The Informaction of Mary Townsend of the ꝑparish of St Andrews Holborn in the County of MiddxMiddlesex widdow taken this 31 day of Augt. 1698

Who saith that abot.about 5 or 6 yeares ago she was in company with one Mr. IJohn Gibbons in Lickabone street in the said ꝑparish of St Andrews and this Informt.Informant did then and there see the said IJohn Gibbons receive severall summes of counterfeit money of one Edward Ivy who is now a Prisoner in Newgate and the said Gibbons hath severall times owned that he put off & payed away the said counterfeit money as good and at the same time and place the said Gibbons used to bring severall sum̄mms of broad money and sold it after the rate of 23s or 23s. 6d in the pound proffitt for the same to one IJohn Hickes who is now Keeper of the Gatehouse Westmr.Westminster and the said Gibbons used frequently to stand by the said Hickes while he clipped the said money and then recedeceived back the money after it was clipped and the said Hickes used to give to one Thomas IJones abot.about 20s ꝑper week to assist him in clipping of broad money and one Mary Hewett daughter in law of the said Hickes used likewise to assist her father in clipping of broad money—. And that abot.about 6 years ago one Robt. IJacob who lives near Grayes Inn and is a Goldsmith used to clipp broad money for the said hickes and hickes used to give him 6d ꝑper pound for clipping it for him and Hickes used to weigh the money that he let the said Mr IJacobs have and recedreceived it back after it was clipped by weight and Iacob used to keep the Clippings and gave Hickes after the rate of 5s ꝑper ounce for the same And that abotabout 6 yeares ago the said IJohn Gibbons used severall times to give notice to the said Edward Ivy that his house would be searcht upon the accot.account of clipping and advised him to get his Tooles out of the way and the said Edward Ivy used to give to the sdsaid Gibbons severall summs of money for giving him private notice as aforesaid and the said Gibbons used to give Hickes notice that his house would be searcht upon the accotaccount of clipping and Hickes frequently gave Gibbons money for so doing and this Informt.Informant hath heard Gibbons declare that he was going to send work to the said Hickes that he intended to search his house with the assistance of a Conblenstable and that if he found any unlawfull thing in it he could not conceal it by the reason of the Conblenstable being in company with him and that this InformtInformant being in company with the said Gibbons at his own house at Charing Cross the said Gibbons said that her father Edward Ivy aforesdresaid had told the Secretary of State that he had given to the said Gibbons the sum of fifty poundes to keep his councell and said God Damne him if Ivy did not give him 50li he would hangue him or words to that effect And that abot.about 6 yeares ago she saw one Samll. Price who keeps a Watchmakers shop in Spring Garden by Whitehall file and diminish severall GineasGuineas at Lickabone street aforesdsaid and took off each GineaGuinea abot.about 1s and then new edged them againe And that abotabout 3 years and 1 ago this Informt.Informant saw one Thomas Harefinch who lives near Criplegate and is a silver smith clipp abot.about 18ll of the Current Coyn of this Realme at his Lodging in Aldermanbury London

Mary Townsend