But I assured him, that the just God, never suffers any man to fall under the sentence of Death, unless it be for some secret foregoing Provocations. Therefore I charged him to search his Heart more strictly, to be ingenuous and sincere, in not concealing that Crime, or any other sin which might occasion it. I told him, that I suspected it was his Covetuousness which is the Root of all sin and mischeif. I told him that he usurped Power, in not having a Warrant to apprehend Mr. Howard, and therefore if he lost his Life by your exercising Cruelty in your Office, without any Resistance made by Mr. Howard you ought to repent of your unwarrantable apprehending and smiting of him as Murthering of him. He endeavoured to wave all my Arguments, to bring him to the acknowledgement of the Crime, yet confest, that God might justly leave him to fall under the said sentence of Death, for the many extravagances of his Life, particularly he named, his flighting his duty to God on the Sabath day, which held him in ignorance of the Concernments of his everlasting welfare. He did not deny that he had been ingaged in former Quarrels, wherein he had his Skul broken about a year since. Yet, he had been very Industrious in the Trade of a Black-Smith, but he repents that he took upon him the Office of an Hedborrow , for he thinks it occasioned much spight to him, among persons of an ill Life. I cannot give any farther account of him, only that he seems penitent, and fays, that if he die, he shall take it patiently, as submitting to Gods disposal of him, but if he may be spared, he will endeavour to amend his Life, for the neglect of which, he fears the Lord hath brought him to the sad circumstances, with which he is now encompassed.

2d. Edwerd Skelton, Condemned as accessary to the Murther of Mr. Howard, he is Repreived by the mercy of his Majesty. He confesses nothing , but rather affirms, that he doth not know, how Mr. Howard might fall by so untimely a Death, he resolves by Gods help, to walk more Circumspectly for the future, that he may redeeme that precious time which is granted to him by his Repreive.

3d. Thomas Fann, Condemned for stealing a Bay-Mare, he was one of the three who lately broke Prison. He was Borne in Huntingtonshire, aged 30 years or thereabouts, his Employment was in Husbandry , which he left and came to London to seek Employment, and bought Hair, of which he made Perriwigs , but he thrived not in this way, so growing idle, See original he contracted bad acquaintance, and to supply his vain expences, committed this Felony. He says, that he desires to repent of his Idle and prophane Speeches, and all other miscarrages of his Life, of which (he thinks) he should never have been sensible, had he not faln under this sad sentence, but if he may find sparing mercy, he hopes he shall betake himself to a better course of Life.

4th. Michael Wakeland, for setting upon a Waggoner, Binding him, and then Robbing the Waggon of Goods to a considerable value. He says he was Born at Hamstead, is Aged 25 years, that he had been a Day Laborer, his Education had been very mean, so that he is ignoranr and stubborn, giving little signs of Penitence for his mispent time.

5th Richard Norgrave, Condemned for Joyning in the aforesaid Robbery of the Waggon, Born at Oxford, Aged 16 years, he was by Trade a Mason ; which Employment: he left, and within 12 Months past grew poor, and took to bad Company, he desires to be sensible of, and sorrowful for all his Sins , which (himself says;) have made him vile in the fight of God and Men; he acknowledges, that he cannot work a change in own Heart, that he hopes that God for Christs sake will have Mercy on him, and wishes, that he had longer time to amend his Life, which, if it cannot be obtained, be desires to submit to Gods will.

6th. John Cooley, Condemned for Joyning in the Robbery of the aforesaid Waggon, Born in Westminster, Aged 25 years, he says he was a Soldier in Ireland for some time, but he left that Employment because his Horse Died, and he was so poor, that he could not furnish himself with another, after which he fell into loose Company, that he was a breaker of the Sabbath, and guilty of other sins, for which he is justly come to condign Punishment

7th. Joseph Hensley, Condemned for picking for picking a Woman’s Pocket in Lumbard street, he was Born in Gloucester-shire, Aged 21 years, he made Glass-Bottles , and wrought a while for himself, but being given to ill Company, he became extravagant in his Conversation, he says, that he little minded the Service of God, and for not keeping to an honest Calling, he is now justly brought to Punishment.

8th. John Wright, Condemned for breaking the House of Mathew Pluck Esq. and stealing thence Goods of a considerable value . He was Born in York shire, Aged, 27 years, he betook himself to Stealing, and having success in his evil Courses, he brake out of Prison, and thought to escape punishment that way, he remains very Obstinate, and without any relenting for his sinful Excresses. so I cannot give any farther account of him, yet will not desist to pray that he may be fit to appear before the Judgment seat of Christ, where no Impetinent sinner can lie hid, nor be sheltered from the demerited wrath of God.

9th. Anne Philmore, Condemned for Drowning her own Child, being Nine weeks old, the manner of it the Book of Tryals sets forth, I took some time and pains upon her Commitment, to convince her of the unnatural Barbarity of the Fact, yet could not obtain from her any discovery of the Motives, which Satan imprest on her mind, to prevail with her to commit the Crime. I askt her whether it were fear of Poverty, that she could not maintain the Infant, she replied no, for she joyned with her Husband in getting a Livelyhood for four Children. Her Employment was to take home Linnen and to wash it , she said that had taken great pains in tending this young frward Child, which hinded her washing. I could her, how exceedingly froard Hearted and Rebellious sinner are against their Creator, and yet himself bears with such in his long suffering to lead them to Repentance, the consideration of this, might have prevailed with her not to have destroyed her Child. To the committing of which Horrid Crime, which Coveruousness of grasping more Employment than she could well rid out of hand, or ill Nature prevailed most I know not; she hath alway since her Commitment been of a sullen reserved temper, and hath not in my Discourses with her, nor Prayers for her, seemed sorrowful for such an fact. Thus I have given an account of the Condemned Criminals, as fully as I could gather from their behaviour and Confessions relating to this Session.

About 10 of the Clock on Monday Morning, they were put into three several Carts at Newgate, and conveyed to the place of Execution, where the ordinary prayed with them, and exhorted the Spectators to take warning by them; after which the Ordinary sung part of a Psalm, and so concluded with a Prayer, after which they were turned off.

John Cooley, one of the Executed Criminals, did at Tyburn call for one viner a Waggoner, whom he formerly Robbed, and now desired his Pardon. Also he said that he had been a prophaner of the Sabbath, and a very great sinner, he cleared himself to another person, that he did not Rob him. He acknowledged also, that he Robbed the Waggon of one Marzin Bozier, and that he never committed Murther in his Life.

Dated this 22th. of October 1686. Samuel Smith Ordinary .