Mary Townsend: The Information of Mary Townsend of the parish of St Andrews Holborn in the county of Middlesex widow 31 August 1698

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The Informacon of Mary Townsend of the ꝑish of St Andrews Holborn in the County of Middx widdow taken this 31 day of Augt. 1698

Who saith that abot. 5 or 6 yeares ago she was in company with one Mr. Iohn Gibbons in Lickabone street in the said ꝑish of St Andrews and this Informt. did then and there see the said Iohn Gibbons receive severall summes of counterfeit money of one Edward Ivy who is now a Prisoner in Newgate and the said Gibbons hath severall times owned that he put off & payed away the said counterfeit money as good and at the same time and place the said Gibbons used to bring severall sum̄s of broad money and sold it after the rate of 23s or 23s. 6d in the pound proffitt for the same to one Iohn Hickes who is now Keeper of the Gatehouse Westmr. and the said Gibbons used frequently to stand by the said Hickes while he clipped the said money and then reced back the money after it was clipped and the said Hickes used to give to one Thomas Iones abot. 20s ꝑ week to assist him in clipping of broad money and one Mary Hewett daughter in law of the said Hickes used likewise to assist her father in clipping of broad money— And that abot. 6 years ago one Robt. Iacob who lives near Grayes Inn and is a Goldsmith used to clipp broad money for the said hickes and hickes used to give him 6d ꝑ pound for clipping it for him and Hickes used to weigh the money that he let the said Mr Iacobs have and reced it back <115r> after it was clipped by weight and Iacob used to keep the Clippings and gave Hickes after the rate of 5s ꝑ ounce for the same And that abot 6 yeares ago the said Iohn Gibbons used severall times to give notice to the said Edward Ivy that his house would be searcht upon the accot. of clipping and advised him to get his Tooles out of the way and the said Edward Ivy used to give to the sd Gibbons severall summs of money for giving him private notice as aforesaid and the said Gibbons used to give Hickes notice that his house would be searcht upon the accot of clipping and Hickes frequently gave Gibbons money for so doing and this Informt. hath heard Gibbons declare that he was going to send work to the said Hickes that he intended to search his house with the assistance of a Conble and that if he found any unlawfull thing in it he could not conceal it by the reason of the Conble being in company with him and that this Informt being in company with the said Gibbons at his own house at Charing Cross the said Gibbons said that her father Edward Ivy aforesd had told the Secretary of State that he had given to the said Gibbons the sum of fifty poundes to keep his councell and said God Damne him if Ivy did not give him 50li he would hangue him or words to that effect         And that abot. 6 yeares ago she saw one Samll. Price who keeps a Watchmakers shop in Spring Garden by Whitehall file and diminish severall Gineas {sic} at Lickabone street aforesd and took off each Ginea {sic} abot. 1s and then new edged them againe And that abot 3 years and 1 ago this Informt. saw one Thomas Harefinch who lives near Criplegate and is a silver smith clipp abot. 18ll of the Current Coyn of this Realme at his Lodging in Aldermanbury London

Mary Townsend

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