| Description | Bill of indictment for misdemeanour of William Bell of the parish of Bowes labourer for vilifying John Adamthwaite of the parish of Bowes schoolmaster in a defamatory poem
In Bowes there is a boarding school of great and mighty state-O
Kept by a pompous prideful king, its name is A[damthwai]te -O
I'm sure for shape with him Pompy compare you can but very few-O
He has a hump upon his breast, on his back a bumping clew-O
His wife likewise a peevish elf who grins and scolds for ever-O
Is just composed of skin and bones, of flesh faith she had never-O
From noble blood perhaps he sprung, perhaps of mighty fame-O
His mother from the work house came to raise his might-O
[a very similar version of the poem is repeated later in the indictment]
Endorsed with names of witnesses and "a true bill"
[Faded, crumpled and difficult to read - the words of the poem are taken from the copy]
With copy |