Middlesex . (to wit)

The Information of Sarah Webb< no role > of Saffron Hill in the
parish of Saint Andrew Holborn in the Cock Middlesex Widow Taken before us
Nathaniel Conant< no role > , Joseph Girdler< no role > and Joseph Faikney< no role > Esqr. three of his Majesty's Justices
of the peace for the said County this 15th. day of May 1784.

Who being upon Oath saith that an Saturday the first day of May
last she this Informant was attending the wife of the prisoner Thomas
Peirse< no role > situate in saint John Street in the County of Middlesex and
a person came in to buy a Hat and asked for a Round one and
Mrs. Peirse went into the Shop but could not find one and thereupon
she desired the Customer to call again in a short time when Mr Pierse would
be at homeThat Mrs. Peirse appeared much alarmed and said to this
Informant she was a paid the prisoner was about no good or to that effect
and desired Informant to go into the Shop and examine the Cases' where
the Hats were usually kept which this Informant accordingly did
to all the Cases in the Shop being three or fourfivein the whole but could not find one
Hat and also behind the counter but this Informant could not find any round Hats there And this Informant further saith that the prisoner shortley
after came home when after some Conversation between him and his Wife
Mrs. Peirse told this Informant that the prisoner had explained everything
about the Hats to her Satisfaction: that he had another Shop in partnership
with some other person and that the Goods were gone back there having
been brought from thence on Account of a Quarrel which was then made up
And this Informant saith that being employed as Chair Woman or Servant
to the said Mrs. Peirse she this Informant had an opportunity of knowing
What Household Goods the prisoner had in his House and that the sameconsisteddid not consist of many valuable Articles
but of very few Articles of very few Articles all under the value of Twenty poundsand this Informant
also saith that there was no silver plate in the said House to this Deponents knowledgewhen the same
was burnton the Sunday preceding the Fire and that the Spoons which the prisoner had were made
of Metal And this Informant further saith that on the Friday preceding
the Fire between two and three o'Clock in the Afternoon the prisoner gave
this Informant Two Coats Five Waistcoats and Two pair of Breeches and
desired her to take them to the Queen's Head public House and he
would be there as soon as herthat this Informant accordingly carried