1777-12-19 (static/transcriptions/1777/12/053.jpg)

1777. Sessions. [Friday] December 19th.

Malice aforethought the said Susannah did Kill and Murder against the Peace of our Lord the King his Crown and Dignity.
(signed) William Johnson
Clerk of the Crown
December 9th 1777.
(signed) W. C. Lawrence
Clerk of the Indictments.

We had some discourse among us Judges, what sort of Women ought to be summoned on the jury to try whether the Convict Peggy was, as she alledged, with Child or not. We were inform’d, and particularly, by a Portuguese who was One of the Jury that tried Peggy that there were no Christian Women here who professed themselves Midwives, but the Midwives were all either Mahommedan Women or Hindoo Women, but cheifly Mahommedans. Midwives being proper to be on the Jury we deliberated whether persons of other Religions than Christian might not be sworn on this Jury, Impey was of opinion they might, and Chambers inclined to the same opinion but I being strongly of opinion that none but Christians could be Jurors, Impey and Chambers acceded to my Opinion, and the Sheriff was directed to return a Jury of Christian
/ Women