Sithence

(12) Lawsuits over Ursula's inheritance suggest that--unlike her sister, Una--she did not marry before she came of age; one of the suits, dating from 1623, describes her as having reached the age of twenty-one 'above a dozen years sithence' (TNA, C 2/JasI/B35/21), meaning that she was probably born around 1590 and that she and Beaumont were not married before 1611 or thereabouts.

Alas I sit home and let thy dogs eat part with me, and wear clothes that have worn out their prenticeship a year and half sithence. (50) While it may well be argued that ragged clothing negatively impacts one's credit in the marketplace--a visible sign that a husband is a poor provider--overly fine attire signals extravagant spending and thus questionable household management.

Pooke was warned by his attorney not to sue the defendant under the name of Mary Frith, for she had already "overthrowne two or three severall" complainants "in their accions brought against her there by reason she was Maryed to one Markham who hath not lived with her this tenne yeares or thereabouts." She was now putting forward, Pooke complained, the same argument in her defense, saying "that she is Maryed to the same Markham and soe being a feme Covert, she cannot be ympleaded as a feme Sole." In fact, she stated on 24 November 1624 that she had paid for the hats and confessed that "shee was marryed unto one Lewknor Markham in the County of Nottingham, Esquire, about some Seaven yeares sithence at the parish Church of Saint Mary Overies in Southwarke." See Eccles, Notes and Queries.

This Examinate saith also, that long sithence she dwelt by the space of one quarter or more with her brother Edward Wood, and that at several tymes in that time certain ledden weights and great stones were cast into the house, and divers straunge noyses of rumblinges hearde: the which weights & stones came alwayes neerest one Arnoldes head, being then a boorder in that house, and saith that Arnoldes wife was accompted a witch: And was suspected to cause the same stones to be cast, to the intent to dryve her husband from boording there being in Jelosie of this Examinate: She being at that tyme not above the age of xx.

But in an unusual rhetorical move he anticipates criticism of his inclusion of Apollo in the final device: "Some Hypercriticall Censurer perhaps, will aske, why having Tytan, I should bring in Apollo, sithence they both are names proper to the Sunne.