themify domain was triggered too early. This is usually an indicator for some code in the plugin or theme running too early. Translations should be loaded at the init action or later. Please see Debugging in WordPress for more information. (This message was added in version 6.7.0.) in /home/goodspeedhist/public_html/wp-includes/functions.php on line 6114The Burlington County Court Book has little to offer about Thomas Greene, but there was one incident witnessed by him that tells us a lot about life (and death) in West New Jersey in the 1680s.<\/p>\n
On August 9, 1686, Thomas Greene and Katherine Greene were called as witnesses in the case against James Wills, who was accused of beating \u201a\u00c4\u00faa Negro woman\u201a\u00c4\u00f9 to death. More specifically, he pleaded not guilty to \u201a\u00c4\u00fagiving the woman Negro any blowes that occasioned her death.\u201a\u00c4\u00f9 He did admit to burying the woman without notifying any official of her death, \u201a\u00c4\u00fanot knowing that the Lawe required there should have beene an Inquest touching the cause of her death.\u201a\u00c4\u00f91<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n Katherine Greene testified that \u201a\u00c4\u00fathe Negro woman Servant [was] by said James Wills sent to be a while at the house of the said Katharine.\u201a\u00c4\u00f9 She had come to get some advice from \u201a\u00c4\u00faa Negro that belongs to the said Katharine\u201a\u00c4\u00f9 regarding \u201a\u00c4\u00fasome distemper [she had] upon her.\u201a\u00c4\u00f9 That \u201a\u00c4\u00fadistemper,\u201a\u00c4\u00f9 which sounds so mild, was a \u201a\u00c4\u00faback very sore.\u201a\u00c4\u00f9 The Negro woman told Katharine it was caused by \u201a\u00c4\u00faFum, fum, which is (beating) and that further shee the said Katharine found a small Scarr upon her Belly which was sore,\u201a\u00c4\u00f9 which had also come from a beating. But Katharine did not think any of these injuries would cause the woman\u201a\u00c4\u00f4s death. Thomas Greene testified to the same.<\/p>\n Throughout the testimony of this case, the woman\u201a\u00c4\u00f4s name was never mentioned, and she was never described as a slave, even though Wills was called her \u201a\u00c4\u00faMaster.\u201a\u00c4\u00f9 But her use of the expression \u201a\u00c4\u00fafum fum\u201a\u00c4\u00f9 suggests that she came from Jamaica, for the term does appear in the Dictionary of Jamaican English<\/a>.\u00ac\u2020 (Thanks to Ben Zimmer<\/a> for that tip.) Perhaps the most poignant testimony was given by William Myers:<\/p>\n \u201a\u00c4\u00fa. . . hee heard at a Considerable distance many blowes or stripes and walking onward as hee thought hee heard a Negro Cry out many tymes, and soe heard stripes or lashes continued till hee gott home, and then he supposed it to be James Wills beating his Negro woman, and heard still many Lashes more and Crying out, until hee was greevd and went into his owne house and shut the dore, and said to his wife oh! Yond cruell man, and sayth hee believes hee heard full a hundred stripes or lashes, but did not see James Wills beat his Negro.\u201a\u00c4\u00f92<\/a><\/sup><\/p><\/blockquote>\n But there were a couple eye-witnesses\u201a\u00c4\u00eeblacksmith Thomas Gladwyn and William Peachee. They appeared in court to say what they saw, but despite being “greeved,\u201a\u00c4\u00f9 they returned to the Smithy to continue with their work, and so could not testify that the woman died of her wounds. Worse testimony came from James Hill who said he saw Wills<\/p>\n \u201a\u00c4\u00faBeat his said Negro and tye her hands, and hang her up, but that her feet reached the ground and might sustaine the weight of her body, but hee believes it was painfull to her and that hee [James Hill] took her downe, but sayth the Negro was soe stubborne and willfull that might well provoke any Master to use her sharply: But sayth hee saw nothing done to the Negro that in his Judgment might be the cause of her death; But that hee this Deponent believes she was unsound.\u201a\u00c4\u00f9<\/p><\/blockquote>\n The Jury found Wills not guilty of the woman\u201a\u00c4\u00f4s death. Either they thought murder was not proved or that her \u201a\u00c4\u00f2stubborn and willfull\u201a\u00c4\u00f4 character made lawful what Wills\u201a\u00c4\u00f4 had done–in other words, justifiable homicide. They seem to have been a little uncomfortable about this, noting that she was \u201a\u00c4\u00faunsound,\u201a\u00c4\u00f9 meaning ill.<\/p>\n \u201a\u00c4\u00faBut in regard it appears the said Negro was unsound, it was a fault, that hee did not therefore be the more spareing; and for that hee buryed her without a Jury or Inquest.\u201a\u00c4\u00f9<\/p><\/blockquote>\n