and that the said C. D. one I. L. who was then and there attending the said divine service in the said meeting house, and in the peace of God and our said lord the king, then and there being, unlawfully and riotously did beat, wound, and ill-treat, so that his life was greatly despaired of, to the great disturbance of, and terFor of divers of his Majesty's subjects, to the great damage of the said I. L. and against the peace, &c. [Second count for a common assault.] That James Churchyard, late of, &c. [and several others named] Information at being persons of unruly, turbulent, and wicked minds and disposi- common law for a conspitions, and contriving and intending to break and disturb the peace racy to disturb of our said lord the king, and to oppress, aggrieve, injure, annoy, congregation. a dissenting disturb, and harass divers of the liege subjects of our said lord the First count for a conspiracy king, being Protestants dissenting from the church of England, stating all the on, &c. with force and arms at, &c. unlawfully, wickedly, and de- overt acts. (1) signedly did conspire, combine, confederate, and agree together, and with divers other persons, as much as in them lay, as well by force, tumult, noise, and disturbance, as by divers subtle contrivances and artifices to interrupt, disturb, and disquiet a certain congregation of his Majesty's Protestant subjects dissenting from the church of England, permitted by a certain act of parliament, made in the first year of the reign of their late majesties king William and queen Mary, intituled, &c. the said congregation being then and there lawfully assembled together for religious worship, in a certain meeting house there situate,and which said meeting house had been, and then was duly certified and registered, pursuant to the said act of parliament, and also as much as in them, the said (defendants) lay, and by the means aforesaid, to prevent and hinder the said congregation from meeting and assembling together, and at other times in the said meeting house for religious worship, and from performing divine service therein; and that the said (defendants) in pursuance of, and according to the conspiracy, combination, confederacy, and agreement so as aforesaid before had, afterwards, to wit, on, &c. aforesaid, and on divers other days and days, to wit, on, &c. (naming several days) with force and arms at, &c. aforesaid, together with, divers other persons being rioters, routers, and disturbers of the peace of our said lord the king, to wit, fifty other persons and upwards unlawfully, riotously, and routously did assemble and gather themselves together to break and disturb the peace of our said lord the king, and to carry into effect (t) This was filed in crown of fice Easter term 51 Geo. III. As to an information, see 3 Burr. 1683. See Notes on the requisites of in- their unlawful and wicked conspiracy, combination, confederacy, and agreement aforesaid, and being so assembled and gathered together as aforesaid, on the days and times aforesaid, for the purpose aforesaid, divers very great riots, routs, tumults, noises, and disturbances did make, and cause to be made, in, near, and about the said meeting house, a certain congregation of his majesty's Protestant subjects dissenting as aforesaid, and permitted as aforesaid, on the respective days aforesaid, there lawfully assembled together for religious worship in the said meeting house, so certified and registered as aforesaid, and on the respective days aforesaid there unlawfully, riotously, and routously did, willingly and of purpose, analiciously and contemptuously, disquiet and disturb the said congregation so assembled, during the time of divine service in the said meeting house, and unlawfully, riotously, and routously did fire off, and cause to be fired off and thrown into the said meeting house, and also into the common highway there, divers squibs and fireworks, and unlawfully, riotously, and routously did assault, beat, wound, and ill-treat divers persons of the said congregation, to wit one, &c. [naming them] and unlawfully, riotously, and routously did cast and throw stones, dirt, mud, human dung, and other filth at, and against the said, &c.; [naming them] and unlawfully, riotously, and routously on the respective days aforesaid, by such force and violence as aforesaid, as well by divers subtle contrivances and artifices interrupt, disquiet, and disturb such congregation as aforesaid, so assembled as aforesaid in the said meeting house for religious worship as aforesaid, during the time of divine service in the said meeting house, and did, by the means aforesaid, endeavour to prevent and hinder the said congregation from assembling together for religious worship in the said meeting house; by means of which said premises the said congregation on the days and times aforesaid, at the parish aforesaid in the county aforesaid, were greatly interrupted, disquieted, disturbed, alarmed, and terrified, and greatly obstructed, prevented, and hindered in assembling in the said meeting house for religious worship, and from performing divine service therein, in contempt, &c. to the evil example, &c. Second, count and against the peace, &c. And the said coroner and attorney for for a conspi- our said lord the king who prosecutes as aforesaid, further gives racy to disturb, but not stating the court here to understand and be informed that the said [defendants] being such persons as aforesaid, and contriving and intending as aforesaid, on, &c. aforesaid, at, &c. aforesaid, unlawfully, wickedly, and designedly did conspire, combine, confederate, and agree together, and with divers other persons as much as in them lay, as well by force, tumult, noise, and disturbance, as by divers subtle contrivances and artifices to interrupt, disturb, and overt acts. overt acts. disquiet the said congregation of his majesty's Protestant subjects, dissenting from the church of England, permitted by the said act of parliament, whenever the said congregation should be there assembled together for religious worship in the said meeting house there situate, and so certified and registered as aforesaid, and as much as in them lay by the means aforesaid, to prevent and hinder the said congregation from meeting and assembling together in the said meeting house for religious worship, and from performing divine service therein, in contempt of our said lord the king and his law, to the evil example, &c. and against the peace, &c. And the Third count said coroner and attorney for our said lord the king who prosecutes racy to disturb, for a conspias aforesaid, further gives the court here to understand and be in- stating other formed that the said [defendants] being such persons as aforesaid, and contriving and intending to break and disturb the peace of our said lord the king on, &c. aforesaid, with force and arms at, &c. aforesaid, unlawfully, wickedly, and designedly did conspire, combine, confederate, and agree together, and with divers other persons as much as in them lay, as well by force, tumult, noise, and disturbance, as by divers subtle contrivances and artifices to interrupt, disturb, and disquiet a certain congregation of his majesty's Protestant subjects dissenting from the church of England, permitted by a certain act of parliament, made in the first year of the reign of their late majesties king William and queen Mary, intituled, &c. whenever the said congregation should be there lawfully assembled together for religious worship in a certain meeting house there situate, and which said meeting house had been, and then was duly certified and registered pursuant to the said act of parliament; and that the said [defendants] in pursuance of, and according to the conspiracy, combination, confederacy, and agreement between them, so as last aforesaid before had, afterwards, to wit, on, &c. aforesaid, and on divers other days and times between that day and the third day of December, in the fifty-first year aforesaid, with force and arms at, &c. aforesaid, unlawfully, riotously, and routously did make and cause divers great riots, routs, noises, and disturbances near and about the said meeting house, the said congregation of his majesty's Protestant subjects dissenting as aforesaid, and permitted as aforesaid, being then, and on the days and times aforesaid, there lawfully assembled together for religious worship in the said meeting house, so certified and registered as last aforesaid, in contempt of our said lord the king and his laws, to the evil example, &c. and against the peace, &c. And the said coroner and attorney Fourth count for our said lord the king who prosecutes as aforesaid, further for a conspiracy to pregives the court here to understand and be informed that the said vent assembly at meeting[defendants] being such persons as aforesaid, and contriving and house, stating overt acts ge- intending as aforesaid, on, &c. aforesaid, with force and arms at, nerally. &c. aforesaid, unlawfully and wickedly did conspire, combine, confederate, and agree together, and with divers other persons as much as in them lay, as well by force and violence as by divers unlawful contrivances and artifices, to prevent and hinder a certain congregation of his majesty's Protestant subjects dissenting from the church of England, and permitted by law, from lawfully meeting and assembling together for religious worship in a certain meeting house, situate in the parish aforesaid, in the county aforesaid, and duly certified and registered according to law; and that the said [defendants] in pursuance of, and according to the conspiracy, combination, confederacy, and agreement between them so as aforesaid, before had, afterwards, to wit, on, &c. and on the other days and times aforesaid, with force and arms at, &c. aforesaid, did by force and violence, as well as by divers subtle artifices and contrivances, endeavour to prevent and hinder the said congregation from assembling together for religious worship in the said meeting house, so certified and registered as aforesaid, in contempt of our said lord the king and his laws, to the evil example, &c. and against Fifth count for the peace, &c. And the said coroner and attorney for our said a conspiracy to prevent cer. lord the king who prosecutes as aforesaid, further gives the court tain persons here to understand and be informed that the said [defendants] bling at meet- being such persons as aforesaid, and contriving and intending as ing-house stat- aforesaid, on, &c. aforesaid, with force and arms at, &c. aforesaid, ing overt acts. unlawfully and wickedly did conspire, combine, confederate, and agree together, and with divers other persons as much as in them lay, to prevent and hinder divers of his majesty's Protestant subjects dissenting from the church of England, to wit, one, &c. [name several] from assembling in the said meeting house, so certified and registered as aforesaid for religious worship according to law; and also to prevent and hinder divine service from being performed therein, and in pursuance of, and according to the conspiracy, combination, confederacy, and agreement, so as last aforesaid before had, on the same day and in the year aforesaid, with force and arms at, &c. aforesaid, unlawfully did make and cause to be made divers riots, routs, noises, and disturbances near the said meeting house, and did thereby, and by divers other acts of violence endeavour to terrify, alarm, and intimidate the said, &c. [the persons named] and prevent and hinder them from assembling together in the said meeting house for religious worship as aforesaid, or having divine service performed therein, to the great damage of the said [the persons named] in contempt of our said lord the king and his laws, to the evil example, &c. and against the peace, &c. And the said coroner and attorney for our said lord the king whe from assem Sixth count cause a riot *prosecutes as aforesaid, further gives the court here to understand conspiracy to and be informed that the said [defendants] being such persons as with overt aforesaid, and contriving and intending as aforesaid, on, &c. last acts. aforesaid, with force and arms at, &c. aforesaid, unlawfully and wickedly did conspire, combine, confederate, and agree together, and with divers other persons to instigate, incite, and encourage divers persons, whose names are unknown to the said coroner and attorney of our said lord the king, to assemble and gather themselves together at, &c. aforesaid, to break and disturb the peace of our said lord the king, and to make and cause to be made divers riots, routs, tumults, noises, disturbances, and violations of the peace of our said lord the king, and in pursuance of, and according to the conspiracy, combination, confederacy, and agreement, so as last aforesaid, before had, on, &c. aforesaid, with force and arms at, &c. aforesaid, unlawfully did instigate, incite, and encourage divers persons, whose names are unknown as aforesaid, to assemble and gather themselves together at the parish aforesaid, in the county aforesaid, to break and disturb the peace of our said lord the king, and did then and there by such instigation, incitement, and encouragement as aforesaid, make and cause to be made divers riots, routs, tumults, noises, and disturbances of the peace of our said lord the king, at, &c. aforesaid, in contempt, &c. to the evil example, &c. and against the peace, &c. And the said coroner and Seventh count attorney for our said lord the king who prosecutes as aforesaid, for a riot and further gives the court here to understand and be informed that assembly at the said [defendants] on, &c. aforesaid, and on divers other days and meetingtimes, to wit, on, &c. [setting out the several days as in the 1st count,] with force and arms at, &c. aforesaid, together with divers other persons being rioters, routers, and disturbers of the peace of our said lord the king, to wit fifty other persons and upwards, unlawfully, riotously, and routously did assemble and gather themselves together, to break and disturb the peace of our said lord the king, and being so assembled and gathered together as aforesaid, on the days and times aforesaid, divers very great riots, routs, tumults, noises, and disturbances did make, and cause to be made in, near, and about the said meeting house, so certified and registered as aforesaid, a certain congregation of his majesty's Protestant subjects dissenting as aforesaid, and permitted as aforesaid, being on the respective days aforesaid there lawfully assembled together for religious worship in the said meeting house; and that the said [defendants] together with the said other persons on the respective days aforesaid, there unlawfully, riotously, and routously did willingly, and of purpose, maliciously and contemptuously disquiet and disturb such congregation so assembled as aforesaid, during the Crim. Law. VOL. II. C disturbance of house. |