THE TRIAL
The day broke with barely a whisper of sound.
Opening her eyes to her bleak surroundings Elizabeth was met with many faces of gloom. Everyone was too scared to speak.
What would this day bring?
The familiar stench was wafting down the corridor again. The Gaoler appeared before them, although not the usual rough ragged tooth man, somehow they all stank the same. This was a tall man in uniform with a thick greatcoat to keep out the winter chill.
“Look lively me lovelies. You are going for a walk today. A nice fresh breeze awaits you, any stragglers will get a box behind the ears for your trouble. Now line up.”
Elizabeth realised with a sinking feeling that there would not be any gruel this morning. I hope this doesn’t take long, before we are back in our cells.
A bitter gust of wind welcomed them as they emerged through the doors. Squinting at the bright light, Elizabeth couldn’t remember when she had last seen the sky. It threatened menacingly with it’s grey murky colour and low hanging snow clouds.
Pulling her shawl over her head she hoped that she would still have dry clothes when she got there.
The tattered group of prisoners arrived at the hall for the Epiphany Session of the Assizes in good time and mercifully dry.
They were shuffled into one big group outside the hall to await their turn. Her hopes of sitting inside in the warmth were quickly dashed.
After many hours she was finally herded inside with some of the others. Moving slowly as all her joints were now stiff with the cold, she winced when she received a kick to her shins from one of their guards urging her to hurry.
Standing in the dock with blood trickling down her leg, she heard, “Elizabeth Selwyn, you are charged with theft and damage of property. Please state your name, age and abode.”[1]
How am I going to answer that? Should I tell the truth or do they need to hear something else? I don’t know me birthday. How can I tell ‘em me abode, when I don’t have one? I don’t think they want to hear that I sleep when and where I can.
Elizabeth shuffled sideways in the dock and found herself next to Lizzy. The man at the front of the judge was asking her the same questions.
Of course she was saying that her name was Elizabeth Evans but why was she saying that she was 16? She always tells me she is older than me, and I am pretty sure I am somewhere around 18 or 19? What is she doing?
Blinking in bewilderment Elizabeth became lost amongst all the big words of the courtroom. She had trouble keeping up with what they were saying. She remembered being asked and replying "Not Guilty" and Lizzy doing the same.
She was lead from the court with the words ringing in her ears...
Oh, what have I done?
1 Gloucestershire Archives; Gloucester, Gloucestershire, England; Gloucestershire Prison Collections; Reference: Q/SG2/1789-1814
2 Gloucestershire Archives; Gloucester, Gloucestershire, England; Gloucestershire Prison Collections; Reference: Q/SG2/1789-1814
Of course she was saying that her name was Elizabeth Evans but why was she saying that she was 16? She always tells me she is older than me, and I am pretty sure I am somewhere around 18 or 19? What is she doing?
Blinking in bewilderment Elizabeth became lost amongst all the big words of the courtroom. She had trouble keeping up with what they were saying. She remembered being asked and replying "Not Guilty" and Lizzy doing the same.
She was lead from the court with the words ringing in her ears...
“to be transporter beyond the seas for seven years”[2]
Oh, what have I done?
--------------------
1 Gloucestershire Archives; Gloucester, Gloucestershire, England; Gloucestershire Prison Collections; Reference: Q/SG2/1789-1814
2 Gloucestershire Archives; Gloucester, Gloucestershire, England; Gloucestershire Prison Collections; Reference: Q/SG2/1789-1814
No comments:
Post a Comment