An Alarme For Sinners: Containing The Confession, Prayers, Letters, and last Words of Robert Foulkes, Late Minister of Stanton-Lacy in the County of Salop; who was Tried, Convicted, and Sentenced, at the Sessions in the Old Bayly, London, Jan 16th 1678 and Executed the 31st following. With an Account of his Life. Published from the Original, Written with his own hand, during his Reprieve, and sent by him at his Death to Doctor Lloyd, Dean of Bangor.

Small 4to. (199x155mm), pp:iv,1-39,[1], having the earliest variant title-page with 'Licensed, Jan.19.1678' (see Peter Klein*), found in a volume with a collection of sermons, extracted and recently bound in half polished calf, marbled boards, vellum corners, spine with raised bands & gilt ruled red leather label titled 'An Alarme' in gilt. A really good copy in fresh condition with occastional marking to the margins which are not cut down. *Peter Klein. 'The Temptation and Downfall of the Vicar of Stanton Lacy' published by Merlin Unwin Books 2005. An excellent account of the Vicar's downfall and execution. Foulkes, Robert. (bap.1634, d.1679), Church of England clergyman and murderer. On 7 September 1657 he married Isabella, daughter of Thomas Colbatch, rector of Ludlow, Shropshire. In September 1660 Foulkes became vicar of Stanton Lacy, a parish adjacent to Ludlow. The exercise of his clerical duties brought Foulkes into a series of conflicts with his neighbours. He also became notorious in his parish and further afield for his extramarital sexual relations, especially with Anne Atkinson, of whom he seems to have been guardian. In 1678 Anne Atkinson became pregnant with Foulkes's child. In an attempt to conceal the pregnancy and possibly to seek an abortion Foulkes accompanied Atkinson to London. They took lodgings in York Buildings in the Strand where, on 11 December, Atkinson gave birth to a girl. Foulkes, who performed the delivery himself, cut the infant's throat the same day and disposed of its body in a privy. He was found guilty of murder at the Middlesex sessions of 15 January 1679 and sentenced to death. While awaiting execution Foulkes was visited in his prison cell at Newgate by a number of leading Anglican divines, including William Lloyd, then Dean of Bangor. Lloyd persuaded the Bisop of London to obtain a nine-day reprieve for Foulkes during which he wrote a penitential sermon, published after his death as 'An Alarme for Sinners.'.…