xed the rope before she
had become unconscious, and in spite of the efforts at once made to
hasten combustion, she suffered for a considerable time the greatest
agonies.

Two paragraphs, dealing with such cases, are in the _London Magazine_
for July, 1735, and are as follow: "At the assizes, at Northampton, Mary
Fawson was condemned to be burnt for poisoning her husband, and
Elizabeth Wilson to be hanged for picking a farmer's pocket of thirty
shillings."

"Among the persons capitally convicted at the assizes, at Chelmsford,
are Herbert Hayns, one of Gregory's gang, who is to be hung in chains,
and a woman, for poisoning her husband, is to be burnt."

In the next number of the same magazine, the first-mentioned criminal is
again spoken of: "Mrs. Fawson was burnt at Northampton for poisoning her
husband. Her behaviour in prison was with the utmost signs of
contrition. She would not, to satisfy people's curiosity, be unveiled to
anyone. She confessed the justice of her sentence, and died with great
composure of mind." And also: "Margaret Onion was burnt at a stake at
Chelmsford, for poisoning her husband. She was a poor, ignorant
creature, and confessed the fact."

We obtain from Mr. John Glyde, jun., particulars of another case of
burning for husband murder (styled petty treason). In April, 1763,
Margery Beddingfield, and a farm servant, named Richard Ringe, her
paramour, had murdered John Beddingfield, of Sternfield. The latter
criminal was the actual murderer, his wife being considered an
accomplice. He was condemned to be hanged and she burnt, at the same
time and place, and her sentence was that she should "be taken from
hence to the place from whence you came, and thence to the place of
execution, on Saturday next, where you are to be burnt until you be
dead: and the Lord have mercy on your soul." Accordingly, on the day
appointed, she was taken to Rushmere Heath, near Ipswich, and there
strangled and burnt.[23]

Coining was, until a late period, an offence which met with capital
punishment. In May, 1777, a girl of little more than fourteen years of
age had, at her master's command, concealed a number of whitewashed
farthings to represent shillings, for which she was found guilty of
treason, and sentenced to be burnt. Her master was already hanged, and
the fagots but awaiting the application of the match to blaze in fury
around her, when Lord Weymouth, who happened to be passing that way,
humanely interfered.