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

Informations taken this Nineteenth day
of September 1774 at the Parish of St. John the
Evangelist within the Liberty of Westmr . in the County
of Midsex, upon an Inquisition touching the death
of Edmund Smith< no role > lying dead in the said Parish
Liberty and County.

Thomas Hodges< no role > of Mill Bank in the Parish of St. John
the Evangelist Westmr. Cooper on his Oath saith That on
Friday Morning last (Sepr. 16th.) he was at Mr. Simpcon
the Sign of the Seven Stars in Rosemary Lane , and
likewise Edmund Smith< no role > the Deced, who agreed to
go with Dept. home to buy some Box, and accordingly
came with Dept. to his House on Mill Bank, and
Deced offeredthreetwo shillings & six pence for the Box
and Dept. would have three Shillings but his Wife
said that Deced shod. have it, and some of the Box
was taken up, put into a Bag, and carried by Dept.
into his House, Says that Deced said to Dept. that his
Wife was too good for him, and that he would give a
Guinea for her to which Dept. agreed, and Deced gave
Dept. one Shilling in part of payment Says that
they drank three Pots of Beer at the Sign of the
Feathers , and afterwards some more Beer in
Depts. Garden (how much Dept. cannot tell being much
Intoxicated) Says that he then went to Bed it being
about five o'Clock, and the Deced and Depts. Wife
went to Mr. Aggott, Says that in the Night Dept.
Wife and a Man (whom he believes to be a Sawyer )
come into his House, and Depont. turned out his
Wife, (the Man being gone out,) and she went into
the Necessary House, and Dept. found her there the next
Morning when he got up, Says that about five o'Clock
he found the Deced in the Well in his Garden with
his Head Downwards, upon which he went to the
Sign of the Feathers , and some People from thence went to see
the