Whereas there has been unjust and malicious Reflections cast upon the undermention'd William Collet, in Relation to the late Fire that happened in his House: These Depositions( by the Advice of Friends) are made public to undeceive those that have listened to those false Insinuations, and that the whole Truth might more plainly appear.  

THE DEPOSITIONS OF William Collet, Tallow-Chandler, Mary his Wife, Joseph lark his Journy-man, and lark Wife of the said Joseph, Francis red and John Sisum his Apprentices, Mary Selby his Maid Servant, Lewis Picket and Thomas Allen, Lodgers in his House, and Robert Parker a Watchman, taken an Oath before me Richard Rider Esq; One of his Majesty's Justices of the Peace for the County of Middlesex, and Liberty of the City of Westminster, this Seven and Twentieth Day of April, Anno Dom. 1700.  
In Relation to the late Fire which began and happened in the late Dwelling-House of the said William Collet, late standing at the end of Newport-Street, in the Parish of St. and, Westminster, in the County aforesaid.  
THE said William Collet, Joseph Lark, Francis red and John Sisum, severally each of them on their Corporal Oaths do aver and Say, That on Wednesday the Seventeenth of April Instan● abovewritten, being the Day next before that Night and Morning in which the said Fire happened, they the said Deponents did arise from their Beds at Six of the Clock in the Morning, in order to melt Tallow to make Candles, and did Work that day until Ten of the Clock at Night, and then left work, at which time they, or some of them, did put out all the Fire under the Coppers, and the Tallow then melted( so far as it could be) was all used up: And that the Tallow used that day was only melted down, and did not Boil or Run over: And that between Eleven and Twelve of the Clock at Night they, these Deponents, were all in Bed, And that none of them, or any Person else, to their knowledge, did lie in the Shop of the said House that Night: And that they did not Boil Tallow at any time but on Friday Nights, and Sit up on that Occasion, or in Business, none but those Nights: And that to their knowledge, or belief, there was no Holes, or Cracks, in the Coppers they used, nor was any Notice given to them by any Person whatsoever of any such Holes or Cracks, or Suspicion thereof; and that( altho' amongst divers other untrue Allegations) it is reported, a Fire was like to happen in the said House on Sunday night then before, and at other times, these Deponents do all of them say, There was not any such Fire like to happen on Sunday aforesaid, or at any time before, as they know or have heard,( saving that about Seven Years since, and once before that the chimneys of the said House happened to be on fire.)  
AND the said Deponents William Collet, Joseph lark, and Francis red, do further say, That after an Out-cry of Fire was, they did arise from their Beds, come down Stairs, and see the Shop on Fire, but no Fire in the Cellar of the said House.  
AND the said Mary, the Wife of the said William Collet, and Mary Selby the Maid Servant, do severally on Oath say, That it was past Twelve of the Clock that Night or Morning, which the said Fire happened, before they went to their Beds, and at that time did not see or smell any Fire, or Token thereof.  
AND the said and, Wife of the said Thomas lark, and Lewis Pickett, and Thomas Allen, do on their Oath severally say, That they, nor any of them, did not at any time heretofore, see, hear, or know the said House likely to be on Fire,( saving the Chimney hereof aforesaid.)  
AND the said Thomas Parker the Watchman, on his Corporal Oath saith, That he cried the Hour of Two in the Morning, before the said House, and did not see no appearance of Fire therein; and that when he perceived the Fire, and was let into the House, the Shop thereof was on Fire, and no other part thereof as he could see.  
AND all the Deponents abovesaid, do several aver, and say, on Oath, That they knew not by what ways or means the said Fire did happen; and further say not. Witness their Hands the Day and Year above Written.  


William Collett,  
Mary Collett,  
Joseph lark,  
and lark,  
Francis red,  
John Sisum,  
Mary Selby,  
Lewis Pickett,  
Thomas Allen,  
●●d Robert Parker.    
Jurat per Omn. coram me die& Anno Suprascript.  
R●●●●● Rider.