Rebecca Berry: The Deposition of Rebecca Berry the wife of Edward Berry 11 August 1698

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The Deposition of Rebecca Berry the wife of Edward Berry taken this 11^th. day of aug^t. 1698

She sayth That about a year ago m^r. Rob^t. Lacy and his wife Mary went into Wales with the Royall Oak Lottery by a Pattent which they had for it in 4 Counties and at their returns they both and their servant Thomas Read told the Informant severall tymes which had passed there an particularly how they coyned money there to put off and that the Spaud with which they cast it was very fine and how they could have made much more but that the woman of the house where they lodged was very prying and inquisitive and how at length the people began to suspect that they made Counterfeit money, and how M^r {Irelon} sent down to the Mayor of Carmarthen before the Condemnation of I Gregory to let him know that Lacy's wife was taken in putting off Counterfeit money, and thereupon the Mayor of Carmarthen putt the said Lacy into prison till the assizes when he was acquitted And how afterwards they went down togeather into Wales as is above mentioned untill they began to talk of their being Coyners and how they came away and left the Oak and board for tion Lottery behind him. She sayth also that about a year and a half ago or above one Solomon Hewett workt in Moorfields for the said Mary Lacy as she hath heard and there Mary Lacy learnt of him and while they workt there the house was searcht and the Tooles taken and Hewit fled and Mary Lacy was taken by Saker in Bedd with about 4^ll. Counterfeit money in Bed with her, And that by the means of Dun and S^t. Leger she was made an Evidence and acccused the said Solomon Hewet and his brother David Hewet and David's wife and Sarah <9r> Adams the M^rs. of Solomon Hewet but none of them were taken as Solomon Hewett who made his escape. And that she hath heard {that} Ioseph Brooker taught Solomon Hewet to coyn. She saith also tha{t} last spring the said Lacy and his wife took a house (as she thinks) in th{e} City For coyning but the woman of the house dyeing they did not go into that house. She saith that they dessigned to coyn Guineas in that ho{use} but being disappointed by the death of the woman of that house the said Lacy afterwards tryed in another house to coyn Guineas of Copper wy{illeg} but could not make it run and then sent the Deponents Husband to {Ke}{yes} to get them done, and thereupon Keyes got John Smith to make them She sayth also that about 3 months ago Thomas Read the servant of M^r Lacy brought to the Deponent 6 shillings in counterfeit Mill'd shillings made of block Tinn, and not long after M^r. Lacy above mentioned brought to th{e} Deponent six shillings more in like shillings and sixpences. Some of which are now produced by the Deponent she saith also that she heard M^r. Lacy say that he had ordered Thomas Read to make no more of that money, and that the Tools were all remove{d} away but a little pair of Flasks which he had left with Mrs Read

Rebecca Berry

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