Middxss11th. December 1730

The Informacon [..] of Lionel Theed< no role > of
the Pish of St. Botolph without Aldersgate in the Said
County Barber, who saith his Brother in Law Francis Richman< no role >
& one Richard Ballenger< no role > an Acquaintance of his Said Brothers
was on Wednesday the Ninth of this Inst. December & Con-
sultation together about melting a Parcell of broken
Silver in the Room belonging to the Said Richman
& the Said Ballenger perswaded the Said Richman, to get a
pot to melt the Said Silver & the Said Richman answer'd
he did not know where to get a melting Pot, But then the Said
Ballenger remembred a Bucklemaker in ye Neighbourhood &
desired the Said Richman would go or Send his Wife to him ye
said Bucklemaker to borrow a Pot & accordingly the Wife of Richard
went & borrow'd a Melting Pott but when they had it they could not
melt the Said Silver, upon which the Said Ballenger ask'd this Ex
-aminant if he did not know what it was they used to make Silver
melt, who answerd he did not but he knew one Mr Hall a Watch
-maker that he had Seen melt Silver with much Ease upon which
ye said Ballenger desired this Examinant to go to the Said that
& learn of him what Ingredients was used to melt Silver who was
to ye Said Hall accordingly & this Examinant told Mr. Hall [..]
a Young man of his Acquaintance had Some pieces of Silver to
be melted down which he did believe to be pieces of a Tankard
The Said Hall answer'd he had no business to tell any person
his Ingredients but if his Friend would bring the Silver
him or otherwise he would go to them & melt it down
upon which this Examinant went back to Ballenger & Richman
& acquainted them with what Mr Hall had Said to him but Ball
-enger was unwilling to go, upon which Richman Answer'd why
Dick as you Say You have found it there can be no harm
come let us go he knows the Man well enough, upon which
they all three went to Halls, & ye Said Ballenger gave yt
Plate to ye Said Richman in two or three paper Prcells us
deliver'd the Same to Hall & ye Said Hall Melted it & cast
it in two lumps which are the Same produced this Day before
Thos. Robe< no role > Esqr . & which the Said Hall Said he believ'd is might
weigh about forty Ounces & ye Said Hall deliver'd the Same
to Ballenger who paid him two Shillings & half a Dozen of
Beer for his Labour & this Examinant further Saith that
that he heard the Said Ballenger on Monday last tell
his Brother the Said Richman that he had been Drunk