Middlesex
to wit}

The Information of John Taylor< no role > taken
on Oath the Twenty fourth day of August
One thousand seven hundred and Eighty nine
before me one of his Majestys Justices of
the Peace for the County of Middlesex

Who Saith that he is by business a Waterman and lives
in the Borough of Southwark (Surry) and Saith that
about Four or five Weeks age he met one William
Rankin< no role > a LightermanWatermanand a man named Gates whom
this Informant hath been told he is an Apprentice to
Mr. Simpkins of Seething Lane London, on Tower
Wharf when Rankin asked him if he would go with
a Job to which Informant said he would, and he
accordingly plyed him as a Sculler, [..] and went
with him to Alderman Parsons Stairs at Wapping
and there took into this Informants Coat a Quantity
of Whale bone tyed up in Bundles and delivered it
to a Porter at the Crows Nest Wharf. And further
Saith That on Saturday the fifteenth day of August
Instant as he was sitting on a Bench at Tower Wharf
the said William Rankin< no role > came to him between ten
and Eleven O'Clock in the day and asked Informant
to give him a Glass of Gineva and desired him not to
be out of the way for he should want a Boat and
it would be Five or Six shillings in his way, afterward
about Twelve O'Clock he came to Informant again, and
desired him to go into Deptford which he did and there desired
him to Stay which he did two or three hours, then the
said Rankin being in a Luggage boat called to this
Informant and desired him to follow him up which
he did to wapping old Stairs , And there Rankin and
Gates delivered to him out of a Lugg boat four parcels
of whole bone and Rankin told him to go to Saint
Catherines Dock , and Informant told him if it was
any thing he was afraid of he would go to a Wharf and
he accordinglythe samewent to wheelers Wharf and there
it was deliveredthereand he was paid for his Boatidge
And that he saw One of the said Parcels delivered into
Mounts gate way at one Smiths where it was sold for three
Guineas

Taken and Sworn the
24th. day of August 1789
before me}

John Spiller< no role >

Mark of
[..]
John Taylor< no role >