That on a Tuesday morning in May last in the forenoon she this deponent the producent and Mrs Clark her contest coming from this deponent's garden and passing by the articulate Jeffery Curtis standing upon the quay, the said Jeffrey Curtis came towards the producent and pointing directly at her said aloud that he saw the prettiest fun or frolic on Sunday night between a master to sea and his wife as ever he saw in his life, I won't say it was Robin Ellet's wife, but by God it was though she was making horns thus before him (Curtis then holding his arms across), which is as much as to say, there comes the cuckold her husband behind her... That as to the words arlate she refers herself to her deposition, and that at the time of speaking the words arlate the producent Mrs Ellet, the respondent and her contest Mrs Clarke were all together upon Great Yarmouth quay distant about seven or eight yards from the arlate Curtis when the words predeposed were spoken, and that several persons were then present in hearing, whose names this respondent don't well remember. That the words predeposed were spoken on Tuesday the seventeenth of may last about eleven o'clock in the forenoon to the best of this respondent's memory, just by the sign of the Cat and Monkey.
Depositions & Examinations
DN/DEP 56/60 (unfol.) Ellet c Curtis
NRO
Defamation
17 May 1715
1 February 1716
Great Yarmouth, Norfolk, England
Plaintiff
Rose Ellet
female
Defendant
Jeffrey Curtis
male
Witness
Maria Wilcock
female
40
Spouse
John Wilcock
male
Blockmaker
Great Yarmouth, Norfolk, England
Signature
Event
Defamation by the sign of the Cat and Monkey
Tue 17 May 1716
11 morning
Cat and Monkey, Great Yarmouth, Norfolk, England
Components
Gossip and slander
Fornication
Mentioned Only
Adultery
Mentioned Only
Settings
Quay
Location of Event
Alehouse
Location of Event
Inferred
Statement
28 July 1716
Maria Wilcock