Stephen College (also Colledge) (c.1635–1681) was an English joiner, activist Protestant, and supporter of the
perjury
Perjury (also known as foreswearing) is the intentional act of swearing a false oath or falsifying an affirmation to tell the truth, whether spoken or in writing, concerning matters material to an official proceeding."Perjury The act or an inst ...
underlying the fabricated
Popish Plot
The Popish Plot was a fictitious conspiracy invented by Titus Oates that between 1678 and 1681 gripped the Kingdoms of England and Scotland in anti-Catholic hysteria. Oates alleged that there was an extensive Catholic conspiracy to assassinate C ...
. He was tried and executed for
high treason
Treason is the crime of attacking a state authority to which one owes allegiance. This typically includes acts such as participating in a war against one's native country, attempting to overthrow its government, spying on its military, its diplo ...
, on somewhat dubious evidence, in 1681.
Life
He was born about 1635, and worked in the trade of
carpentry
Carpentry is a skilled trade and a craft in which the primary work performed is the cutting, shaping and installation of building materials during the construction of buildings, ships, timber bridges, concrete formwork, etc. Carpenters tr ...
, hence his nickname "the Protestant joiner". College was a skilled joiner: evidence of his work still survives to this day, in the form of the wooden panelling that he made for the
Stationers Hall in 1674. He became known as an anti-Catholic political speaker. He had been a
Presbyterian
Presbyterianism is a part of the Reformed tradition within Protestantism that broke from the Roman Catholic Church in Scotland by John Knox, who was a priest at St. Giles Cathedral (Church of Scotland). Presbyterian churches derive their nam ...
until the
Restoration of 1660 when he conformed to the
Church of England
The Church of England (C of E) is the established Christian church in England and the mother church of the international Anglican Communion. It traces its history to the Christian church recorded as existing in the Roman province of Britain ...
. He made himself notorious by his declamations against the
papist
The words Popery (adjective Popish) and Papism (adjective Papist, also used to refer to an individual) are mainly historical pejorative words in the English language for Roman Catholicism, once frequently used by Protestants and Eastern Orthodo ...
s, by writing and singing political
ballads
A ballad is a form of verse, often a narrative set to music. Ballads derive from the medieval French ''chanson balladée'' or ''ballade'', which were originally "dance songs". Ballads were particularly characteristic of the popular poetry and ...
, and by inventing a weapon for self-defence at close quarters, which he called 'the Protestant flail'. He knew many persons of rank.
Lord William Russell
Lord William Russell (20 August 1767 – 5 May 1840) was a member of the British aristocratic Russell family and longtime Member of Parliament. He did little to attract public attention after the end of his political career until, in 1840, he was ...
and Lady Berkeley showed him kindness, which inspired him with a desire to rise in the world. He was one of the bitterest opponents of
Lord Stafford
Baron Stafford, referring to the town of Stafford, is a title that has been created several times in the Peerage of England. In the 14th century, the barons of the first creation were made earls. Those of the fifth creation, in the 17th century ...
, and exulted over his condemnation and death. Among the writings attributed to him are coarse attacks on lawyers and Catholics. Among these are 'Truth brought to Light, or Murder will out;' 'Justice in Masquerade, or Scroggs upon Scroggs;' another beginning ' Since Justice Scroggs
Pepys
Samuel Pepys (; 23 February 1633 – 26 May 1703) was an English diarist and naval administrator. He served as administrator of the Royal Navy and Member of Parliament and is most famous for the diary he kept for a decade. Pepys had no mariti ...
and
Dean
Dean may refer to:
People
* Dean (given name)
* Dean (surname), a surname of Anglo-Saxon English origin
* Dean (South Korean singer), a stage name for singer Kwon Hyuk
* Dean Delannoit, a Belgian singer most known by the mononym Dean
Titles
* ...
did bail;' 'The Pope's Advice and Benediction to his Judge and Jury in Eutopia;' 'The Wolf Justice ' (against Scroggs); 'A Caution,' and 'A Satyr' against
James, Duke of York
James VII and II (14 October 1633 16 September 1701) was King of England and King of Ireland as James II, and King of Scotland as James VII from the death of his elder brother, Charles II, on 6 February 1685. He was deposed in the Glorious Re ...
, the
Duchess of Portsmouth
Duke is a male title either of a monarch ruling over a duchy, or of a member of royalty, or nobility. As rulers, dukes are ranked below emperors, kings, grand princes, grand dukes, and sovereign princes. As royalty or nobility, they are ranke ...
, and
Lord Chief Justice Scroggs
Sir William Scroggs (c. 162325 October 1683) was Lord Chief Justice of England from 1678 to 1681. He is best remembered for presiding over the Popish Plot trials, where he was accused of showing bias against the accused.
Youth and early career
S ...
, whom he hated for acquitting the royal physician, Sir
George Wakeman, of the fabricated charge of attempting to assassinate the King by poison
[ :s:College, Stephen (DNB00)]
Trial and execution
When
Parliament
In modern politics, and history, a parliament is a legislative body of government. Generally, a modern parliament has three functions: Representation (politics), representing the Election#Suffrage, electorate, making laws, and overseeing ...
moved to Oxford, in March 1681, College went there on horseback, ostentatiously displaying weapons and wearing defensive armour, speaking threateningly against
King Charles II, and advocating resistance.
[Kenyon p.276] In June 1681, after the condemnation of
Edward Fitzharris
Edward Fitzharris (1648? – 1681) was an Anglo-Irish conspirator. His prosecution following the waning of public belief in the Popish Plot hoax became a struggle for jurisdiction involving the courts and the two Houses of Parliament. He was e ...
, College was arrested, carried before Secretary of State
Leoline Jenkins
Sir Leoline Jenkins (1625 – 1 September 1685) was a Welsh academic, diplomat involved in the negotiation of international treaties (e.g. Nimègue), jurist and politician. He was a clerical lawyer who served as Judge of the High Court of Admi ...
on 29 June, and committed to the Tower. He was indicted at the
Old Bailey
The Central Criminal Court of England and Wales, commonly referred to as the Old Bailey after the street on which it stands, is a criminal court building in central London, one of several that house the Crown Court of England and Wales. The s ...
on 8 July for seditious words and actions, but saved by the influence of
Slingsby Bethel
Slingsby Bethel (1617–1697) was a Member of Parliament with republican sympathies, during the period of the English Civil War.
Early life
Slingsby Bethel was the third son of Sir Walter Bethel of Alne, North Yorkshire, who married Mary, the s ...
and
Henry Cornish
Henry Cornish (died 1685) was a London alderman, executed in the reign of James II of England.
Life
He was a well-to-do merchant of London, and alderman of the ward of St Michael Bassishaw; in the ''London Directory'' for 1677 he is described as ...
, sheriffs of
whig sympathies. They packed a
grand jury
A grand jury is a jury—a group of citizens—empowered by law to conduct legal proceedings, investigate potential criminal conduct, and determine whether criminal charges should be brought. A grand jury may subpoena physical evidence or a pe ...
who returned a verdict of ''ignoramus, or “we do not know" (i.e. "we know of no reason why he should stand trial").
[
The government then brought another prosecution, in Oxford. Aaron Smith, a ]lawyer
A lawyer is a person who practices law. The role of a lawyer varies greatly across different legal jurisdictions. A lawyer can be classified as an advocate, attorney, barrister, canon lawyer, civil law notary, counsel, counselor, solic ...
favoured by William Russell and others of the “country party” or whig opposition, wished to defend College, something the understanding at the time of the adversarial system
The adversarial system or adversary system is a legal system used in the common law countries where two advocates represent their parties' case or position before an impartial person or group of people, usually a judge or jury, who attempt to det ...
made problematic. Smith attempted through Henry Starkey to bribe the chief gaoler, Murrel, to obtain access to College. Failing, he gained admission by an order from Sir Robert Sawyer, the attorney-general, and gave papers to College. These papers on examination by the authorities were accounted seditious, or beyond the privileges of defensive counsel as then allowed by law. They were therefore seized. Only mutilated copies were given to the prisoner, after long discussion, when the trial began on 17 August 1681, before Lord Norreys, Lord-chief-justice North, and other judges. The prisoner claimed, as a freeman of London, that he should be tried there, but he was told that for offences committed at Oxford
Oxford () is a city in England. It is the county town and only city of Oxfordshire. In 2020, its population was estimated at 151,584. It is north-west of London, south-east of Birmingham and north-east of Bristol. The city is home to the ...
he could be tried at Oxford. He pleaded for restoration of his papers, which would have guided him on how to challenge the jury, and how to conduct his defence. He kept arguing in a circle, and at last pleaded not guilty.[
Aaron Smith had next to submit to be browbeaten and to enter into recognisances for his appearance, while Henry Starkey was summoned for attempted bribery. The examination of witnesses lasted until midnight. Stephen Dugdale bore witness of treasonable talk, and that College avowed himself the author of various libels, the pretended 'Letter, intercepted, to ]Roger L'Estrange
Sir Roger L'Estrange (17 December 1616 – 11 December 1704) was an English pamphleteer, author, courtier, and press censor. Throughout his life L'Estrange was frequently mired in controversy and acted as a staunch ideological defender of Kin ...
', and the ballad of 'The Raree Show,' to the tune of Rochester's 'I am a senseless thing, with a hey.' Other witnesses for the prosecution were Edward Turberville
Edward Turberville or Turbervile (c. 1648 – 1681) was a Welsh professional soldier and priest hunter, better known to history as an informer who perjured himself in support of the fictitious Popish Plot.
Life
He came from an ancient Glamorganshi ...
, Masters, Bryan Haynes, the two Macnamaras, and Sir William Jennings. But Shewin, Hickman, and Elizabeth Oliver tried to weaken the credit of Bryan Haynes, and Titus Oates
Titus Oates (15 September 1649 – 12/13 July 1705) was an English priest who fabricated the " Popish Plot", a supposed Catholic conspiracy to kill King Charles II.
Early life
Titus Oates was born at Oakham in Rutland. His father Samuel (1610� ...
violently assailed Turberville. Witnesses who had formerly been in league against the Catholics were now split. Dugdale, Turberville, and John 'Narrative Smith' swore positively to the guilt of College; Oates, Boldron, and others contradicted their testimony, and exposed the worthlessness of their personal character. At the trial of Lord Stafford, College had been the chief asserter of Dugdale's respectability; now he conducted his own defence by vigorously attacking him. Serjeant Jeffreys argued to the jury that to disbelieve the prosecution witnesses would cast doubt on the Popish Plot
The Popish Plot was a fictitious conspiracy invented by Titus Oates that between 1678 and 1681 gripped the Kingdoms of England and Scotland in anti-Catholic hysteria. Oates alleged that there was an extensive Catholic conspiracy to assassinate C ...
itself.[ He exploited in full the division between the informers, in particular dwelling on the fact that Oates, whom he detested, was not on oath. "Here is Dugdale's oath against Dr. Oates' swearing" he noted with amusement (Oates falsely claimed to be a ]Doctor of Divinity
A Doctor of Divinity (D.D. or DDiv; la, Doctor Divinitatis) is the holder of an advanced academic degree in divinity.
In the United Kingdom, it is considered an advanced doctoral degree. At the University of Oxford, doctors of divinity are ran ...
, and endured much ridicule from Jeffreys as a result).[Milne-Tyte p.76]
At nearly two o'clock in the morning the jury retired, and in half an hour gave their verdict of guilty. The court then adjourned until ten o'clock, when sentence of death was pronounced against him. He was visited in prison by two of the university divines, Dr. Marshall and Dr. Hall, who declared him to be penitent. His family was admitted to see him, and attempts were made to obtain a remission of the sentence, but the sole concession granted was that his quarters should be delivered to his friends. On 31 August he was taken in a cart to the place of execution, and made a long speech, chiefly to clear himself from the charge of being a papist. He was then hanged, drawn and quartered
To be hanged, drawn and quartered became a statutory penalty for men convicted of high treason in the Kingdom of England from 1352 under Edward III of England, King Edward III (1327–1377), although similar rituals are recorded during the rei ...
by Jack Ketch
John Ketch (died November 1686), generally known as Jack Ketch, was an infamous English executioner employed by King Charles II. He became famous through the way he performed his duties during the tumults of the 1680s, when he was often mentio ...
. His remains were buried the next evening at St. Gregory's Church, by St. Paul's.[
]
Notes
References
*
*Grantham Turner, 'The Coat of Many Faces', ''Print Quarterly'', Vol. XXIX, No. 4, December 2012, pp. 426–428.
*Kenyon, J.P. ''The Popish Plot'' Phoenix Press reissue 2000
*Milne-Tyte, Robert ''Bloody Jeffreys-the Hanging Judge'' André Deutsch 1989
{{DEFAULTSORT:College, Stephen
British woodworkers
People associated with the Popish Plot
1635 births
1681 deaths