Partial Transcript of National Archives File MINT 15/17
Item 28
The examination of Hannah Cook 16 May 1697 [sic?]
Who sayeth that her father William Cooke was by Trade a Clockmaker and that he used to make clocks and Jacks and that she did never know or was privy to his making of Counterfeit money or tools for that purpose.
The mark of Hannah Cooke
John Packer
Item 30
The Examination of Cicilia Labree 16 May 1698
That about a quarter of a year since she [hired?] a house in Lille Ambrey in Westminster and that one Cook hired several rooms of her in the house aforesaid who had lodged with her about 6 weeks with his daughter a girl about 13 or 14 years of age the said Cook pretended to be a clockmaker by trade and made use of the [?] to cast metal in as he pretended for utensils in his Trade. And that she had been seen him several times in his [back?] she pretending some of the said tools that were taken in her house and now produced before me but that she did not know what use they were for or did ever see him make any false or counterfeit money or did know that ever he did but that he did give her a fake guinea half guinea and [Lewisd?] or for to lay by for him which he told her he had bought by weight to make use of in his [habit?].
Cecilia Labree
John Packer
Item 31
The examination of Edward Ivy als Jones late of [blank] Gent. Taken before the 17th May 1698
Who being duly sworn on the Holy Evangelists and saith that he has been acquainted with John Jennings Gent. In England upwards of three years which said Jennings was once footman to the late Duke of Monmouth that the said Jennings often came to the deponents house in London and about 4 years since came to his said house and walked with the deponent in the garden and took out a handful of Guineas which this deponent look to be Counterfeit. That the said Jennings desired this examinant to utter as money of the said Guineas (being about 100) as the examinant could and particularly desire to take one hundred of the said guineas the deponent looking on the said showed to him told the said Jennings that he believed they were good and so they seemed to this deponent until that the said Jennings offered to sell them to the deponent for 12 or 14 [shillings] a piece and desired the examinant then to take one hundred of them and utter them. That they Examinant [?] the said Guineas told the said Jennings that the said Guineas exceeded any that Chaloner made whereupon the said Jennings replied that Chaloner was a fool to him that made the said Guineas who was a person that lived near Hampton Court and was near neighbour to the said Jennings and named his name being the son of widow woman but the examinant forgets the name and said of he and the other person coined stocks together and had a [?] house for coining and desired this deponent to put in a hundred pounds [?] the [?] and to come sharer with them, he likewise told the examinant that he used to utter them in the country in exchange for a pint of Wine and likewise desired the deponent to go into the country with him to utter the said Guineas sayeth that the said Jennings when this examinant knew him was a married man and lived with his wife near Hampton Court which said wife the examinant believes is still living [?] when said Jennings offered the sad Counterfeit Guineas to the Examinant to [pass] Elizabeth Jones Widow was [perfect. The Examinant deponent that he has known Edward Bready late of St Anns parish in London upwards of 4 years past that the said Bready made it his constant business to utter counterfeit Guineas and Counterfeit English Money that the deponent has several times seen him utter such false coin and the said Bready told the deponent that he had the said Counterfeit money from one Cogswell and from a Dr that lived at the Glass House in Lambeth and as that this deponent believes or from one Chaloner that this defendant believes or that the bready has uttered to the value of several thousand pounds in Counterfeit Gold and Silver he having practised it for several years past. […]
[Next Page]
Well [?] that John Gibbons now Porter at Whitehall Goal very well knows the truth of what the Deponent now deposes (as to the [?] [?] to be true that the Jacob Goldsmith that lived in [?] lane used to buy the filings of clipped money and clippings from several clippers that one price a watchmaker that lived near [?] Cross used to make the tools for [?] Counterfeit Guineas say that the said Gibbons [corresponding] with a great many Clippers and Coiners and used to receive several sums of money from them as [contribution?] for conceiving at them and was went to [?] for any of them when they were [mis..]. That this deponent will knew one Samuel Jackson in England who are clippers and coiners the cause of the deponent’s knowledge as that the said Jackson lodged in the deponent’s house in London but he hears that the said Jackson is lately come into this Kingdom together with George Emerson, Joseph Forster and other [Examinant?] Coiners and Clippers from England who the deponent believes go by other names in this Kingdom, saith that John Hicks late of Little Chelsea in England and his wife Mary Hicks and his daughter Hucelt [? [?] in Clippers in London having seen them often clip English shillings half crowns and crowns all mild money. Saith that he very well knows one Chaloner who lived near Charing Cross and used to coin gold pistols and guineas and this deponent likewise knoweth one William Deane that belongs to the Royal Oak Lottery in London to have been a clipper and coiner, he likewise knoweth Thomas Bane of London to be a Clipper. And further deposeth that he the said Bready is a Highwayman and that Gibbons used to furnish him [with?] [horses?] to go aboard to [?].
Edward Ivy
Ri Lyne / Thomas Coote / Is Newton
Item 32
The information of Rupert Street in Piccadilly Gent. 20 day June 1698
He saith that Moses Stringer of Villers Street in York Buildings [Chipm?] hath an exchequers Bill which was cancelled and that the [cross?] wherewith it was cancelled is done out and the paper where the lines of the cross are done out is mended with [?] on the [?] to [?] then it the said Stringer
[Next Page]
[?] rendezvous and that Thomas Hall a littleman [or lighterman?] hath told him this deponent that he the said Hall who now lives by London Wall next door to the Pettycoat and one Bambrigg fellow servants in Kings James’ Mint in Dublin have coined together meaning as the deponent understood him in England and that the said Hall offered the deponent to be concerned with him in [coining?] about 2 or 3 years ago and that last Sunday the said Hall told the deponent that he should soon be in a better condition and was going to take a great House near the Customs House in Thames Street and he desired the deponent not to go into the inner room of his house where some company were saying that some of them know him and it would be a disgrace to appear in that [guarb?].
And that Robert [Attey?] told him that also a day or two before he was committed to the Marshallsea for coining for coining that he had given about 17 or 19 dyes to the Warden of the Mint and had got [10?] more and was going to work again and that Bainbrigg above mentioned lives or did lately live at a Chander’s shop in Wild street.
And that some things that have passed between the deponent and Mr carter have been betrayed by Mr Inch by which the deponent [?] suspects that there is a correspondence between Mr Inch and whom he lately takes to be one of the Clerks of the Bank and unto Carter and that when the deponent was here before upon doing some service to the Bank of England and was betrayed and hindered by a person whom the Bank employed as he has mentioned in another paper he understands that person to be Mr inch as being the only person employed by the Bank in that matter.
And that Pearce Butler a soldier or pretended solider belonging to the Guards being lately taken up in Surrey and bailed of the Marshallsea for putting off Counterfeit pistols corresponded with Carter Fitzgerald, Thomas White, Mr Tilly, Warden of the Fleet, Beauchamp they and is suspected to have his pistols of that gang and that he this deponent is told by Mr Gunn of the Temple and late prisoner with the deponent in the Kings Bench and of Carter Fitzgerald and Tilly that the said Gunn is very sure of White Fitzgerald and Tilly have a workhouse somewhere in Westminster. And that Mr Latchfield a prisoner in the Fleet lately told the deponent that Thomas White and an attorney are gone to Sir Symon Leech near Exeter about raising money on some part Sir Symans estate.
And that Thomas Wreay [fined?] 500 marks the last [Michaelmas?] for counterfeiting of Bills can do great service if he may have his pardon and that he escaped
[Next Page]
Out of Newgate by the consent of Mr [offell?] as the Deponent hath been told. The deponent saith further that Sir Symon Leech is a great acquaintance of Carter and has all along supported him and procured the money by which the bail was bought for getting Carter out of Newgate and that Sir Symon is a Roman Catholic and a great Enemy to the Government and yet Carter told the deponent that Sir Symon proposed to the said Carter the following way of getting 15000 [?] a little before Carter was taken [?] by the Bank Viz that Sir Symon should go upon the Road with 1500 about him and delivered it Carter who should meet him in the way and pretend he was [?] by Carter and sue the [Countrey?] for the money.
William Butler
Is Newton
Item 33
Westminster
John Snow of St Andrews Holborn Distiller make the oath that Mrs Jane? The late supposed wife of Robert Attey informed him on Saturday last and again today that the said Robert Attey had left 4 pair of dyes for coning in the custody of Mrs Gardiner the Land Lady near Pepper Ally 2 pair of [which the?] said Mrs Gardiner had pawned to another woman for 50 [shillings?] and the other 2 pairs which she kept and were the [best?] were of [King] William and [Queen] Mary.
John Snow
7 June 1698 Is Newton
Item 153
The information of Cicilia Labree 23rd February 1698/9
She saith that in last May was a twelve month John Kisten who keeps a coffee house at the [blank]
Saith that when the deponent’s press was set-up at the house of John Kisten, the deponent’s father in Law Samuel Tibbs and Maximillian Laloo were present and Lalo helped to set up the said press and put in blanks to be coined. And that when the said press was set-up at the house of the said Kisten they had blanks there mixed of two parts of gold and one part silver ready to be coined but did not coin any of them but tried the press by coining blanks of copper and of blanks of lead and the press broke in pulling up either the copper blanks or the gold blanks for the [trial?] also the Gold blanks and Lalo said that the Gold was too hard and saith also that some of the copper blanks were coined very well.
Cicilia Labree
Is Newton
Item 154
The examination of Samuel Tibbs of Church Lane in the Strand 24 February 1698/9.
Who saith that about a year and three quarters ago his daughter in law Cicilia Labree being newly convicted of High Treason for coining did give the examinant something wrapped up in brown paper which she called either stamps or blanks and said they were unfinished and desired the deponent to throw them into the Fleet ditch. And the deponent did so and about half a year or a year ago told the Warden of the Mint that he had done so and before that told Mr Parker the same. And that about 3 years ago his daughter told him that her press for coining of guineas was carried to the house of John Kristen in Westminster by the Horse Ferry and there set-up in his cellar and continued there for some weeks and that they there tried to coin guineas with it but without success, the press breaking in the trial and that the metal which they tried to coin was good gold and good silver mixed and that Laloo and Kisten were assisting but this examinant was not there in the cellar to see it.
Samuel Tibbs
Is Newton
Item 291
The information of Thomas Sadler of Stretham in the Isle of Ely taken upon oath this 30th day of June 1699 before Roger Jennins Esquire and Francis Tern Prebendarie of Ely two his Majesties Justices of the Peace of the said Isle.
This informant sayeth that on or about the 16th day of April in the year of our Lord 1698 William Thornton of Neat Sett [Neatishead] in the County of Norfolk came to this informant’s house at Stretham aforesaid and about five days after one Henry Holder alias Harrison came also to this informant’s house who brought dyes and several other coining instruments with him wherewith the said William Thornton and Henry Holder alais Harrison did coin several mild shillings in imitation of the current coin of this kingdom in the cellar of this informants house in Stratham in the [?] aforesaid and further this informant sayeth not.
Thomas Sadler
Roger Jennins / Fran: Tern
Item 290
A letter from Roger Jennings Esq. of the Isle of Ely to Isaac Newton Esq.
Received yours of the 24th ? Mr Mountaques enclosed and I have accordingly an information from Thomas Sadler against William Thornton and Henry Holder with? I have here sent you enclosed; hoping that you apprehend them both hearing that they keep much together Sadler’s wife being aboard. I could take no further information from her but if I find her on examination anything material therein I send it also to you ? which any service to Mr Mountague delivering you to accept him here which is all from
Sir your assured friend and servant
Roger Jennins
Ely ? 20th [16]99
Item 297
The examination of Samuel Tibbs now in custody taken this 11th day of January AD 1699/1700.
Who being duly examined saith that about six weeks or two months ago he was in company with one John Fenton Russell in Westminster and the said Russell asked this examinee if there was any good things stirring meaning counterfeit money as this Examinant doth believe and this Examinant did then show a counterfeit half-crown to the said Russell and Russell looked upon it and it would do and took it and gave this examinant change out of it and this Examinant told one Cecilia Labree his Daughter in Law of the passage with the said Russell concerning the counterfeit half-crown as aforesaid and the said Cecilia Labree gave to this Examinant about three weeks ago four half crowns and ten shillings in counterfeit money and desired this Examinant to sell the same to the said Russell for [?] shillings in part payment thereof and this Examinant further saith that he knows one Mrs Biggs now in custody and that he hath seen her frequently in company with the said Mrs Labree and that they used to lye together last summer.
Samuel Tibbs
Is Newton
Item 433
The information of Ciciliah Labree of the Parish of St Andrews Blackfriars taken this tenth of August 1702.
Who saith upon her oath that she been acquainted Jane Housden about six years and that about three years since she saw a parcel of counterfeit mild money in the hands of the said Jane Housden which then confess to this deponent she had made herself by casting it in sand and this deponent further saith that she hath several times since been in company with the Jane Housden and heard her confess that she sells her counterfeit mild money to Susannah Smith, Hannah Madgwell, Alice Madgwell, Mary Crow, Elizabeth Bond, Mrs Roudom, Judith Faulker and Jane Salt after the rate of forty counterfeit shillings for twenty good shillings and Susannah Smith hath owned to this deponent that she hath lately had of Jane Housden three pounds of counterfeit mild money for twenty shillings of good money and this this deponent further saith that about one year since saw in the hands of Francis Smith two half-crowns which were counterfeit milo shillings not finished and a piece of metal of about 6 ounces weighting which money and metal the said Smith declared he found in a cellar in his then dwelling house in Earls Court by Drury Lane which said house was the late dwelling house of the aforesaid Jane Housden the said Housden’s goods being then in the aforesaid house and the aforesaid said Smith did then declare to this deponent that he did believe the said half crowns and shillings with the metal to be Jane Housden’s because it was very like some counterfeit milo money which the said Francis Smith had several times before brought of the said Jane Housden after the rate of forty shillings bad money for twenty shillings good. And this deponent further saith that about two months since she did meet one John Lallue who showed her three counterfeit milo shillings and told her that his brother Charles and himself did work at a brazier’s shop and did take opportunities when their master was from them to make counterfeit money of white metal and silver it over, and this deponent further saith that she hath within this 6 months last past seen mild money in the custody of Susannah Smith, Susannah Madgwell, Alice Madgwell, Elizabeth Bond, Mrs Roudom, Jane Salt and Francis Smith which they all owned to this deponent they bought of Jane Housden.
Sicily Labree
J Stanley
Item 434
The information of Eliz. The wife of John Bond of the parish of St George’s Southwark in the County of Surrey taken this 7th day of September 1702
Who upon her oath that she this informant being at one Mrs Nickolls’s house in Thames Street London about three quarts of a year ago did then and there see Siciiy Labree and Jane Salt in a room, one pair of stairs on the said house and at the same time did see Labree pour metal into flasks in the presence of the said Salt did see the said Labree open the flasks and there appeared pieces of counterfeit money like Shillings resembling the current coin of this kingdom and that she did hear the said Salt say that they were cast fine and would do, only they were a little too soft and she this informant further saith that she did nurse a child for the said Labree about 4 years ago together and that the said Labree did pay in part for the nursing of the said child to this informant about fifty shillings in counterfeit money about Christmas East and she further saith that the said Jane Salt told this informant that she could make counterfeit money better than that of Labree and showed her how she might distinguish of one’s making from the other.
Elizabeth Bond – her mark
J Stanley
Item 512
The examination of Cicillia Nokey als La Bree als Jackson als Bayley taken before the Right Honourable Secretary Hasley
She examinant saith that in May 1704 or in June following she pleaded her Majesties’ gracious pardon, some fileings of silver being shown to this examinant which were found in a [paper?] Market December 23rd 1704 paid in part £5. CN the examinant saith her child went to sea about a year ago but that some before he went and [brother?] this paper and told her it was silver sand and that she the examinant did keep it because it was all she had to remember her child by.
Cicilia Nokey
Item 517
The information of Amy the wife of Richard Angell taken upon oath this 20th November 1705.
Who saith that she knows Sir Richard Blackham and his lady and that the said Sir Richard did invite her said husband and desired him to bring this deponent and their daughter Sarah to his house in Kentish Town about 2 months ago and accordingly they went thither and saith that the said Sir Richard did furnish her said husband with money to buy and procure metal and other materials in order to cast and counterfeit Dutch Shillings with [?] said husband did accordingly.[?] that she hath seen the said Sir Richard assist by amending repairing and blowing the fire whilst the said husband Richard Angell was casting Dutch Shillings as a foresaid, And [?] the furnace in which the metals was melted was of Sir Richards own present and likewise that the flask in which the same was moulded and cast was provided by the same Sir Richard . And further saith that she this informant hath seen the lady Blackham (wife to Sir Richard) [?] about the fire as her husband Sir Richard had done as aforesaid and she hath seen the said Lady Blackham rub, drust and whiten the shillings so cast as aforesaid. And that Sir Richard had the shillings when finished as a foresaid.
Amy Angell
J Stanley