John Snow: The Information of John Snow Distiller 27 March 1699

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The Informacon of Iohn Snow over agt. the Starr in the broadway at the lower end of petty France Westmr. Destiller taken this 27th day of March anno Dni 1699

Who saith that abot. the 1  Day of Novr. last he was importuned by Mrs. Porter als Ioanna Chaloner's Mistriss to get the said Chaloner bayled he the said Chaloner being then in custody of mr morris for counterfeiting Mault Tickets as the Depont. was informed and thereupon the Depont. went to Newgate to speak wth. mr Carter and examin him abot. the new Bank bills and the said Carter told him that Chaloner had been upon a Dessign of marking the paper round the edges with wyer as is done in those bills but the design did not go on– and that the said Chaloner had a piece of steel got out of the Tower before his pardon which he had not given an accot. of and that since his pardon he had melted down milld Crownes and mixed them with other Metall and coyned it into money by casting and that he had an Invencon of making a Mould of fine sort of earth and burning it so yt it would ring and then he could cast 40 times in a mould and that he had coyned last Summer at his woman Kates whereupon ye Depont went from Newgate to examin Katherine Carter abot. it and askt her if she had been examined by the Secretary and she said yes And the Depont. then asking her if she gave him an accot of wt. she knew abot. Coyning and she said no and he replyd. why did you not and she answerd that she did not think it propper and mr Carter had not orderd her to discover it and he answrd why will you not do it now and she replyd. that she might do her self an an {sic}injury whereupon the Depont. told her that what she Confessed as a witness would not be brought agt. her and that if she would tell it to the Depont. he would doe her no injury and asking her further if she knew of any press or other Coyning Tooles she answered she wisht she had known the Depont. sooner for Chaloner coyned at her house the last Summer and she provided his Coles and his things and the Maid coming by the Depont bid <91v> her talk softly, and she answerd that the maid knew all and yt he had engraved a plate there and the Maid knew of it as well as she and that abot. a fortnight after he brought successivly t{illeg}wo letters from Mr Carter to the Warden of the Mint to desire the Warden to examin him concerning some Discourses + Discoverys he had to make and the Warden refused and replyd that the buisiness was not in his hands and directed ye Depont to acquaint the Secretary of State therewith and the Depont. did so and the Secretary of State bid the Depont. tell the Warden of the Mint that he left the buisines to him and that he desired to speak with him which this Informt. did and afterwards without direction from any body went to Kath Carter and asked her that if he should propose her being an evidence to the Warden of the Mint whether she would be honest and tell all she knew she replyd yt she would provided it would doe her self no injury This Informt told her yt. it would not if she m{illeg}ade a Discovery to no body but the Warden of wt. she knew for yt he never used to make use of any person's Informacon agt him yt made it and this Informt changed the said Kath Carter not to tell the Warden of the Mint any thing that she had confessed any thing to this Depont. and abot. Ianuary last he this Depont. went to the Warden of the Mint and told him that he believed Kath Cater was willing to make a Discovery of some illegall practises relating to the Coyn or words to yt effect and askt him whether this Depont. might bring her before him who answerd that he would consider on it on it {sic} in two or three dayes time whether she should come before him or not— And that he hath heard yt. Chaloner being told that Price (who was executed for counterfeiting Exchec bills was very penitent at his death the said Chaloner laughed as it were in derision of the said Price and said that it was to no purpose for a man to repent and be penitent at his death who had lived wickedly all his life or words to that effect

Ino Snow

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