Dating from 1557 to 1775, the cases being catalogued by Cambridge University Library archivists range from witchcraft to murder, highway robbery to forgery, and trespass to vagrancy. Cecilia Samuel’s brief entry reveals she was hanged for her crime; the alleged cheese thief, William Sturns, was found not guilty. Photograph: Cambridge University Library“Martha and Margaret may not appear in any other records. This means the court records in the collection are “extraordinarily” broad. And on 20 November 1580, the yeoman John Webbe of Thetford answered a plea of defamation from William Tyler.

Source: The Guardian June 11, 2019 11:48 UTC