The Central Glamorgan Gazette, and General, Commercial, and Agricultural Advertiser. — 1879-10-10 (Bridgend, Mid Glamorgan, Wales)

ANNE GREEN.  That painstaking and truthful historian Dr. Plot, in his interesting "Natural History of Oxfordshire," relates the following singular circumstance :—" In the year 1650, Anne Green, a servant of Sir Thomas Read, was tried for the murder of a new-born child, and found guilty. She was executed in the Castle Yard at Oxford, where she hung about half-anhour. Being cut down she was put into a coffin, and brought away to a house to be dissected; where, when they opened the coffin, notwithstanding the rope still remained unloosed, and straight about her neck, they perceived her breast rise ; whereupon one Mason, a tailor, intending only an act of charity, set his foot upon her; and, as some say, one Ornm, a soldier, struck her again with the bntt,end of his musket. Notwithstanding all which, when the learned and eminent Sir William Petty, ancestor of the present Marquis of Lansdowne, then anatomy professor of the University, Dr. Wallis, and Dr. Clarke, then president of Magdalen College, and vice-chancellor of the University, came to prepare the body for dissection, they perceived some small rattling in her throat; hereupon desisting from their former purpose, they presently used means for her recovery by opening a vein, laying her in a warm bed, and also using divers remedies respecting senselessness, insomuch that within fourteen hours she began to speak, and the next day talked and prayed very heartily. During the time of this her recovering, the officers concerned in her eueention would needs have had her away again to have completed it on her; but by the mediation of the worthy doctors and some other friends, with the Governor of the city, Colonel Kelsey, there was a guard put upon her to hinder all further disturbance until they had sued out her pardon from the Government. Much doubt, indeed, arose as to her actual guilt. Crowds of people in the meantime came to see her, and many asserted that it must be the providence of God, who would thus assert her innocence. After some time Dr. Petty, hearing she had discoursed with those about her, and suspecting that the women might suggest unto her to relate something of strange visions and apparitions she had seen during the time she seemed to be dead (which they had already begun to do, telling that she said she had been in a fine green meadow, having a river running round it, and all thing's, there glittered like silver and gold) he caused all to depart the room but the gentlemen of tly• faculty who were to have been at the dissection, and asked her concerning her sense and apprehensions during the time she was hanged. T. which she answered that she neither remembered how the fetters were knocked off, how she went out.of the prison, when she was turned off the ladder; whether any psalm was sung or not; nor was she sensible of any pains that she could remember. She came to herself as if she had awakened out of sleep, not recovering the use of her speech by slow degrees, but in a manner, altogether, beginning to speak just where she left off on the gallows. Being at length perfectly recovered, after thanks given to God and persons instrumental in bringing her to life, and procuring her an immunity from further punishment, she retired into the country to her friends at Steeple Barton, when she was afterwards married, and lived in good repute amongst her neighbours, having three children, and not dying till 1659." Dr. Plot published his "Natural History of Oxfordshire" in 1677. He was professor of chemistry at Oxford, and keeper of the