Richard Cossens & Boniface Bywater: The Information of Richard Cossens of Stamford in the County of Lincoln Goldsmith and Boniface Bywater Clockmaker 15 August 1697

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The informations of Richard Cossens of Stanford in the County of Lincoln Gooldsmith {sic} & Boniface Bywater of the Same Clockmaker taken before me Noah Neale Esq^r. one of his Maj^ties justices of y^e. Peace for the Liberty afores^d. this 15 day of August in the 9^th year of the Reign of his Mait^ie. King W^m: the third anoq^e Dom: 1697:

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The sayd Richard Cossens & Boniface Bywater did this day come voluntarily before me & of their own accord did tender the following information upon oath And the sayd Richard Cossens upon his oath sayth that one Robert Thorpe late of Peakirk in this Liberty did about a month agoe send for this informant to y^e sighn {sic} of the Ange{illeg} in Stamford and proposed to him to go shares with him in the coining Trade which at first did very much startle him & did unbraid him such proposall, but sending for him again did enter upon discourse with him about the same with intentions to find out the bottome of this matter and then the sd Robert Thorpe & one Edward Bacon lately of Spaulding in y^e County of Lincol, but now residing in London did produce & Show to this informant two{illeg} Stamps or dies to make false Shillings of the coyne of his p^rsent ma^tie: and the said Boniface Bywater upon his oath sayth that upon the day the said Coining instruments were shewn to y^e s^d Richard Cossens he y^e sayd Robert Thorpe did send for this informant Bywater complaind to him that Cossens decei{illeg}|v|ed his expectations, & then told him in what, viz^t: that Would not joyn with them to make money, & told this informant if they could get about 6^£. stock they could do well enough, and then shewd this informant Bywater the aforesd. stampes or dies, & complaind that the Collar of them was broken and would have {illeg}h|m|a{illeg}|de| this informant made a new one but he refused to doe it, & then y^e sayd Robert Thorpe told this informant he must not let Bacon know he had sayd anything to him of this matter, that some time afterwards they y^e sayd Thorpe and bacon, did send for this informant Bywater & did desire him to carry a letter to the s^d Cossens which he did, and then y^e said Cossens Communicated the same to Bywater & they agreed to take an oppertunity to take them which they thought to have done at that time, because they sent for 20^s. the Said Thorpe Sayd in his Letter they had got their business done but he only sent him 10^s. to serve them a while & did design to apprehend them but they mistrusted him because he sent for more, & took their horses, and went out of town but receiving a letter last post from them from London, & he directing him where they may be found they came and made the afores^d information.

Richard Cossins
Boneyface Bywater

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