Barnard< no role > for their care in endeavouring to suppress so great an evil and the
Lord Cheif Justice Willis who then presided sayd they had done well for that he
thought it a great nusance but that the Court at the Old bayly could not do any
thing in it but referrd them to this method by Indictment, Since which time vizt
at Christmas last the Inquest of the Parish of St Dunstan in the West unanimously
agreed to present this great nusance and accordingly John Sheppard< no role > and Thos. Jupp< no role >
were presented for standing with their Chair agt. the Shop of the widow Giles, &
upon a Sumons they attended the Comittee of Alderman for that purpose and being
heard was toldby the sd.that they shod. be Indicted, which was 4 Months agoe
and these very Men Sheppard & Jupp have continued to Stand with their
Chairs ever since and have often set the sd. Mrs. GilesInhabitantsat defiance

That the usual place for Chairs in the neighbourhood was in Devereux Court &
Essex street till within these few years last past when there came one who took
up his abode there, and then another and so they have encreased that there
are generally 12 or 14 all the day long and in the Winter time at the night after
Candlelight 20 or 30 who come hither after the Play houses are done
from all parts in the Towne.

That by means of this great increase of these Men Plying in the Streets in
the Night time with their Chairs standing by them by the footway is almost coverd
for When the Shops are shut they stand with both the Polls of the Chair within
side the Posts

That there has been lately great disturbances [..] in the street occasioned by the Chairs
men quarrelling in so much that the Watchmen and Constables are often taken
from the Barr to keep the Peace.