Witness Deposition – William Ewbank – 8 Oct 1686

William Ewbank of Greetabridge in the County of Yorke Innkeep[er] aged thirty five yeares sworne & Exam[in]ed saith as followeth



To the first Interrogatory this Depon[en]t saith that he knows the Compl[ainan]t & Def[endan]te in this suite & hath soe knowne them for sev[er]all yeares last past

               

To the second Interrogatory this depon[en]t saith that he knows most of the Def[endan]tes  Groves in the p[ar]ish of Stanhop but not by there p[ar]ticuler names which are held by the s[ai]d Def[endan]te by Lease from the Compl[ainan]t as this Dep[onen]t hath heard & been credibly informed for lives and saith he hath alsoe heard and been credibly informed that the s[ai]d Compl[ainan]t by his grant to the s[ai]d Def[endan]te of the s[ai]d groves reserved to himselfe the Ninth part or Lott of all the Lead Oare to be dugg won or gott forth or out of any of the s[ai]d groves without any deducc[i]on whoer [whatsoever] for the Charge of Dressing or washing of the same, And this Depon[en]t further saith that in the begining of the month of October which was in the yeare of our Lorde One Thousand Six Hundred Seventy and Nine he this depon[en]t was p[re]sent with Thomas Rookby Esqr and s[ai]d John Westgarth when he the said Thomas Rookby demanded for and on the behalfe of the Compl[ainan]t of sev[er]all of the farmers miners and workmen <?of the Defen[dent]s .....> afores[ai]d the Ninth part or Lott due to the s[ai]d [some words obscured by creases, possibly including ‘Compl[ainan]t’ ]  or each of the s[ai]d groves the s[ai]d farmers miners and workmen there denyed & refused to pay any or to make any satisfacc[i]on for the same some of them declaring they were obliged to the Def[endan]te to <?get up> what was to be paid to him for the same & would not pay or Accompt for any of the s[ai]d Ninth part or Lott to any other p[er]son save to the Def[endan]te or to <…> or the like Effect



9 To the ninth Interrogatory this Depon[en]t saith that he hath heard sev[er]all Lead Oare Carryers say and declare that the New lead oare gott and wrought forth of the s[ai]d Groves were mixt with old heapes of Lead Oare lyeing there And saith that he this depon[en]t knowes that there was roome Enough for the Def[endan]te his takers [tackers] and Miners there to have laid all the s[ai]d New lead oare separate & distinct <…. …>  other but the certaine reason of mixing of the said New lead Oare with the said Old heapes of Lead Oare this deponent knowes not nor can give any certaine Accompt

William Ewbank