Jury service (1653) (1669)

Post date: Jul 18, 2012 12:25:45 PM

Hugh Hatch of Wateringbury served as a juror at 25th July 1653 Maidstone Assizes including the trial of a group of 5 people charged with riotous assembly at Woolwich , all of whom were found not guilty.

Thomas Becket of Wateringbury served on the trial jury at Rochester Assizes on 27th July 1669. The cases he heard included:

Margaret Andrewes -infanticide- not guilty

Martin Hills-petty larceny-not guilty

Anne Buddle -murder by witchcraft-not guilty

Edward South, Thomas Woodley and Thomas Blackman -for murder- South and Woodley guilty to hang- Blackman-not guilty.

John Hunt for infanticide-not guilty.

Given high proportion of not guilty verdicts it seems Wateringbury provided independent-minded jurors.