13. Catharine Millward proceedingsdefend was indicted for stealing one Cotton Gown, value 3 s. one Pair of Studs, value 18 d. six Linnen Caps, value 3 s. one Boy's Coat and Waistcoat, value 6 s. one Pair of worsted Stockings, value 1 s. the Goods of Simon Welch proceedingsvictim , the 19th of April .

Q. to Catharine Welch < no role > . What is your Husband's Name?

Welch. Samuel Welch < no role > .

Q. By what Name did you marry your Husband?

Welch. By the Name of Simon.

Q. Why did you call him Samuel then?

Welch. I call him Simon or Samuel.

Q. What have you to say against the Prisoner at the Bar?

Welch. I was out upon the 19th of April, and this Woman, - I cannot swear it was she.

Q. Do you know any thing of her wronging of you?

Welch. Sir, I found the things upon her. I lost a Cotton Gown. - My Husband lives in Brown's Gardens.

Q. What did you lose?

Welch. Sir, I lost a Cotton Gown, a Pair of Silver Studs, a Pair of worsted Stockings, six Caps, some of Long Lawn, and two of Cambrick.

Q. What else?

Welch. A Boy's Coat and Waistcoat.

Q. Whose things were all these?

Welch. My Husband's.

Court. You lost all these the 19th of April?

Welch. Yes, my Lord, and a great many more. My Lord, I got a Warrant from Sir Thomas De Veil < no role > , for C. Millward.

Q. Did you take her up by Virtue of that Warrant?

Welch. She moved her Lodgings, and I could not find her. It was after Sir Thomas De Veil < no role > 's Death that I renewed the Warrant again. I took her last Monday was three Weeks, and she had the Gown upon her Back.

Court. She talks of five Weeks.

Q. Where did you take her?

Welch. I took her - it was in some Lane, it was in one Side of Drury-lane, and she had my Gown upon her.

Q. Did you find any thing upon her?

Welch. Nothing but the Gown and Handkerchief.

Q. to the Prisoner. Will you ask the Witness any Questions?

Prisoner. Pray Mrs Welch do you swear that I broke open your Trunk? Had not your Husband four Feather-Beds, six Bolsters, and a House of Goods, that your Husband had craftily taken from me?

Q. to Welch. Had you any of the Prisoner's Goods in your House?

Court to the Prisoner. She swears that she never saw you but once; and further, she does not know that her Husband had any of your Goods in his Custody.

Q. to James Fullam < no role > . What have you to say against the Prisoner, with respect to the Fact?

Fullam. I know nothing of the Robbery; but Mr Welch told me she had a Gown out of the House.

Q. When had you any Discourse with the Prisoner?

Fullam. I think it was in May last. I happened to meet the Prisoner coming under Aldersgate; Welch had complained to me that my friend had robbed him.

Q. Had you any Discourse with the Prisoner when you met her?

Fullam. Yes, my Lord, I met her under Aldersgate, and she stopped me, and desired I would make it up with Welch, and she would give me the Price of a Suit of Cloaths.

Q. What did you say to her first?

Fullam. I told her it was a Shame to rob Mr Welch. I did not know what the Robbery was.

Q. What was her Answer?

Fullam. She said it was her own Cloaths that she took.

Court. 'Tis strange she should offer you the Price of a Suit of Cloaths for making the Affair up, when she said she had only taken her own Cloaths.

Fullam. I cannot tell whether it was her Cloaths or not.

Q. What are you?

[The Witness, Fullam, made a Boggle at the Question being put to him; at last he said, I am a Piece of a Clerk.]

Q. Did you believe it to be a Robbery or a Quarrel?

Fullam. I cannot tell, my Lord.

Q. to Catharine Foy < no role > . Do you know the Prisoner at the Bar?

Foy. Yes, Sir, I have known her five or six Years.

Q. Have you any thing to say against her, with respect to the Fact for which she is indicted?

Foy. I being a Servant with this Woman, Mrs Welch, I have been on and off with her five or six Times.

Q. Did you live with her in April last?

Foy. Yes.

Q. When did you come to her?

Foy. In May.

Court. Why then you could not be with her in April.

Foy. In March, I should say, I came to her.

[Here this Witness was very much in and out, with respect to the Time: at first she said she came to her Mistress in May, then finding that overshot the Time of this Fact, then said it was in March; at first she said the latter End of March, then eight or nine Days in March.]

Q. to Foy. What happened in April?

Foy. It was on a Saturday, Mistress and Master was out in the Market; this Woman she comes up Stairs to me.

Q. What did she do then?

Foy. She came up, and sat down by the Fire; she asked me to drink part of a Dram, I told her I would not; she then asked me to drink part of a Pot of Beer.

Q. What Time did she come to you?

Foy. She came up between eight and nine at Night, and asked me to take a Dram, or a drink of Beer, and gave me Three-pence out of her Pocket, then I went for the Beer.

Q. Did you bring it back?

Foy. Yes.

Q. Did you drink together?

Foy. No, Sir, as I came up Stairs, there was a long Room, where they coined Half-pence.

Q. What, did your Mistress coin there?

Foy. No, Sir, they coined Half-pence there formerly. As I went down Stairs, there stood two Women at the Door; I had no suspicion of them. I have seen the Prisoner come sometimes to my Master, there was two Women at the Door; and when I came up, the Door of the long Room was open, the Prisoner got the Bundle in her Lap; the Room had a Padlock upon it.

[The Witness goes on to relate a Story full of Contradiction; she says the Room was always kept locked, that she did not know what was in it. First she said it was an empty Room, then she could not tell, then there were live Fowls in it, then dead Fowls; then, when questioned upon that, said there were both live and dead Fowls there, and a large Number of Rabbet Skins hung round the Room, and a great deal of her Mistress's Cloaths.]

Acquitted .

The Prisoner charged the Prosecutor with clandestinely taking and keeping a great deal of her Goods, and petitioned for a Copy of her Indictment; but as she appeared to be a noisy quarrelsome Person, it was not granted.