This is a transcription of a page from 'Northamptonshire Murders' by Paul Harrison (ISBN 1853061476, published 1991 by Countryside Books, 2 Highfield Avenue, Newbury, RG14 5DS. Tel. 01635 43816). The original is believed to have been published in 1735 but it is not known (to the transcriber) in what form or in which publication. The page as printed in the book is unreadable but a readable copy was very kindly supplied by the book publisher. (See www.countrysidebooks.co.uk for details of this and other interesting genealogy and local interest books).

"A true and faithful account of the last confession

On the Day of Execution (as delivered to a Divine who attended her) of Elizabeth Fawson, who was, on the 8th Day of August 1735, burnt to ashes for poisoning her husband, Thomas Fawson jun. of Weston and Weedon, in the County of Northampton, on Wednesday the 18th of June last.

As also a true account of the burning of Elizabeth Treslar, of Badby in the said County (a relative of the said Elizabeth Fawson) in the year 1715 on the same Heath, for a fact of the same nature.

Elizabeth Fawson, late of Weston and Weedon, near Towcester, in the County of Northampton, the unhappy person, subject of the following discourse, was daughter of one Bull, a Butcher, at the Red Lyon at Helmdon, in the said County of Northampton, and was born, as is reported, on or about the day of the execution and burning of Elizabeth Treslar, of Badby, in the said County, (who is said to be a very near relation, by the mother's side, to the above named Elizabeth Fawson) and was condemned, executed and burned at the Summer Assizes in 1715, for a fact of the same nature, viz. for poisoning her husband, Richard Treslar; which was done in the following manner, just 11 weeks after her marriage.

Being walking in the fields with her said husband, and another person, she purposely and designedly, though privately, dropped in the way they were walking a paper, neatly tied up, of white sugar, in which was mixed some white mercury; which paper so dropped her husband took up, and opening it, and believing it to be sugar, she had him (it being hot weather) to a spring, knowing her husband frequently drank sugar and water, where she took care to mix the said preparation in some water he then drank, which soon had its desired effect; but as there was no public oration of his being poisoned, he was buried without any more to do, and she continued some time (about eight or nine weeks) in the County after her husband's burial; but disappeared all on a sudden, and no person knowing where nor which way she was gone, the country began to believe, on recollecting the suddenness of Mr Treslar's death, and other circumstances, that he must certainly have been poisoned, and that by his wife only. However, no one could tell any tidings of Mrs Treslar, his wife, or which way she was gone, until about two years afterwards, when Mrs Treslar, sister of the said Richard Treslar, was going to London, accidentally saw her sister-in-law, and challenging her by name, she confidently denied herself to the person, which condemned the other in the opinion she had of her brother being poisoned; therefore she did immediately seize her, and being carried before a Justice, she confessed the fact, for which, as above recited, she received sentence, and was accordingly executed and burned within about 100 yards of the place on the same Heath where the said Elizabeth Fawson has received the reward and sentence due for such perfidious and unnatural actions.

But to proceed to the behaviour and past life of Elizabeth Fawson, the person we are now discoursing of, as well as from her infancy, as to the time of her execution on Friday the 8th day of August, 1735. She was brought up by her parents in a tolerable handsome manner, according to their circumstances, and learnt to read and write, as well as plain work, etc needful for one of her station; and lived with her friends till fit for service, when she was placed out accordingly. In some of the places she behaved as to give satisfaction, and especially until she became acquainted with some young persons, whose conversations were the perfect and first step to her ruin, but notwithstanding she had for a long time past lost her character (the only comfort for a person in her rank). Thomas Fawson, the unhappy person poisoned, (who could not but have heard much of her) fell very deeply in love with her, and although he was but seventeen years of age, none of his friends and relations could prevail with him to desist from her acquaintance, and was accordingly to his fixed resolutions on Sunday the 18th of May, married. [Note. The marriage was actually Wednesday 14 May at Brackley, according to Parish Records]. And although it was observed, that there was not much affection on her side to the said match, yet the hopes of lucre and gain set all things for the present in a seeming quiet posture, and as the friends on one side were very fond and desirous of the match, so were the other as much averse. However as they were married, the husband's friends did in a most Christian manner receive their new daughter-in-law, and gave all suitable encouragement to their living a happy and comfortable life. But such was the unhappy fate and disposition of this woman, that she could not be satisfied in the true affections of a loving husband (who had married purely for love, without the least hopes or sight of further views) that she could not refrain from seeking immediately means to dispatch him, in order to make way, as she conceived, for one more endearing to her, which she effected on Wednesday the 18th of July [actually June], being five weeks and three days after her marriage [actually five weeks after], by preparing a mess of bread and beer in which was privately conveyed six-pennyworth of white mercury, which she had that day bought of an Apothecary in Brackley, and when he came from his labours in the fields, she in a pretended loving sort gave him to refresh him after his day's work, of which fact on Thursday the 17th of July 1735, she was on the most plain circumstances convicted, and received sentence, to be burnt to death, as the Law requires in such cases.

After condemnation (and indeed all the time before, whilst in prison) she was shy of all sorts of company, and always avoided looking at any body or letting any one see her face that spoke or came near to her, and could never be brought to answer any questions that were asked her on account of her husband's death, or any other affairs. In the whole she seemed to be very sullen, and of a hardened disposition, and by all the arguments that could be used by several Divines, who frequently visited her, (and as it is most apparently known, spared no pains to bring her to a sincere and unfeigned repentance of her grievous sins) could not be brought to any public confession of that or any other crimes, (some of which are very hard on her character, and of the same nature as that for which she died) all which is and must certainly be looked on as owing to the pride of a near relation, who frequently visited her, and has as frequently been observed strictly to enjoin her to no open confession whatever.

The day of her execution being come, she was drawn (attended by many thousands of spectators) on a sledge to the stake prepared for her a small distance from the road leading to Kettering, on Northampton Heath, but all the way would not suffer her face to be seen, having a black silk hood quite over it, which she never once suffered to be uncovered) and being asked by a proper person attending (her sullenness and continued silence giving just room) if she had nothing to say to the world in relation to her crime, etc. answered, that she had nothing to say, more than what she had revealed to a Reverend Divine, who often attended her after sentence of death, and of which the under letter contains the particulars, but desired immediately to be dispatched out of this world; and after she was lifted out of the sledge, she privately requested an attending officer, that she might be quite dead before the fire was lighted: And being fixed to the stake, and the rope about her neck for some small time, she desired again to be dispatched, and accordingly the stool was drawn from under her, and the fire being lighted as directed, in about two or three hours she was entirely consumed.

"SIR, The death of the unhappy Mrs Fawson gives me a liberty which before I had not of communicating to you some particulars, relating to her, which may contain an answer to your enquiries, and which on the whole I did not think necessary to conceal.

The second time I visited her since she was under sentence of death she desired to speak with me alone; and then told me, that she could not be satisfied, till she had confessed to me, as she said she had before done to a worthy friend of mine, that she was indeed guilty of the crime for which she was to die. I took the freedom to ask her whether she were provoked to this unhappy action by any ill usage from her husband. She assured me with great earnestness, that she was not and that during the time of their above marriage she never received the least unkindness from him. But that the sole reason was her unconquerable affection for another person, who was so far from being concerned with her in her attempt on Mr Fawson's life, that he did not apprehend any thing of the regard she had for him, and had never seen her since her marriage. I told her I concluded that during the interval of time between her forming and executing this detestable design, her mind must be in great terror and distress, but, to my amazement, she declared that it was not, and that she felt very little discomfiture, till she saw the effect of the poison, and then found herself impressed with some sentiments of compassion rather than of fear. I then mentioned to her what had been commonly reported concerning her falsehood to her husband's bed, and her having been suspected of poisoning a fellow servant some time ago, but she solemnly denied both, with repeated appeals to Heaven as to her innocence, and seemed desirous that I would do her public justice as to both these charges if I had an opportunity.

I earnestly pressed her to make an open confession, but she seemed utterly averse to it. She appeared heartily sorry for what she had done, and attended to religious instructions and prayers with great seriousness and many tears; but how far her repentance was sincere, genuine, and evangelical, He only is capable of judging before whom she has now made her appearance, and from whom she has received her final sentence."

On the same day Elizabeth Wilkinson was hanged, who was condemned at the last Assizes at Northampton for picking of pockets."

Notes on above transcription.

Note that this original report does not mention anything about the flames reviving Elizabeth Fawson after she was supposedly dead by being garrotted, nor about several other things which are mentioned in the book, which is obviously largely based on the report. Nevertheless, there would probably have been other reports at the time and these could have been seen by the author of the book. Italics are corrections to the facts or observations on the text.

Note that Treslar is the name used in this report and the book, whereas Trasler is the name of the family according to Badby Parish Records. Note also that a Richard Trasler was buried at Badby on 6 July 1714, but this could have been either the murdered Richard or his father. The Badby Records are patchy and difficult or impossible to read, but there is no sign of the marriage of Richard and Elzabeth Miller. The precise dates of events regarding Trasler are therefore in doubt, but it does seem probable that Elizabeth was executed in 1715, as recorded in the report which is transcribed above.

Note also that Elizabeth Fawson (nee Bull) was baptised at Helmdon on 4 Dec. 1714, her parents being Timothy Bull (Butcher) and Ann (nee Colin) who were married at Wappenham on 26 Feb. 1711. Her next younger sibling was Timothy Bull, baptised at Helmdon on 29 Apr. 1716, who was a direct relative of the transcriber of this report, one David John Bennett (Northants FHS No. 2898. email djbennett@djbennett.karooco.uk). Elizabeth had one older sister (Ann), who was baptised at Helmdon on 21 Dec. 1712 (and was married to Edward Baylis on 2 Feb. 1737 at Wappenham), and the three of them had no less than eleven other younger siblings, all of whom lived but a few days. All according to Parish Records.

END