City and Liberty of Westminster

Rebecca Spencer< no role > of Deans Yard in the Parish of Saint Margaret within
the Liberty of Westminster in the County of Middlesex Widow Craves the
Security of the Peace Against Francis Wace< no role > of the same Place Gentleman And
Isabella his Wife through fear ofrecurring some great Bodily Injury

First

This Articulant On her Oath Saith that her late Husband Captain Henry Spencer< no role > Died about Nineteen Years ago And that she
hath lived in the House in Deans Yard (and which she now lives in) upwards of Eleven Years.

Secondly

This Articulant Saith That about Six Years Since she became Slightly Acquainted with the abovenamed Francis Wace< no role > and Isabella his< no role >
Wife through the Sister of the said Mrs. Wace Visiting a Lady of this Articulants acquaintance and Saith That about the beginning of August
One Thousand Seven hundred and Sixty Eight this Articulant was Informed that the said Francis Wace< no role > and Wife were then in great Distress
On which she went to see them when the said Mrs. Wace Cried very much and told this Articulant that she had not got a Bed to lay her
Head on and that there then were five Executions in the House On which this Articulant out of Compassion to her Offered her and he
Niece an Apartment and Bed Room in her House 'till such time as they could provide themselves with another House which the said
Mrs Wace very thankfully accepted And in about Ten Days after the said Mr. and Mrs. Wace and Niece came to this Articulants House
and let them have the Dining Room and another Room on the first Floor and a Bed Room for the Niece and the Use of all the Furniture in them
And the Use of the Kitchen and Furniture for the Servant without any Gratuity whatever And Continued in this Articulants Apartments about
Seven Weeks and then Quitted them and by some means got into another part of the House wherein one Mr. Jell had Lodged and of whom this
Articulant supposes he got the Keys of these Apartments and has Continued in the same ever since

Thirdly

This Articulant Saith That about fourteen or fifteen Months ago the said Francis Wace< no role > was Summoned to the Vestry of Saint Margarets on
Account of Non Payment of the Poors Rate to which place he went and on his return this Articulant went to him And asked him very Civilly what he had
done at the Vestry who immediately said Damn you you Double hearted Bitch I am to Pay the Poors Rate and I will make you pay the Kings Tax and made
use of very Scurrilous and abusive Language to this Articulant and Saith that very frequently since this abuse the said Mr. Wace has threatned this Articulant
generally declaring at each time that he would never rest 'till he was revenged of this Articulant and that he would ruin her And the said Mr. Wace hath very
frequently after between Twelve and One O'Clock in the Nights after the Watch has gone Twelve come down Stairs and knocked Violently against the [..]
[..] door near to where this Articulant Keeps and made great Disturbance And from the repeated Disturbances and abuses of the said Mr. and Mrs. Wace and
from their repeated Threats towards this Articulant this Articulant about Six Months ago was obliged to get a Man to lay in the House to protect he
from the Insults of the said Mr. and Mrs. Wace And the said person continued to lay in the House about five Weeks when he was obliged to go else whereon Account
of Business.

Fourthly

This Articulant Saith That on Friday the Twentieth of December last between Twelve and One O'Clock at Night Mr. Wace made a great Noise and called out
you where you Bawd and made a great Disturbance in the House when the Man (who this Articulant got a Second time lay in the House to protect her on Account
of the said Mr. and Mrs. Waces further Insults and Threats to her) got [..] there were thieves in the House And found Mr. Wace was thumping against the Stair Case door
and Exclaiming with very bad Expressions against this Articulant and her Daughter the Man said as he informed this Articulant are you not Ashamed to use a Widow Gentlewoman
in this manner when Mrs. Wace Cried out fetch the Watch to take him out of the House he has no busness here and the Watchman accordingly came but Nothing was done

Fifthly

This Articulant Saith that she has often heard the said Mrs. Wace [..] that she would Tear this Articulants Heart and Liver out and often called her very Apprentices
and bad Names and often Threatned to be revenged of her And the said Mr. Wace has often Threatned to Turn this Articulants out of Home and that he would never
rest 'till he had her out And that he would ruin her

Lastly

This Articulant Saith That from the Dispositions of the said Mr. and Mrs. Wace and from their Continued and [..] Insult and threats towards her [..]
is Actually afraid that they will at some Opportunity do her some great Bodily Injury if not restrained there [..] he does not make this
Complaint against the said Francis Wace< no role > and Isabella< no role > his Wife out of any hatred Malice or ill will she [..]
Pr [..] vation of her person from further danger And that she may be Peaceably and unmolested by them [..]