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    con-rowley

    44)              110              1673

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                        John

    The next 2d day after Mr Watson had taken ye knif Br Wood & John Stickney

    going to Ipswich John watson overtook them (being bound for Salem) & upon

    some reports Br Wood heerd yt John watson should say he had bought a knif at

    {6 mr wainwrights for 6d & his tobacco tongs of wch ther were two wittness John

    Stickney telling him of it, he sayd it was not true he had noe knif of ye merchant,

    7 but onely a black hasted[1] knife yt he bought of mark Quilter which was another

    8 ly for mark sayth he bought none of him

    Br Wood coming home from Ipswich on ye 4 day at night on ye next morning

    (having heard ye night before many truths about ye knife as he feared) be took

    oppertunity to speak to him & told him that he feared he taken away that knif frō

    the marchant, & advised him to restore it & to make noe more lyes about his

    9. answer was yt he had it not but was as clear from takeing the knif as Br Wood

    was or as yt ry[2] they stood by this he sayd before Br Wood & his wife

    Br Wood hearing that he had a good knif at Br Primes he askt him how he

    came by it or what knif it was, he answerd yt it was none of marchant wain

    (10 wrights but it was goodwife Jameses but upon inquiry of Br primes Son & man

    it was found falls

    After yt Br Wood whent to John watson & desired him yt he would confess the truth

    for certainly you have ye knif, if you doe not confess it, it will be prooved he

    11 told him yt he was as clear of it as he was, & sayd Br wood was longer at ye

    merchants yn he & might as well taken it as he

    Upon this Br wood went to deacon Tenny & to Br Bayly Senior & desiered ym

    12 to goe with him to deal wth John Watson, when they came to him he denied it

    3 or 4 times & sayd he was clear of it as Br wood

    The Deacon asking him wher yt knif was he sayd he had bought at Mr Wain

    -wrights, he answered must I show Every knif I have, shortly I shall be called to an

    account for Every thing, I have had a sith this two yeares shortly somebody will

    call me to an account for yt: If I should confess I have ye knif & ye mar

    chants family should afterwards find it, then I should wrong my self: The

    Deacon answered you may get yt knife convayed thither soe as they may find

    it & yet your sin noe less

    But afterward upon farther discourse he confessed that he had taken it, & sayd he was sorry yt

    God should leave him to doe such evill & desired prayers

    About the Tobacco conserning wch he had told a ly to mark Quilter: he afterward at

    Rowley after a Conference meeting, wherin he had bin at prayer, when meeting was

    done he desired Goodm: Northen to goe home with him & he would give him some To

    -bacco: Ezekiel northen sayd why should you give me Tobacco, his answer was

    13 marchant wainwright has given me 20 pounds of Tobacco: Goodm: Northen

    wondering the marchant should be soe kind, he told him it was because of his

    long sickness

    14 He solld some of ys Tobacco to Br Prime a penny pound cheaper then it cost him &

    told Br Prime that ye marchant gave him 20 pounds of Tobacco.

    15 He alsoe told Mr Tho: Nelson that ye marchant wainwright had given him 20 pounds

    of Tobacco

    16. he reported that yr were 10 maydens in Newberry with child & yy were presented

    to Ipswich Court 3 of Samuel Plummers Daughters are wth Bastard sayd he & 2

    of Coffins daughters are wth Bastard & one of Captain Gerish Daughters is wth

    Bastard & one of woodmans daughters is wth Bastard: Beriah Brown & goodm:

    James gave in their testimony of ys

    17 he reported of Bro Brown that he had stolen his thatch & yt James Crocker

    saw him carry it away

    18 he told Robert Shilato that his wife milkt 7 cowes & made 20 pound of butter a

                                                               week wheras she

     

    [1] Possibly a variant of “hastal,” meaning spear-shaped.

    [2] I.e., “rye”? Possibly the discussion was taking place beside a field of rye.