Mary Lacy: The Information of Mary Lacy wife of Robert Lacy late of Newstreet in the parish of St Brides London Mercer 13 August 1698

<9r> ^[1]

The Informacon of Mary Lacy wife of Rob^t. Lacy late {of} Newstreet in the ꝑish of S^t. Brides London Mer{cer} taken this 13^th day of aug^t. 1698

Who saith that in or abo^t. October last past past {sic} one George Owen of Narbut in the County of pembrook in Wales Destiller, Griffith Morg{an} of the same place Victualler and M^r. Thomas Read (who is now in custody) did {in} the presence of this Depon^t. counterfeit the Curr^t. Coyn of this Kingdom by casting shillings and six pences at the house of the said Griffith morgan & the said Owen did propose to get Dyes made in Ireland by a Friend of his that lived there provided this Inform^t. and the said M^r. Read could make use of them and the wifes of the said own and Morgan were privy to their making of False money as aforesaid Owen's wife brought charcoal and seeme{d} to be very angery because they could not cast the false money according {to} her expectacon and Morgans wife brought sand to scoar the money w{ith} and selt to boyle it in

That the said M^r. Read and one Mary Bush of Highgate {illeg} did two dayes and a half togeather in the presence of this Inform^t. on the Bedd Chamber of the said Mary Bush counterfeit the Curr^t. Coyn of this Kingdom by casting Shillings and that this Inform^t afterw{ards} saw some counterfeit shillings and sixpences in the custody of the said Read and Read declared them himself of block {Tin} which Tin he bought of one M^r. Redding a pewterer and this Inf{illeg}|o|rm^t asking Read what a{illeg}|d|vantage <9v> he could {illeg}|p|ropose to himself by making Counterfeit money of such {Metell {sic}} as Block Tin only the said Read replyed and said that he did not question but to get his expences by it for that the Metall stood him but in a litle {sic} charge and that he melted it down without any Charcoale

And this Inform^t. further saith that in or abo^t. Ianuary last past she was in company of one M^r. Berry at his own house at the Fountain Ale house near the Barge house in the ꝑish of Lambeth in the County of Surrey and then and there the said M^r. Berry told this Inform^t. that he had seen a pair of Ginea {sic} Dyes in the custody of a friend of his and y^t his said friend wanted a heavy Metall to mix w^th Gold y^t. would make Gineas {sic} fallweight {sic}, and the said Berry enquired of this Inform^t. if she knew of any such Metall and this Inform^t. told him y^t if he would give her some money she would see if she could get any such Metall and this Inform^t told him that if he would. Berry offered to give to this Inform^t. 5 or 10^s but this Inform^t. refused to take the same because it was too litle {sic} And this Inform^t. afterwards seing {sic} the said M^r. Berry enquired of him what progress or good his friend and he had made or done concerning making false Gineas {sic} with the said Ginea {sic} Dyes and Berry said that his friend had brought him 2 counterfeit Gineas {sic} to shew to an aquaintance of his (Berry's) who was a Kn^t and a Great Banker as Berry declared and that the said Banker said they would do very well and that he could take off his hands 5000 ꝑ week of such false Gineas {sic} if he could get y^m. made as good as the said two false Gineas {sic} were And the said Berry said that he pawned a pearle Necklace and a Diamond Ring for money to lay out for a stock for his said friend to make false Gineas {sic} with and that his said friend afterwards 10 false Gineas {sic} but that they were so bad y^t. he would not shew them to his said friend the Banker

That upon Easter Sunday last past this Inform^t dyned at the house of the said M^r. Berry where there was a strang^r of {all men} and in ordinary habbitt and this Informant hearing of the s^d ꝑson talk of his drinking a great quantity of Wine every day this Inform^t asked Berry what say the said ꝑson had to get so much money to spend in Wine Berry told this Inform^t. that he was a Coyn^r. but that he was frighted away from his Habitacon by a pack of Rogues that were Informers but that he had an Edger to edge Crown pieces with and another edger to edge shillings and Gineas {sic} and that he could take $\frac{1}{2}$ an ounce of {illeg} from off 20^s. by fileing the Edges of New money and after new edge it by <10r> his Engines aforesaid, and that the said mr Berry ꝑswaded this Inform^t and the said Read to make false money and said that the fatt ꝑson aforesd would edge the money they made for 2^s. in the pound, and the sd Berry did likewise propose to this Inform^t. and M^r. Read to make Counterfeit Gineas {sic} and that he had a friend of his that would guild them after they had cast y^m.

Mary Lacy

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