Witness Deposition – George Wren – 8 Oct 1686

George Wren of Wolsingham in the County of Durham Cordwainer aged thirty & five years or thereabouts Sworne & examined Saith as followeth.



13: To the thirteenth Interrogatory this Depon[en]t Saith That since May day gone a twelve month Thomas Mowbray one of the Plts [Plaintiffs] Agents  imployed to take an account for the compl[ainan]t of Such Oar belonging to the Defend[an]t as is brought that way to Scotcheale Mill hath lived in the back part of the house wherein this Depon[en]t lives. And this Depon[en]t Saith That he knows & hath observed during that time the method of Mowbray's taking Such account to be Sometimes but very rarely by him selfe he being imployed about other business in working & helping the Smith of Wolsingham to make horse Shoes & other Smiths work there most p[ar]t of the day, & alsoe imployed in harvest time in harvest work & sometimes goeth abroad to draw bills bonds & other things & is a man very much given to drink & very often at the Alehouse drinking And in the Said Mowbray's absence Sometimes his wife & Sometimes his Son about Seven years of age stand at the fore door near this Depon[en]t's Shop to take Such account as aforesaid And many times this Depon[en]t hath observed Coal-horses come by that way in a Drove amongst Oar Carryers horses and if his wife were absent then the Son called to his mother that Soe many horses were gone by with Oar when usually the most of them were Coal-horses. And often times the horses were gone beyond her fifty or sixty yards before she came to take any account thereof. And at night when Mowbray himselfe came home his Son or wife used to give him an account of what horses passed by the door loaden and he Sett them all down as the Defend[an]ts Oar=horses, altho' they were very often most of them Cole horses, And this Depon[en]t Saith that after such loaden horses passed by this Depon[en]ts door as aforesaid the Same horses might goe to other places & not to the Defend[an]ts Smelt Mills , it being the Com[m]on road for Oar-Carryers for Severall p[er]sons owners of Lead Mines for to carry their Oar that way to  Newcastle & other places

       Signed George Wren