Mary Staveley: The Deposition of Mary Staveley the wife of William Staveley of Covent Garden 29 July 1698
The Deposition of Mary Staveley the wife of Willm Staveley of Covent Garden 29th Iuly 1698
She sayth that on Good Fryday last was two yeares in the afternoon John Gibbons a Coffee man near Charing Cross came to the Deponent at the Crown and Cushion Tavern by Charing Cross and told that he had been at Mrs Labrees house and setting his foot upon a holow board the place opened and he told Mrs Labree that if she would give him money he would not look upon what was there or to that purpose but he found her poor and had got of her only 20 Guineas and a Note for 10 Guineas more and drinking a Glass of Wine wisht that it might be his damnation if he had got any thing more then those Guineas and that Note which he said he should not get paid off or words to that effect The Deponent sayth further that upon her discovering the said Mrs. Labree to the said Mr. Gibbons he had promissed her to give her half of what he got and that he the said Gibbons at the tyme and place above mentioned gave the Deponent 5 Guineas as a part of her Share and said he would give her the rest when the Note was paid off pretending that he had then such occasions for money that he could not well pay the Deponent her full share. But afterwards he pretended from time to tyme that the Note was not yet paid and never gave that Deponent any more money
Mary Staveley
Source
MINT 15/17/46, National Archives, Kew, Richmond, Surrey, UK29 Jul 1698, c. 276 words.