1777-12-20 (static/transcriptions/1777/12/059.jpg)

1777. Sessions. [Saturday] Dec. 20.

to observe and keep the oath taken by her. After the twelve Matrons were sworn, they were directed to retire with the Prisoner into Mr. MacVeagh’s room the Record Office, which is adjoining to the Court Room, and within the Court House, and they did so. There were three or four English Chirurgeons sworn to give Evidence before them according to the best of their Skill and Judgment. They were, as almost all the Chirurgeons here are, such as practiced Mid-wifery, and commonly as all Surgeons here are, call’d Doctors. For we have no Man here, who is only a Phisician, though possibly many of the Chirurgeons here who are almost all Scotchmen may have Diploma’s of the Degree of Doctor, from some of the Scotch Universities, though I never heard that they had. There were also return’d by the Sheriff and summoned to give Evidence to this Jury of Matrons and sworn so to do, three Mahomedan Women who were Mid-Wives.
Impey directed the Jury that they were not to consider as Evidence what the Woman who was convicted said, of her being
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