Edward Smith: The Information of Edward Smith of Islington in the county of Middlesex Gardener 11 January 1698/9

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The Information of Edw^d Smith of Islington in the County of Middlesex Gardiner 11 Ian^ry 169$\frac{8}{9}$

He saith that about 9 or 10 weeks ago he went to mr Sadlers house at Strettam in the Isle of Ely in Cambridgeshire pretending to come to the said Sadler from W^m. Thornton and Henry Holder who had lodged at that said Sadlers house for severall months and were gone from thence about 3 or 4 dayes or a week before the Deponent came thither and that the said Sadler carryed the Deponent up one pair of Staires into Two Rooms on a floor and in one of the Roomes shewed the Deponent a stove or Furnace and told the Deponent that there they melted their metall for making false money and that they made Spanish Pistolls by casting worth about 12^s. a piece that they made also $\frac{1}{2}$ Guineas by casting and cast them very fine and that they made shillings of a mixt metall worth almost 4^s. an ounce + run it into barrs and flatted them in a Flatting Mill and then cut them into round pieces with a Tool they called a Pin and afterwards stampd with Dyes and a sledge Hammer and going down staires he fetched an Edger or Edging Tolle with which they edged their money + shewed the Deponent how they edged by running a shilling through the Mill and pulling out of his pocket a parcell of about 20 or 30^s told the Deponent that here Thornton + Holder above mentioned made that money + that Thornton was the Head workmen + that Holder could also work well + was Confederate with one House a Norwich Factor who had great quantitys of their counterfeit money to put off and when the said Sadler shewed the Deponent the said Edger + pin the Deponent asked the said Sadler how if any body should search his house + find those things + the said Sadler answered that he defyed all the Sharpers in England to find them there were hid so safe

the mark of
Ed^d Smith

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