22:
124:, the law held that no woman could be granted a second reprieve from the original sentence on the ground of subsequent pregnancy, even if the foetus had quickened. In the event that a prisoner became pregnant, her
66:
child (that is, a foetus sufficiently developed to render its movement detectable), the convict was granted a reprieve of sentence until the next hanging time after her delivery.
117:
includes a scene where the character Filch picks up income working as a "child getter ... helping the ladies to a pregnancy against their being called down to sentence".
58:
The plea did not constitute a defence and could only be made after a verdict of guilty was delivered. Upon making the plea, the convict was entitled to be examined by a
52:
241:
55:, which stated that an expecting mother would automatically have her death sentence commuted to life imprisonment with hard labour.
177:
containing the form and method of the proceedings at the
Assizes and General Gaol-delivery as also on the crown and nisi prius side
51:
until after she bore her child. The plea was available at least as early as 1387 and was eventually rendered obsolete by the
220:
85:. Even those women who were subsequently executed pursuant to their original sentences were often executed behind schedule.
81:
have shown that women granted such reprieves were often subsequently granted pardons or had their sentences commuted to
266:
107:
includes a character who successfully pleaded her belly despite being "no more with child than the judge that tried ".
21:
261:
271:
96:
both used this plea to delay execution, although it is unclear if either woman was actually pregnant.
62:, generally selected from the observers present at the trial. If she was found to be pregnant with a
235:
113:
99:
It appears that women were often fraudulently or erroneously found to be quick with child.
82:
8:
121:
78:
195:
154:
214:
174:
59:
48:
199:
255:
104:
158:
100:
190:
Oldham, James (1985). "On
Pleading the Belly". In Knafla, Louis A (ed.).
74:
89:
70:
63:
40:
25:
93:
44:
29:
179:(2nd ed.). S. Roycroft for Henry Twyford. 1682. pp. 61–63.
108:
125:
145:
Means, Cyril (1971). "The
Phoenix of Abortional Freedom".
73:
Sessions Papers and Assize records from the reigns of
253:
16:Pregnant woman's death sentence reprieve request
194:. Vol. 6. London: Meckler. pp. 1–64.
43:which permitted a woman in the later stages of
53:Sentence of Death (Expectant Mothers) Act 1931
128:or the local sheriff was subject to a fine.
20:
254:
189:
223:from the original on 20 October 2006.
212:
144:
244:from the original on 27 August 2010.
32:, pirates who both "pled the belly."
233:
13:
14:
283:
227:
206:
183:
165:
138:
1:
131:
47:to receive a reprieve of her
7:
10:
288:
267:Legal issues in pregnancy
69:Scholarly reviews of the
39:was a process in English
192:Criminal Justice History
120:As a check against this
213:Defoe, Daniel (1722).
33:
24:
262:English criminal law
122:abuse of the system
272:Capital punishment
237:The Beggar's Opera
234:Gay, John (1728).
173:The Office of the
147:New York Law Forum
114:The Beggar's Opera
37:Pleading the belly
34:
279:
246:
245:
231:
225:
224:
210:
204:
203:
187:
181:
180:
169:
163:
162:
142:
287:
286:
282:
281:
280:
278:
277:
276:
252:
251:
250:
249:
232:
228:
211:
207:
188:
184:
175:Clerk of Assize
171:
170:
166:
143:
139:
134:
60:jury of matrons
17:
12:
11:
5:
285:
275:
274:
269:
264:
248:
247:
226:
205:
182:
164:
153:(2): 377–378.
136:
135:
133:
130:
83:transportation
49:death sentence
15:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
284:
273:
270:
268:
265:
263:
260:
259:
257:
243:
239:
238:
230:
222:
218:
217:
216:Moll Flanders
209:
201:
197:
193:
186:
178:
176:
168:
160:
156:
152:
148:
141:
137:
129:
127:
123:
118:
116:
115:
110:
106:
105:Moll Flanders
102:
97:
95:
91:
86:
84:
80:
76:
72:
67:
65:
61:
56:
54:
50:
46:
42:
38:
31:
27:
23:
19:
236:
229:
215:
208:
191:
185:
172:
167:
150:
146:
140:
119:
112:
101:Daniel Defoe
98:
88:The pirates
87:
68:
57:
36:
35:
18:
75:Elizabeth I
256:Categories
200:1109210649
132:References
90:Anne Bonny
71:Old Bailey
41:common law
26:Anne Bonny
94:Mary Read
45:pregnancy
30:Mary Read
242:Archived
221:Archived
159:16602212
109:John Gay
79:James I
198:
157:
126:gaoler
64:quick
196:OCLC
155:PMID
92:and
77:and
28:and
111:'s
103:'s
258::
240:.
219:.
151:17
149:.
202:.
161:.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
.jpg)