London Ss

The Information of John Pickering< no role > of Fleet Lane
London Coffin Plate Maker Who, being on Oath, saith
on the Wednesday that the Fleet was set on fire at the
duck of the Evening going into the Bare of the Fleet
he stood at the bottom of the Steps in the Yard he saw
several persons throwing fireintofrom off the Fire
in the Bare, into the Cellar of the Fleet , says he believes
there were not thirty in the whole place and those chiefly
Boys, he directly went up to the place where they were
throwing fire into, in order if possible to have stop't the
mischief then going forward, says that on his going up
he saw Francis Rowley< no role > , the Prisoner now under
Examination, throwing Fire into the Fleet Cellar
along with the Boys, when he came near the said Rowley
he knew him extremely well by sight but did not know
his Name, and directly said to him," what in the name
of God can induce you to be concerned in such a horrid
Scene as this, Prisoner directly put out his Hand to him
and this Informant shook Hands with him, says Prisoner
declared he thought he knew Informant by sight,
Informant told Prisoner that he was the last Man that
he could think would be concerned in such a thing as this
or words to that Effect, says he saw that there were
people in the Cellar to carry the Fire to other parts of
the Prison as fast as it was thrown in there, says he
turn'd his head to the left to see where the Fire could be
carried to, and observed it was carried into one of the bottom
Rooms pretty near the middle of the Prison, he immediately
turn'd from the Prisoner to look into the Room and saw
there was too much Fire there for him to put out, he
ran immediately away to his own house, told the
Neighbours he met that the Fleet was all on Fire and he was affraid
that they should all be burn't down,directlyon the Friday
following he this Informant described the prisoner to Dyer and
Grove the Turnkeys of the Fleet Prison, says that he
described the Prisoner in the following manner Viz: