ation alone
often melted their adversaries' anger into pity unto them. The main
design driven on in the petition is, to separate themselves from the
Puritans (as persons odious to King James), that they might not fare
the worse for their vicinity unto them; though these Familists could
not be so desirous to leave them as the others were glad to be left by
them. For if their opinions were so senseless, and the lives of these
Familists so sensuall as is reported, no _purity_ at all belonged unto
them."

The _Family of Love_, after being exposed and ridiculed both in "prose and
rime," finally "gave up the ghost," and was succeeded by another "wicked
sect" denominated the _Ranters_.

EDWARD F. RIMBAULT.

[Footnote 1: It was reprinted in NOTES AND QUERIES, Vol. i. p. 17.]

* * * * *

PUNISHMENT OF DEATH BY BURNING.

A woman was strangled and burnt for coining in front of the Debtors door,
Newgate, on the 10th of March, 1789. I believe this to be the last instance
in which this old punishment was inflicted, at least in the metropolis. The
burning part of the ceremony was abolished by the 30 Geo. III., c. 48., and
death by hanging made the penalty for women in cases of high or petty
treason. E. S. S. W.'s informants are wrong in supposing that the criminals
were burnt whilst living. The law, indeed, prescribed it, but the practice
was more humane. They were first strangled; although it sometimes happened
that, through the bungling of the executioner, a criminal was actually
burnt alive, as occurred in the celebrated case of Katherine Hayes,
executed for the murder of her husband in 1726. The circumstances of this
case are so remarkable, that, having referred to it, I am induced to
recapitulate the chief of them, in the belief that they will interest your
readers. Hayes, who was possessed of some little property, lodged with his
wife Katherine in Tyburn, now Oxford Road. Mrs. Hayes prevailed upon two
men, named Billings (who lodged in the house) and Wood, a friend of Hayes,
to assist her in murdering her husband. To facilitate that object, Hayes
was induced to drink the enormous quantity of seven bottles (at that time
full quarts) of Mountain wine, besides other intoxicating drinks. After
finishing the seventh bottle he fell on the floor, but soon after arose and
threw himself on a bed. There, whilst in a state of stupefaction, he was
despatched by Billings an