5. Anne Green (1628 – 1665)
Anne Green was a domestic servant who had committed infanticide in 1650. The child was her own child said to have been fathered by the grandson of her employer. Green hid her pregnancy and gave birth to a still born. She tried unsuccessfully to hide the body and was discovered and sentenced to death by hanging. During the execution she hung with the rope around her throat while her friends pulled at her swinging body, as was requested by Anne herself. She was even struck severe blows just to make sure that she was dead. After the usual interval she was cut down, pronounced dead and handed over to the medical students. But the students were in for a shock when they discovered that the ‘corpse’ was actually faintly breathing. She was accordingly treated and soon recovered. The event was regarded as the special interference of the hand of God on behalf of the innocent and therefore Anne Green was pardoned.
Discussion about this post