David Davis's Informaction 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 inclinaction to grave a plate for Malt Tickets hereupon I offered my assistance and did desire to be concerned in yethe propitprofit 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 mastr.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 not but but we have some friends that will suppply us with wt.what may be usefull for the undertaking I told him with a proviso that no body sholdshould be engaged in the secret besides my self yt.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 abot.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 yt.that his Friend after a great deal of moneys laid out and expended could not ꝑperform the Plate it being a very curious thing and no person ytthat 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 sdsaid he if you knew who my friend was you would allow him as great a Master as Chalonr.Chaloner now I prepared three Tickets which Cater undertook to carry to his friend then gave me an accot.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 whereuponabotabout 24th augt I adressed my self to the Right honblehonourable Secretary Vernon and did acquaint him withthat thea Malt TicktTicket plate was counterfeited and that to prevent the destrubutionsdistributions of severall false Tickets there was a necessity for 100l to secure some that were done and to subsist the persons that had done ym.them till I Could obtaine yethe advantage of seizing Chaloner and of securing the Plate upon which his honorhonour 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 Rt.Right HonobleHonourable Secretary Vernon I was not capable of making any further discovery as to yethe plate so I waited on Secretary Vernon the third time then he orderd.ordered me 100ll to secure the Tickets which were allready done and to prevent the publicaition 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 wch.which I understood were printed I did a 4th. time wait on mr. Secretary Vernon and shewdshewed him the parcell which are the very same ytthat now lye before his honor.honour upon this he strictly enrejoynded me to be very undustrious in finding out Chaloner and the plate + I applyed my self very closly to the finding out + searching after yethe plate which I understood by Carter was concealed in a wall and ytthat 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 ytthat past who asked me where the false Tickets were yt.that I shewed his Honor.Honour before I shewed them to his honor.honour againe and said I would be sure not to part with ym.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 yt.that he would print off as many as the Plate would bear and then cut it into 2 pieces yethe Secretary of State still urged to have the mattr.matter brought to an end yn.then I come to Carter againe who tells me yt.that wn.when the time was come that they resolved to print off there it hapendhappened yt.that one Holloway (andor his wife) who Chaloner had bribed to go out of the Kingdom to prevent his being an Evidence agt.against him before a Committee of the HonbleHonourable House of Commons was in pursuit of him with the Warden of yethe Mints warrt.warrant and he was abot.about reconciling of the mattr.matter wch.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 Rt.Right honbleHonourable Secretary Vernon who seemed very much disatisfyed at these delays wchwhich 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 ytthat Chaloner had put it out of his knowledge but as soon as he should See it to print yethe Tickets off he did resolve to keep it and one reason he told me why they were soe dilatory was ytthat 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 argmtsarguments to disposess Carter of this believe he replyed thus nay I have no reason to give much creddit to wt.what he saith since he bett me of 6 Tickets wchwhich he tells me he pawned to his aunt but I had not one penny of the money thereupon I waited on the Rt.Right Honblehonourable Secretary Vernon againe + Informed him of this story his honore said ytthat he knew nothing 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 honrshonours discretion but I farther promised Mr Secretary Vernon to furnish Carter with a Lodging Convent.Convenient for the busines by wchwhich means I might assuredly secure Chaloner + yethe plate Mr. Secretary bid me be sure and get it done now the time was was come ytthat Chaloner had agreed and Let apart to print the Tickets and wnwhen he went for the plate wchwhich he had reposed in a midwifes hand (the Midwifes name is Sampson near Clare market) she was gone into the Countrey abot.about 30 miles to lay a woman upon which he promised Carter ytthat he should go down into the Country tok nowto know where the plate was this was last munday and I waited upon the Honble.Honourable Secretary last munday wthwith this accot.account but when I came back Carter told me ytthat Chaloner had changed his mind and had sent a Speciall message for yethe plate wch.which he assured Carter would be in Town as last Fryday the morning before being Thursday morn Carter told me ytthat one Catchmead had pawned some Tickets sealed up to a Mercht.Merchant for 10li and ytthat yethe mercht.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 accotaccount of this matter his HonorHonour 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 picktpocket Book where my Remembrances were

D Davies