Provincial Court Proceedings, 1664.  305





    but this Deponant knowes not whether there was any water in it or Liber B B
                                      noe she could not gett him up but calls to her husband, the man see
                                      ing his mastr comming getts up and goes towards the howse, his
                                      mastr followeth him and beateth him wth a sticke, a while after wee [p. 375]
                                      came out againe to worke picking up plants wee heard a great noise
                                      in the tobacco howse whereof Joseph ffincher cryed gett up gett up,
                                      a while after this depont saw a little Girle belonging to the howse
                                      running to the dwelling house and prsently after Thomas Whyniard
                                      and fetcht a bottle of dramms my Mr seeing him runn calls to Law
                                      rence Organ and goes to the tobacco house and further saith not—
                                      Susanna Leeth
       William Gunnell aged 22 yeares or thereabouts Sworne in Court
     Deposeth as folioweth
       That upon if ryday being the night before Joseph ffinchers man
     died this depont saw the said flincher bade his man wth plants and
     loaded soe much on him that the said serut told his mastr he could not
     beare it who said to his serut sirrah goe or else I will beate yow neuer
     was dogg soe beaten who answered his Mr Mastr I cannot cary them
     alithough yow knock me in the head and the fellow staggering his
     mastr Comming to him, kickt him and beate him with his fist saying
     sirrah Tie use the neuer noe dogg was soe used, Tie either knocke
     thee in the head or starue thee rather then Tie lead this life thee,
     and then ffincher called his seruant to him againe and loaded him wth
     some of the plants the fellow carryed them as well as he could to the
     old howse, this was done on fryday night before the fellow dyed,
     and the next morning this Depont being pegging of plants saw the
     said ffincher beate his seruant againe a sticke and likewise his fist
     and allsoe kicked him and after this depont went home and Comming
     out againe from breakfast this dept saw the said ffinchers wife and
     the fellow goeing to the spring the fellow not goeing soe fast as she
     would haue him shuved him along and struck him her hands and
     haul'd him & pull'd him and gott him up againe and comming from
     the springe the fellow fell downe againe and she call'd to her hus
     band, and told him that she could not gett the fellow up her husband
     coming the fellow rise and after he went up to the tobacco howse
     in the Corne feilde and this dept heard a greate noise and the fellow
     Cryed out Lord Mastr jf yow beate me any more yow will knock me
     in the head, and after this deponant saw a wench goeing downe to
     the dwelling howse she not comming soe soon as they expected
     Thomas Whyniard runn after & brought up a bottle of dramms
     Tho: Miles this depts mastr seeing of him runn called to Lawrence
     Organ and told him that he thought in his heart the fellow was dead,
     and this Dept further saith that Joseph ffincher formerly reported he
     had beate his serut and brake 2 tobacco sticks about the sides of him
     & declared it to John Kickseeck Lawrence Organ and this Depont
     being in the f eild when the said Kirkseeck spoke of it this Joseph







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