no Manner of Education, but bred him to Husbandry Labour . After the Death of his Parents, he lived in the Country 5 or 6 Years, following this Employ; and, during the Time of Abode there, which was till he was nineteen Years of Age, he could recollect nothing that was remarkable in his Life, unless that he was much addicted to profane Cursing and Swearing, Drunkenness and Sabbath-breaking. About the Year of the last memorable hard Frost, being tired of the Labour of the Field, he took it into his Head to remove himself, and he came for London , never considering what to do, nor how to live; so that being now entered upon a new Scene of Life, the Difficulty was to find out what to turn his Hand to; but at length, being about the Water-side at Fleet-Ditch and Queenhithe , &c. he got himself employed in the Capacity of a Coal-heaver : And in this Way he has been at Times, under several Masters, employed for seven or eight Years past.

But Work was not his Favourite, Idleness and bad Company rather pleased his Taste, and to one Day's Work that he would engage in, and stand to stiffly, he had a Week or ten Days Play; so that he never gained any Esteem from his Masters, nor yet had his Fellow-Labourer any Regard to him. But, at last, his idle Disposition, and the bad Company he kept, raised so much the Resentment of the honest Labourers in that Business, that they could scarce suffer him to come among them, and when he did, he was sure to hear of his Tricks. This Ben did not much like, and resolved no more to go among them to an honest Employ, but chose rather to confort with Smith and Webb, executed in August last, and others, who were a notorious Set of Street-robbers and Thieves. He was very succesful among them, in not being discovered for a long Time; nor was he publickly known to be one, till he was indicted in July Sessions, together with others, for robbing one Mr. Henry Smith< no role > upon the King's Highway, on the 9th of June . Nor was he now taken, but the Evidence swore him to be one concerned in that Robbery, which indeed he has since confessed.

The same Night Ben was concerned in the robbing Mr. Jones under Castle-Yard Gate in Holborn , and took from him his Watch, &c. which they sold to Minous the Jew, in Duke's-Place, and Ben had his Share of the Money it was sold for.

The next Night Ben was one of them that robbed a Gentleman in Chancery-Lane , took from him a large Silver Watch, his Gold laced Hat, and about eight or nine Shillings, and went to their Place of Rendezvous in Chick-Lane , without doing any more Mischief without Doors for that Night.

In a Night or two after this, Ben was concerned in committing a Robbery or two in Cary street , and others in Holbourn ; the Particulars of which he forgot.

Friday, June the 16th , Ben was one of them that robbed a Gentleman in Cary-street , and took from him a French Half-Crown, and some Half-pence.

Monday following, he and his Company robbed a Gentleman and Lady in Chancery-Lane , and took from them Money and two Diamond Rings.

Divers other Robberies were committed by him, and the large Gang to which he belonged; but none of them came to Light till last September Sessions: At which Time Ben was indicted, with others, by the Name of Benjamin Mason< no role > This name instance is in set 3571. , otherwise Ben the Coal-heaver , for robbing William Harsel< no role > of a Gold laced Hat, and Money, upon the first of August then last past. Upon this Indictment they were all acquitted by the Jury, as the Prosecutor could not swear positively to either of them, and nothing brought it home to them but the Evidence of an Accomplice. However, Ben has since owned the Fact, and that he was the Man that held up the Pistol at Mr. Harsel, while another fired at him, but the Pistol missed Fire. Nor was this any Warning, but Ben must return to his old Tricks, which he did in a Day or two after this Escape, and continued to commit Robberies,