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

Who saith that in or about October last past 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 Deponent counterfeit the Current 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 Informant 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 expectation 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 Informant on the Bedd Chamber of the said Mary Bush counterfeit the Current Coyn of this Kingdom by casting Shillings and that this Informant 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 Informant asking Read what advantage <9v> he could propose to himself by making Counterfeit money of such {Metal} 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 little charge and that he melted it down without any Charcoale

And this Informant further saith that in or about January 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 parish of Lambeth in the County of Surrey and then and there the said M^r. Berry told this Informant that he had seen a pair of Guinea Dyes in the custody of a friend of his and that his said friend wanted a heavy Metall to mix with Gold that would make Guineas fullweight, and the said Berry enquired of this Informant if she knew of any such Metall and this Informant told him that if he would give her some money she would see if she could get any such Metall and Berry offered to give to this Informant 5 or 10^s but this Informant refused to take the same because it was too little And this Informant afterwards seeing the said M^r. Berry enquired of him what progress or good his friend and he had made or done concerning making false Guineas with the said Guinea Dyes and Berry said that his friend had brought him 2 counterfeit Guineas to shew to an aquaintance of his (Berry's) who was a Knight 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 per week of such false Guineas if he could get them made as good as the said two false Guineas 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 Guineas with and that his said friend afterwards 10 false Guineas but that they were so bad that he would not shew them to his said friend the Banker

That upon Easter Sunday last past this Informant dyned at the house of the said M^r. Berry where there was a stranger of {all men} and in ordinary habbitt and this Informant hearing of the said person talk of his drinking a great quantity of Wine every day this Informant asked Berry what say the said person had to get so much money to spend in Wine Berry told this Informant that he was a Coyner but that he was frighted away from his Habitation 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 Guineas 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 perswaded this Informant and the said Read to make false money and said that the fatt person aforesaid would edge the money they made for 2^s. in the pound, and the said Berry did likewise propose to this Informant and M^r. Read to make Counterfeit Guineas and that he had a friend of his that would guild them after they had cast them.

Mary Lacy

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