London

Depositions of Witnesses taken at London
that is to say, as the parish of Saint Mary
at Hill in the ward of Billingsgate in
London aforesaid on the 12th. day of
January 1798 on view of the body of a
Man unknown now here lying Dead

John Payne< no role > a Labourer and a Lodger as No. 3 play
house yard Golden Lane in the County of Middlesex maketh
Oath that about nine oClock as Night of Wednesday last
Dept. being on board the princess Royal Graves end Boat
lying along side the platform Billingsgate saw several
persons who appeared to be Recruits and a person who
appeared to be a Corporal or Serjeant come from the platform
into the Vessel Dept. was in that she passed over the
Princess Royal the Vessel Dept. was in and went
towards [..] the King George Sloop an the Gravesend
Boat that lay next the Princess Royal-that one of
there persons who appeared to be one of the Recruitswhile
stepping from the Gunand whom Dept. believes to be the
deced while stepping from the Garenhale of the Princess
Royal into the King George by [..] not stepping for
enough fell between the two Vessels and sank under
the Water in a little time after he came up and swam
a little with his head above Water that the alarm was
immediately given and several persons endeavoured
to get near him in order to get him up that he sunk
again under the Water and went down-that in
about ½ an hour or three quarter of an hour after by
means of some Grappling Irons the deced was got out
of the Water and taken to the Antigallican Public
house in Darkhouse Lane but appeared to be quite
dead

Sworn this 12th. day of January.
1798 before me}

J. Payne< no role >