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 Informaīon of Mary Townsend of the ꝑish of S^t. Andrews Holborn in the County of Middx Widdow taken this 31 day of Aug^t. 1698

Who saith That abo^t. 5 or 6 years ago she was in company with one M^r. Iohn Gibbons in Lickabone str in the s^d ꝑish and who keeps a Coffee house near Charing Cross and is one of the Yeoman Porters at Whitehall Gate and this Inform^t. did then and there see the the {sic} said Iohn 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 {t}|o|wned that he put off and paid away the said Count^rfeit money as good and y^t abo^t the same tyme + place the said Gibbons used to bring severall <44r> summs of money and sold it after the rate of 23^s or 23^s 6^d in the pound proffit for the same to one Iohn Hickes who is now Keeper of the Gatehouse Westm^r. and the said Gibbons used frequently to stand by the said Hickes while he clipped the said money yⁿ {received} back the money after it was clipped and the said Hicks used to give to one Thomas Iones about 20 shillings ꝑ 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 Inform^t. further saith y^t. abo^t. 6 yeares ago one Rob^t Iacob who lives near Grays Inn and is also Goldsmith used to clipp broad money for the said Hickes and Hickes use to give him {6}{8}^d. ꝑ pound for the clipping for him and Hickes used to weigh the money that he let the sd Iacob have to clip for him and receive it back after it was clipped by weight and Iacob used to keep the Clippings and gave Hickes after the rate of 5^s. ꝑ oz for the same and that abo^t. 6 years ago the s^d Ino Gibbons used severall times to give notice to the said Edward Ivie that his house would be searched upon the acco^t. 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 sd Gibbons used to give to the sd Gibbons for giving him notice as afores.d and this Inform^t hath heard the said Gibbons declare y^t he was going to send word to the said Hicks that he intended to search his house with {illeg}the assistance of a Conble and y^t if he round any unlawfull thin in it he could not conceale it by reason of the Conble being in company with the said Gibbons at his own house at Charing Cross the said Gibbons said Gibbons {sic} 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 50^ll he would hang him or words to y^t effect

Mary Townsend

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