In late 1640, magistrates in Kent heard a charge of defamation submitted by Mr William Culpepper, a “gentleman of good quality and of an ancient family”. According to Culpepper he had been been accosted by Richard Head, who had assailed him with:

“..diverse unmannerly and lewd speeches, calling him rogue and rascal and bidding him kiss his arse, with other saucy and unseemly terms.”

The magistrates found in Culpepper’s favour. Richard Head was fined and ordered to apologise.

Source: Centre for Kentish Studies, Q/SO W1, folio 120. Content on this page is © Alpha History 2019-23. Content may not be republished without our express permission. For more information please refer to our Terms of Use or contact Alpha History.