Monmouths Ss
The ExaminatonExamination- of Henry Waters of the ꝑrishParish of Penshaw
the County of Monmouth aforesdaforesaid Taken Before me
Thomas Morgan Esqr.Esquire one of his MajtiesMajesties Justices of yethe Peace
of the SdSaid County this sixth day of October Ano Rni dniAnno Regni Domini nei
WilliWilliam tertii Regis Anglie et octova Ano dniAnnoque domini 1696.o
The SdSaid Examinant being duely examin'd upon Oath Saith That he being
intimately acquainted wthwith Water Harris of Chepstoll in the SdSaid County
Mercet the SdSaid Water Harris very much in Debt did about the month
of June in the year of our LdLord one Thousand Six hundred ninety
three Importune this Exam.tExaminant to manage his Shop and Trade for him
effecting thereof he did, then Say that he would make a bill
of Sale of all his shop goods & Wares to this Exam.tExaminant & accordingly Þsthis
Exam.tExaminant was then prevailed with to undertake the management thereof
and the said Water Harris did then make a Bill of Sales of all
his shop goods and Wares to this Exam.tExaminant who for two months & upwards
mannaged his the SdSaid Water Harris his Shop and trade for him
During all wchwhich time the SdSaid Water Harris did abscond from his
Creditors And this Examinant further Saith That in a Weeks time
or thereabout after he came to the SdSaid Water Harris his house at
Chepstoll aforesdaforesaid to manage his concern as aforesdaforesaid there came to
the SdSaid house one William Hopkins of Michelldeane in the country of Gloucester Pinmaker Brother in Law to the SdSaid Water Harris &
continued there a Week or thereabouts at that time, During wchwhich
time this Exam.tExaminant being one day in a low room in yethe SdSaid House &
hearing a noise in a Chamber there near him did look into yethe SdSaid
chamber through a hole in the partition that parted the SdSaid chamber
from another Room, and did then and there See the SdSaid Wm Hopkins clipping SIlver mony and one Jacob Harris of Chepstoll aforesdaforesaid
Sadler fileing & rounding the Same after it was clipt. Whereupon
this Exam.tExaminant went up Stairs into the SdSaid chamber but before he had
got up Staires the SdSaid Ho William Hopkins and Jacob Harris
had hid the SdSaid Silver money and the Instruments they worked
wthwith all, saveing a file wchwhich the SdSaid Jacob Harris had in his
hand fileing of a Shoe buckle however when thtExaminant came
into the SdSaid chamber he asked the SdSaid William Hopkins & Jacob
Harris what they were doing & the SdSaid Jacob Harris made answer
you See what we are doing I am fileing my shoe Buckle, Where
unto this Exam.tExaminant went down Staires and the SdSaid Wm Hopkins and
Jacob Harris immediately followed him, and he this ExaiantExaminant went into a low room in
the SdSaid House and this Exam.tExaminant went about a quarter of an hour
after into a yard that belongs to the SdSaid House, and there found
some clippings of Silver wchwhich he took up & brought in to the SdSaid W.m
Hopkins and Jacob Harris and shewed the Same to them telling
them this Shews what you were doing, a little While agoe. Where
upon they confessed to this Exam.tExaminant that they had clipped the SdSaid money
as aforesaid and shewed the Clippings and sheares and file they worked
withall to this Exam.tExaminant but desired this Exam.tExaminant not to discover the
Same wchwhich he promised to doe.
And this Exam.tExaminant further Saith That in the Month of July in yethe
year of our Lord one thousand Six hundrd ninety three this Exam.tExaminant
went in Company wthwith the SdSaid William Hopkins, Water Harris, & Jacob
Harris towards Bristoll fair wchwhich began the five and twentieth day
of July in the Same year, and that in their Journey thither they
Lodged at an Inn near Bristoll called Katharines Lodg and next
morning the SdSaid William Hopkins Jacob Harris and Water Harris
got up out of bed before this Exam.tExaminant and assoon as this Exam.tExaminant got up he enquired were they were and being told by one of yethe
Servants in the Said Inn that they were in the shuffle board room
there he went to the SdSaid shuffle board room door & knocked thereat
finding the Same fast bolted or locked Whereupon the SdSaid Water
Harris opend the door and then this Exam.tExaminant went in to the SdSaid shuffle board room and there found & Saw the SdSaid William
Hopkins clipping with a pair of Sheares the currtcurrent coin of this
this Kingdom viz.t half crowns, shillings & Six pences, and the SdSaid
Water Harris and Jacob Harris fileing them after they were clipt; &
this Exam.tExaminant told them they never would Leave off untill they were
hanged to wchwhich they answered that they would never be hanged unless
this Exam.tExaminant would do it.
And the SdSaid Exam.tExaminant further Saith that the SdSaid Water Harris Did
then desire this Exam.tExaminant to carry the SdSaid Money (wchwhich they the SdSaid Water
Harris William Hopkins & Jacob Harris then & there clipped as aforesdaforesaid
being twenty pounds) with him to Bristoll, one of the Creditoures of the SdSaid Water Harris and this Examninant desird yethe SdSaid W. Harris would
seal the Same up in a Bag wchwhich he accordingly did, and this Exam.tExaminant
did deliver the same so sealed up to the SdSaid George White who accepted
thereof.
And this Exam.tExaminant further Sayth, that before the end of
the SdSaid fair this Exam.tExaminant together with the SdSaid Mr Hopkins and
Jacob Harris returned to the SdSaid Inn, where the SdSaid Water Harris
had continued while they were in the SdSaid fair) and thence the SdSaid
William Hopkins Water Harris and Jacob Harris & this Exam.tExaminant came
to Cheptstoll aforesdaforesaid the next day, and further Saith that within the Space
of a Month or thereabouts after his return from the SdSaid fair to
Chepstoll aforesdaforesaid & saw at Severall times the SdSaid Water Harris & Mary
his Wife clipping the currtcurrent coin of this kingdom in his SdSaid
House at Chepstoll aforesdaforesaid, wchwhich they never endeavoured to conceal
from this Exam.tExaminant
And further saith that within the
Space of a months or thereabouts after his return from the SdSaid fair, he Saw
the SdSaid William Hopkins & Water Harris clip the currtcurrent coin of
this Kingdom in the SdSaid Water Harris his house afterwards
melt the clippings of the SdSaid coins therewith coin new Money in
Imitation or resemblance of hammer'd half Crownes.
And this Exam.tExaminant further Saith That Some few dayes after he had Seen yethe
SdSaid William Hopkins Water Harris & clipping & coining as aforesaid
he the SdSaid Water Harris did desire this Examinant to go wthwith him to
Michellsdeane aforesdaforesaid where this Exam.tExaminant did accordingly go wthwith the SdSaid
Water Harris and Lodged there at the SdSaid William Hopkins his house,
and then and there Saw the SdSaid William Hopkins his Wide Clip, wthwith a
pair of Sheares the currtcurrent coin of this Kingdom And this Exam.tExaminant saith
That the next day after this Exam.tExaminant & the SdSaid Water Harris came to
Michelldeane as aforesdaforesaid the SdSaid Water Harris demanded Some mony from
the SdSaid William Hopkins, as a debt due to him whereunto the SdSaid Wm
Hopkins answered that he had none then but that he would have Some
by the next day and the SdSaid William Hopkins told this Exam.tExaminant That he must
that night coin Some mony to pay the SdSaid Water Harris, And further
saith, That the SdSaid William Hopkins went in the beginning of that night
wthwith one William Cutler of Michelldean aforesdaforesaid Pinmaker, int the SdSaid
William Cutlers house, and told this Exam.tExaminant that he would return in an
hours time but did not, WchWhich made this Exam.tExaminant to goe to the SdSaid Wm
Cutlers house (being over against the SdSaid William Hopkins his house)
to see for the SdSaid William Hopkins, and looking into a low room
in the SdSaid William Cutlers house in through the Window there he
Saw the SdSaid William Hopkins & William Cutler Setting a Crucible on
a fire in the SdSaid room and afterwards takeing itt off The fire and
pouring what was therein into a Mould, and then this Exam.tExaminant
returned to the SdSaid William Hopkins his house, and did not See the
SdSaid William Hopkins till next day when he paid ten shillings to
the SdSaid Water Harris which he said he and the SdSaid William
Cutler had coined the night befoe.
And this Exam.tExaminant further Saith That the SdSaid Willliamalter Harris did then at
Michelldeane aforesdaforesaid Inquire for one George Giles of the County of Hereford
Gent: (to whom this Exam.tExaminant had before that time seen the SdSaid Water Harris
deliver Some Clippings of Silver) and yethe SdSaid Water Harris was then told
that he might find him at a Village called Legg being about a Mile
from Michelldean aforesdaforesaid, where the SdSaid Water Harris & this Exam.tExaminant
immediately went and found in an Inn there the SdSaid George Giles
& one James Boyle of Leg aforesdaforesaid Smith and after that this Exam.tExaminant
the SdSaid George Giles & James Boyle had been there together about
halfe and houre) the SdSaid Water Harris being then gone forth) the
SdSaid George Giles asked the SdSaid dSaid James Boyle answered that he had none ynthen
ready, Why then replyd the SdSaid George Giles go & get me some &
thereupon the SdSaid James Boyle went forth and in an houres time
returned wthwith Six half Crownes, which this Exam.tExaminant takeing in his
hand asked the SdSaid James Boyle whether he had made the Same So
Soon, to wchwhich the SdSaid James Boyle answered no, but that he had
finisht them Since he went forth which Six half Crowned the SdSaid
James Boyle delivered to the SdSaid George Giles.
And this Exam.tExaminant further Saith, that about the month of Novembr
in the SdSaid Year one thousand Six hundred ninety three, he this
Exam.tExaminant} haveing then left the mannagem.t of the SdSaid Water Harris
his Concern) did go to a fair kept then at Michelldean aforesdaforesaid
and haveing occasion to Speak wthwith the SdSaid James Boyle Did then
in his return from Michelldean aforesdaforesaid call at Leg aforesdaforesaid at yethe
said James Boyle his house and inquired for the SdSaid James Boyle
and his Now Wife directed this Exam.tExaminant to him to a Chamber
in his SdSaid house where this Exam.tExaminant going found the SdSaid George
Giles wthwith a pair of Shears Clipping the currtcurrent Coin of this Kingdom
and the SdSaid James Boyle fileing and rounding the Same and
this Exam.tExaminant the SdSaid George Giles and James Boyle came then
down Sraires to the SdSaid James Boyle his shop where this Exam.tExaminant
Seeing a pair of Sheares asked the SdSaid George Giles who the Same
Was for to wchwhich the SdSaid George Giles made answer That it was
designed for William Morgan late of Chepstoll aforesdaforesaid, who
now as this Exam.tExaminant is informed) Collects the duties charged upon
earthen Wares & tobacco pipes wthwithin the SdSaid County of Monmouth
And the SdSaid George Giles then told this Exam.tExaminant that the SdSaid Wm
Morgan had Sold Some Clippings of Silver to the SdSaid George Giles. Henry Waters
Jur die & Ano Supradict
coram me
Tho Morgan