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 University of Californi 
 
 Southern Regional 
 
 Library Facility
 
 Ex Libris 
 C. K. OGDEN 
 
 
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 THE LIBRARY 
 
 OF 
 
 THE UNIVERSITY 
 
 OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 LOS ANGELES
 
 THE LIBRARY 
 
 OMVKKSriT OF CALIFORSH 
 
 LOS ANGELES
 
 r
 
 , T H E (^ 
 
 DISCOVERIES 
 
 O ' F. 
 
 John Poult er* alias Baxter $ 
 
 Who was apprehended for robbing Dr. 
 
 Hancock, of SaliJbnry,on Clarken Down, near Bath; and 
 thereupon difcovered a moft numerous Gang of Villains, 
 many of which have been already taken. 
 
 BE T N G, 
 A full Account of all the Robberies he has committed, and 
 
 the furprizing Tricks and Frauds he has pradtofed for the Space' 
 of five Years laft pall, in different Parts of England. 
 
 Written wholly by H I M S E L F. 
 
 "To which he has added for the Service of the Pub'ick, to make all the 
 Amends in his Potver for bis pajl Offences, 
 
 DIR.ECTIONS to secure Hcufes from being broke open. 
 How to prevent HORSES from being stolen out or 
 Grounds, Commons, or elfewhere. Useful CAUTIONS to 
 Tradefmen and Others who travel the Roads, to prevent their 
 being robbed. And to prevent anv unwary Perfons from being 
 impofed upon and defrauded, an exact Account of the Man- 
 ner in which Gamblers and other Sharpers impofe up- 
 on People at Fairs, &c. The ARTS the Horse Dealers 
 make Use of there to draw in People to buy or exchange their 
 Horfes ; and the various other Cheats praclifed at Fairs, as 
 giving Notes for Goods, Pricking at the Belt, exchanging Sad- 
 dles and Great Coats at Inns, iffc. In what Manner Snor- 
 keepers are cheated by Shoplifters : With every other 
 Trick and Species of Villainy made ufe of by Rogues 
 and. Sharpers, laid open in fo plain a Manner, and their Be- 
 haviour aod Language fo fully defcribed, that every one who 
 reads the Book, may certainly know them at any Time, and (o 
 be upon their Guard againff, being cheated by them. 
 
 The TEN T H E D IT I O N, With Additions. 
 
 Printed for R. Goadhy in Sherborne ; and fold by IV. Given, Book- 
 fetter, *r. TempU-Bat, Lcnden. Mdccliv.
 
 nM 
 
 rWv~ 
 
 An ACCOUNT of the Behaviour of John Poultcr, alias 
 Baxter, during his Confinement under his Condemnation, 
 the Examinations he went through, the Motives that 
 made him attempt an Efcape , and the probable, tho' fe- 
 cret Reafohs, of his being at laft executed, with his Be- 
 haviour at the Place of Execution. 
 
 HTHIS unfortunate Man, after having made very important Dif- 
 -*- cove ri OS of great Ufe to the Publick, and for much lefs than 
 which many a Man has not only rcceiv'd Pardon for capital Of- 
 fences, but even Stewards ; had the Fate, by a Series of unlucky 
 Circumftances and Incidents, to be brought to fuffer, after having 
 entertained the moft flattering and affured Hopes to the contrary. 
 When he fitft made his Informations againft his Accomplice?, 
 which was foon after he was taken up at Exeter, for robbing Dr. 
 Hancock of Salifiury, he defiied that t bey might be kept very fe- 
 cret ; and particularly he gave a Charge to the Officer who was 
 fent to Bath to apprehend his Accomplices, not to divulge his Er- 
 rand at his Arrival to anyonePerfon there except the Mayor, be- 
 caufe there were feveral Perfons there who lived in good Credit in 
 the Eye of the World, who yet had Intelligence with his Gang: 
 But notwithstanding this ftrir. Charge fo much Imprudence was 
 committed, that it was univcrfally known all over Beth upon what 
 Errand the Officer was come within an Hour after his Arrival ; and 
 the very next Morning even the Names of all the Pcrfons, as well 
 tbofe who harboured in Bath, as in other Places, whom Poultcr had 
 informed againft, was printed and publickly fold. This Affair 
 being managed fo imprudently (not to fay worfe of it) his Accom- 
 plices had Notice of it every where, and consequently Time to 
 ipe, which they took Care, efpeciaily the principal ones, to 
 ; ufe of. 
 
 Dr. H- k hearing of the Informations Pculter had made, and 
 
 having received back fome of die Things he had been robb'd of, 
 re him Hopes that 1, e very favourable to him in the Prob- 
 
 ation ; however, when the Day of Trial came, 
 
 1 him with the great eft Inveteracy, and ufed aril his In- 
 
 t reft to prevent the Judge from granting him i : ~ from 
 
 :ecutjon ; however, one for fix Weeks was granted m'/n, and be 
 
 w ;s ordered back to I r Goal Here he behaved very fo- 
 
 ly and ferioufly, and $ the Corporations of Bi th, h.y.e- 
 
 tex and Taunton, befides many private Gentlemen, interefted tm-m- 
 
 felves
 
 fclves greatly in his Favour ; and as the Difcoveries he bad made to 
 feveral of his Majeity's Jnfticesj and particularly what he had 
 wrote and publimed in this Book, were thought to be of very great 
 Importance to the Publick, and further Rcfpites from Time to 
 Time were given him, not only himfelf, but every one elfe ima- 
 gined that a free Pardon would at lad be granted, or, at leaft, that 
 his Life would be faved. A very eminent Attorney of Skcrhcrne in 
 Dcrfetjbire, by Order from above, went over to Ivelchcjhr feveral 
 Times to examine him, to whom he declared the fame he had pub- 
 lished in this Book, without any material Difference or Addition, 
 except only the Mention of one Perfon, who now lives in good 
 Credit, and, tho' not concerned, knew of the Proceedings of him- 
 felf and Gang, and could bear Evidence to corroborate ail he had 
 declared ; but he defired very carneftly that the Name of this Per- 
 fon might never be mentioned, except it was hecefiary to call upon 
 them to corroborate his Evidence in a Court of J t: ft ice. But during 
 this Time he had the Misfortune to have the iil Will of the Gaol- 
 Keeper, who treated him with great Severity, and even feeming 
 unneceffary Cruelty ; for tho' he was in a very ill State of Health, 
 yet he would net let him have, in the fevered cold Weather, any 
 Thing to lie on but Straw, tho' he ofhred to pay more than the 
 accuflomed Fees for a Bed. Several Gentlemen of the County 
 who thought that the Life of a Perfon, which vrz$ prolonged for 
 the Good of the Publick, fhould not be deftroyed by Severity of 
 Ufage, wrote to the Gaol-Keeper in his Favour, to allow him a 
 Bed, butno Regard was paid to their Remonffrances, till the Sheriff 
 of the County fent a pofnivc Order that a Bed fhould be allowed 
 him. Whether thefe unhappy Differences with the Gaoler, might 
 not occafion Representations, little in his Favour, to he made to the 
 M mb-r of the Town, who has great Influence at Court, is very 
 doubtful ; however this wa?, when every one exacted a I'ardon 
 for him it was given out that he would certainly fufrcr on the fit it 
 of March, and Pother declared, in a Letter he wrote to a Gentle- 
 man a little while before his Deat' -, that the Gaol-Keeper was con- 
 stantly founding in- his Ears that he would certainly be executed on 
 the firfl; of Marc]? : This being repeated fo often, full tempted him 
 to try to make his Efcape, as from the Gaolers Repref. ntations he 
 thought, that notwithstanding all the Difcoveries he had made, and 
 the great Hopes he had received, he fhould at lair fuffer ; ac- 
 cordingly on Stthdoy *he t7tb of February obferving a fit Oppor- 
 tuiii.y, he made his Efcape from the Gaol in Company with a 
 Debtor, by forcing an Iron. Bar out of a Window. 
 
 He was obliged to travel as far as Glaticnbury on Feet, with 
 one of his Irons on, bat there found Meam to get it off; but ins Legs 
 were fo galled by them, and he was in fo weak a Condition, that he 
 found he was not able to travel'with any Manner of Expedition; how- 
 ever, they travelled forwards on Monday Night, (hzving concealed them- 
 fclvcs the greateft Par; of the Day iu a iiay Kick) intending to have 
 
 Ucered
 
 fleered their Way to Pill, and fo have got a Paff3gc over into Wales ; 
 but not knowing the Country well, about Eight o'Clock on Tuefday 
 Morning, they came into the Parifh of VV'ookey near Wells, thinking 
 they had been got near Jxbridge ; Poulttr being quite fatigued to 
 Death, they went into a little Publick-houfe there, where he went to 
 lied, and lay till about 2 o'Clock in the Afternoon, then got up. Whila 
 they were propofing to fet out again, a Mafon who was employed on a 
 Building near by, went in for a Mug of Drink, and knowing Poultcr 
 he immediately went out and calling leveral of his fellow Workmen, they 
 took him without any Refinance, and he was again carried back to 
 Ivelchelter Goal, on Wednefday. 
 
 As foon as he was brought back, a Petition was drawn up by theGaol- 
 er and forr.e other Inhabitants of the Town of Ii-clchejicr t and fent by an 
 Exprefs to their Member, defiring him to ufe his utmolt Interelt that Poul- 
 tcr might be ordered for immediate Execution, tho' according to his lail 
 Reprieve he had then only nine Days to live. Accordingly, by the Inte- 
 relt that was made, an Exprefs was fent on Purpofe from London to hcl- 
 chefter, to order his Execution withintwenty-four Hours after his Arrival at 
 Ivelcbejltr. Thus Refentment, Prejudice, Interelt, and other unlucky Caufes, 
 perhaps contributed to fhorten the Life of a Man, the Prefervation of 
 whom would in all Probability have been for the Welfare of the Publick, 
 for it is agreed on all Hands, that he was fincere in his Difcoveries, thar he 
 would llrenuoufly have endeavoured to have taken his Accomplices, and 
 that whillt he w*s living, his Gang would never have dared to have ftaid 
 in England, becaufe as r.e well knew their Haunts, Set. it would be impof- 
 iible for them to have abided any Time here without being taken. 
 
 Poulter received the News of his fpeedy Execution with Surprize, as it 
 was quite unexpected, and fo fhort a Warning, yet he declared he mould 
 be very willing to die, provided he could fir ft fee his Wife, upon which a 
 Meffenger was immediately difpatched for her to Bath. 
 
 After the Receipt of the Dead Warrant he fpent the Day in fervent 
 Prayer, receiving the Sacrament, Sec, and being folemnly queltior.cd 
 about his Book of' Dtfco<veries, he declared there was not a Word in it but 
 what was Truth ; and being afked about the Report that was fpread, con- 
 cerning the Gaol Keepers having received a Sum of Money to favour his 
 Efcapc, he declared that it was abfolutely fane, and that neither of the 
 Keepers were privy to it. He exprefied very firm Hopes of receiving 
 Pardon from God, as though his Crimes were many yet he had never 
 been guilty c*f Murder, or injured the Perion of any one. 
 
 When he come to the Place of Execution he behaved very penitently, 
 but with a decent Refolution. He flood up in the Cart, and declared 
 three Times aloud, that the Report of the Gaol Keepers having been 
 privy to his Efcape, was faife and without any Foundation. Hearing 
 that F d of Path, was among the Spectators, he called out for him to 
 come to him, and then told him that every Thing he had related of him 
 in his Book, about his bein:; privy to their Robberies, and melting down 
 Plate for them was true ; F d denying this with bitter Imprecations, i'oul- 
 ter affirmed, that a he was going to appear before his great Judge and 
 hop'd to receive Mercy from him, what he had faid was true, he then 
 defited the Spectators to take Warning by his fad End, and to avoid ill 
 Company, acknowledging he deferv'd to die, but molt of his Accomplice? 
 much mote fo.
 
 The DISCOVERIES of 
 John P outer alias Baxter* 
 
 Have followed Gambling end Defrauding Atfe five 
 laft pafl, ami lived on the Spoil c ;' . thcr Mia 
 About the Middle of February, 174:), I arid 'Tt/; 
 aiiiS Dctiujh.\ Mary Brawn* , and SdaSf Dittns\ met !: 
 cidtntdily at Litchfield, on a Fair Day, and afver fc 
 mony we ail agreed t-i |o and drink a Gluts of Wihe ; accordingly* 
 v.e went to Mr. William BHtiki*, ai 1 the f. id 
 
 Town, and were fhewn up Stairs; We had not been there 1 -hs, 
 before Mfiry J-roivn efpied a lar^e Cluft, and faid, h, 
 t ; .e Lid being loofe, <nd her Hand but fir.aH, iLe pi:ll\l on: of the 
 tid Chefi one \eJh,vy Silk flowcr'd Daoiafe Gown, one green Silk 
 
 . one brown Siikdkto, and one blue': flower'd Silk Cap: 1 
 whicri Ad.iry Brown ci: 1 ivd out of the fai i tT.utfe in her A 
 to 'he Place were our Horfes were : We ail made \W. b 
 
 Way to the B D g n>:ar I'/tJich^Jhr^ where we divided 
 
 the ab(A'e Gooci, aiiiO.ig us fair. I b-. Ik w the Go. 
 
 about iixteen Pouedt,; t,.e Laadlord and Landlady of the ri--^ . 
 
 D very well knew u-. te be Thiev-.s, and th.it we bv 
 
 thing el f^ and alfo know aimoU 1 all tee Thieves that t:a. !> ;>n.l 
 rur thein. 
 Bat what is v<rry| rem irk-.ble, at the fbme Thvi I tent for a Tay- 
 lor to take MeafuJe of me for a hl.-.ck PJ.v'h Wiftcoat, and rri his 
 i;KLifi:nn,j of me a Pi-ioi went off in my Waiftcoat Pocket 
 the Buiiet wen'i under Ins Arm, and thrombi the Gteltn" w-j h nt 
 r any Hurt. which very mueh f.;rpr:>-e i the Taylor ; /' 
 '.' me; Mb :.:, what are von .bl .vavs plat in z vot:f ' 
 putthig Crackers i; rwe Pocket : 
 deceived, for I hffrjne my i 
 
 went to IVejlch'jter 10 the M.jyor, and toiu him that* Ac . 
 
 A 2 
 
 * Mary Rrown has b~cn tried fi" Ti y 'our Years and !<;'( : 
 
 the Apr.!!- la-i WettsJiOic'.atid, w itli her Sr'ft 
 
 fcutffca i and herHdlbin* execttnd j it wVi in the '.alter tnd V.f 1 748 
 
 N>;xc t Ru;l.cn in DlhU. ;'.,,<:, with jobo Prj*n, tor pitfclritePocktts. Nentar-Si 
 I .ry, by herC-lf, Pr Jin,). V*x at Camori ;g, wj.rh jane Baily,on S'.n'jpi 
 Ni-xt ai I r?, in 1757., ii ' [>'< ' in'g fume't ffootn's i'ocke" of. fif- 
 
 teen i-iMMM' in the faid Tawii or" Litchfield, wiin ntnjatnin <, hoi ton and E 
 mios j the f*>> tart convicted, and fee scq wis tried by 
 
 " ".. Next the wasi imas Affiles 17 -z, wit'i 
 
 fur $icking a Farmer'j Pocket atGrsnt 'i'otr-ngton ; but fee was acquitted, and 
 Baxter cnnviclrd: Jihe was niedbytte Katne of Margaret Dawfon/butcovr fhegoeth 
 by her own Name, Sktary Blown.
 
 r 4 > 
 
 we were all Highwaymen. The Mayor ordered him not to let me 
 
 have any Thing, until he had fent to fearch the B D g, 
 
 and bring us before him ; but we aid not fray for his Coining, for 
 I made the beft of my Way for Holy He.,d, through IVales, and 
 directiy went for Dublin, where I took a Hpufe in Porter's Row 
 the lower End of Afton's Kay ; I gave thirteen Pounds a Year, and 
 had good Cufrom, and drew five Barrels of Ale one Week with 
 another, and lived in coed Credit, tili a very unhappy Affair hap- 
 pened in London, and fo it proved to me. General Sinclair had his 
 Pocket pick'd of his Gold Watch at Leicefter Houfe, by William 
 Harper and' Thomas Tobin, and they were both taken and com- 
 mitted to the GatehoufV, Wtfttfkrifter \ and that Day Harper was 
 refcued by a Gang of about twenty-four Irijhmen, in the Middle 
 cf the Day, and they wounded one of the Keepers, but Tobin did 
 not tfcape> A Proclamation was ifTaed out with a great Reward 
 for taking them, when inoff. of them flew to Ireland, to my great 
 Grief. One Day, as I was (landing at my Door, I was feen by one 
 'James Field, one of the Gang who knew me very well ; became 
 in and called for Liquor very plentifully, and the next Day he 
 brought with him the Gang to my Ho c, ; I defired them not to 
 come to my Houfe, for I would not harbour them, for if I did I 
 fhould lofe all my Cuflom, fur I told them I could live without 
 them in Credit, and without Fear ; but they would not be denied, 
 and my Houfe was always full of Thief Catchers and Conftables, 
 which caufed mc to lofe my Cuftom. Not long after, moil of the 
 Gang were taken, by one who followed them from London, to 
 which Place they were foon tranfmitted ; but it ruin'd me for I 
 was forced to go away by Night, and left my Cellar full of Ale for 
 my Brewer to take. I went to Co r k and {raid there about three 
 Weeks, but could not take a Houfe to my Liking, fo embarked 
 for U'aterford with all my Bouflbold Goods, and (laid there about 
 fixteen Weeks. I found I could net live there, for Trade was dead 
 and I but a Stranger. My Brewer fent for me to Dublin, which 
 Place I went to again, and fn a (hort Time took a Houfe at the 
 Shades of Clontarf, about two Miles from Dublin, clofe to the Sea- 
 fldc, and bought a Smack or Sloop for Fifhmg, and Hoylightentng 
 Ships, which I followed very hard, and fold Liquors at HoiT.e : Bv 
 thefe Means I cleared three Pcunds a Week, lived in good Credit, 
 and got the Good will of every Body. I hardly ever miffed a Tide 
 but was at Sea, and iound the Pleafure and Benefit between 
 ill got Mooey, and that got honeftly ; for the ill-get I always wait- 
 ed, and my Spirits were never at Reft Night nor Day ; but when I 
 lived by my Labour, I eat, drank, and flept at Eafe, and was not 
 afraid of' anv Body, 
 
 The
 
 ( s ) 
 
 The latter End of the Year 1751, Thomas 'fcbin and his Wife 
 (two of the moft noted Pickpockets in England) came to Dublin, 
 and found out where I lived, and came to my Houfe ; I begged of 
 them never to bring any Perfon with them, which they promifed 
 me they would not, but in a fiiort Time half the Thieves and 
 Thief Catchers in Ireland rcfortcd to my Houfe, and laid a Scheme 
 for my Ruin, and (o it proved. Gentlemen often came from Dub- 
 lin, a-nd payed me for going into the Channel with them a plovering 
 and fifhing, and going aboard of Ships in the Bay ; but once among 
 the reft, fome of thefe Chaps came to hire my Smack, to go into 
 the Bay, which I let them have to my Sorrow, for before they came 
 from Dublin they told the Ciiuom-houfe Boat what their Intent 
 was to do that they might come and faze my Smack. When we 
 were cut in i:he Bay, trying for fome Fifh, the Cuftom-houfe Boat 
 came and boarded me, and faid they were fure I had prohibited 
 Goods, for I had Smugglers on board. I bid them fearch and wel- 
 come, which they did to my Souow, for they found fix Pounds of 
 Tea, and twelve Yards of Callicoe and Muflih, which was fecreted 
 in my Cabin by one of the Villains that came on board to go a 
 pleafuring. The Officers feized the Goods, and my Boat was con- 
 demned. I cannot deny but afterwards I met one of the Perfons, 
 and beat him vay much ; but I had no Reft in Ireland afterwards, 
 for I was always troubled with Actions, tho' very falfe ones, which 
 obliged me to come to England again, in November 1751. 
 
 The latter End of November, 17 51, I being at Bath-W. J 
 
 R is's, he came to me one Night, and to Richard Branning, 
 
 and told us both in about a Fortnight's Time he could help us to 
 about five or fix hundred Pounds if we were both willing. I faid, 
 How, Jw ? He anFwered, on the Scamp, and the Cull does not 
 come above feve:i Strachcs of ; that is, on the Highway, and the 
 Man does not come above fez- en MRU* oif. I faid, how do you know, 
 John t He told me the Gemleman came every fetting Day from 
 Trowbridge ro Bath, to change Bills for Money, lor he is a Gentle- 
 man Clothier, and his Money is to pay his Men ; he has never milled 
 a fetting Day for Years, and I have threatened him feveral Times 
 before now, hut could never get any of the Family to do it ; Little 
 Dick would have done it laft Year, but his Partner, when the Day 
 came, got drunk, and fo it pafTed off; but now is your Time to 
 make us all, for it is a great Deal of Blunt, and worth venturing 
 your Scraggs for ; that is, it is a great Deal of Money worth ventu- 
 ring your Necks for. I then told him I had no Piftols ; and he faid 
 
 you muff go to T r'i at F n, and fend him to Oxford to 
 
 buy them, and keep your Horfes there until two Days before the 
 Time ; the fitting Day is Tucfday the tenth of December. Accord^ 
 
 ingly we agreed, and fet out for F n to Tr's, and I fent 
 
 him
 
 ( 6 ) 
 
 him to Oxford, to buy me a Bt.v e of Plftols and a Hanger, which 
 he bought, and we ftayed there till the 8th of December, and told 
 
 7^ r what we were going to do, and that he muft fct up all 
 
 Tuefday Night, and have two Horfes ready ro carry us iixty i 
 further, and we told him we would be there on Wedntfday Morning 
 by four o'Clock. It was all agreed, and wc fct out for G *s at 
 
 Cb-p-l Pi r, but we did not truft him with our Defign I 
 
 went to R ts's on the Ninth, to agree what Time we ihould 
 
 come on the Tenth, and for him to (how us the ' r the Wa- 
 
 ter at darken Down Mills, which he did. We agr vt him 
 
 fourfcore Pounds out of our Booty. R- tt find that he 
 
 would be the lair. Man that would pay his Excife in at tbt 
 then faid he, I mail be able to give you an Account what Money 
 the Gentleman receives, and where be puts it, ?.nd if you come in- 
 to the Inn I will (how him and his M; n to you, that you may not 
 be miftafcen when they come on the Down. Accordingly I did 
 
 as he faid, and about four o'Clock R ts met me and told n.e 
 
 that the Gentleman had changed his Bills, and bad received up- 
 wards of five hundred Pounds, and he then fee wed me tltc Gentie- 
 man and his Servant. My Horfe was left at A'ouni PUjfant, and 
 I did not (how myfeif there ; but juft as th~ Gentleman was eomg 
 he was perfuaded not to go that Night, for it was juft da'S, and a 
 Robbery was commitv.d but on Saturday before at Sttekt f. ridge, 
 in bis Road home on a Farmer, and he was u ed very iii after 
 robbed by feme Footpads, which nude the Gentleman fty in hath 
 till the Morning. If he had went home that Night he would h,.ve 
 loft all if it had been a thoufand Pound, lor we had made a Place in 
 the Wood, juft before he came to the FLivtr-dcluce, to take ban 
 
 and his Servant into and tie them, but Fortune wa; not on R /j's 
 
 Side that Time. We both went to /' n that Night accord- 
 ing to our Promife, and found the H'nks ready and out Landlord up, 
 
 hut he was difappointed. I advife all People that have got a 
 
 Charge of Money or Bills not to travel bftei Sun- 
 
 In March 1752, /, John proton alias Dnv:fon, Jehu Al- 
 len % alias Robert 'Jor.es, alias Rcberi Graham, and Tbdr.as 
 , went a Journey into the North Part of Evgland, and 
 coming through Haiiifax, in Yortj}/ire> we overtook a Min titer ; 
 and we rode with him til! we came to the hi it Inn, where we de- 
 frauded him of twenty- two Pounds at Pi kiting in the Belt ; he 
 faid it was as much as Ids Gown was wrth to have it krio.vn, and 
 accompanied the Lofs of his Money with this Ejaculation* Ahati 
 what have I been at f to which I anfwercd, 7he Saifrr has done by 
 you Sir, as you wculd have d:nc by hit.i, Jo J Vj'tjk you g-od 
 Night. We came that Night to Stockport, in Chejhhe, and lay t 
 an Inn in that Town that Night. The next Morning Toi-in left 
 
 our
 
 f 7 ) 
 
 cur Company, and went feq IVtJhhefier on the Fife*: We flayed 
 on punpofc e, accordingly we all we ;u to one 
 
 jf s R ts'sy an old Acquaintance of my Accomplice?, 
 
 1 for Liquor plentifully, and afk v 
 when the bv, He fa id, To-nigii?, and 
 
 they Cpev^ ft of$hj Night ; bat if you itay til! they come 
 
 by, 1 wdlihcw you the baft Pack, but you have no Sacks ; and 
 turning to Lr'.vin fidd, the Lift Pack you got- We 
 
 (uiu, 7- j vou muii he u iu.ve tbres of yours, and m 
 
 pay you for them : A< ,' be gave us three old Sacks, and 
 
 we promis'd hi:n Haifa Guinea for his Trouble; at Night the 
 Horie came by, and he fftc-w'd us all, one particular Pack, an4 
 faid thatV your Mark, and yol belt Place is beyond the Village, t 
 take him into one of the Fields, and he will not be nufs'd for an 
 Hour or two after, To that you may get fir enough by the 
 Morning. And accordingly we went after and flole one of the 
 Hories, but not the right* for he was the hindcravoft next to the 
 Man : T.ie Horse, as fi son as the others pair began to wicker. 
 To that we were o gag him. We got upwards of one 
 
 thousand Yards oi CUi*wto uufcowefd, and rod-- 3bout t 
 Miles that Night before W* Noted, when we reach 'd within four 
 Mi fas of IFhi(ch:<r,h in o, and lav at a /7tfy2rjrTufe, 
 
 Tne next Day we ar wed at the Rock Tavern, near A _. r 
 
 S e in SUijjnd!-Are, kept by one and /L/- 
 
 L s, the greater! Fiace of Rendezvous in England fnr Thieve- 
 
 and that Night put our Goods into a Grave in their Bam, where 
 they la v three Days* we then fetch'd them up |o the Home, and 
 cut ail the Marks ofT both Ends of the Pieces. W e fill 
 
 E ~*d and M 1 L J, three or four Pieces for three; 
 
 Pence per Yard, we gave them one Piece for their Trouble ; and 
 
 divided the Reft into three Parts. I fen: m.-.-eto Bcih to J % 
 
 ll r/s, where it I r< Time, fill he got me a Dver to 
 
 <;ye it: dtiJ lh Ikft a: the Rock Tavern- with our 
 
 laid L'-r.- 10 nvver paid any Thing br it to ffr< 
 
 D'.v. S'. me Tin i twenty eight Yards of mine to Ma- 
 
 ry <h-oxon, alias Duv.f>n\ af;er it w*s dyed ; but when flie had 
 made it up, fne told nv.- (he would not pay me for it, for I bad bet-" 
 ter Luck than her Huftiind and Aikn had with theirs ; they a!2 
 well knowing the CUiltonnco to be i'iolen, and from whence ; ar>c 
 if we or any Body elfe was to cafry (fee King's Crown Xo the Rock- 
 Tavern, they would to my Knowledge, fecrcte it. 
 
 Njuh ::i(i.r, I and 7 bomai Bt to Gtrwnth&m, sn Lwcoh- 
 
 rmd met with ow Ccuhsne\ and there we defraudei 
 
 an old Farmer of fruvo Guineas, at the old Nobb 4 cali'd Prickir:;r 
 
 in 
 * A Cant Word for Cheating, t A Koufc that harbours Thieve.
 
 i 8 ) 
 
 in the Belt. From thence Tobin and I went to Nottingham, where 
 we met, with teveral of our Accomplices ; hut Luck running bad 
 that Day, Tobin, Hurft, and I went on the Sneak, and ftole a filver 
 Tankard without a Lid, from the Black-Moor's Head, and paying 
 Hurft for his Part, we went for the Rock Tavern again ; but 
 Money being fhoit there, we carried it to B~ grove, in Worcef- 
 
 terjhire, to G t L //, a Shopkeeper there, and Tobin fold it 
 
 to him ; but I cannot fay he knew it to be frolen, tor I- was not pre- 
 
 fent, but I have feen G e L // buy frolen Goods of feve- 
 
 ral Perfons, he well knowing the fame to be flolen. 
 
 Tobin and I wentdire&ly for York, and on our Journey into York- 
 Jhire, we dined at an Inn, and there ftole a large filver Spoon j but 
 where the Houfe is I cannot recollect. We arrived at York, and 
 went to fee an old Friend and his pretended Wife, and the next 
 Day went to a Fair, and defrauded a young Gentleman of (even 
 Pounds at the Belt ; and came back the next Day to York, being 
 the Day before the Judges came into Town. The next Day To- 
 bin and I went on the Sneak to the Black Swan Inn in Coney Street 
 York, and ftole from thence a Siiver Tankard, and a large Sugar 
 Carter and carried them to Chriftopher Fet one, and his pretend- 
 ed Wife Sarah Ca , to keep them for us till we went out o; 
 Town, and told them from whence they came. The fame Day 
 
 I, Tobin, Fet one, and Sarah Ca n, went to to the fame Houle 
 
 on purpofe to fteal fome more Plate, but the People had lock'd the 
 Reft up, to our Difappointment. The next Day Tobin and I went 
 
 for our Plate, which Sarah Ca 1 brought us ; and wa gave her 
 
 a , large Silver Spoon for her Trouble, which we had flolen, but 
 where I cannot recollect. Then we went directly to London, 
 where I fold the Tankard and Carter to a Silver Smith near Smith- 
 field Bars, in St. John- Street, but he did not afk me any Queftions 
 how I came by them. 
 
 I went juft after to J n R ts\ at Bath, to meet the reft 
 
 of my Accomplices at our old Houfe, where I was fure to hear 
 News, and a Welcome into Bath. The latter End of Zlpnl there was 
 twelve of us together, all Gamblers and Pickpockets, to our Land- 
 lord's Knowledge. We all went into the Weft for Sampford Pe- 
 vera!,*n6 made three Setts ; two Setts got ten Pounds a Piece, from 
 two Farmers that had juft fold their Cattle, at the unlawful 
 Game of Pricking in the Belt. The Farmer that I was concerned 
 with, fwooned away for the Lofa of his Money ; we made a Pre- 
 tence to fetch fome Water to bring him to himfelf, but went clear 
 off, not regarding whether he lived or died. Two Setts went to 
 Great Terr ington; and one Sett, juft as they had got into the Fair 
 picked up a Flat, and got twenty Pounds of him, which (o 
 alarmed the Town, that the rtft came away for Ex:n : So all dif- 
 
 perfed
 
 ( 9 ) 
 
 perfect but John Brown and I, and we defrauded a Man in Excn Cii 
 five Pounds. 
 
 We then went to C-cwkerne , where we heard at the Green Dra- 
 gon that our Accomplices were gone forward : The next Day we 
 rode out of Town, but promifed to come back the fame Nighr, 
 which we did : But jult before we came into Town, we heard that 
 
 two Sharpers was taken up at S / C 7 's, and that their 
 
 Horfes were there : So we called, and the Horfes were delivered to 
 us, to take them away for Fear they fhould be ftopt ; for they 
 were both ftolen, one bt William C s, and the other by William 
 
 S w, both then Cuftody at Crewkerne, for defrauding a Man 
 
 at Chard of five Pounds ; and one of them ftole a Great Coat at 
 Chard, and they were both cafi for Tranfportatiori at Bridge-water 
 for the fame 
 
 Brown and I took the two Horfes to Bath, to John R r, 
 
 and told him what had happened, and that he muft fell the Gelding, 
 and Mare : We told him where they were ftole from, and he faid it 
 was far enough off, and afked us what we would have for the 
 Gelding ; we told him four Pounds, ; he faid that if we would take 
 a Thirty fix Shilling Piece he would run all Hazards ; fo we 
 agreed for him : And he told us if any Body afked what he cofr, we 
 muft fay four Pounds, for he would fell him to a Farmer that he 
 bought his Straw of, that never went five Miles from home. 
 
 I left Brown at R ts's with the grey Mare, whilft I, William 
 
 Elger, and 'John Allen, alias Robert Jones, alias Robert Graham, 
 went to the Rock Tavern, to fee his Wife and Child, that was at 
 Nurfe there : from thence we went into the North of England^ 
 to Fairs, Horfe Races, and Cock Matches, on the Sharping Lav, and 
 won between thirty and forty Pounds at Cards, alias Broads, From 
 thence we went to Nevjcajlle upon Tim, where we got about three 
 Pounds from a Butter Man at the Belt, or J\ r obb. From thence 
 we went into the South again ; and we picked up in our 
 Wav Money enough to bear our ExpenCes to Bath for the Benefit 
 of the Waters, to the great Joy of our Landlord, We ftayed off 
 and on at Bath about fix Weeks, and paffed for Smugglers : We 
 ufed to give (even Shillings a Pound for Tea and fell it again for 
 four Shillings and Six-pence, on purpofe to make People believe we 
 were Smugglers. We went to a Fair now and then in that Time, 
 and if we could not get any Money at the Nobb, we would buy a 
 Horfe or two, and give our Notes for the Money, telling the Dealer 
 we lived at a Town where we did not. This is called Mafoning, 
 July the 2d, 1752, I and William Elger, John Browrt, alias 
 Dawfon. John Allen, alias Robert Jones, alias Robert Graham, and 
 Thomas Walker, went to Blandford Races, where we met Charles 
 Handy : We went to the Cocking in the Morning, and to t!
 
 f 10 ) 
 
 Races in the Afternoon ; fome went on the Turn to the Buoths, 
 and others to laying Wagers on the Courfe : A flauifh Gentleman 
 laying (even Pounds with one of us,, they both afk'mg who fhould 
 hold Stakes, one of us fitting on Horfeback juft by on Purpofe, 
 fay?!, put it in that Man's Hand, pointing to one of us that was well 
 d relied ; the Money being fo delivered, the Man winning, he that 
 held the Stakes rode oft' the Courfe. After the Races we all meet at 
 Blandfordy and agreed to go on the Sneak for any Thing we could 
 get. In the Pufk of the Evening, we went to the Crown Inn, and 
 ftole, out of the fore Parlour, a large Portmanteau Trunk, and car- 
 ried it into the Fields to fkin it, that is, to fearch it, when we found 
 in it the following Things, viz. Eighteen Guineas, a Jaxobus, 
 and feveral other Pieces of Gold and Silver Coin, a Gold Repeat- 
 ing Watch, with all the Trinkets thereunto belonging, a Pair of 
 Gold Shoe Buckles, a Gold Coral and Bells, a Gold Girdle Buckle, 
 and Necklaces fet in with green Stones, a great Quantity of Jewels, 
 a fly white Petticoat, a great Quan isy of voung Girls wearing Ap- 
 parel, and one pair of Sheets. Thomas Walker and I carried the 
 -Gold Watch and Jewels to London, and Walker fold them to a Per- 
 fon unknown to me, becaufel was not with him ; but he (aid, he 
 told the Man he fold them to, that he got them at Sea, in a Prize. 
 He brought nie Twenty- feven Pounds for the Watch and Jewel;--. 
 We then came back to Popham Lane, to the Sign of the Wheat- 
 flbeaf, where our Accomplices were waiting for us ; we there divided 
 the Money equally between us, and c^rre to Bath, where I fold the 
 Pair of Sheets to J n R ts for two Shillings, and the fly- 
 Petticoat vvoiked with a Needle for a Guinea, tho' it was worth 
 four : he fecreted the reft for me in a Clofet. Juft after I fold a 
 red Silk quilted Petticoat to M y G a, for her Daughter, for 
 Half a Guinea: At the fame Time the begged a laced Cap, with 
 ' XV ire about the Border ; and I told her fhe muft not let her 
 Daughter wear it, for it was ftole from a Pormanteau at Blandford 
 and that it. was advertised at the fame Time in Bath : She faid I 
 need not fear, for it fhould be altered, fhe well knowing the fame 
 to be ftcleji and from whence. 
 
 I fold the Bel's, Seal, Sitae Buckles, and Girdle Buckles, all of 
 
 Gold, to J n F d, a Sdverimith in Bath ; and he mel:cd 
 
 them down before my Face, into an Ingot of Gold, not quite an 
 
 Ounce. I told him from whence they came, and he faid he did 
 
 not care if they came from the Ruffen, (that is the Devil) I wifh we 
 
 had as much as )Ou and I could put out of Twig, or break in funder. 
 
 We went out of Bath, to Cor/ham F:.ir, about eleven Miles from 
 
 J$ j'thatis,./, William Elgfi^ John Broivn^AVdS Dav:f:n, John 
 
 alia? Robert 'Jones, ali^s Robert Gra'im, and we ftole a hlver 
 
 i*nJv_id iiCja *n Ian "in Corjham : I brought it uireSly to J n 
 
 F d
 
 ( II ) 
 
 F /at Bath, who not being at Home, I told his Wife we had 
 
 (role a Silver Tankard from Corfloarn* and wanted to melt it down ; 
 I then went up Stairs with her, and (he faften'd a Pair of Sheers in-t 
 to a Vice, and began to cur it in Pieces ; when her Hufband came 
 in, and told us, he had heard of the Tankard, and where it came 
 from, but he would foon put i; out of Twig ; and faid, Betty go 
 and make a Fire in the Shop, and bring a large Crucible ; which 
 (be did, and they melted it down before my Face ; and (he faid, 
 Mr. Poulter, at any Time, if you have Gold or Silver, I will melt 
 it down for you if my Hufband is not at Home ; but you mult not 
 take any Notice to my Brother of what pafTes between my Hufband 
 and you : At the fame Time (he afk'd me for a Shilling for her 
 Trouble, which I gave her. They both knew the fame to be ftolen, 
 and from whence. 
 
 Brown, Elger, and Allen, bought a Horfe at the Turnpike near 
 Corjham, of a Farmer, for fix Pounds, but gave their Note for it ; 
 
 and St n G a faid he knew Brown very well to be the fame 
 
 Perfon he reprefented himfelf to be, though he knew at the fame 
 Time they were defrauding the poor Farmer. 
 
 Ooiber the 26th, 1 752, I, with John Brown, alias Daw/on, 
 William Elger, "John Allen, alias Robert Jones, alias Robert Gra- 
 ham, went from Bath in order to rob a Pack-Horfe : Wc made the 
 
 heft of our Way to IV- m T 's, at F.irringto::, in Bcrk- 
 
 fn'ne, and after Supper we called plentifully for White Wine Negus; 
 then we afk'd IV- m T r when Charley, the Coventry Car- 
 rier, came to Morton in the Marfh : He anfwered, on Monday or 
 Tuejday ; and now is yo;r Time, for he takes up all the Ribbons 
 that are left at StowY<\\r, anJ carries them to Brijlol this Journey. 
 To which we replied, How fhail we know the right Pack ? If- m 
 
 T r faid, you mud ohferve the Pack that lias Boxes in ir, that 
 
 is the right, and is cither full of Ribbon?, or Things of Value ; 
 and, if you fucceed, W\uz them to me, and I will buy them all of 
 you. We then told him we had no Sacks, and he ordered his 
 Oilier to go and buy three new Sacks, for which I paid fix Shil-. 
 lings before his F.-ce. The next Morning he wifh'd us good Luck, 
 and we fet out for Mirton in the Marfh, where we gat that Night, 
 
 and put up at IP' ?n N i's. He was glad to fee my 
 
 Accomplices, but did not know me ; after Supper we afk'd him when 
 Charley came to Morton in the Marfh : tie anfwered, I cannot teli, 
 but will go to his Brother and enquire. When he came back, 
 he ro!d us To-morrow Morning ; but it will be late before he gets 
 t;> Park corner, becaufe he takes up Ribbons at Stow, that were left 
 at the Fair. We did not ftir out all the 7'ime we were there ; 
 fur, lie faid, if we werefcen, it would be known who did it, for 
 he well knew our Intent was to tike one of Charley's Packs ; and 
 
 B2 he
 
 ( i2 ; 
 
 he affured us, that at any Time he would go and fwear for us, (as 
 he did for Robert Jones and others at Warwick,) if Occafion re- 
 quired. We fet out the next Day for Park-comer, which Place 
 we reached juir. as Charley came there ; Brown then rode before us 
 to detain Charley at a Publick-Houfe, under Pretence of carrying 
 a Letter for him, which he wrote and gave him : In the mean 
 Time we went forward, and try'd the Packs as T r had di- 
 rected us ; and catch'd the Horfe by the Neck, but he was fo fhy 
 and ftartifh, that he throw'd me and Allen into a Ditch, and got 
 away from us, fo that we could not catch him any more. We then 
 took the next, and led him down into a Park about a Mile f'om the 
 Place, where we could not get out : But it was remarkable, 
 William Elger rode a Gelding that he gave eighteen Guineas for, 
 and in conveying along the Pack Horfe, rode into a great Hole, 
 and his Gelding and he tumbled over, when the Pack Horfe ran 
 backalmoft to Park corner before we could catch him. We tied 
 the Horfe to a Bufh, and gag'd him, whilfr. we put the Goods up 
 in our Sacks, and left them in that Place till we rode almoft to 
 Park-comer before we could get out, and there we faw Brovjn and 
 Charley going together. Charley afked us whether we had lean his 
 Horfes, and how many there were : We faid fix, but they were 
 a Mile before him, and then bid him a good Night. We rode 
 round the Park Wall, juft againfr the Place where we left our 
 Goods, and the Horfe whicker'd : I was forced to (land on the 
 Horfe's Sack to get over the Wall, to th/ow over the Goods. We 
 then loaded our Horfes, and made the beft of our Way ro Chapel 
 Plajler, at which Place we arrived about Five o'Clcck in the Morn- 
 ing, and calling up S =-G ~, we ftayed there that Day. 
 
 Iafk'd ?-^ rrr-n G a to get me a Horfe, and fomething to carry 
 
 my Goods in ; which he did, for he lent us his own Horfe that he 
 bought of us fome Time bofore at Waybill Fair, and a Pair of 
 Butcher's Pots, in which we packed up all our Goods except one 
 Piece of Camblet, and twelve Pair of Scarlet Stockings, which 
 Brown, Allen, and I, kept for our Women. We divided the Piece 
 (I think it was thirty-nine Yards,) into three Parts, and the Stock- 
 ings into the fame. I gave my Part to M y G a, to keep tor me, 
 and fo did they, till I came again. The next Morning we let out 
 for Furringdon, where we arrived late at Night, it being fifty Miles 
 from Chapel Plajler. We lent Allen before to befpeak Supper for 
 US, and to open the back Gate, and to put the OfHer out of the 
 Way until we had unloaded our Goods ; which was done. After 
 Supper we drank plentifully of Punch and White Wine Negus; 
 
 and the next Morning we fold W m T- r all the Caps 
 
 and Stockings : He got us a Be x to pack up the Pieces of Stuff in, 
 and we put it into his Warchoufc, with Directions to be be left at 
 
 ir\ ,m
 
 ( 13 ) 
 
 W- m T r\ at Famngtan, in Berkfl/tre, till called for. 
 
 The next Morning we let out for a Fair at Newbury in Berkjhire, 
 where we defrauded a young Man of his Watch, Horfe, and four 
 Guineas in Money, at the Old Nobb, or pricking in the Bel:, We 
 
 then went back to T r's ; and when we came there, he 
 
 fhow'd us a Letter he had received from Mr. Grovenor, of Bri/fol t 
 
 for T r to make all the Enquiry he could after fuch Goods, 
 
 among all the Shopkeepers about that Country, for he had loft a 
 
 Pack : At the fame Time T r had bought all the Caps and 
 
 Stockings of us. and had all the Pieces of Stuff in his Warehoufe, 
 
 and that to his Knowledge. His Wife H h came to me, and 
 
 defired me to afk her Hulband to buy all the Stuff, for he could 
 
 difpofe of it all ; but he refufed, becaufe it was advertifed. H b 
 
 T r faid (lie would buy one Piece of Stuff for her own Ufc, 
 
 unknown to her Hufband : Then (he and I went up Stairs, and 
 fhe pick'd out a very large Piece of brown ftrong Stuff from all the 
 reft, and gave me eighteen Shillings for the fame, they both know- 
 ing the fame to be ftolen, and from whence. If there was not 
 fuch People as thefe to encourage Thieves, and receive their Goods, 
 there would be no Thieves. We fet out the next Morning for Sa- 
 Jijbury, with the Goods that were left, thinking to fell them to 
 
 C H ; but he was not at Home \ So I carried them to 
 
 Stocibridge, to another Fence of our's, that is, a Receiver of itolen 
 
 Goods, one R 1 L , a Publican, that always bought the 
 
 Watches of us we got at pricking in the Belt, or any other De- 
 fraud : I fold him fix Pieces and a half, which he pick'd out from 
 all the reft, and he gave me eighteen Shillings a Piece for them, but 
 he would have the half Piece into the Bargain. He afk'd me where 
 the faid Stuff was ftolen from ; and I told him : He faid he would 
 fell fome to one, and fome to another, in the Country j but we cut 
 off all the Marks of both Ends of the Pieces, for Fear of a Difco- 
 very. He alfo lent me a Box to pack up five Pieces and a half 
 that was left, to fend up to London to William Elger, who was cone 
 to Town to fee his Friends, directed thus, For Mr. William Elger* 
 to be left at the Swan, on llolboum- Bridge, London, till called for ; 
 
 which the faid L did fend away, he well knowing the fame to 
 
 be ftolen, and from whence ; he knowing us all to be Sharpers and 
 Thieves, and that v/e had no other Way of Living but by defraud* 
 ijig and robbing. We went back to G a's, and I fold the Piece 
 of Stuff and four Pair of Srarlet Stockings to M y G a : Mary 
 Brtwt, alias Dawfo;:, had another Piece, and four Pair of Stock- 
 ings : I bought the four Pair of Stockings of Mary Brown a^n'n, 
 Frances Allen had the other Part. 
 
 The Beginning of November, to the beft of my Remembrance, I 
 and tVWiavi Elger^ John Brown and JJm Allen- t came from WiU 
 
 ton
 
 ( 14 ) 
 
 ton towards Bath, on Purpofe to break open a Houfe in trade's 
 Pajfage, which we looked at fcveral Times before. We ffole in 
 our Way from Wilton, a large Iron Crow from a Sheepfold on 
 Satifbury Plain, on Purpofe to wrench open the Door of the faid 
 Shop : We left our Horfes at Mount PUafunt, while we went a 
 milling that Swagg, that is, a breaking open that Shop : We 
 wrenched open the Pad Lock, but could not open the Door, altho' 
 we :-iade a great Purchafe with the Iron Crow ; we made feveral 
 Attempts, and in the mean Time the Srout came by, that is, the 
 Watch ; but Brszvn to<>k him eft, while we were at Work, which 
 is eafily done for a Quart of Drink : Brawn knew the Watchman, 
 but 1 can't fay the Watchman knew him. If all the Doors of 
 Shops and Houfes fnut as clofe as that did, it would prevent a great 
 many Robberies in Cities and Towns ; for no Doors ought to have 
 any Play, if they have they are eafily broke open. We tried two 
 Shops in the Church yard, at their Windows, the one a Toy Shop, 
 and the other a Watchmaker's, but were difappointed by a drunken 
 Man's coming into the Church-yard, and fitting himfeif down. 
 
 We had got a Spring Saw to cut the Bok akmder, that F d 
 
 made for Brown ; the Iron Crow I threw over the Bridge on the 
 Left Hand Side. * 
 
 The latter End of Nov>?nber, all of us being at Lath, we agree<: 
 to go to Brijioly to get fomething towards our Expenses ; where 
 *ehn Allen pick'd up a Countryman near the Mount, that is, the 
 Bridge, and brought him into the H R ft, near the Back, whicl 
 Houfe we had made Flaih before hand ; the Countrvman had but 
 little Money, which the Sailor knew, aid therefore laid him Half 
 Guinea that he could not borrow ten Pounds in half an Hour ; ther 
 Alien and he went into the Fi/b Market, and he borrowed the Mt 
 ney of a Shopkeeper, and brought it to the laid FI- - Rft to us, 
 and received the Wager j but we defrauded him of all the Mont 
 in about ten Minutes, at the Old Nobb, or Belt. A Countrymai 
 came juit afterwards to the Houfe to enquire for us, but the Land- 
 lady hufh'd tiie Man, and faid (tit knew nothing of him nor us. 
 The Countryman went Home, and told in his Neighbourhood that 
 he was robbeJ by thfte Fellows on the R.o:;d. I have feen him fe- 
 veral Times fince at Bath Marker, and have fpeke to him, and he 
 told me the fame ; I Contradicted him, and faid, I believed he loft 
 it at Gaming : He did not fee my Face at Bii/lol when he loif his 
 Money, fo he did not know me at Lath. The Man keeps Bath 
 Market, and fhnds at the upper End of the Market-Houfe, felling 
 Ho",'s Haflets, and wears his own Hair. 
 
 jufl after, about the 28th Day of November, we were all at Bath, 
 when Brown took the Opportunity at Night to go on the Sneak by 
 himfelf, to one Mr. BariUt'i, on the JSoiih Parade ; he went into a 
 
 Parlour, 
 
 * This was found lately in the River.
 
 ( H ) 
 
 Parlour, where he Taw a Candle lighted, and Hole frota thence a 
 Portmanteau Trunk : The Key was in it, and a Bundle on it, he 
 took off the Bundle, and unlocked the Trunk, and feeing it was full 
 of rich Cloaths, he locked it again, but took out tine Key ; and 
 in the mean Time a Servant came and looked into the Room, 
 and Brown hid him ft If behind the Door, and when the Servant was 
 gone, he took up the Trunk and went into Kin* % 4 Mead Fields, and 
 lefc it there while he came and told us what he had done : I was 
 in Bed, and fo was /fifth, but Elger and lie went and fkin'd the 
 Trunk, and put the Things into a Sack, and Elger fent his Horfe to 
 
 5 n Gas that Morning. The Hflffe was taken pert of 
 
 R tis Stable. unknown to him or his Oftler until Morning, 
 
 when R ts knew it, but the Oftler did not. In the Morn- t 
 
 ing Elger and Mary Brown went on Foot to Chapel Plajfer, to 
 look over the Things, and /Hhn went that Night to them : 
 
 The next Morning we all fet out for the Devizes, to one J n 
 
 A '$ ; Elger and Allen did not lie at the (aid Houfe, but Brown 
 
 and I did. I went and bought a Deal Box, into which weputouf 
 Things, and nailed it op, and ]ch it under a Bed in a Room, and 
 
 told J n A , the Landlord, to take Care of it. He faid, 
 
 if it was Diamonds you know it is fafe in myHoufc. Some Time 
 after we faw our Landlord, and Brown <-fK'6 him if the Things 
 were fafe ; he faid yes, I have one of the Advertifem'ents at my 
 Houfe, but do not mind that, for nobody will fulpecl mv Houfe ; 
 he well knowing we lived by nothing but Robbing and Defrauding 
 the Country. 
 
 We went from thence to Sali/bury, to fee a Crop Horfe run over 
 that Courfe, belonging to 'fhomas Brooks of Coleharbour, he was 
 feventeen Years of Age, and ran nineteen Miles within an Hour : 
 We could take nobody in at Sali/bury at any Trick, fo we went 
 that Night to JV'-ltm, toconfult what to do. Brooks lay with us 
 that Night, and the next Day we agreed to go and ileal fome 
 Horfes, and take them into the North, and bring others back into 
 the South ; we went that Evening, about all the Grounds within 
 three Miles of Sali/bury, and could fee none worth taking, hut a 
 Colt worth about fourteen Pounds, and him we could not catch. 
 We went towards Sali/bury, and juft by a Mill in the Marines, we 
 caught two Galloways, both with cut Manes, but we thought 
 them not wortn taking j we therefore went that Night to Sali/bu- 
 ry, and the next to Farrington, in Berks, we made it Night 
 before we gnt to Marlborough, where we Hole a black Mare out of 
 a Ground juft by, in the Road to Farrington, which we reached 
 
 that Night 5 we lay at IF U*b T r's that Night and the next 
 
 Da}', and at Night we went into a Field of Mr. Lock's, at the 
 Crown Inn and itolc from ther.ce a Bay Gelding, and I rode all 
 
 that
 
 ( 16 ) 
 
 that Night with the Mare and Gelding towards H'ighamferris, for 
 there was a Fair there the next Day j but Brown, Elger, and Allen 
 ftaid there that Night to prevent our being difcovered : They met 
 
 me at Higbatnfierris, but we could not fell our Horfes. T r 
 
 our Landlord, knew the black Mare, and of our dealing the Geld- 
 ing. We made the beft of our Way into York/hire, and we fold 
 the Gelding to a Baker in Doncajler, for four Pounds, but he did 
 not know it was ftolen. We then went for Wakefield Fair, but 
 when we came there were difappointed, for there was none. El- 
 ger % Horfe fell fick at Newark on Trent, and he borrowed a Horfe 
 of the Baker that bought the Bay Gelding ; but when we were at 
 Wakefield, Allen borrowed a Horfe to go to York, and Elger fent 
 his Horfe back to Doncajler, for we faw in the London Evening 
 Pojf, the bay Gelding advertifed, and made the beft of our Way to 
 Bantry, but did not come near Doncajler : We fold the black Mare 
 there to a Man of Rotherham, for one Pound one Shilling and Six- 
 pence ; fhe broke out with the Gteafe. We went the next Day 
 to a Fair in Lincolnjb/r-e, and picked up a Man on the dropping of a 
 Shilling, and brought him into the Houfe, where Elger and Brown 
 were fet on Purpofe. Elger patted for a Sailor, and Brown for a 
 Dealer ; the Man had no Money, but Elger laid him a Guinea he 
 could not borrow twenty Guineas in half an Hour ; I went the 
 Countryman's Halves, and went with him, and at the firft Place 
 he borrowed Ten, and a thirty Pound Bank ^ote, and in returning 
 he borrowed twelve more ; we went back to the Sailor, and fhowed 
 him the Money, on which he paid him the Guinea, and we went 
 to play at Pricking in the Belt, we made Stakes for twenty- two 
 Guineas, and fain would have played for fifty, which the Country- 
 man would not, but faid, if he won he would play again ; but the 
 Sailor took Care not to let him, he pricked and loir, and was mod 
 terribly frightened, but he would prick again-for thirty ; we were 
 afraid he would make too big a Row when he loft that, that is, a 
 great Noife> however we made Stakes for the fixty, which was the 
 Note and our thirty ; he pricked and loft, and then fcood as if he 
 was Thunder-ftruck, for fome Time with his Back againft the 
 Door: I feemed to be the fame ; but at laft got him out of the 
 Room, under Pretence of borrowing fome Money, while the Sailor 
 and Brown went to our Horfes, which Alien had got ready ; I gave 
 the Countryman the Slip, and followed afrer them, not letting any 
 Grafs grow under our Feet fur thirty Miles before we ftopt, and 
 that was at Bantry, at a Houfe of our own Sort. There was a great 
 Search made all the Country round for us, but we were at Home. 
 The next Day we made our Way for the City of Cambridge, in 
 order to mill fome Ken, that is, to break open fome Houfe ; but 
 we had no Succcfs there, fo we agreed to prig fome Peads, that i9, 
 
 ileal
 
 '( i7 ) 
 
 flea] Tome Horfes, and take them away Weft : J He n and I went for 
 Newmarket^ and Broivn and /g-?r for Leigbton Buzzard. [ ad 
 yiYA'/z {to!e a black Gelding and a Bay Colt, near Bnnklcy n the 
 IP'oodlands, and brought them to llunge'f^rd in Berks, and fold 
 
 them to iEiliiam B jjfs of the fame Place : He did not know 
 
 that they were ftaalcrt, but thought that they were got on the Mafon, 
 that is, for Paper. Brown and Elger ftole a flat headed Bay Geld- 
 ing from the Bell Inn in Leigbton Huzz.nd, and brought him to 
 Bath, and kept him for his own riding. We fid the forrel Mare 
 
 that w,s itole from i'/ukefuld, to our Landlord J n R is, 
 
 at Bath ; he would not buy her till he icnew where ihe was itolen 
 from, but he had no Luck with her, for fti^ fell lick and died in a 
 Fortnight after. Here we divided all the Money we got this 
 Journey. 
 
 About the latter End of December, bong all at fialh together, 
 J n R. ts, our Landlord, came to Brotvn, Elger, and Al- 
 len, and afk'd Lr me ; he told them he could help them to twenty 
 i ,, liuis ; juft after I came to his Houfe, when he told me the fame: 
 d him how it was to r:,e got ; and he replied, on the Scamp, 
 th.it :s, on ihe Highway ; for, fays he, there is a Man that puts up 
 at my Houfe, that is going to receive twenty Pounds, but a great 
 deal of it will be in Halfpence, and it is eafy to be napt, that is, ta- 
 ken. We then agreed that I fhould go and rob the Man by myfelf, 
 and they would be at a fmall Didance for Fear of Refifiance. 
 
 R is helped the Man to tie the Sack behind him, that the 
 
 Money was in, I {landing by him at the fame Time ; the Man 
 went his Way, and we followed him up to the Top of the Hill, I 
 got on a Collier's Horfe, with Coal Sacks on the Pack Saddle, I 
 lpoke to the Man going up the Hill, and when I got on the Down 
 1 1st him go on buore, and then rode after, overtook, and robbed 
 
 him ; I had a Stick in .my Hand, which R ts and my Ac- 
 
 compiices gave me, and a Tinder Box inilead of a Piftol : I rode 
 the Man's Horfe back again to the Foot of the Down, where my 
 Accomplices were waiting 4 for me, and we went directly to John 
 
 R ts's. The Money that I robfcud the Man of, was one 
 
 Guinea and (a:zi^ Silver, and thirtv-idr.e Shillings in Halfpence, 
 
 which we divided between us, and R t's had ei^ht Shillings 
 
 worth of me Halfpence. The Man cams to R ts's the 
 
 next Morning, and faid that he was robb'd, and afk'd wh-t Time 
 hs Oftler came home, for he fufpecled him : We told him he wa9 
 at a Friend's Houfe all Night ; and we ail laugh'd to iu..r cne Man 
 (dy the Perfon who robbed him put a Piitul to his Cneek, it being 
 nothing but a Tinder Box. 
 
 About the 1 8th of January, 1753, I, Lrozvv, Elger, and Allen, 
 agreed to go to Brijlclon the Slurp, or the Sneak j which we did, 
 
 C bat
 
 ( is ; 
 
 but we could not get any Thing on the Sharp that Day : But at 
 Night we went on the Sneak, fit ft into Queen Square, and tried 
 feveral Koufes. At laft Eher jump'd the Glafs ot a Gentleman's 
 Keen ; that is, lifted up the Window 'of a Houfe at the lower End 
 of the Square, and jump'd into "the Parlour, and brought out 
 five Silver Tea Spoons and one Pair of Tea Tongs, with a 
 Delft Server from a -Tea Table. We then pull'd down the Win- 
 dow, and went our Way : I think the Tea Spoons were marked 
 with the Spread Eagle. We went diredly over the DraV Bridge 
 for College Green, , and tried all the Doors and Windows there : 
 At laft we went into Orchard-Street-, to one Mr. Smith's, a Watch- 
 maker, as I was fince informed. Brotwi got Entrance in at the 
 Door, and went up Stairs into the Bed Chamber, whilft the Family 
 was below, and he ftaid about twenty Minutes in the Houfe ; and 
 in the mean while Mrs Smith came to the Door, and Elger afk'd 
 her where fuch a Gentleman lived ; fhe told him, and went in and 
 fhut the Door after her. We all refolv'd if Brown was grabb'd, 
 that is, trfken, to rtfeue him ; but he foon came out with his Arms 
 full of Men's wearing Apparel, fuch as follows, viz* Three 
 Coats, two Wailrcoats, three Pair of Breeches, a great Quantity 
 of Stockings and Neck-cloths, and one Handkerchief. The faid 
 Things I carried to Frances Allen's Room that Night for her to fe- 
 crete for us, and accordingly (he did ; and 1 went next Day to 
 Brijioi again, to meet my Accomplices : I left with Mrs. Allen a 
 Pair of Silver Shoe Buckles of Mr. Smith's. We went at Ni;jht 
 on our old Rigg ; and went over the Draw-bridge towards Col- 
 lege Green ; Brown went into a Peruke-maker's Houfe, nd went 
 up Stairs, and had got ail the Things in a Table Cloth that was in 
 the Drawers, when he heard a Noife of the Barber and another 
 Man coming heme ; who fufpecting us, (z( having heard of Mr. 
 Smith's Houfe being broke open the Night before) followed us, 
 and fhut his Door: However, Brown got out of a Garret Window, 
 *.nd over the Tops of feveral Houfes, anJ got behind a Stack of 
 Chimnies for the Space of two Hours :< He could not get into any 
 Houfe, but was forced to go back again into the fame Houfe, and 
 come foftly down Stairs along the Entry : A Boy hearing fomc 
 Body in the Entry, ran to him with a Knife in his Hand, and 
 call'd him Rogue ; upon which Brown told the Miftrefs of the 
 Houfe, that as he was coining over the Draw-Bridge, a Bailiff was 
 in Purfuit cfhim, and that he ran into her Houfe for Shelter, and 
 had been on the Stairs a Quarter of an Houj, which the weak Wo- 
 man believing, bid him lhy for Fear the Bail;fFs fhould be about 
 the Door ; but he did not care to flay for Fear the Mafter fhould 
 come home, and fo bad her good Night and went his Way, but we 
 were at Bath five Hours before him. 
 
 The
 
 ( i9 ) 
 
 The next Day we divided the Stockings and Neck-cloths be- 
 tween us four, except fome Thread Stockings and the Handker- 
 chiefs, which Mary Brown and Frances Allen would have for them- 
 felves : The two Women kept the reft of the Things for us till 
 
 Bri/hl Fair. Our Landlord^ ts had ^ne of the Bills of the 
 
 Robbery left3t his Houfe ^'anefwhen we came into his Houfe, h* 
 faid, JVliy will you not let me have fome of the Cloaths, tb make m 
 Son fome Cloaths ? You never let me have any Thing as you do ot/iir 
 Landlords : I think I ought to have a Penny's worth cs well as they. 
 
 The 25th of January, 1753, we went t0 B r tfl ^ a ' r oWie 
 Sharp } but we had no Luck that Dav, fo at Night we went to 
 milling of Swaggs, that is, breaking of Shops, or Ware-homes : 
 Accordingly we went to the Bell Inn, in Thomas Street, and broke 
 open the Ware- houfe, and" with a dark Lanthorn thev brought out 
 of the faid Ware-houfe to me, two Pieces of broad Livery Cloth, 
 one brown and the other blue, directed fcr Mr. Harford f Bath : 
 I ftaid in the Street till the other three went into a Houfe in Temple 
 Street, juft by the Back cf the faid Inn ; where -Elger went up 
 Stairs, and opened a Box that was n^t locked, and brought 01. t a 
 Piece of brown Stuff, and Linen fcr a Gown, and gave it to me ; 
 J came to the Lamb-Inn, at Law ford 's-Gate with ir, and took Hdrfe 
 directly for Bath, and delivered the Goods to Frances Allen to 62- 
 crete for me, and I then went to Bed : About Two o'Clock in the 
 Morning, Brown, Allen, and Elger^ came to Bath with a Pack of 
 Handkerchiefs that they had ftolen from the London Ware-houfe in 
 Peter-ftreet ; and they told me they had loft a good Booty for 
 Want of the Lanthorn that- 1 had in my Pocket. Elger went for- 
 ward with the Pack of Handkerchiefs to Chapel Plaijler ; and 
 Brown and Allen- called for the Cloth, Sniff, and 'Cloaths, tbat 
 Mary [;rown and Frances Alhn had fecreted for me ; and they 
 
 followed- Elger to St n G--'s where G got a Box made 
 
 on Purpofe to nail up the faid Goods in. I wtnt the next Morn- 
 ing to them, and put the Things into the Box : We ftaid there a 
 
 Day or two, and at laft we fold St n G--- upwards of twenty 
 
 Dozen of the (Ad Handkerchiefs, and four Yards of the blue Cloth, 
 and to his Wife Mary the Piece of Stuff for a Gown, they both 
 vi ell knowing the fame to be ftolen, and from whence. 
 
 The next D*y we all fet out for the Reck Tavern in Stafford- 
 flnre, with our Goods ; but it raining, we lef; Brown on the Road 
 with them, and went forward to the faid Tavern, it being our old 
 Place of Rendezvous; where we fold a Silk Camblet Coat, two 
 Pair o< Breeches, and a Silk Cream-coloured Waiftcoaf, for one 
 
 Pound fix Shillings, to Edward and Margaret L , and they 
 
 helped me to cut off the Gold Lace from an embroidered blue Pad- 
 dufvvay Waiftcoat, and we burnt it before their Faces, and gave them 
 
 C a the
 
 ( *o ) 
 the Remainder of the Waiftcoat, and told them from whence k 
 was ftolen : We fold the Remainder of the Handkerchiefs, about 
 
 nineteen Dozen, to John , and the Mazarene blue Coat 
 
 for one Pound, he being at Brijhl the fame Time they were ffolen, 
 and faw them at G 's Houfe j but he would have nothing to 
 do with them there, until we carried them to the Reck Tavnn- 
 /. Brown came to us the next Day, and told us he had fold the 
 
 Cinh for 4 s. 6 d. per Yard, to Mr. Thomas B , at C ot.l- 
 
 ha hour, in Gl r Road ; but I cannot take upon me to fvvear 
 
 it, hecaufe I was not a Witnefs of it. 
 
 The R -k Tav,rn has been a Place of Rendezvous for thefe 
 People for thirty Yeais paft, tho' never detected till now ; but all 
 the Country knew it, and ufed to call thofe who ufed it, Thieves 
 and Higliiaymcn. The Landlord and Landlady have appeared at 
 their Trials" feveral Times ; but once efpecially for Chri/lopher 
 
 F -Jlone at Northampton, for a Robbery on the Highway, and 
 
 got hnn off by fwearing him to be at their Houfe at the Time. 
 
 When we came to Bath, I fold the Silver we took off the cm- 
 brcideed Waiftcoat to John F~-d, which was not quite an Ounce. 
 I told him it was taken off a Waiftcoat which was Hole from Mr. 
 Smith < f Bri/Icl ; but I never got above one Shilling of F-d for 
 my S her to this Day. Broxvn likewi'e fold the Silver Spoons and 
 Tea Tongs that were ftolen from a Houfe in Queen's Square, to 
 John F-'-d, for nine Shillings ; he well knowing the faid Things to 
 be ffolen, and from whence. 
 
 We all ibid in Bath to fpend our ill got Money until March, N 
 
 R ts had get one l-urkzt his Houfe, very poor, and juft out of 
 
 Brifld Gaol, whom he kept ifor a Mont!) at Bed and Board. On 
 the nth Day of March, Brown* Elger, and Aden, went to Abing- 
 don Fair, and Ich.Burx and I at R ts's ; when the latter came 
 
 tome, and faid, John, IVillyou take Burk vuith yen, for he owes 
 me Many ? To which f a nf wered T Not/; 1 am not going cut at 
 all any more: He faid, Abingdon Fair is To-morrow, and Bark will 
 JIovj y:u 11 Irre you may bufs a Couple cf Pro'ds, and fence them at 
 Abingdv n Gaff; that is, Burk will faw you a Couple of Hcrfet 
 that you may fieal, and fell them at Abingdon Fair: Accord -ugly 
 we dij fleJ two Geldings from a Ground of Mr. Smith's 1 at the 
 Cnftle and Ball, rne a Black and the other a Bay, and rode all 
 Night, and the ruxt Morning we got to Abingdon, where I faw my. 
 Accomplices, w!:o had no Lvck that Dfty; I fold the black Geld- 
 ing to a Countryman near 'Squiie Dajhwood's in Oxford/hire, and 
 we ft ood in the Fair all the Dav with the other ; but we coub not 
 get our Price for him : At laft we fold him to a Fk.fh Dealer, one 
 Fijhop, of my Acquaintance, tor three Pounds thirteen Shillings and 
 Six-pence, and told him where he came from, he at the fame f irne 
 
 very
 
 ( 21 ) 
 
 very well knowing Mm to be worth feven Pounds ; end then we had no 
 Horfe between us both, but 1 chanced to go into the Ram or Lamb Inrr, 
 when the Oilier afked me if I wanted my Horfe, J faid Tct ; when he 
 brought me a fine Bay Gelding, bridled and fadd'ed : I afk'd him what he 
 came to, he faid Five pence; but I gave him Six pence, and rode away, 
 fc.T.etimes riding and fometimes walking We Iny that Night at Lacklade, 
 and the next Night at Cbtitaikr.vi in Ghuccfiajtn e. About a Mile from 
 tfeat Town, Burk ftoie a Grey Poney, and we rode that Night to the Rock 
 Ta^jcrr;, our old Place of Rendezvous: 
 
 The ne^t Day We went within three Miles of Ninvport in Sbrcpjbire, to 
 another Flafh Houfe ; and the Day after went to Nantwicb Fair in 
 Cbejlire, where we met with two Flafh Horfe Jockeys, to whom 1 fold 
 
 the Bay Gelding : Their Names were 'John 5 2nd Jcfcpb S , 
 
 both Partners, and who live at ,V p 1 : They botn afk*u me 
 
 w:,ere the Horfe came from, and I told thern that I ftole him from the 
 Ram or Lc?r.b Inn, in Abingdon : They faid they would take Care what 
 Part he went to, and then gave mc fix Guineas for him, tho' it was worth 
 fourteen. 
 
 We did not fell the Poncy at Hantnvith, but that Night we ftole* a 
 black Gelding, Saddle and ijridle, from a Pubiick -oufe i)oo: ,- and we 
 rode back ro our Flafh oufe, three Mdes from Newport, the Sign of the 
 W f f cn tnc LoJ gn Road 
 
 The next Day we went to cur old Houfe, the Rock Tavern ; but Burk 
 foid^the i oney to a Stranger on the Road : Then I carried him behind me 
 to the Rock la-vern, where we tiaid that Nighc there being five more there 
 of our Way of Calling. We went t ext Morning towards Bzrmirgham, 
 and got there juil before Night ; where we bought two Brace of ?!itol. c , 
 and went that Night and ftole a Bay Gelding from 3 Ground about a 
 IVL'e and half from thence ; and we rode that Night loWorceJlcr, and 
 knocked up a Flalh Landlord at the B-^ ' Inn, near the Bridge Foot 
 
 whole Nome is D : The next Night to the Crofs, to another Flafh 
 
 Houfe, and the next Night to Bafb, and the next Morning to $f n 
 
 G 's at Chapel P/ar/ier, where I fold the black Gelding we ftole at 
 
 NaMHvieb, to a Dealer in Needles, v hofe Name is D;??-^, and who came 
 
 fro::, CrtmfgrDwi in Wreeflerfirir9, for three Guineas, and o/ > * 
 
 G- vouched fpJ the fame. 
 
 That 
 
 * The only Method that I know, to prevent fiorfes being ftolen, is to 
 fer*d to Hfrmingham for fome of their Cafe-hardened Locks, which are 
 rrrade on PurpoJe ; no Thief or other Perfbn can get the faid Lock cfF the 
 Horfe's fetlock without the Key. They muft be liced with Leather to 
 prevent their galling the Heel of the Horfe, and not have any Chain to it, 
 for that will fret the Horfe if he has any Spirit. If any Thief fteals him 
 over Ntghr, in the Morning when they fee the Lock on him they will 
 turn him up, for the faid Lock cannot be filed off, nor broke ; and the 
 Expences of it will be but two Shillings each Lock. It mult not be pu; 
 on ioo tight, neither be too big,
 
 r 22 ; 
 
 That Night I and Bu>k went over darken Dczvn, towards 7t<nv- 
 bridge in Wiltjhtre* but not on any Dcfign of robbing ; and going 
 down the Hill at the watering Place, we met a Pod Chaite. which Bur* 
 fwore he would go and rob : J denied to go with him, But he It ill (wore 
 he would : I afked him, as we followed the 'hai'e, if he thought I was 
 mad, to do fuch a Thing fo near Batb, and jolt as 1 came out of a Houfe 
 1 was fo well known in : but he again fwore he would do it himfelf, if 
 I would n^t go with him : Then 1 thought with myfelf that it he was 
 taken, I fnould be in as much Danger as he. for being with him juit be- 
 fore; fo I confented to go with him. I defm d him not tobeguiltyof 
 any Mifchief, or hurt any Perfon, for that four Men were as eafily rob- 
 bed as one, and that the Sight of a Pilfol unawares, is a great Terror to 
 any Man, and without they fire at me, don't fire at them ; he told me he 
 would not : Then I rode up to the (Jhaife, and bid the Boy llano, but I 
 believe he did not hear me, for he kept on. The World may think it is 
 falfe, bjt I aflure them it is true, as I am not fure whether I am for Lite 
 or Death : It being dark belore I got up with the Chaiie. [ did no: know 
 whether the Window was up or down, but I ran my Hand through the 
 Glafs, and cut my Fingers all acrofs. and J believe in drawing mv Hand 
 * out of the Window, pulled down the Cock of Pifro!, for it went offihrcugh 
 both Windows unexpectedly ; but I thought at rft the Fire came from 
 the Chaife, till 1 put my Hand on the Cock and felt it down ; and B*tk 
 (he being behind the Chaife) alfo thought the Fire came from the Chaife 
 at me, as he told me afterwards, which was the Occafion of his firing : 
 Then we had no Piiiol leaded, for we had but a P.race loaded when we 
 attacked the Chaife, having difcharged a Brace juit before at a Mark on 
 the Down. The World hath faid that I threatened the Child's Life, but 
 I declare 1 had not fuch a Thought ; for Mr. Hancock gave her to me, 
 defiring me not to hurt her, and I took her in my Armsand kifled her, and 
 then let her down : I do not deny but there wa: very b:id opprobrious 
 Language pafTed at firft ; but at lad, if any Body hid ccme by, they 
 would not have known what we were at. Jt was repored we gif above 
 thirty Pounds from Mr. Hancock, but I do allure the World we ;_*o: r,o 
 more that one Guinea and a half in Gold, and about fix Shillings and Six- 
 pence in Silver, his Gold Watcn, and a great Quantity of his Lady's wear- 
 ing App2rel and Child's Licnen. 
 
 After this Robbery we went directly back to St G 's ; 
 
 but thev were all in Bed, except M y G , whom I calied 
 
 down and (he let us in and made a Fire, and got us a Tankard of 
 Toddy, and then called up her Hufhand, who came down direfiiy, 
 and we told him and his Wife what we had done ; and Burk 
 fetched in all the Things we had robbed Dr. Hancock of, in order to 
 
 fhew them, and Mr. G took the Gold Watch in his Hand : 
 
 I then lifted III y G to lend mc a Wallet ( which (he did) 
 
 to
 
 ( *3 ) 
 to pack up the Things in, and fhe folded up the Gowns as well as 
 he could ; for fhe f*id if would fpoil them to rumple them ; and 
 fhe aflifted us in putting them into the Wallet : I then afk'd Mr. 
 
 G if he had any Gunpowder to load our Piitols with, who 
 
 took do*n a FowIinii'Piece that lay on the Rack in his Kitchen, 
 drew ihe Cnarge and gave me the Gunpowder; when I afk'd 
 
 M G for a Spoon and a Pipe to make two Brace of Balls 
 
 to load uur Piftols with, which fhe guve me, and they both aflifted 
 me in male ng them, and in hiding our Piftols : Burk afk'd M y 
 
 G if fh^ was not afraid to fee us load our Piftol<; ; fhe faid, 
 
 No ; they are not the firjl / have feen loaded by Night in this 
 Kitchen : She then hafh'd us fome Veal. I bought a B*y Gelding 
 
 of S n G for fix Pounds, and then we drank lour or five 
 
 Tankards of Toddy, and paid our Reckoning ; and M G 
 
 laid, I would have you get as far as you can by Day light, an I /end 
 to us, and vjs will fend you Ward what News there is at Bath. 
 
 We fee out a;iain for Clarke?; Diwn, and (o bv the Glafs-Houfc, 
 where Burk Mole a Bay Gelding with a Pack Saddle. We went 
 that Morning to Wells k-:ore we baited, and at Night to Taunton^ 
 and ihe next Day to Exeter. Burk s as foon as he put up his 
 
 Horfe, went to one IV- C 's, a H , in Ncrthgate Jlreet, 
 
 and told him what we hid done, and gave him his Piftols to lock 
 up for him, and fad Baxter will come and bring his to ycu by and 
 
 by : ne fcid, and welcome. Juft after, I Went to C 's Shop, 
 
 but Burk was not there; when C told me what Burk had 
 
 told him, and faid, I have lock'd up his Pijlols \ [hall I lock up yjur's ? 
 I faid, No ; I will not put mine out of my Pockets : Then I told 
 him I had been on the Scamp and what I had robb'd the Chaife of ; 
 I ihow'd him the Gob Watch, and told him what richCloaths we 
 had got to ftll : He wanted me to change Watches with him,'"'the 
 Gold one for a Silver one, which he faid was got the fame Way up 
 at the Start, that is at London, and fent him down as a Prefeni by 
 a Family Man, but that ic was chriften'd before it came, that is, 
 the Name and Number taken out, and others put in. He told me 
 if I would bri:.g a G vvn to his Houfe, he had a Sifter in Law 
 who fold old Clo-rhr, fhe fhould buy it of me, and would fay 
 they were his Wife's : Accordingly he went with me to the Inn, 
 and I fhow'd him the Gown ; and I gave him fome of the Child's 
 Cap- and a Gown % and iome other Things, which he carried to 
 his Moufe and kept tot me, he well knowing the fame to be ftolen, 
 and from whence, and that they were got on th^ Highway. Ths 
 
 faid C , Brown, a:.u I, were never apart laft L'immns Affizes at 
 
 Exon ; tor Brown knew him for tw.ive Years laft p ft in London, 
 and they had been out together on the Sneak : He is an old Family 
 
 Muii
 
 r 24 ; 
 
 Man and left Lsndon on that Occafion, and came into the Coun- 
 try. 
 
 The 24th and 26th of March-, one and his Wife came 
 
 to me, and bought abhirt and a a^eat Coat of Dr. Havc~ck\ Ser- 
 vant's, which we i^olc from the Chaife : I told hi;n he muff take 
 off the - Buttons and Lining, which he did accordingly ; and wr.cn 
 \t was afk'd for, he denied it; but afterwards it was f .and in his 
 Cuftody. One of the above two Days, he and his Wi'e came to 
 the Gaol of Exon, and fetch c out a Fly Pblticoftt and SjcIc ; and 
 fhe put them under her Petticoats, nd f*id, No htdy will mind 
 what I carry out of Pr ij on, becaufe I am ahvavs britigtng Things in 
 and out here, and at any Time we vnll give you as much as any Body 
 Jball y for any Thing thet lies in our Way : They both well knew 
 thefe Things to be (idem 
 
 At the fame Time one and his Wife came to the fuid 
 
 Prifon ; and he told me he would ferye me or Mrs. Baxter at any 
 Time, and fecrete any Thing forme or her : Accordingly Mfs. 
 Baxter gave them a great Quantity of wearing Apprel, which he 
 and (he told me they had fent to Launccjhn ; and I was forced to 
 hire a Horfe for him, which coft me five Shillings, and two bhii- 
 lings and Six perfce for his Trouble to fetch the fiid Tilings hack 
 again, they having fent away thofa Tilings unknown to me or 
 Mrs. Baxter^ at the fame Time both knowing them to be Rolen, for 
 I told them they were. And if it were not for fuch People as thofe 
 I have mentioned in this Treat ife, Sharping and Thieving would 
 be but a miserable Calling , and, in (hort, if the World will allow 
 Oie to be a Judge of the Matter, I think it but a difmal Profeffion 
 at be ft ; for lean fpeal: it by experimental Knowledge, rhar a Man 
 that follows this Way of Living, can never beat Rtft Night nor 
 Dav : Such has been my unhappy Condition a great while; for as 
 the wife Man faith, A wounded Covfcicnce who can hear ? 
 
 I forgot to mention that in Sept. 1752, 1 and John Brown alias 
 Dawfon, William Elger, "John Alien, alias Robert Jcnes, alias Robert 
 
 Graham, went to Wayhill Fair, where we met Thames B ;, and 
 
 A m G ~gy of Sb on ; and we agreed among; us to buv two 
 
 or three hundred Sheep of one Mr. Medlicott, of She/Ion, a Neigh- 
 bour of B s and G g's, and never pa.v for them ; but I 
 
 coming late to the Fair, the Sheep were ail f. Id, and we then 
 agreed to met at AppUlhaw Fair, on the fame Purpofe. We four 
 then went on the fharping Lay, and Alien pick'd up a young 
 Countryman, that came out oi Su/px to buy Sheep, and his Shep- 
 herd with him ; we defrauded him of fourteen Guineas and his 
 Watch, and drank plentfully of Wine while we were at Work, and 
 wh< n his Money was gone took him out at one Doer cf the Booth, 
 while the Sailor went oat at the other; but the Ccumryman foon 
 
 returned
 
 ( 25 ; 
 
 returned again, and finding we were gone, the Reckoning paid, arid 
 half a Bottle of Wine left upon the Tabic, then difcovered, tho' too 
 late, that he was bit : he bore it with Patience, end he and his Mart 
 fat down and drank the Remainder of the Bottle of Wine before 
 they departed. 
 
 The next Day we went to a Booth that was Ffajh, (we always 
 have two or three Booths or Houfes in every Fair Flajh, as we ge- 
 nerally fpend a great deal of Money every Fair Day.) I picked up 
 an old Man that fold Cheefe, by dropping of a Shilling, and took 
 him into the fame Booth to fpend the Shilling, where the Sailor and 
 Capper was ; the Sailor afk'd the old Man to change a Guinea, and 
 finding he had not much Money, laid him a Guinea that neither he 
 nor I could borrrow fifteen Guineas in half an Hour : I went the 
 old Man's Halves ; but the Sailor f.id he muft not bring any Per- 
 fon with him, but muft come by himfelf : Accordingly he and I 
 went together, and borrow'd the Money of the old Man's Son, and 
 came back and won the Guinea. The old Man was fo rejoiced at 
 his good Luck, that expecting to win all the Sailor's Money, he 
 made a Stake for the whole, and loft it at thefirft Prick. We both 
 went 10 borrow more ; bnt when we came back the Sailor and his 
 Companion were gone, as the Landlord cold us, fo we parted. We 
 then went to our fir ft Booth, where 1 (raid within, and my Compa- 
 nions that were out at Work, brought in the Mailer of a Sloop, 
 belonging to Portfmouth y by finding Haifa Crown ; we laid him 
 the fame Wager, that he did not borrow twenty Guineas in half 
 an Hour ; the Sailor had upward-, of one hundred Guineas in his 
 Pocket ; the Captain went out and borrowed twenty-two Guineas, 
 and made Stakes for the whole, and loft ; he cried and ftamped 
 very much ; but the Landlord came and turned him and us out of 
 his Booth, and faid we were all a Parcel of Rogues* that we all 
 came in together, and fhould all go out together ; fo we all went out 
 together at one Door, but we returned .gain at the other Door, ar.d 
 ftaid and drank very plentifully : We carried forty-fivj Pounds out 
 of the Fair. 
 
 The Beginning of November, we, the fame four, went to Jppk- 
 
 JJjniv Fair, to meet B >r and G g ; accordingly we ail 
 
 met together, and agreed what to do with Medluat : s and 
 
 G g fhow'd me Afedliccit's Perns, and 1 bought one hundred 
 
 and eleven Sheep of him, and dels red him to come down to the 
 Iron-Pear-Tree, where I woidd pay him for the Sheep : He afked 
 
 me what Country I belonged to ; B s and G g had told me 
 
 before to fay Brackley, in horthamptovflnre which I did : B s t 
 
 G g, and my Accomplices, were ar the Iron- Pe^r-Tro., 
 
 waiting for us, and we going into the fame Room, E - s Lid, 
 Jinv do you do, Mr. Poulter i I anfvsrcd, At jour Service : What* 
 
 D fays
 
 ( 26 ) 
 
 fays B > -s and G g , here is our old Neighbour Medli- 
 
 cott ; Have you bought all, Mr. Poulter ? I faid, Y-'s, Mr. G g ; 
 but I am indebted to you fifteen Guineas: On which I pull'd out 
 my Purfe, paid him the Money, and thank'd him: He faid, You 
 are welcome to all the Sheep I have at any Time ; / am Jorry you did 
 net deal with me nczv, but I am glad you have dealt with our Neigh- 
 bour. I then went out to give them an Opportunity of talking : 
 Medlicott afk'd them where I lived ; they told him at Brackley, that 
 they had dealt with me for many hundred Pounds, and th3t my 
 Note was worth a thoufand Pounds. When I came in, one of my 
 Accomplices came and afk'd if Mr. Pculter of I rackley was there ; 
 1 faid, Yes : He faid, If you are the Gentleman, I have a Draft on 
 you for fixty Pounds : I faid, Very well ; you mufil meet me at Night, 
 and I will anfwer it : He faid, Very well-, and went his Way. I 
 faid to Medlicott, What doth the Sheep come to ? He replied, 'Sixty 
 Pounds and upwards : I faid, I will pay you at Andover Fair : He 
 faid, You mu/l let me have fame Cafh, for I have a great Sum to pay 
 away : I faid, Hrw much will do ? He replied, twenty Pounds ; I 
 
 then faid, Mr. G g, canycu lend me fo much ? He anfwered, 
 
 Yes, five Times as much, if youivant it : I faid, No; but twenty. 
 He lent it to me, and I gave him my Note fof the Money ; but he 
 had fifteen Guineas of my Money before* when T owed him not a 
 
 Farthing, nor never had any Dealings with him nor B s, only 
 
 under a Colour to blind Medlicott. I paid Medlicott twenty Pounds, 
 and gave him my Note for forty more, to be paid at Andover Fair : 
 
 Accordingly, we let run the Sheep, and as B s and G g 
 
 claimed as great a Rt^ht to them as we ; we paid them two Parts out 
 of fix. We drove the Sheep to Penzon, about a Mile from IVey- 
 
 Hill, to one Mr. L 's ; and B s fent a Man with 
 
 twenty Pounds for forty Pounds worth of Sheep, which we let 
 them have, fo that they two had as much as we four : But they faid 
 they would make it up in the next ; and then they fent to me, and 
 faid Medlicott was to be had again, if I would write him a Letter 
 for three or four Score more to meet meat I^cr/?M/7 ; and at 
 
 the fame Time write a Letter to G g, and defire him to 
 
 carry the Letter to Medlicott, and {hew him his at the fame Time : 
 
 I did as he uciired, and G g v/er.t with the faid Le'ter to 
 
 Mr. Medlicott. G g afked Mr. Medlicott if he would fend 
 
 me the Sheep ; he faid, J can't tell: G g fiid, / ivill give 
 
 you Six-pence a Head for the fixty Ewes, and fend them to Mr* 
 Poulter nyfdf; but Mr. Medlicott refu led, and faid, I will fend 
 them to Mr. Poulter, for they are fit to turn into any Gentleman s 
 
 Park: G g faid, I fhaU fendhimfixty, if you are willing : 
 
 But all this -vas done to deceive Mr. Medlicott, they both having 
 Sheep to come that Way to Andover Fair, where all the Money was 
 
 to
 
 ( 27 ; 
 
 to he paid for the Sheep : Accordingly I fent John Allen to meet 
 the Sheep Mr. Medlicott was to bring to Luggerjhall ; Allen parted 
 for my Man, and ("aid I was gone into Dorfetjhire for more ; ac- 
 cordingly he met Mr. Medlicott with the Sheep : HJe had a Note 
 from me to Mr. Medlicott ; who delivered the Sheep, on Sight of 
 the Note, to my Man Allen ; and fent me back a Note of the De- 
 livery of the fame, according to my Order. Allen drove the Sheep 
 to me, where I was waiting on Purpofe, about a Mile from JVey- 
 
 Hill : We (laid there till B s and G g came to us, and 
 
 we fold them the Sheep that came to thirty-nine Pounds for twenty ; 
 for they faid I fhould not have had them, had it not been for them, 
 and they ought to have Half ; (o they got feventy-nine Pounds 
 Worth of Sheep for forty Pounds : And at that Time they faid, 
 Damn Medlicott, we have not done with him yet , if you are willing, 
 for he gets Money fajler than we do : If you are willing Poultrr, 
 you Jiiall rob him one Night or other ; when he has got a Sum of Mo- 
 ney about him, we will fay him at a Fair or Market late, and we 
 will come with him, fo you muf rob him and us too ; and we will fill 
 our Purfes full of Halfpence on Purpofe, and fay we have loft forty 
 or fifty Pounds : He keeps his Money in his Boots ; for the other 
 Night he was drunk, and 1 undreffed him, and pulling off his Boots 
 1 found upwards of forty Pounds : This is the Way zve may ruin him, 
 if you are willing : But I would not ag-ee to thefic Propol'als at that 
 Time ; if I had I believe it would have ruined him. 
 
 I think fuch People as thefe are worfe than rryfelf or my Ac- 
 complices : This is called in the Cant, Mafaning ; that is, giving 
 your Notes for Money, and never defigning to pay it : This De- 
 fraud was carried on by two of Mr. Medlicott's neat Neighbours ; 
 and, as they pretended themfelves, his particular Friends, of the 
 
 fame Calling, Sheep Jobbers. T B lives at the S h's 
 
 Shop in the Ghuceftir Road, between F *and F r : A 
 
 G g lives at S n in IV e, within three Miles 
 
 of his Grace the Duke of Beauford's at Badminton. 
 
 I do not think there is one out of ten of thofe People called 
 Horfe Jockeys, but will buy frolen Morfes of any Family Man, 
 though at the fame Time they know them to be froien ; and they 
 will capp to any mafoning Cull for any Horfc or Bsaft of any Sort, 
 and buy them afterwards. 
 
 D 2 The
 
 ( 28 ; 
 
 The Way that Convicts return frcm Transportation, and 
 the only Way how to prevent their Return. 
 
 AFTER they are in any Part of North America, the general Way 
 is tins, jufl before they go on Board a Ship, their Friend or 
 Accomplices porchafe them their Freedom from the Merchant or 
 Captain that belongs to the faid Ship, for ahout ten Pound Sterling, 
 fome gives more an.! fome lefs ; then the Friend of the Convict or 
 Convicts, gets a Note from the Merchant, or Captain, that the Per- 
 fon is free to go unmolcired when the Ships arrive between the 
 Capes of Virginia, where they pleafe. But I never heard of any 
 Convict that came home again in the fame Ship they went over in ; 
 for the Merchant or Captain, gives a Bond to the Sheriff of the 
 County where fuch Convicts go from, to leave them in America^ 
 and they get a Receipt from the Cuftom there; but as there are Ships 
 coming home every Week, if thev can pay their PafTage they are 
 refufed in no Ship. Some Men will work their PafTage back again, 
 and them that cannot free themfelves, take an Opportunity of run- 
 ring away from their Mafter, and lay in the Woods by Day, and 
 travel by Night for Philadelphia, New York or Bojlon ; in which 
 Places no Queftions are afked them. This encourages a great many 
 to commit Robberies more than they would, becaufe they fay they 
 do not mind Tranfportation, it being but four or five Months Plca- 
 fure, for they can get their Freedom and come home again. I 
 Jcnew one that never went over, but bribed fome of tbe Ship's Crew 
 Jying in the Tranfport Hole, Briftol. Her Name was Elizabeth 
 Connor, I think it was in 1748, fhe was convicted at the faid City 
 for picking Pockets, and was ordered for Tranfportation, but is now 
 jn England, which I gave an Account of to Mr. Stoics, an Attorney 
 at Law in Briftol. 
 
 To prevent any Convict coming back before their limitted Time 
 is out, is for the Government to lay a Charge or Fine on fuch 
 Merchant or Captain not to free them before hand, and for the 
 Colonies in America to do as they do in the Jfiands in the TVeJi In- 
 dies^ that no Perfon or Perfons can go on board any homeward 
 bound Ship, without publifhing his or her Name on the publick 
 Crofles fuch a Number of Days before; and for fuch Perfon or 
 Perfons to bring a Certificate from the Governor, with Proof that 
 he or ftie is not indented, nor a Convict ; that would prevent fuch a 
 Number of Convi&s coming back again before their Time is ex- 
 pired, 
 
 A full
 
 ( 29 ; 
 
 A full T)i feeder y of Thieving and 
 "Defrauding in all Shades. 
 
 F I R s T. 
 
 To caution all Shopkeepers and Salefrnen againft Shop- 
 lifters of both Sexes, and the beft Way to prevent their 
 Villainies is as follows: 
 
 HPHERE fhall be generally three Perfons together, called in Cant, 
 triggers, Ltf ts i or Files. They {hall go by a Shop or Stand- 
 ing, to fee if there are any Goods down on the Counter j if not, 
 one of them fhall go to the Shop or Standing, and call for Goods of 
 different Sorts to befhowed him or her, and then comes in the other 
 two, who take no Notice of the other that went in before ; he or 
 Die buying Something, the Counter being covered with Goods, one 
 of the two fh^ll look over the Goods, while the other fhall plant a 
 Piece under the reft, not opened, altho' one or more Perfons be be- 
 hind the Counter at the fame Time, who fhall not fee them by 
 Reafon they will open a Piece of Stuff and hold it up between the 
 Owner and their Partner that fits down with her Petticoats half up, 
 -ready for the Word nap it ; then fhe puts it between her Carriers 
 (that is a Cant Word for Thighs) and then gets up and lets her 
 Cloaths drop, agreeing and paying for what they like, and fo walks 
 off, and can walk very well without putting their Hands to hold it j 
 then going into a Yard or Entry, their Partner takes it from them : 
 Some in the fame Manner fecrete Goods under their Cloaks, and 
 if {'mall Pieces, in their under Petticoats, half tucked up : If" it be 
 a Box of Ribbons, they will pame a Piece or two in one Hand, 
 while the Shopkeeper meafures a Yard or two on the Counter ; 
 they have, a Handkerchief on Purpofe, when taking it up to wipe 
 their Nofe, they put it with the Ribbons into their Pockets ; but 
 you mull obferve if they do not prig any Goods they will not buy 
 any ; but to prevent them you muft obferve at Fairs and Markets, 
 that thefe Sort of People call for a great many Sens of Goods, till 
 the Counter is full, on Purpofe, they feeming difficult to be pleafed. 
 All Shopkeepers, to prevent this, fhould put by one Sort of Goods 
 before they take down aaother, 
 
 Files,
 
 I 
 
 ( 30 ) 
 
 Files, Fitter Lays, or Leather Lays. 
 
 N a F?*ir or Market, where there is a Throng of People, we fay, 
 
 Come Culls, jhall us pike to the Pujh or Gaff, a rum Vile for the 
 File or Lift to Pitter ley or Leather lay ; come, let us pike, we ft) all 
 tiapp a rum Bit ; that is, Come Men, ihall us go to the Throng or 
 Fair, a good Town for the Pick-pockets or Shop lifters, to Ileal 
 Portmanteaus or Leather-bags ; come, let us go, we fhail take a 
 good Bit. Then three or four Perfons go to the Fair or Market, 
 and put in at the firft Ken (or Houfe) they come to in the Vile for 
 Town) in order to be out of the Pufn for ThrongJ as foon as we 
 have napp'd (or taken j a Bit ; then we pike to glee if there is a 
 Cull* that has a Bit ; if fo, the Files go before the Cull and try his 
 Civ, and if they feel a Bit, cry gammon ; then two or three of us 
 hold him up, whilft fome Prads or Rattlers come by : If they napp 
 the Bitt, they cry pike : then we go and fifk the Bit, and ding the 
 empty Bit, for fear it fhould be found, and fifk the Blunt, and gee 
 if none is quare ; to prevent a Rapp, it is a Bit of RJge or Wage : 
 Come, let us pike to glee for a Pitter or Leather ; there is a Cull 
 that has a rum Loag, gammon : Then we jodle him up, and one 
 knocks his Kelp off, and while he lift' his Hand up, his Loag is 
 napp'd, and after the Gaff it is chriflen'd and fenced. 
 
 To prevent Men's or Women's Pockets being picked, they muft 
 not carry their Money in a Purfe or Handkerchief, but keep it 
 loofe in their Pockets : If Women carry their Money loofe, or 
 in a Purfe they are liable to lofe it ; therefore I advife them to 
 carry their Money in their Bofom, and no Pickpockets will attempt 
 to take it. 
 
 To fhew how People are defrauded in Fairs and Markets 
 different Ways as follows : 
 
 Firft, is the great Frade or knowing Art called Filing, that is, 
 picking Pockets. 
 
 Second, is the Lift, or Buckteen, that is, Shop-lifting. 
 
 Third, is the deceiving Art called the Old Nobb, that is, prick- 
 ing in the Belt. 
 
 Fourth, is the Dealers called Mafons, that is, giving your Notes 
 for Money, and never to pay it. 
 
 Fifth, is the Duddcrs, that is Sellers of Handkerchiefs. 
 
 Sixth, is the Gibbers, Horfe Dealers. 
 
 Seventh, U the Turners and Pinchers, that is thofe getting Change 
 for Money, and keeping fome. 
 
 Eighth, is the ringing Tuggs and Seats, that is, changing great 
 
 Coats and Saddles. 
 
 The 
 * For the Meaning of tbefe Word?, fee the Explanation of the Language of Thieves 
 
 at flip V.nd.
 
 ( 32 ) 
 The Art of OLD N O B B, called pricking in the Belt. 
 
 THERE is generally four Perfons concerned, that is the Sailor, 
 called a Legg Cull, to pinch the Nobb ; the next is the Cap- 
 per who always keeps with the Sailor : and two Pickers up, or 
 Money Droppers, to bring in Flats. The firir. Thing they do at a 
 Gaff, is to look for a Room clear of Company, which the Siiior 
 and Capper immediately take, while the Money Droppers go out to 
 look for a Flat ; if they fee a Countryman they like., one drops a 
 Shilling, or Half a Crown juft before him, and picking it up again, 
 looks the Man in the Face, and fays, I have found a Piece of Mo- 
 ney, did you not fee me pick it up; the Man fays, Yes : The 
 Sharper fays, if you had found it, I would have had Half, fo I will 
 do by you as I would be done unto, and fays, Come and drink ; 
 then taking him into the Room where the other two is, cries, By 
 your Leave Gentlemen, I hope we xlon't diftuib you : No, cries 
 the Sailor, no Brothers: Will you drink any Brandy, for I don't 
 like weak Liquor ; then the Sailor afks the Capper how far it is 
 to London, who fays, I don't know, perhaps thofe Gentlemen can 
 tell you, and then directs his Difcourfe to the Flat ; perhaps they 
 will anfwer a hundred Miles ; the Sailor cries I can ride that in a 
 Day, and fometimes fays in four or five Hours ; for fays lie my 
 Horfe will run twenty Knots an Hour for twenty-four Hours toge- 
 ther : Capper fays, I believe Farmer you have not got fuch a Horfe 
 as this Sailor has ; if the Farmer laughs, and cries no, then the 
 Sailor fays, I mud go and get Half a Pint of Brandy, for I am 
 grip'd, and fo leaves them : The Capper fays, Gentlemen, it is an 
 old Saying and a true one, Sailors get their Money like Horfes and 
 fpend it like JJfes ; and adds, I never faw him till now, buying a 
 Horfe of tny Man ; he tells me he has been at Sea, and has got 
 about four hundred Pounds, Prize Money, but I believe he will 
 fquander it all away, for he was gaming juft now with two Boys, 
 and loft; forty Shillings at a ftrange Game of Pricking in a String : 
 Did either of you ever fee it, Gentlemen, cries the Capper ; if you 
 two are willing, I will afk him to fh>w it us ; for we may as well 
 win fome of his Money as any Body elfe : The Flat and the Dropper 
 cries, Do ; then comes the Sailor, flaring as if drunk> and cries, 
 What Cheer, Brothers ? I've juft feen a pretty Girl in the Fair,, 
 and went in to drink with her, and made a Bargain with her, and 
 gave her *a fix and thirty Shilling Piece, but an old Woman came 
 and called her away, when fhe went out and told me fhe wouid 
 come to me prefentiy ; then the Capper laughs, and fays, Have 
 you 2ot your Money of h^r again ? The Sailor fays, No ; but ill? 
 will come to me ; then they all lau^h. Tnis is done to deceive 
 
 the
 
 ( 3* ) 
 the Flat : Then faith the Capper, What have you done with the 
 Stick and the String, Sailor ? He anfwers, What, that which I 
 bought of ths Boys ; it is in my Pocket, but I will not fell it to 
 any of you ; and then he pulls out the Old Nobb, and faith, What 
 do you think I gave for it ? I gave but Six-pence, and as much 
 Brandy as the two Boys could drink : Capper cries, It is but a Piece 
 of Leather ; It is made out of a Monkey's Hide, as the Boys told 
 me, fays the Sailor ; and they told me there is a Game to be played 
 at it, which no Body can do twice together ; I will go down on board 
 Ship, and plav with my Captain, and I do not fear but I fhall win 
 his Ship and Cargo : Then they all laugh, and the Sailor makes up 
 the Old Nobb, and the Capper lays a Shilling, and pricks himfelf 
 and wins ; the Sailor cries, You are a Dab, I will not lay you any 
 more, but if you will call any Stranger, I will lay again ; Why 
 if you think me a Dab, as you call it, I will get this ftrange Gen- 
 tleman, or this (pointing to the Flat) Done, cries the Sailor, but 
 you fhall not tell him ; then he makes up the Nobb, and Capper 
 lays a Shilling, Flat pricks, and fays to him, you fiiall go Six-pence 
 if you will ; they win, and Capper fays to the Flat, can you 
 lend me Half a Crown ? on purpofe to find the Depth of his 
 Pocket ; and if they fee a good Deal of Gold, he mud win three or 
 four Times, if no Gold but twice, and fo go and pick up 
 others. Sometimes the Flat has no Money ; then, the Sailor cries, 
 I have more Money than any Man in the Fair ; and pulls out his 
 Purfe full of Gold ; and fays, Not one of you can borrow twenty 
 cr thirty Pounds in hair an Hour's Time for a Guinea : Capper 
 cries, I have laid out all mine ; Farmer, can you, I'll go your 
 Halves, if you think you can do it : The Sailor faith, you muft not 
 bring any Body with you ; then the Dropper goes with the 
 Flat, and fays, You muft not tell your Friend it is for a Wager ; 
 if you do he will not lend it you. Flat goes and borrows it, and 
 brings it to the Sailor, fhows it him, and wins the Wager ; then 
 the Sailor pitcheth the Nobb again, and the Capper whiipers to the 
 Flat to prick out this Time, faying, I: will make the Sailor the 
 more eager to lay ; we may as well win his Money as not, for he 
 will fpend it elfe upon Whores : Flat lofes on Purpofe ; theji the 
 Scilor fwears, pulls out his Iv^oney, throws it about the Room, and 
 cries, No Man can win for ever, and then lays a Guinea, but will 
 not let him prick, but throws down five Guineas ; and the Capper 
 urging the Flat and going his Halves, the Sailor faith, My Cabin 
 Boy will lay as much as that, I'll lay no lefs than twenty Guineas ^ 
 the Capper cries, Lay Farmer, and take up the forty : The Money 
 being down, the Capper cries, Is the Nobb ilang'd, Sailor ? who 
 fays, It is flown, which figuifies one End is dropr, that puts out the 
 Flat. When he has loft, the Dropper cries, Come near, and the 
 
 Sailor
 
 ( 33 ) 
 
 Sailor cries, Miflel the Gloke j then the Dropper takes him by the 
 Arm and has him out of Doors ; and the Reckoning being paid the 
 Capper and Sailor follow after, and run another Way : When they 
 are out of Sight, the Dropper faith to the Flat, Go you back and 
 play with the Sailor for a Shilling, whilft I go and borrow fome 
 Money ; but when the Flat goes to the Houfe, he finds them gone, 
 and then he knows he is bit, but not till he has dearly paid for it. 
 
 The deceiving Art called MASONING. 
 
 \/fASONERS are a Sett of People that give Paper for Goods; 
 *-* there is generally three or four of them that go to a Fair or 
 Market together, where one appears like a Farmer or Grazier, and 
 the other rwoas Vouchers: One is to look out for a Farmer that 
 has any Kind of Beafi to fell ; and if he thinks he is a likely Fel- 
 low to be taken in, the other Perfon is to afk the Price of the ia:d 
 Cattle, where they come from, what Market Towns the Farmer 
 keeps, and the Houfets and People's Names in fuch Towns ; when 
 he finds out thefe, he goes and tells the Mafoner the Story: The 
 Farmer is then brought into the Houfe, where the Mafoner is fitting 
 paying Money for Caule, as the Farmer thinks ; and the Mafoner '3 
 Alan tells him what Money he has offered the Farmer, and they be- 
 gin to talk about the bweft Price : The Mafoner tien goes our, 
 that they may have an Opportunity of telling the Farij r, what a 
 topping Dealer he U, and where he live-, fbut it muft i. fome 
 Counrrv Plate,) and that his Note is wo-?!- five 1 undred 
 The Mafomr foon returns, and fays, I can't find the Gentles.. E 
 have a Draft upon, and don't know what to do for Money to pav 
 for the Goods I have bought Tb-da) , i mud order them to meet 
 me at fuch a Place, and the Perfons Names where he knows the 
 Farmer ufes : The Farmer hearing this, fays, I know them very 
 well ; the Mafoner then afks him whether he comes that Way, and 
 the Farmer telling him he docs, he fays, That's right then ; tell me 
 the lowed Price of your Cattle j I cannot pay you now, but I will 
 pay you the next Market Day, at the Place as before- mentioned ; 
 I fuppofe that will not be any Difference to you, Farmer : No, an- 
 fwers the Perfon that brought him in, your Note is worth a thou- 
 fand Pounds ; you will give your Promiflbry Note for the Money, 
 and any Dealer in the Fair will take it, paying a fmall Difcount, for 
 it's as good as the Bank of England. This generally makes the 
 Agreement, the Note is taken, and the Cattle is drove away and 
 fold direclly to another Dealer, Toll- ft ee. There are Dealers 
 waiting on Purpofe to buy fuch Goods ; for they buv them cheap, 
 Becaufe they know them to coft no Money, but Paper. The 
 
 E poor
 
 ( 34 ) 
 poor Fanner goes to the Place appointed, thinking to receive his 
 Money, but to his Grief finds himfclf bit. 
 
 D U D D E R S. 
 
 r T" H E Y are a Sett of People that refort to Fairs and Markets, 
 i * under Pretence of being; Smugglers, and felling nothing but pro- 
 hibited Goods ; at the fame Time it is ordinary Goods, maue in 
 England. They walk about the Fair till they lee a Pcrfon lit for 
 their Purpcfe, whom they tell that they can fell very cheap, and 
 take him into a Houfe or Booth to ?fhow their Goods, and defire 
 htm to m^ke Hafte, for Fear of the Exciieman ; for it he mould 
 come they (honld lofe all their Goods : The Ignorant is by thefe 
 Means dtceived, and generally gives double the Value for the Goods 
 he buys. At other Times they will goto a Farm Huufe and tell 
 the Farmer that they have got a Horfe or two leaded with lich 
 s of all Sorts ; if he will (terete them, they'll make him a 
 lartdiome Prefeht, and then they fhew him a Sort of the Goods, 
 b embroidered Handkerchiefs, Aprons, and Ruffles : Perhaps 
 thefe Things will coft them forty Shillings, and look worth ten or 
 twelve Pounds; and they will want to borrow three Times their 
 Value on them, under Pretence that their Goods are left at another 
 Place for a fmail Sum, and never fetch them again ; neither have 
 theyanv more Goods then what they have with them. They will 
 iometimes pretend to /eave a Bag of Tea, which generally proves to 
 be a Bag ot Saw Du.'l, with a little Tea at the Top, juff. at the 
 Mouth of the Bagr. This is called a Dumb Lock. 
 
 H 
 
 GIBBERS. 
 
 OR SE Dealers. There is generally three of them together 
 at a Fair ; their Method is to buy Horfes that are butk'd,*or 
 that have the Sniches, Pipers, or Grogs, on Purpofe to deceive 
 ignorant People in changing them. One fhall lead a Horfe about, 
 and another fhall look out for a Mouth % that has a Horfe to fell or 
 change ; then the other Perfon fhall go and afk the Price of the 
 Gibber's Horfe, and he afks treble the Value of it before the Month's 
 Face, and the Bearer up fhall bid within a Crown of the Money 
 that the Gibber afks, on putpofe to make the Mouth believe that 
 the Horfe is worth the Monev : The Mouth, upon this, is eager 
 to change, fometimes giving and fometimes taking Money into the 
 
 Bargain, 
 
 * A Horfe buck'tt, is almofl blind ; Sniches is glanderM j Pipers 
 J s broken wir.d:d igrafdis founder'd jack* 4 is fpaven'd. 
 X An igRortr-t Perfon.
 
 ( 35 ) 
 
 Bargain, when at the fame Time the Mouth's Horfe is worth three 
 or four of the Gibber's; the fometimes take in feveral in a Day in 
 this Manner. 
 
 TURNERS and PINCHERS. 
 
 TWO of them goes together, one of whom gets as many FLIf 
 Crowns as he can, and goes into a Houfe or Booth, and calls 
 for Liquor, and then afks the Landlord or Landlady for Change of 
 Haifa Crown, who generally pulls out a Handful of Silver to give 
 them two Shillii gs and Sixpence, and the other Perfon fays you 
 need not change ; then he fecretes a Shilling between his Finger and 
 Thumb, and turns his Hand uplide down over his or her's, and by 
 that Means will get fcver,al Shillings in a Day. If a Perfon pulls 
 out a Handful of Silver to give them Change for HJf a Crown, 
 they will afk for a Queen Anne's Six pence to put in a Letter ; the 
 Pv.;fon being ignorant of their Intent, letsthem look in their Hand 
 or Purfe ; and if there is Gold in the fame, they are fure to lofe 
 it, by liis pinching it between the Thumb and middle Finger; they 
 then thank them and go their Way, the People not knowing they 
 have loft any Tning. 1 therefore caution People not to give 
 Change in that Manner. 
 
 Ringing T U G G S and SEATS. 
 
 T)EOPLE in Fairs or Markets in the Summer, are apt to give 
 - their Great Coats to the Maid, and put their Names on it with 
 a Piece of Paper ; the Servant cannot remember every Coat, and 
 the Sharper comes in and writes his Name on His Coat that is worth 
 but little, and changes his Note to another Coat ; he then goes 
 out, and comes in prefently and calls for the Coat with fuch a Note 
 on it, and the Servant delivers it without Difpute, and they fend 
 another to fetch their old Coat : They often get fix or feven Coats 
 in a Day with that old one. To prevent this, the Landlord or Ser- 
 vant ought to write two Notes, both in one Hand, and to deliver 
 one to the Owner, and pin the other on the Coat ; and if the Per- 
 fon that comes for the Coat cannot produce the Note as above, let 
 him not have the Coat without good Proof, and that will prevent 
 many Diforders. 
 
 Changing of Saddles is done by the fame Sort of People ; their 
 Horfe having a Rug or Horfe Cloth on it for that Purpofe, they 
 watch an Opportunity of taking off their own Saddle, and chang- 
 ing it for a good one, putting it on their own Horfe, and tying 
 the Cloth over it with a surfangal, and then take their Horfe away 
 and put him to another Inn. 
 
 E 2 MILLING
 
 ( 36 ; 
 
 MILLING of KENS. 
 
 TJTOUSE- Breaking is always done in the Night : The Perfons 
 *r concerned take a View of the Houfe or Shop the Day before, 
 to fee what is to be taken, and where to make an Entrance ; it is 
 generally done at Midnight, and if there is any Scouts, that is 
 Watchmen, one of the Gang takes him away, under Pretence to 
 light him Home, or (how him fome diflant Houfe, and in the mean 
 Time the Work goes on. If they get Entrance they have a dark 
 Lanthorn, and fall to rifling the Houfe, for which Purpofe they car- 
 ry Sacks, and always know where to fell the Goods before they 
 take them; the World may be fure if there were no Receivers there 
 would be no Thieves, for they are the whole Encouragers of Vice. 
 To prevent fuch Robberies I beg Leave to acquaint all Shopkeep- 
 ers, and Houfekeepers, to put the fore Lock of the Bolt faft with 
 a good Spring, and to have good infide Bolts to their Doors, or a 
 Chain acrofs them, and a fn.all Bell to their Doors and Windows, 
 and to keep a little Dog that will bark ; you may be allured if fuch 
 Things as thefe be done, of net being robb'd, becaufe if a Dog 
 barks, or Bell rings, they will not attempt any further. 
 
 The Morning SNEAK. 
 
 /~\N this Lay there is two goes together, one wears an Apron, 
 V-r and the other a great Coat, they go in a Morning juft as the 
 Maids open the Doors and Windows, and glee into them, that is, 
 luok into them, to fee if there's any Wage of any Sort, that is Sil- 
 ver, that may be left in any of the Rooms laft Darkey, that is the 
 latf Night ; they wait an Opportunity till the Maid goes to make 
 the Tinny, that is, the Fire, then they go in and fifk all the Rooms 
 for Silver or Tuggs, that is Cloaths, or any Thing that lies in the 
 Way, and puts it in his Apron ; and if they find a Beaufet they 
 take ail, and pike direclly into the firft Rattler, that is into the firfl 
 Coach, and fo to their Fence or Lock, and naps the Blunt ; that is, 
 to the Receiver, and takes the Money for it. 
 
 Houfekeepers ought to take Care of their Plate before they go to 
 Bed, then they will be fure not to lofe it, and tu keep all their 
 lower Rooms lock'd. 
 
 The Night SNEAK. 
 
 TH A T is, three or more Perfons go together at Dark, 
 ft arching of Gentlemen's Houfes, and try the Glafs if it will 
 jump; that is, the Windows, if they will lift up, or if the Se- 
 ger isd ubb'd, that is, the Door lock'd or bolted ; and if \X\ey can 
 
 get
 
 ( 37 ) 
 get in Doors, they pike up the Prancers, that is go up Stairs, and 
 fifk the Lumbers, that is fearch the Rooms whilft the People are at 
 Supper i:i the next Room, two or three ftanding at the Door for 
 Fear of a Grab, that is, for Fear of being taken ; and if (o y the 
 others will refcue him. 
 
 To prevent this, Houfe-keepers ought to have Spring Locks to 
 their Doors, and no Latch ; and if their Windows are fafhed, to 
 have at the lower End of the faid Window a Spring Ketcher, that 
 will fnap into the Frame, and fo on the fecond Floor Windows, 
 which are often got into by the Help ot a Jacob, th*t i>, a Ladder. 
 
 I have known a Sncakl'uian, in a Morning, fetch down Stairs, a 
 Bed tied up in a Blanket, and meet the Matter at the Door ; who 
 laid, What have you got there ? One of your B.eds, Sir, replied the 
 other, that Madam has fent to the Upholftercr. 
 
 Kide-Lye, that is done in Cit'us and great Toxvns. 
 
 AT Night two or three Sharpers go together from one End of 
 the Town to the other, to met: with fome Prey ; one goes on 
 one Side of the Street, ihc other on the other ; and if they meet a 
 Man or Maid Servant with a Portmanteau, Box, or Bundle, they 
 follow them until they reft it ; then one of them goes to him or her, 
 and fays, I will give you a Shilling to carry this Letter to that Houfe, 
 becaufe I do not care to go myfelf, but don't ftay ; and in the 
 mean Time they pike with the Booty : But if they do not reft on 
 the Way, one of the Sharpers will go up to then), and afk them 
 where they are going, which ignorant People will tell, and which 
 the Sharper makes a Memorandum of as he walks, and then goes 
 end tells his Partner of the fame ; accordingly he goes forward to 
 the kid Houfe, being well drefled, as they always are; and one 
 fays to the other, Nap my Kelp whilft I ftall at the Jegger to nap 
 the Slangs from the Cull or M>11 ; that is, Take my Hat whilft I 
 flop at the Door to take the Things from the Mm or Woman ; and 
 juft before he or fhe comes to the Door, the Sharper comes out at 
 the Door, if opened i if not, he comes from the Door without a 
 Hat, and cries, What made you ftay fo Lng ? and fo takes the 
 Things of him or her, and bias the Perfon go ov^r the Way to that 
 Houfe i-r Tavern, for fome Beer or a Bottle of Wine, and fays, 
 bring Change for a Guinea, or elfe I cannot pay you : Whilft the 
 Perfon is gone over, the Things are brufhed, that is, gone, to 
 the great Surprize of the Bearer thereof. If thev ligbf of a Coun- 
 try Manor Woman with a Bundle, silling the Way, they will go 
 along with them, pretending to fbow them, and Carry their Bundle 
 or Box for them ; and whilft one takes the Pcrion forward, the 
 cib.Li gives them the Drop down fome Yard or Alley, they know- 
 ing
 
 ( 38 ) ' 
 ing where to meet again with the Booty : In the mean while the 
 poor ignorant Man or Woman is almoft bereaved of Senfes. 
 
 TbtP E T T E R LAYS. 
 
 "T" H ES-E Perfons go three or four Miles out of Town to meet 
 * the Rattier?, that is Coaches, to fee if there is not a Peter be- 
 hind, that is, a Portmanteau, or Box ; if To, they will at a proper 
 Place cut it off: and if it is in the Boot, they will follow the 
 Coach to the Inn or Houfe : One is drefTed like a Porter, and 
 comes to help to unload the Coach, whilft the other (lands a little 
 Way oF, to help away with it. It is generally dark in the Winter 
 by Six o'Clock, and that is the only Time for this Bufinefs : They 
 are the fame Sharpers at this Lay, as at the others. 
 
 The bold Adventure called the SCAMP. 
 
 HI G H W A Y M E N are generally Perfons that have been 
 educated in Gaming, and have lived well, and kept lewdWo- 
 men Company; and as they live to that Degree, that they cannot 
 fupport their own Extravagancies, and Fortune at Gaming run- 
 ning crofs againft them, they think on this laft Shift, and take to 
 the Road ; and after a (hort Time, if fuccefsful in Bufinefs, they 
 drefsout for Gentlemen, and get acquainted with the flaving Glokes 
 of the Inns on the Panney, that is, the Oftlers on the Road, and 
 fbme Landlords, to give them Intelligence ; which they very com- 
 monly do, by hearing Gentlemen talk that put up at their Inns. 
 Gentlemen Travellers are very apt to call for the Landlord to fup 
 with them ; and then, after Supper, afking what News concerning 
 the Roadfmen, and perhaps telling him what Money they have, and 
 where they put it and their Notes, and the Road they are going, 
 and where they lie the next Night, and fo on ; and if they do not 
 tell the Oftler, he will have the Aflurance to afk them : And when 
 Mr. Scamp comes, he calls for a Bottle or Bowl diredtly, before he 
 afks what News ; then, if Time permits, the Landlord repeats it 
 over and over ; whereby he hears all the News of the Day, and 
 which Way is beft to go for Prey, and always leaves femething 
 handfome for the Servants. 
 
 For thefe Rcafons many Gentlemen are purfued on the Road, 
 but fome are met with by Chance. Highwaymen generally crofs 
 you before they falute ; but I advife all Gentlemen Travellers not 
 to divulge what Subftancc they have with them to any Landlord, 
 or the Oftlersj efpecially within forty Miles of London ; for if they 
 do, they very often truft an Accomplice of the Scamps, and who 
 very often turn out themfelves againir, Quarter Day, or Cbrijlmas 
 
 efpecially,
 
 ( 39 ) 
 
 efpecially, or they could not live at the Rate they do, and hold 
 their Heads To high. I and my Accomplices have help'd to fupport 
 a great many of them ; and about London efpecially, they are half 
 maintained by Scamps, Prigs, and Files : But (not to condemn 
 every one, GOD forbid) there are a great many Shopkeepers in 
 London, who cannot pay their Bills till they have kept Chrijlmas in 
 the Country for a few Days. 
 
 PRAD PRIGGERS. 
 
 HORSE Stealers, they go together always the Day before, to 
 look over the Grounds for a good Prad or Prads, then at 
 Darky they bufs them out of the Ground, that is, at Night they 
 fteal the Horfes, thne pike thirty or forty Straches that Darky, that 
 is go thirty or forty Miles that Night, towards the next Gaff to 
 fence them, that is to the next Fair to fell them, and when they 
 come there they fell them to a coaping Cull, that is a Horfe Jockey 
 they know, or a Flat : Firft they fell the Horfes cne to another, 
 and get them Book'd, with their Marks and Ages, and fome ficti- 
 tious Names and Places, to prevent Accidents ; and to prove that 
 they bought them, they get a Voucher of their own Acquaintance 
 to vouch for them, and then they are not afraid to travel with them 
 becaufe they can prove that they bought them. These is not one 
 Horfe Jockey out of ten but will buy a ftolen Horfe of iny Prad 
 Prigger that they know, if he comes but forty Straches off, if they 
 knew the fame to be ftolen ; and I think the Receiver as bad as the 
 Thief of all Kinds, for if there were no Receivers there would be 
 no Thieves. 
 
 SKY-FARMERS. 
 
 SKY Farmers, are People that go about the Country with a falfe 
 Pafs, figned by the Church- Wardens and Overfeers of the Pa- 
 rifh or Place that they lived in, and fome Juftice of Peace, but the 
 Names are all forged : They go about forty Miles from that Place 
 to fome eafy Juftice, and get him to fign it, and fo on to the next, 
 until they havea great Number of Names to their Brief; and in 
 this Manner they extort Money, under Pretence of fuftaining Lofs 
 by Fire, or the Diftemper amongft the horned Cattle ; they always 
 appear like Gentlemen Farmers, and have a Voucher with them. 
 They may be detected by ftrictly examining them, and keeping 
 them in Cuftcdy> till a Letter is fent to the Place firft mentioned in 
 their Brief. 
 
 FAWS;
 
 ( 40 ; 
 
 F A W S, or G I P S E Y S. 
 
 jOIPSEYS are a People that talk Romney, that is, a Cant that no 
 ^* Body underftands but themfelves ; they always travel in Bo- 
 dies Men, Women and Children, with Horfes and Afles, and ne- 
 ver lie in Beds, but in Barns or Hedges, pretending themfl-lves to be 
 true Egyptians, and deceiving ignorant People by pretending to tell 
 their Fortunes, and auk often lent for by Perfons of Fafhion. When 
 they are applied to, they pretend they muff, confult w.'th their 
 Books firft, 2nd take that Oppoitupity to enquire into the Familv, 
 that they may be able to give an Account about what is afk'd 
 them ; and in this Manner they deceive the World. They are 
 great Priggers of Cannes >nd Bucket- chals, that is Sheep and Fowl ; 
 and the Way thev (real Sheep is this, They go in the Night to fome 
 Ground or S'-eepfchi, and catch a Sheen nod break its Neck, anil 
 then leave it there till the Morning ; when the Shepherd or Owner 
 comes in the Morning and ikins ir, then the Gipfeys beg the Flefh 
 for their Dogs, when at the fame Time thty intend it for their own 
 easing. They ae g'eat Priggers ofZ.w//n-, that is, Linnen, and ought 
 t be taken Up and feat Home as V agrants. 
 
 G A G G E R S. 
 
 BEGGARS : They are a very deceitful Sett of People in gene- 
 r.; ! , that deferve a Prifon more than Relief: S^me of them 20 
 In a S-.tlor's Dnfs, pretending they were Galley Slaves, and that 
 their Tongues were cutout by the Turfo, and their Arms were 
 burnt in the Row Galleys ~, To deceive the World they cut the 
 Strings of their Tongues, and f wallow it down their Throat, that 
 none can perceive it, and make their Arms raw by perpetual 
 BHfters ; but if they were taken to the whipping Pott, the Dumb 
 would fpeak, and thofe that walk with Crutches would fhift with- 
 out them. Thefe Impoftors are a great Nutfance to the Country, 
 and a Hurf to thofe that are real Objects of Charity. 
 
 CHANTERS, that is, Ballad Singers, will not ftick to commit 
 any Roguery that lies in their Way. 
 
 BANDEENS are Women that fell Laces, Garters, and Ribbons. 
 
 T W U R L E R S. 
 
 ARE a Sort of People thatrekrtto Fairs and Markets with a 
 round Board divided in eight Qunsters, and an Iron ftanaing 
 in the Middle, that turns round like the Hand of a Clock, which 
 they play with for Money, and is a great Encournger of young 
 
 People
 
 ( 4i ; 
 
 People to Vice, who often rob their Parents and Matters for Mo- 
 ney to play with at thk Game. 
 
 TATTOGEYS. 
 
 *! ' HEY are People that keep a Monev Cloth to play with 
 * Dice ; the Chance is very unfair, for fome are loaded high 
 and fome low, fo that the Chance is ten to one agaiuft you ; the 
 Money Chances being all high and low, and the Dice being thus 
 loaded, always run blank, for the Numbers that are blank is between 
 high and low, which is a great Defraud. 
 
 Ringing of NEDS or SIXES. 
 
 T)Utting off bad Guineas and Thirty-fix Shilling Pieces : They 
 * give five Shillings for their Guineas, and ten Shillings and Six- 
 pence for their Thirty-fix Shilling Pieces, and they are made at the 
 Start, that is, London, by two particular People. The Sharper be- 
 ing thus furnifhed, goes to a Fair, and when a Flat receives Money 
 for his Cattle, he is apt to afk the firit he meets, if that Money is 
 good ; then the Sharper has a quare Ned or Six ready to change, 
 fo keeps in the good, and gives the bad one to the Flat. 
 
 Another Way they have got, they will go to a Publick-houfe 
 and call for Liquor ; then they afk Change for a Ned or Six ; if a 
 Six, they will fay, give me a Guinea, and the reft in Silver ; and 
 tht-y will give the Landlord or Landlady a good Piece of Gold 
 till the Change is ready, and then fay I can do without it, fo takes 
 up the Piece of Gold again and lings it, that is, changes it for a 
 bad one, and faith, I thought I could do without it, but cannot, fo 
 gives them the quare Ned or Six; and ignorant People think it is 
 the fame they had at fir ft and fo gives cbem the Change. By this 
 Means People are deceived : The Money is made with Silver, dou- 
 ble wafhed with Gold. 
 
 LONDON BILLS. 
 
 nrO my Knowledge there hare been Merchants in Ltfirdtn, 
 
 (wlv-n knowing tbemfelves on the failing Hand) who would 
 get acquainted with Gambler* and Sharps-is, and give 'o one five 
 hundred Pounds in Bills, and to another Bills of a. thouiand, three 
 Months after Date, when at that Time their Notes are good. The 
 Sharpers go into the Country to fome Fair or other, and there 
 dealing for Beafts or any other Goods, pay one half, and give a 
 Lnden Bill for the other : The Bill is lent to Lsnden, and the 
 
 F Merchant
 
 ( 42 ) 
 Merchant accepts it ; but when the Time of Payment draws nigh, 
 neither the Drawer nor the Indorfer are to be found. 
 
 An Explanation of the Language of THIEVES, commonly 
 called CANT. 
 
 T) R I G S, Files, or Lifts ; Thieves, Pick-pockets and Shop-lifters. 
 -* To plant ; to fecrete. An under Tugg ; an under Petticoat. 
 Nap it ; take it. Between her Carriers ; between her Thighs. A 
 Rider ; a Clock. A Lobb full of Glibbs ; a Box full of Ribbons. 
 Palm a Piece ; hand a Piece. In your Wipe ; in your Handkerchief. 
 Snich ; Nofe. A rum Beak ; agoodjujiice. A quare Beak ; a bad 
 fuflice. A fcribing Gloak to the Beak ; a Clerk to the fuflice. A 
 Homey, a Scout ; a Corflablc, a Watchman. A quad Cull and a 
 dubb Cull ; a Gaoler and a Turnkey. A Rifpin and a craping 
 Cull ; a Bridewell and a Hangman. Let us pike to the Gaff ; let 
 us go to the Fair. Will you gammon me ; will you help me. What 
 Ridge or Lay do you go on in this Gaff or Vile ; what Bufmefs do 
 you go on in this Fair or Town. I'm for the old Nobb ; pricking in 
 the Belt. I'm a Mafoner ; buy Goods for Paper. I'm a Sneak for 
 Chinks or Feeders ; Pm a Thief for Tankards or Spoons. I'll rig, 
 my Tugg ; ril change my Great Coat. Prig the Diggers, they are 
 wage ; jlealthe Spurs, they are Silver. Pett*r, in Cant, ftands for 
 ft great many Things, as bold your Tongue, let it alone, or Jland ftilly 
 $r the like. Nix in whideling ; don't fpeak. Tip us your Fam ; give 
 us your Hand. Are you rum or feedy ; are you flout or poor. 1 am 
 a coaping Cull ; I am a Horfe fockey. I fence Swaggs j / fell 
 GooU. r am pafiing quare Blunt ; putting off bad Money. I tun and 
 pinch Slats and half Slats ; afking Change for Crowns and Half 
 Crovjns. I am a Locker, an J Dudder, and Fencer of Slop ; I leave 
 Goods at a Houfe, and borrow Money on them, pretending they are 
 Run Goods, Goods made in London, and fell Tea. I chant, I gagg ; 
 J fig Ballads, I beg. I am a Crowder ; I am a Fiddler. I drum 
 end patter ; I play on the Dulftmore and fing. A Tattogey ; a Dice 
 Cloth. I'll fcarr.pon the Panney ; Pllgo on the Highway. I'll fence 
 you a Prad ; /'// fell you a Horfe. Tip me my Pops ; give me my 
 Pijlols. Glee the Rattler ; fee the Coach. I am grab'd ; / am taken. 
 Mill the Cull to his long Libb ; kill the Man dead. Mill the rattling 
 Gloke ; kill the Coachman. The Cull Johns me ; the Man knows me. 
 Vikeing to Beak ; going to "Jujlice. Pikeing to Quod ; going to 
 Gaol. Tip me rum Darbies; give me good Irons. The Buftrap 
 Johns me ; the Thief- catcher knows me. I've receiv'd my Patter ; 
 Ive had my Tryal. I am down fur my Scragg ; / am to be hang'd. 
 .1 am to he legg'd ; 1 am to be tranjported I am glim'd in the Fam ; 
 1 am burnt in the Hand.. I napt the Flog at the Tumbler j / was 
 
 uhipt
 
 ( 43 ) 
 
 whift at the Cart's Tail. Mill the Quod ; break the Gaol Mill the 
 Keen or Swagg ; break the Hcufc or Shop. Undub the Jeger, an J 
 jamp the Glaze ; open the Door, and lift up the Window. Pike up 
 thePrancers, and" glee in the Lumber ; go up Stairs, and look in the 
 Room. The Cull is at Snoos ; the Man is at Sleep. Nap his Tuggs 
 and Kixes ; take his deaths and Breeches. Nap the tote ; take them 
 all. Fifh his Cly for his Bit ; fearch his Pocket for his Purfe. A 
 Bit of Ri?e or Wage , a Purfe cf Gold or Silver. Loag or Trick; 
 a Watch. A dark Glim ; a dark Lanthorn. Chant his Tuggs ; count 
 bis CUaths. Calp, Noll, and Snvfh ; Hat, Wig, and Shirt. A Wipe 
 or Clout ; a Handkerchief. Upper Shell and under Shell ; Coat and 
 Waif coat. Stomps and Stop Drawers ; Shoes and Stockings. A Me- 
 joge or Hogg \ a Shilling. A griff Metoll, or Buxom ; a Six pence. 
 A Winn ; a Penny. A Meag and Jack ; a Halfpenny and Farthing. 
 A Reader ; a Book. A* Tail and Bleeder ; a Sword and Hang r. 
 Bucketchats and Dunneys ; Sheep and Bullocks. A Buffer and 
 Grunter ; a Dog and Hog. A Jacob and Frib ; a Ladder and Stick. 
 A Flogger ; a Whip Ogles ; Eyes. Kid and Kinchin ; Boy and 
 Gi'l. The Prow is with Kid ; the Whore is with Child. Nix in 
 mafoning ; don't trufl, dont cheat. Tip me my Snack -, give me m* 
 Share. Our Fence is grab'd ; our Receiver is taken. He is turned a 
 Puff i he is turned an Evidence. Pike to the Start ; go to London. We 
 are ail in the Chant ; we are all in the News. Pike to the Spell ; go 
 to the Pliy. 'Tis a rum Darky, and Oliver fhows ; 'tis a gjod 
 Night, and the Moon Jhines.. Doufs the Glims ; put out the Candles. 
 Mill his Nobb ; break his Head. I'll adam that Moll; /'// f/i'/rry 
 that Woman. Chive his Muns ; cut his Face. Stall on the Mount ; 
 fop on the Bridge. My Hornoney is in Quod ; my JVife is in GaoK 
 Pike to the Ruffen ; go to the Devil. Wid rumley ; f}eak well. 
 Tip me your Chive ; give me your Knife. Tip us rum Suck ; oive 
 us good Beer. Tip us a Driman ; give us a Dram. He kaps quare ; 
 he fwears falfe. Tip him a Nedd ; give him a Guinea. He flails in 
 the Stoop ; he flands in the Pillory. In the Clogments ; in the Stocks. 
 He ftags my Muns ; he knows my Face. I am feedy ; / am poor. 
 The Cull is chattey ; the Man is loufey. Pike a Cauney prigging ; 
 go a Fowlfiealing. A hing'd Dubb ; a button d-up Pocket. 
 
 r^F It being necejfary that fome Account ft.ould be given of Mr. 
 PoULT ER's Birth, {which iuas omitted in the former Part of this 
 Book,) we have thought proper to infer t it here, as it was wrote by 
 Himfelf 
 
 T Was born at Newmarket; in Cambridgefmre, the noted Town for 
 * Horfe Races, in the Year 1715, and in the Year 1728, I went 
 to live with his Grace the Duke of Some fit, in the Running Sta- 
 bles,
 
 44 ) 
 bles, which Pi i 
 Lore 
 Earl i 
 Tar. 
 Ran another i 
 
 i out 
 
 out < 
 Vo>igc i: 
 
 JUST of P 
 Francis 
 
 . John Ti 
 
 Ohn Brown, liiu D I'oScrt ] > 
 
 JOhn 
 Gra 
 
 liurfl, W 
 
 
 
 Mary Gea, Jc 
 cicr J 
 I 
 
 Edward I Margaret 
 
 i Sbepion Ma. 
 
 I ia in Cot 
 
 A LIST t' ttiom % w*K 
 
 Ttmt. 
 
 MDawfon alias IJrown, from I the Year 1-46, for ; 
 
 - ',arct Brr' *Cg, f:om 
 
 Jn m the Year 1 " 50, for 
 Lincoln, for di 
 
 rfe at Ba: i 
 r, alias Tobin, tiai 
 ing Pockejtt) Eleanor M 
 
 . for Shoplifting ; \ Spatraw, and Robert Jones. 
 
 ;ohn Allen, ir n the Year 1; n ot rob- 
 
 bing on the Highway ; John Urown. tranfportCv 
 
 tccn Years for Uo.le I -rtcd 
 
 in the Year 1740 Jor or Pocket vean. alias 
 
 juade Mi Efcapc from IvclcbetfCf Gaol the latter End of November 1 
 
 * She wat forcibly refcued out of Liverpool Goal the 1 jth of Novem- 
 ber I. ..Ken and committed to Newgate in London. 
 
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