When my Apprenticeship was expir'd, I married, and kept a Stall in Tooley's-(St. Olave's-) Street , where I had good Business, and took fifteen or twenty Shilling a Week for second-hand Shoes, and for mending Jobbs; but when my Wife died, I came to Decay, and then I took to Coney-Wool cutting , with my Father's own Brother; but this Business not answering my Expectation, I went out, and being Lame, I asked Charity, and in my Way of Begging, I always used a great many Scripture Words with good Success; I went different Ways, because it was not convenient to be always about one Place, and at what Part soever of the Town I happened to be at Night, there I used to seek out for a cheap Lodging-House. And at one of these Houses, a Lodging-House, at the Sign of the Crooked-Billet , in Hog-Lane , St. Giles's , I got acquainted with the Deceased, who was of a good Family, for her Father was a Usurer to the Soldiers, and she was married to one Simon H-t, who having run out above 500 l. of her Father's Money, and given her the Foul-Disease, left her to shift for herself; after which she underwent a Salivation; which cured her of the Distemper, but left a Defect in one of her Jaws, which she carried with her to her Grave.

Soon after I had got acquainted with the Deceased, I asked her to live with me, and as her Husband had left her, she consented, and we had liv'd together as Man and Wife 2 Years, when this Accident happened. Her first Husband lived in St Giles's Parish, within a Stones-Cast of the House where she lodged, and her Business being at that End of the Town, I went after our Agreement and lodged with her, in Farmer's-Court , where the Fact was done, for her Husband had not lived with her for many Years; so she and I agreed to come together, and I used to go about a Begging, and would be absent sometimes for two or three Days from Home, picking up what I could get in the Way of Charity; but she used to get more Money than I did, for she used to sweep the French Gentlefolks Doors in Rathbone-Place , and scouer the Brass Knockers, and go on Errands for the Servants; and as she could talk French very fluently, upon that Account the People used to be very kind to her, and so we lived together pretty comfortably, only when she was in Liquor, she would be very quarrelsome, and would pawn her Cloaths.

About a Twelvemonth ago she was brought to Bed of a Child, and this Child she overlaid one Night in her Liquor, while I was abroad getting what I could, so that can't be laid to my Charge. When I came Home, I found what had happened, and some Words rising between us, as she was in Liquor, I left her and went to another Lodging-House till she was sober. She had then on a Parish Gown, and when I returned to her, I told her, - Sukey, there's no body that ever belonged to me ever wore a Parish Gown; so I went out and asked Charity, and with what I got I bought her another Gown, and got the other made into a Petticoat for her. Then I went out again to get a Penny to buy us a little Victuals, and some Flowers to put into the Child's Coffin; and having got Three-pence Three Farthings, I came Home to her, and we spent it together.