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 Information of Mary Townsend of the parish of St. Andrews Holborn in the County of Middlesex Widdow taken this 31 day of Augt. 1698

Who saith That about 5 or 6 years ago she was in company with one Mr. John Gibbons in Lickabone street in the said parish and who keeps a Coffee house near Charing Cross and is one of the Yeoman Porters at Whitehall Gate and this Informant did then and there see the said John Gibbons receive severall sums of Counterfeit money of one Edward Ivy who is now a prisoner in Newgate and the said Gibbons hath severall tymes owned that he put off and paid away the said Counterfeit money as good and that about the same tyme + place the said Gibbons used to bring severall <44r> summs of money and sold it after the rate of 23s or 23s 6d in the pound proffit for the same to one John Hickes who is now Keeper of the Gatehouse Westminster and the said Gibbons used frequently to stand by the said Hickes while he clipped the said money then received back the money after it was clipped and the said Hicks used to give to one Thomas Jones about 20 shillings per week to assist him in clipping of broad money and one Mary hewet daughter in Law of the said Hickes used likewise to assist her said father in clipping of broad money And this Informant further saith that about 6 yeares ago one Robt Jacob who lives near Grays Inn and is also Goldsmith used to clipp broad money for the said Hickes and Hickes use to give him 68d. per pound for the clipping for him and Hickes used to weigh the money that he let the said Jacob have to clip for him and receive it back after it was clipped by weight and Jacob used to keep the Clippings and gave Hickes after the rate of 5s. per oz for the same and that about 6 years ago the said Ino Gibbons used severall times to give notice to the said Edward Ivie that his house would be searched upon the account of Clipping and advised him to be out of the way with his Tooles and materialls and the said Edward Ivie used to give to the said Gibbons severall sums of money for giveing him private notice as aforesaid and the said Gibbons used to give to the said Gibbons for giving him notice as aforesaid and this Informant hath heard the said Gibbons declare that he was going to send word to the said Hicks that he intended to search his house with the assistance of a Constable and that if he round any unlawfull thin in it he could not conceale it by reason of the Constable being in company with the said Gibbons at his own house at Charing Cross the said Gibbons said that her father Edward Ivie had told the Secretary of that he had given to the said Gibbons the sum of Fifty poundes to keep his Councell and said God Damne him if Ivie did not give him 50ll he would hang him or words to that effect

Mary Townsend

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