The Munificent Justice of the Old Bailey, or The Woman Who Buggered A Certain Mungril Dog

The Proceedings of the Old Bailey is a phenomenal site allowing you to search the archives of 17th Century Court Records by keywords such as “buggery” and remind yourself that a scant 400 years ago, we were all total savages.

A married woman lately living without Cripplegate, that appeared to be between 30 and 40 years of age, was arrigned, For that she having not the fear of God before her eyes, nor regarding the order of Nature, on the 23. of June last, to the disgrace of all womankind, did commit Buggery with a certain Mungril Dog, and wickedly, divellishly, and against nature had venerial and Carnal copulation with him, &c.

It was was proved that the Prisoner was a person of a lewd conversation, and lodging in a Room into which there were several holes to look in at from the next house, they had often seen her in the very acts of uncleanness with Villains that followed her; but one day one of the Witnesses (a young woman) happening to cast her view in, saw her use such actions with a Dog as are not fit here to be recited: At which being amazed, she called up another woman, and after that a man, who all saw her several times practising this beastliness, and fully evidenced the same in Court, where the Dog was likewise brought, add being set on the Bar before the Prisoner, owned her by wagging his tail, and making motions as it were to kiss her, which ’twas sworn she did do when she made that horrid use of him.

Summary: a woman who was regularly viewed through a peephole in her wall by three leering neighbors was found guilty of buggering a dog because it wagged its tail at her and tried to lick her during the proceedings. Sentence: Death!

Married woman, sexual offences : sodomy, 11th July, 1677 [The Proceedings of the Old Bailey]