an elderly married woman.

Jury of Matrons. When a widow feigns herself with child in order to exclude the next heir, and a supposititious birth is suspected to be intended, then, upon the writ de ventre inspiciendo, a jury of women is to be impanelled to try the question whether the woman is with child or not. So, if a woman is convicted of a capital offence, and, being condemned to suffer death, pleads in stay of execution, that she is pregnant, a jury of matrons is impanelled to inquire into the truth of the allegation; and, if they find it true, the convict is respited till after her delivery.