Judge George Jeffreys, Dissenters and "High Treason", Newcastle Upon Tyne, 1683

Judge George Jeffreys was said to have been Oscar Wilde's inspiration for The Portrait of Dorian Gray (1890) following a conversation over lunch with Sir Arthur Conan Doyle about his novel Micah Clarke (1889) - Jeffreys was a man of youthful handsome looks but a heart of unspeakable evil.

Jeffreys is best known for his barbaric role in the 1685 Bloody Assizes of King James II. A few years ago, historians in Taunton in Somerset installed a series of interpretive panels on the former Debenham's store in the town centre - such is Jefrrey's ongoing notorious reputation that the locals gouged out his eyes and drew a Hitler moustache.

But earlier, in the reign of King Charles II, Jeffreys was already carving out a reputation. Here is an account of his activities in Newcastle Upon Tyne in 1683.

"... But I need say nothing of his conduct; the man and his manners are known, and will be remembered for this generation at least; only one instance I shall relate, it not being taken notice of elsewhere.

As he was making his circuit in the north, calling for vengeance wherever he came, and taking it where he could against the Dissenters, he came to Newcastle upon Tyne at the assizes, 1683. and being informed of a company of young plotters and rebels, as they were resolved to make them, sets himself with his usual zeal to suppress them. The case, in short, was this.

A number of young men in the town of Newcastle (about twenty) met together once a week for mutual assistance and improvement in religion; for which purpose they spent some time in prayer and conference; having subscribed a paper containing rules, for the better ordering such a society, and the work to be done in it, taken out of a book of Mr. Isaac Ambrose's (Wikipedia here).

One of the society, upon what inducement he best knows, turns informer, and having a copy of this dangerous paper, with the names of the subscribers, makes a discovery, and the whole matter was laid before Judge Jefferies at the assizes; by which it appeared to his Lordship, that about twenty young phanaticks met together weekly to pray and talk about religion &c. his Lordship, whose business lay as much with such as these, as with felons &c. resolved to make examples of them. When he was prepared to proceed against them, he ordered the doors of the court to be locked up, and kept locked: till such of the young men as were in court were secured; and, at the same time, dispatched the sheriff with the proper officers to apprehend the rest; the doors being still kept closed, which made no small noise and stir in the town. His Lordship, as his manner was, began to breathe out threatening against the Dissenters; and whereas some of the elder of them, with whom his Lordship would have taken an occasion to have talked, were withdrawn from the town; he said, He would take the Cubs, and that would make the old Foxes appear.

The offenders (some of whom are found in court, and others of them brought in by the sheriff) are presented before his Lordship's tribunal: such as knew his Lordship's character, will easily imagine (and some well remember it) with how much indignation and contempt he would look down upon these young men.

One of them, Mr. Thomas Verner, who had but a mean aspect at besft, (and the work he was taken from made him appear at that time meaner than ordinary) his Lordship was pleased to single out, no question to triumph over his ignorance, and thereby expose all the rest.

Can you read, Sirrah, says he? Yes, my Lord, answers Mr.Verner; reach him the Book, says the Judge; the clerk reaches him his Latin Testament; the young man begins to read, Matth. vii. 1, 2. (it being the first place his Eye light upon, without any design in him, as he affirmed afterwards) Ne judicate, ne judicemini, &c. Construe it, Sirrah, says the Judge; which he did: Judge not, lest ye be judged; for with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: Upon which it is said, his Lordship was a little struck, and sat in a pause for some while (and he had occasion, methinks, to pause more upon it in the Tower a few years after.)

The issue of the matter, in short, was this, that the young men, tho' never tried, were sent to jail, where they lay above a year) i.e. from the assizes in 1683, till the first assizes after the death of King Charles when they were called upon and set at liberty, with this reprimand by the Judge, Go, and sin no more, lest a worse thing come unto you; adding, that the King's coming to the throne had saved all their lives. 

How they came to escape the trial, which the Judge said he would bring them to, is not very certain ; it is said, the reason was, want of time: However, it was a good Providence to the young men, for had he proceeded against them, it had been much if they had come off with their Lives. The crime charged upon them was no less than high treason, and a jury was provided that would have answered his Lordship's expectations, and followed his directions; one of the jury being asked what they intended to do with the young men; answered, there remained nothing for them (the jury) to do, but to bring them in guilty, for that a paper produced in court, and acknowledged by themselves to be subscribed by them, was by the Lord Chief Justice declared to be high treason; so that if they had been tried, it had been for high treason; and it is known his Lordship seldom saw cause to acquit any such traitors as these..."

- from Benjamin Bennet A Memorial of the Reformation (London, 1717)