St: Johns street July & 12th: 1719

May it please yor Worships

About nine a Clock att might my wife & I being att
supper, and she having a knife in her hand we having
a few words, I gave her a push and she fell on the
knife which caus'd a small cutt on her side, her
friends being frightned and the surgeon making
things look worse then they were and I having no
friend by, in their passion they cal'd a constable
and Carried me directly away to new Prison, the
next morning I went before justice Booth there
being then a nother Surgeon pressent besides the
surgeon who had her in cure, and a gentleman
with ye apothe cary & they all took their oaths
that my wife told them that I did not do it
with design but by an Accident & they likewise
see P would & they told P Justice that she was
in no manner of danger, I told Justice tooth
that I should loose my buissness if he did not
discharge me that morning upon my giving ba
& that I had a wife & child to pay and a [..]
depended on my place, but he would allow of
no bale, but confin'd my from tuesday till
saterday night, by which means I have Intirely
lost my buissness which was my suport, & so
now I know not how to maintain my family
I was in the Excise & the quarlifying my self for that
Imploy has been a great expence to me, I am yor
Worships most July full humbl. sert: Wm. Lee< no role >