City and Liberty
of Westmister
in the County of
Middlesex }
to wit.

An Inquisition Indented, taken for our Sovereign Lord the
King, at the Parish of Saint George Hanover Square
within the Liberty of the Dean and Chapter of the Collegiate Church of St. Peter, Westminster ,
in the County of Middlesex , the Thirtieth day of July in the Thirteenth Year
of the Reign of our Sovereign Lord GEORGE the Third, by the Grace of God, of Great-Britain,
France and Ireland, King, Defender of the saith, and so forth, before Thomas Prickard< no role > , Gentleman,
Coroner of our said Lord the King for the said City and Liberty, on View of the Body of
John Clay< no role > then and there lying dead, upon the Oath of James Bukett< no role > ,
James Barnett< no role > , John Johnson< no role > , William Fawn< no role > , George Liddell< no role > , Edward Foster< no role > , John Jones< no role > , Joseph
Hodge< no role > , Stephen Presten< no role > , John Plant< no role > , Thomas Reasin< no role > , and Aaron Pever< no role >
good and lawful Men of the said Liberty, duly
chosen, who being then and there duly sworn and charged to enquire for our said Lord the
King, when, how, and by what Means the said John Clay< no role > came to
h is Death, do upon their Oath say That the said John Clay< no role > on the Twenty eighth day of July in
the Year aforesaid at the Parish and in the Liberty and County aforesaid being in a certain Lime Barge in a certain River
called the River Thames near unto the Flood Yates in the said Parish Liberty and County then and there being and the said
John Clay< no role > having a Handspike in his hands and using it betwixt the head of the Barge and the Campshed with an
intent to save the Barge from running against the Bank, it so happened that accidentally casually and by
Misfortune the said Hand spike gave way and stipt from him by reason whereof he the said John Clay< no role > accidentally
casually and by Misfortune fell from the said Barge into the said River, and in the waters thereof was then and
there Suffocated and Drowned of which said Suffocation and Drowning he the said John Clay< no role > then and there Died. And
so the Jurors aforesaid upon their Oath aforesaid do say that the said John Clay< no role > in manner and by the means
aforesaid accidentally casually and by Misfortune came to his Death and not otherwise, and that the said
Handspike was moving to the Death of the said John Clay< no role > and is of the Value of One Shilling, and the Property
and in the Possession of Sylvanus Cosvaller< no role > of Charlton in the County of Kent Lime Merchant or of his Assigns.
In Witness whereof as well the said Coroner as the Forenoon of the Jurors aforesaid on behalf of himself and
the rest of the said Jurors have to this Inquisition set their Hands and Seals the Day Year and at the Place
abovementioned.

Tho. Prickard< no role > Coroner

BrickettForeman