"David Davis's Information to Mr Secretary Vernon"
David Davis's Information to Mr Secretary Vernon
About the latter end of Iune I met Mr. Thomas Carter in Piccadilly with whom I had much discourse and particularly he let me understand he was acquainted with a man which could engrave very dexterously and had a strong inclination to grave a plate for Malt Tickets hereupon I offered my assistance and did desire to be concerned in the profit saying that the plate is not allready begun I will propose originall Tickets Carter replyed the Copper is not yet bought and for my own part I have not been master of one shilling this month and my friend is very indignant besides this busines requires a good stock for Lodging provission and other necessaries to compleat the work but we have some friends that will supply us with what may be usefull for the undertaking I told him with a proviso that no body should be engaged in the secret besides my self that I would not only furnish them with Tickets but with such moneys as should be required towards the furtherance and finishing the plate which Carter said would take up some time to perfect it after Severall Meetings with Carter about this affair at last wee {pimpt} but saith Carter you are not to see my Workman nor shall he be concerned with you but if you confide in me the work shall go on with all speed here I put a suppose that his Friend after a great deal of moneys laid out and expended could not perform the Plate it being a very curious thing and no person that I ever heard off did understand taking the reverse of a fine bill upon Copper besides Chaloner Carter told me I must ask noe Questions but said he if you knew who my friend was you would allow him as great a Master as Chaloner now I prepared three Tickets which Cater undertook to carry to his friend then gave me an account of every days proceedings till the plate was finisht All this time I had sufficent assurances that Chaloner was the person which engraved the plate whereupon[2] I adressed my self to the Right honourable Secretary Vernon and did acquaint him that a Malt Ticket plate was counterfeited and that to prevent the distributions of severall false Tickets there was a necessity for 100{l} to secure some that were done and to subsist the persons that had done them till I Could obtaine the advantage of seizing Chaloner and of securing the Plate upon which his honour did direct me to take Speciall care that none of the Counterfeit should be dispersed for Two or three dayes and to attend him againe
The 2d time I waited on the Right Honourable Secretary Vernon I was not capable of making any further discovery as to the plate so I waited on Secretary Vernon the third time then he ordered me 100ll to secure the Tickets which were allready done and to prevent the publication of any till I could learn where the plate lay then I returnd to Carter telling him I had a friend that would take off two thousand pounds worth of false Tickets desiring him to let me have all the Counterfeits that were taken off the plate + he and his friend should have continuall supplys till they should print all the rest upon which Carter gave me a considerable parcell having thus secured all which I understood were printed I did a 4th. time wait on mr. Secretary Vernon and shewed him the parcell which are the very same that now lye before his honour upon this he strictly {en}{rej}oyned me to be very undustrious in finding out Chaloner and the plate + I applyed my self very closly to the finding out + searching after the plate which I understood by Carter was concealed in a wall and that his friend could not print any Tickets without him but on a week's time they resolved to work here I waited on the Secretary Vernon againe and acquainted him with all that past who asked me where the false Tickets were that I shewed his Honour before I shewed them to his honour againe and said I would be sure not to part with them by which means I should be more capable of finding out Chaloner &c and by keeping Carter close to me he should not have the opportunity of doing any busines with chaloner save only call on him once a day to have him proceed as he every day promised to Carter that he would print off as many as the Plate would bear and then cut it into 2 pieces the Secretary of State still urged to have the matter brought to an end then I come to Carter againe who tells me that when the time was come that they resolved to print off there it happened that one Holloway (or his wife) who Chaloner had bribed to go out of the Kingdom to prevent his being an Evidence against him before a Committee of the Honourable House of Commons was in pursuit of him with the Warden of the Mints warrant and he was about reconciling of the matter which as soon as he had done he said he would print off as many as the plate would admitt of with these excuses I waited on the Right Honourable Secretary Vernon who seemed very much disatisfyed at these delays which I hoped to bring to a period every day. When I found the affair go so slowly on I desired Carter to get the Plate into his own hands he told me that Chaloner had put it out of his knowledge but as soon as he should See it to print the Tickets off he did resolve to keep it and one reason he told me why they were soe dilatory was that one Edwards had told him I had been with the Secretary of State and had promised him a Counterfeit Plate but after having used some arguments to disposess Carter of this believe he replyed thus nay I have no reason to give much creddit to what he saith since he {bett} me of 6 Tickets which he tells me he pawned to his aunt but I had not one penny of the money thereupon I waited on the Right honourable Secretary Vernon againe + Informed him of this {story} his honor{e} said that he knew nothing {illeg} but appeared full of displeasure saying at this rate the nation may be imposed upon while you are talking to me or to this effect I promised that I would either find Chaloner aprinting with the plate in a weeks time or otherwise it was in his honours discretion but I farther promised Mr Secretary Vernon to furnish Carter with a Lodging Convenient for the busines by which means I might assuredly secure Chaloner + the plate Mr. Secretary bid me be sure and get it done now the time was come that Chaloner had agreed and Let apart to print the Tickets and when he went for the plate which he had reposed in a midwifes hand (the Midwifes name is Sampson near Clare market) she was gone into the Countrey about 30 miles to lay a woman upon which he promised Carter that he should go down into the Country to know where the plate was this was last munday and I waited upon the Honourable Secretary last munday with this account but when I came back Carter told me that Chaloner had changed his mind and had sent a Speciall message for the plate which he assured Carter would {be in} Town as last Fryday the morning before being Thursday morn Carter told me that one Catchmead had pawned some Tickets sealed up to a Merchant for 10li and that the merchant had broke the seal open + had paid away the Tickets upon which he was apprehended this {newes} did astonish me + I left a note at the Secretary's office and waited upon the Secretary of State at his house that day to give him an account of this matter his Honour told me there was no delaying any longer for that there was a necessity of putting an end to this affair whereupon I gave a Discovery of Chaloner's Lodgings and secured Carter this is as near the truth as I can well remember having lost any pocket Book where my Remembrances were
D Davies
[3] <38r>I did wait on the Right Honourable Secretary Vernon severall times which I have not incerted but allways with the Reasons which I had from Carter for my not being able to compleat what I had undertaken
