The Informaction of William Ienners of the ꝑparish of Halesowen with the County of Salop Naylor taken this 25th day of aprill 1699

Who saith That upon the 4th. day f this Instant aprill he this Informt.Informant searched the house of Humphrey Honesty at Halesown Naylor and then and there was found a pair of Flasks Blancht Copper spaud and other materialls commonly used for making of counterfeit money and upon the 7th. dau of this instant month of Aprill this InformtInformant was told by one IJohn Sparrow (who then lay under sentence of death for counterfeiting of the Current Coyn of this Realme that 2 persons had sworn agt.against severall persons to a Iustice of the Peace in Stafford and that Sparrow did design to have the said persons taken up the next week following and the said Sparrow said that he would bring out the man that made the GineaGuinea Stamps that the false GineaGuinea was stampt with that was cut in mr. Stowe's Lodging at Stafford the last assizes held there and that one IJohn Bate who likewise laid at the same time a Prisoner under sentence of death for counterfeiting of the Current Coyn of this Realm told this Informt.Informant that Sparrow aforesaid had left out of his Informaction four considerable persons that he had not discoverd.ed but Bate said he would make Sparrow bring them out for that (as Bate said Sparrow told him his whole mind and yt.that Sparrow should conceal nothing that would serve the Governmt.Government (or words to that effect) and that the said IJohn Bate did further tell this Informt.Informant that one Wilkinson had a pair of stamps for Mill'd money (as Bate was told) of Harvey's making who was tryed for making false money the last assizes held at Shrewsbury and that mr. Greenfield of the ꝑparish of Derby in the County of Worcester had another pair of Stamps for milld money and was at work with them at yt.that time as Bate said he was told and likewise that Sparrow told him the said Bate (as he said to this InformtInformant) that there was 10 GineasGuineas tgiven to a Minister (who assisted and prayd.ed with the Prisoners in Stafford Gaol) to go after the Iudge to Shrewsbury to procure or obtain a Reprieve for Sparrow as this Depont.Deponent did then understand by the said Bate and 10 GineasGuineas to a Councellr.or at Law and 10 GineasGuineas to the Keeper of the Gaol at Stafford to Sollicit likewise the Iudge for a Reprieve for Sparrow aforesaid and the said IJohn Bate further said that himself, his wife mr. Wilcox and Ioseph Hedger can testify agt.against IJohn Harvey for making counterfeit mill'd money in Staffordshshire and other neighbouring Countreys or words to that effect

And that he hath latly been told by severall persons yt.that Benjamin Parks of Rowley of the County of Stafford Henry Wakelam alsalias Wakeaman, Coley and George Edge of the said parrish of Dudley are Counterfeitrs.ers of the Current Coyn of this Realme, and ytthat one William Harris (as he hath been told) of the parrish of Halesowen is now removing a considerable way from the place where he doth or latly did live to one that has latly taken him a house that dealt with him formerly in counterfeit money and that tis believed the said person and Harris design to make counterfeit money there and this Informt.Informant is promisst to have notice where the said Harris designes to live and dwell—. And that he hath latly heard severall persons in Warwickshire complain that there is a great deal of Counterfeit money put off amongst them and that it daily increaseth and ytthat he hath heard the like complaint at Daintry in Northamptonshire and likewise at Wapping in the County of MiddxMiddlesex and that at Daintry the people said they were forced to get their money looked over by some persons ytthat understood money well That he hath heard one Iustice Weavr.er of the Marvell in the said County of Salop say that the reward of 40ll that is given by act of parliamt.parliament upon the Conviction of False Coyners (or words to that effect) did not answer the end that it was designed for because it gave the Iuryes occasion to think that persons swore falsly to get the Reward of 40l and so by that means Criminalls often escape Iustice and yt.that he thought it would be for the publick service to have yethe reed of 40l taken off

Will Ienners