John Snow: The Information of John Snow Distiller 27 March 1699

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The Information of John Snow over against the Starr in the broadway at the lower end of petty France Westminster Destiller taken this 27th day of March anno Dni 1699

Who saith that about the 1  Day of Novr. last he was importuned by Mrs. Porter alias Ioanna Chaloner's Mistriss to get the said Chaloner bayled he the said Chaloner being then in custody of mr morris for counterfeiting Mault Tickets as the Deponent was informed and thereupon the Deponent went to Newgate to speak with mr Carter and examin him about the new Bank bills and the said Carter told him that Chaloner had been upon a Dessign of marking the paper round the edges with wyer as is done in those bills but the design did not go on. and that the said Chaloner had a piece of steel got out of the Tower before his pardon which he had not given an account of and that since his pardon he had melted down milld Crownes and mixed them with other Metall and coyned it into money by casting and that he had an Invention of making a Mould of fine sort of earth and burning it so that it would ring and then he could cast 40 times in a mould and that he had coyned last Summer at his woman Kates whereupon the Deponent went from Newgate to examin Katherine Carter about it and askt her if she had been examined by the Secretary and she said yes And the Deponent then asking her if she gave him an account of what she knew about Coyning and she said no and he replyed why did you not and she answered that she did not think it propper and mr Carter had not ordered her to discover it and he answered why will you not do it now and she replyed that she might do her self an injury whereupon the Deponent told her that what she Confessed as a witness would not be brought against her and that if she would tell it to the Deponent he would doe her no injury and asking her further if she knew of any press or other Coyning Tooles she answered she wisht she had known the Deponent sooner for Chaloner coyned at her house the last Summer and she provided his Coles and his things and the Maid coming by the Deponent bid <91v> her talk softly, and she answered that the maid knew all and that he had engraved a plate there and the Maid knew of it as well as she and that about a fortnight after he brought successivly two letters from Mr Carter to the Warden of the Mint to desire the Warden to examin him concerning some Discourses + Discoverys he had to make and the Warden refused and replyed that the buisiness was not in his hands and directed the Deponent to acquaint the Secretary of State therewith and the Deponent did so and the Secretary of State bid the Deponent tell the Warden of the Mint that he left the buisines to him and that he desired to speak with him which this Informant did and afterwards without direction from any body went to Kath Carter and asked her that if he should propose her being an evidence to the Warden of the Mint whether she would be honest and tell all she knew she replyed that she would provided it would doe her self no injury This Informant told her that it would not if she made a Discovery to no body but the Warden of what she knew for that he never used to make use of any person's Information against him that made it and this Informant changed the said Kath Carter not to tell the Warden of the Mint any thing that she had confessed any thing to this Deponent and about January last he this Deponent went to the Warden of the Mint and told him that he believed Kath Cater was willing to make a Discovery of some illegall practises relating to the Coyn or words to that effect and askt him whether this Deponent might bring her before him who answered that he would consider on it in two or three dayes time whether she should come before him or not. And that he hath heard that Chaloner being told that Price (who was executed for counterfeiting Exchecquer bills) was very penitent at his death the said Chaloner laughed as it were in derision of the said Price and said that it was to no purpose for a man to repent and be penitent at his death who had lived wickedly all his life or words to that effect

Ino Snow

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