City & Liberty
of Westmr . in the
County of Midsex }

Informations taken this Thirtieth day of
June 1772 at the Parish of St. George Hanover
Square within the Liberty of Westmr . in the
County of Midsex upon an Inquisition touching
the death of Christopher Spence< no role > lying dead in
the said Parish Liberty and County.

David Griffiths< no role > of Fench's Buildings in the Park
Southwark Shoemaker on his Oath saith That Christopher
Spence< no role > the Deced has lodged with this Dept. the greatest
part of two Years last past That they both played at
Skittles Yesterday at the lying of the Roe Buck near Dept. House
until about two o'Clock in the Afternoon when they
went home to Dinner, and afterwards both of them
went to Westmr. called at the Sign of the Castle in Peter
Street where they drank two Pints of Beer, and then
walked on the Chelsea Bridge, where the Deced began
to undress himself and immediately went into the
River there, and Swam about for two Minutes,
very well, and then Turned upon his Back, says
that he this Dept. then determined to go into the
water and was undressing himself when an Boy who
Stood by Dept. said the Man was Drowned, upon which
Dept. looked, but did not see the Deced, he being Sunk
to the Bottom, Says that Several People come there
soon after, and one of them underessed himself and
went into the River and brought the Deced to the
Shore Drowned, Says that the Deced was rubbed with
Salt, and other Means used to recover him without
effect, the Deced being dead, Says that there was no
person in the Water with the Deced when her Sunk
and believes that he was Accidentally Drowned, and
says that the Deced was at that time pertty much in
Liquor.

David Griffith< no role >