Mary Ball: Information of Mary Ball 23 October 1698

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Infomation of Mary Ball

This Informant says she has lived with M^rs. Matthews about 3 quarters of a year that about Iune or Iuly last Chaloner and Davis came to her Mistresses House that Chaloner sent her to Carter's Lodging to fetch an oyle stone which was a short piece of a stone as also a litle botle of Oyle and a violl of Aqua fortis which she brought to Chaloner then he wanted some small Coal to be lighted and a bason of clean water with a Cloth which he had with him in a Room up one pair of staires where he lockt himself in and took out the Key chaloner staid there about 2 hours this Informant had curiousity to look through the Keyhole and saw Chaloner sitting with his back towards her and his face towards the Window she thought he was writing <31r> but as he turned his head aside she perceived he had something very bright lying before him which lookt like a plate and she was satisfyed it was a Copper plate seeing it afterwards in her mistress's Trunck when Chaloner came down staires this Informant went into the room and upon the Window where m^r Chaloner sat + she saw a thin shining Dust the same evening Chaloner brought in a piece of leather and made up a Sand Bagg.

The plate this Informant saw in her Mistress's Trunck lookt like a thing that was scratcht the ends lookt like flourishes of a letter and in the midle were some lines scratcht

The next day the bagg was carryed away and she supposes the plate too for she did not see it till about a fortnight or 3 weeks after when Chaloner came againe and wanted some paper

This Informant fetcht them a pennyworth of the best writing paper Chaloner carryed it up into the room above stairs and askt for scissors a piece of an Earthen Dish and clean Woollen Raggs which had with some clean water and a Napkin Chaloner lockt himself up as before giving orders that if any body askt for him Carter or her mistress that the Maid should answer that no body was at home + not open the Door Chaloner was by himself shutt up about 2 houres and this Informant peept againe through the key hole and saw Chaloner standing at the window with the earthen Dish by him and the plate before him he took the raggs and dipt them in the Dish then he rubbed it over the plate and laid some paper atop of it and then laid something over the paper which lookt whitish like flanell but she could not tell what it was then she thinks he burnt it and took out the paper and laid and then he rubbed the plate over againe as he did before and laid over another paper this Informant peept near $\frac{1}{2}$ an hour then went up stairs and came to the Keyhole againe and saw Chaloner still doing the same thing with his Raggs and his paper

When Chaloner was gone of the room this Informant went into it and saw the Window all daubed only where the plate lay that place was clean in the Earthen Dish and blacking and the ragg left in it she put the Dish up in a Closset <31v> and it so still to be seen as it was left

About a week after that Chaloner gave her mistress a paper with some thing in it which she put into a Trunck that did not close this Informant opend the Trunck as Chaloner and her mistress went out togeather there this Informant saw the same plate againe but all the stroakes were now finisht and black with the stuff which she supposes Chaloner had used when he workt upon it. Chaloner fetcht the Plate againe three or 4 dayes after

Mary Ball

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