Mary Townsend: An Information given by Mary Townsend against Elizabeth Jones now in Newgate for filing and diminishing Guineas

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An Information given upon oath by Mary Townsend Widdow before the Right honourable Secreary Vernon against Elizabeth Jones now in Newgate Committed for filing and diminishing Guineas

this Elizabeth Jones has gone by many Names a great cheat and a dangerous Enemy to the Government before and after she lived with this Deponents father as a Concubine here and in Ireland and being Great Coyners and Clippers this Elizabeth Jones to carry on the work the better paid a certain pension quarterly and yearly unto Gibbons the messenger and others to give notice before any search was made thus that trade prospered and went on Eliz Jones allowing the Deponent <96r> part of the proffit but this Elizabeth Jones being an Enemy to King William got the Mail or post stopped and robbed by highwaymen who brought a box or pacquet of a foot guard by estimation might have 200 letters and this Elizabeth Jones had this Pacquet in her custody this Deponent then see it with her. The then Secretarys of the state finding this pacquet wanting and their matters not go right in France there was great search for this pacquet and it was removed to severall places and it had been found had it not been removed to one Edward Jones's his house in Westminster for Edward Ivie this Deponents father and this Eliz Jones were in great fear and concerne about this pacquet declaring if it was found it would ruin the French King's Interest here and King James besides endangering all their friends at last Elizabeth Jones found means to send it to France Mrs. Hickes can make out more particularly about this pacquet and mr John Hickes and if mr Bedford that lives in shoe Lane by Temple Barr at the sign of the Robin Hood if he was examined against this Eliz Jones can give some account but mr Brady can make out the whole and this Deponent believes he can direct what summ of money this Eliz Jones had of         Barkley and Colonell Parker and how + where it was conveyed and the names of all. This Eliz Jones together with this Deponents father Edwd Ivie and his wife were brought from Ireland to be Witnesses against Brady + Jennens for coyning and being under outlawry for coyning were Committed to Newgate Edward Ivie and his wife dyed in Newgate and this Eliz Jones at the Kings charge has had her outlawry reversed and pleaded it at the King's Bench Barr. She is now upon another account in Newgate she has done the King no service for reversing her outlawry

And if she was kept close sometime from the company of the thousand pound prisoners and the conversation of mrs Merryweather this Deponent believes she would make a great Discovery corresponding in France and of all the Great Coyners about Dublin for when her Cabinet was searched there was found Dyes Edgers and the like Instruments so that if she was kept separate or close and then examined much might be found out for she is a Subtil woman and this Deponents father Edward Ivie and his wife left all to her management. This Deponent has found she has found out an Outlawry against this Deponent to frighten from coniving an evidence against her The outlawry is for a misdemeanour in buying clippings before the cut of Grass But the Deponent being very poor humbly prays to be protected from that outlawry as honour honour in your great wisdom thinks fitt