DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.70266#0399
NARRATIVE OF JOANNA SOUTHCOTT.
355
(t In the Court of Common Pleas, an action was brought
by a Mr. Ditchman against one Goldsmith, both inhabitants
of Gravesend, to recover a bet of 2001. The agreement
was in these words :—e I bet 200/. against Mr. Ditchman’s
600Z., that Mrs. Joanna Southcott is delivered of a male
child before the 1st of November, 1814. (Signed) R. Gold-
smith.’ Serjeant Onslow, for the defendant, who was one
of the preachers of Joanna, contended that this was one
of those indelicate and immoral cases which ought not to be
inquired into. Chief Justice Gibbs asked if he had any
precedent; and the Serjeant replying in the negative, Ser-
jeant Best said, he had subpoenaed the lath-render, Tozer, to
prove that Mrs. Southcott had not been delivered of a male
child; but unfortunately he was paying his creditors in the
King’s Bench Prison ; he would, however, call Dr. Reece,
who stated, that- Joanna died without being a mother.—
That he did not know whether she was married or not; but
that she passed for a single woman, and constantly averred
she should give birth to a young Shiloh. The Chief Justice
now said there being no proof of her being a married wo-
man, he would not suffer this cause to proceed further. The
record was therefore withdrawn,”
“ A clergyman likewise, in his bewildered fancy and belief,
engaged to give up his living, if Shiloh was not born at the
promised period.”
cc Another of Joanna’s followers, who was a shoemaker in
Bermondsey, undertook to make shoes for all his customers,
upon those conditions, that if Shiloh was born by the
appointed time, they were to pay double price, if not, they
were to pay nothing for their shoes and boots: unfortunately
for him, no Shiloh was born, and he ruined himself by his
speculation.”
Mechanics with large families, and servants who had no
other means than what were derived from their wages, alike
contributed to the maintenance of this imposture, to their
z z 2
355
(t In the Court of Common Pleas, an action was brought
by a Mr. Ditchman against one Goldsmith, both inhabitants
of Gravesend, to recover a bet of 2001. The agreement
was in these words :—e I bet 200/. against Mr. Ditchman’s
600Z., that Mrs. Joanna Southcott is delivered of a male
child before the 1st of November, 1814. (Signed) R. Gold-
smith.’ Serjeant Onslow, for the defendant, who was one
of the preachers of Joanna, contended that this was one
of those indelicate and immoral cases which ought not to be
inquired into. Chief Justice Gibbs asked if he had any
precedent; and the Serjeant replying in the negative, Ser-
jeant Best said, he had subpoenaed the lath-render, Tozer, to
prove that Mrs. Southcott had not been delivered of a male
child; but unfortunately he was paying his creditors in the
King’s Bench Prison ; he would, however, call Dr. Reece,
who stated, that- Joanna died without being a mother.—
That he did not know whether she was married or not; but
that she passed for a single woman, and constantly averred
she should give birth to a young Shiloh. The Chief Justice
now said there being no proof of her being a married wo-
man, he would not suffer this cause to proceed further. The
record was therefore withdrawn,”
“ A clergyman likewise, in his bewildered fancy and belief,
engaged to give up his living, if Shiloh was not born at the
promised period.”
cc Another of Joanna’s followers, who was a shoemaker in
Bermondsey, undertook to make shoes for all his customers,
upon those conditions, that if Shiloh was born by the
appointed time, they were to pay double price, if not, they
were to pay nothing for their shoes and boots: unfortunately
for him, no Shiloh was born, and he ruined himself by his
speculation.”
Mechanics with large families, and servants who had no
other means than what were derived from their wages, alike
contributed to the maintenance of this imposture, to their
z z 2