Southton

The Information of William Cook< no role >
of the City of Winchester in the
said County, Poster to the London Waggon taken on Oath this
first day of August 1782

Who on his Oath saith, that this day, Mr. Thos:
Atwood< no role > of Beaufort's Buildings Strand, London
shewed him a Bill of Exchange [..] and ask'd him
if the name William Cook< no role > there to subscribed, was
of this Informant's hand Writing; and this
Informant saith that he never signed such
Bill, and that he can neither read or Write [..]
and saith, he hath lived in Winchester
above twenty Years, and for great part
of the said time followed the business of a
Sawyer, and that for near a Year past, he hath
been employed as Porter to Mr. Bayley
the Proprietor of the London Waggon, and saith that he doth
not know or did he ever hear, there was or
now is any other Person at Winchester that
goes by the name of William Cook< no role > , and
saith, he hath never had any dealings
or was ever concerned in Drawing
signing, endorsing or negociating any
Notes, or Bills of Exchange whatever.
And saith, about two or three Months ago
a Letter was brought to him from the
Post Office at Winchester, and that he this
Informant, not being able to read or
Write as aforesaid, he desired his
neighbour Mr. Henry Peirce< no role > to read the
said Letter to him and then this Informant
bearing, that the said Letter was to enquire
whether this Informant had sent any money
to