City & Liberty of
Westmr . in the County
of Middlesex }

Informations taken this Sixteenth day of July
1771 at the Parish of St. Martin in the Fields within
the Liberty of Westmr . in the County of Middlesex
upon on Inquisition touching the Death of Joseph
Fearnside< no role > lying dead in the said Parish Liberty & County.

John Rooke< no role > Son of John Rooke< no role > of Holborn Broker on
his Oath saith That he goes to Mr. Pear's School in the
Strand to learn to Deaw, where Joseph Fearnside the Deced also Went to
School, Says that the Deced & himself were at School
yesterday, and at five o'Clock when they went from
School Dept. was desired by some of the Boys and
particularly by the Deced to gointo the Thames,to the Water side, Says
that he went with them to the Water side but did
not go in, Says that the Deced and three other Boys
took off their Cloaths and went into the Thames at the
bottom of Salisbury Street in the Parishs of St Martin in the Fields That he was in the water
some time, but Dept. did not see him Swim, Says that but of deovouring to the
he saw the Deced Scoit down in the Water about
three Yards from the Shore, there being nobody at
that time in the Water near the Deced. Says that in
about half an hour the Deced was taken out of the
Thames at Mr Paynes Whart when he appeared to be dead, Says that the
Deced was rubbed by the order of Mr Dickinson
Apothecary , and afterwards rubbed with salt by the Des [..] and
afterwards carried to Mr. Thompson at the Sign of
the White Swan in the Stand.

John Rooke< no role >

Sworn the Day Year and Place
abovementioned before me
Tho. Prickard< no role > Coroner .