The Liberator

MISCELLANEOUS.

THE INQUISITION.

Account of the proceedings of the Inquisition at Lisbon, against Elizabeth Chester, an English woman, in the year 1706, attested by Joseph Wilcocks, then British Consul at Lisbon.

Elizabeth Chester was the daughter of John Chester of Devonshire, a Protestant; and lived in Arlington until she was 11 years of age; at which period in the year 1685, she accompanied her uncle, Mr. David Morgan, for the island of Jamaica. On her voyage, near the island of Madeira, the vessel was attacked by two Algerine corsairs; and although they were driven off, yet in the engagement her uncle was killed. The vessel arrived at Madeira, and Elizabeth remained on that Island, residing with one of the British merchants, until the year 1696, when she was married to a Portuguese physician named Manuel Gardoso de Vasconcellos, with whom she lived eight years, still retaining her profession of Protestantism. But in the spring of 1704, during the absence of her husband from the island, she was afflicted with a high fever, during which she was partly insensible. Then one of the Romish Priests forced himself into her house, and administered his exorcism, and Mass, &c. as she was afterwards told, though she was totally unconscious of the whole ceremonial.

When she recovered her health, after a lingering period, the Priests told her that she had renounced her old religion, and must now conform to the Romish system. In reply she said-'I have never done either to my knowledge, and I never will.' In consequence she was arrested by order of the Popish prelate, imprisoned for seven months, and then sent, as a relapsed heretic criminal, to the Inquisitors at Lisbon, where she arrived on 17th December, 1705. Elizabeth was taken ashore by two familiars into the Inquisition, and was speedily introduced to the Secretary, who took an account of her effects of which they had robbed her husband at the time of her seizure, amounting to several thousand dollars, which being registered, two women were appointed to search her, who took from her some rings, and other valuable personal articles. Then she was put to the oath, that she had no other property in the world; after which she was shut up in her dungeon, which was a very strait, dark, underground room, about five feet square, in which she was kept nine months and fifteen days.

During the first nine days Elizabeth was allowed nothing but bread and water, and wet straw to lie upon. On the ninth day she was led before the Inquisitors, and examined concerning her religion. She told them that she had been nurtured a Protestant, and so she should continue. 'They replied that she had conformed to Romanism, by receiving their Sacraments in Madeira, and that she must persist in their religion or burn.' After that examination, she was ordered back to her cell, and at the end of a month was brought out again; and being questioned as before, and making the same answers, the familiars bound her hands behind her, stripped her back naked, and scourged her with a whip of knotted cords a considerable time, telling her at the end to kneel down to the Inquisitors and give them thanks for their merciful usage of her, which she positively refused to do.

After seven days she was again summoned to appear for examination, and a crucifix being set before her, she was commanded to bow down to it and worship it, which she not fulfilling, they told her that she should be condemned to the flames, and be burnt with the Jews at the next Auto da Fe. She was then remanded to her dungeon for thirty days; and being again brought before the Inquisitors, a red-hot iron was got ready in a chafing dish of burning coals, and her breasts being laid open, the executioner, with one end of the red hot iron, which was about the bigness of a large seal, burnt her to the bone in three several places on the right side, one close by the other; and then they sent her to her cell without any plaster or any other application to heal the sores which were most painful and excruciating.

A month after that she received another severe whipping as before. In the beginning of August she was again conducted up to the Inquisitors, a great number of them being present, and was questioned whether she would profess the Romish religion or burn. Elizabeth replied—'I have always been a Protestant, and am a subject of the Queen of England, who is able to protect me, and would do it, if my condition was known to the English residing at Lisbon; at all events my resolution is to continue a Protestant, though I am burnt for it.' To which they answered-that her being a subject of the Queen of England signified nothing in the dominions of Portugal; that the English residing at Lisbon, are heretics and would be damned: and that it is the mercy of the Inquisition to endeavor to rescue her out of the flames of hell-but if your resolution, said they, is to burn rather than to profess the Romish religion, we will give you a trial of it before hand.' Accordingly, the ruffians were ordered to seat Elizabeth in a fixed chair, and to bind her arms and legs that she could make no resistance or motion and a physician being placed by her, to direct the executioners how far they might torture her without deprivation of life, her left foot was made bare, and an iron slipper red hot being immediately brought in, her foot was fastened into it, which continued on, burning to the bone, -till by extremity of pain she fainted away, and the physician declaring that her life was in danger, they took off the iron slipper, and ordered her to her dungeon. On August 19, she was again brought out and whipped after a most cruel manner, until her back was torn all over; and being threatened with more and greater tortures, and on the other hand promised to be set at liberty if she would subscribe such a paper as they should give her; though she could have undergone death, yet not being able to endure a life of so much misery, she consented to subscribe as they would have her, and accordingly as she was directed, wrote at the bottom of a large paper, which contained what she knew not. After which they admonished her to avoid the company of all English heretics, and not restoring any thing of the plate, goods, money, &c. which they had stolen from her, and engaging her by oath to keep secret all that had been done to her, the Inquisitors turned her out of the Inquisition destitute, and depending for relief upon the help and compassion of Protestant Christians.

The above said Elizabeth Vasconcellos, did solemnly affirm and declare that the above mentioned deposition is true, the day and year aforesaid, 1706.

JOSEPH MILNER.
JOSEPH WILCOCKS.