Mr Samuel Bridgewell has for three or four years last past and yet doth deal and trade in deals and balks and other Norway goods and merchandises, and had and hath a stock of the sum of two hundred pounds of lawful money of England employed and going in the said trade and business and not more as this deponent believes. And that Samuel Bridgewell did and doth by such trade gain and clear five and twenty pounds per annum or thereabouts, and not more, for that he this deponent has for several years, and yet doth deal and trade in balks and deals and other Norway goods but never gained or cleared more than what's predeposed or thereabouts one year with another, neither do any other person (as he believes) that trade in such goods make more than ten or twelve per cent... He believes Samuel Bridgewell to be an honest man, and such one as would not forswear himself... That in the Norway trade there's a great deal of hazard; and in all other his business where he trades by sea, and that as this deponent has heard, Mr Bridgewell within four or five years last has lost a thousand pounds and upwards... He has heard that Mr Bridgewell has within two or three months last had a loss of 80li. worth of goods which were taken by the French... He believes thirty pounds per annum to be as much as Mr Samuel Bridgewell can well and reasonably allow for the maintenance of his wife and child out of the product of his estate and trade.
Mr Bridgewell is an hosier by trade, and has as he belives a stock of about six hundred pounds employed in the stocking trade, and that he and others with the like stock do gain and clear one year with another about seventy or eighty pounds per annum and not more, for that he this deponent doth trade in stockings himself... He believes Mr Bridgewell to be an honest man, and such a man as would not forswear himself... Mr Bridgewell runs a great hazard in trading to sea, and that he believes Mr Bridgewell has had considerable losses by sea within this four or five years last past, but to the value of his losses he can't answer... He has heard that Mr Bridgewell had some stockings taken by the French within two months last, but as to the quantity and value he can't answer.
Upon a Wednesday in April last... Mr Samuel Bridgewell and his wife Mary came to this deponent's house and laid there that night, next morning he told this deponent that he would not have her provide any dinner for them for he and his wife should dine abroad at a friend's house, then this deponent asking her sister the producent what friend's house they dined at, she said she could not tell, but between twelve and one a clock Bridgewell desired his wife to put on her gown for it was time to go, all the time pretending a great deal of love and tenderness for her, calling her Bird and Dear, she being dressed away they went together, when not returning about six or seven of the clock at night, this deponent's husband William Hopkins went to the Goat Inn, where his horse stood, to enquire for him, where having asked for Mr samuel Bridgewell, he came down off the chamber to him, and desired him to go for his wife for he the said Samuel Bridgewell must speak with him and his wife together, who after he had fetched his wife the producent, Mr Bridgewell called for a room for them and ordered them a pint of wine telling of them he would come to them presently, but it was about ten a clock before he came, they wondering why he stayed so long...
That upon Wednesday the seventeenth day of April Mr Samuel Bridgewell and his wife Mary came to this deponent's house and laid with him that night the next morning he said to his wife, My Dear you and I are invited out to a friend's house today to dinner, get ready and we'll go, tis one you don't know very well but as we go I'll tell you, all the time showing a great deal of love and kindness for his wife now and then kissing of her, between twelve and one of the clock he and his wife went very lovingly together. Between six and seven a clock, they not coming home, this deponent went to the Goat Inn where Mr Bridgewell's horse stood to enquire for him, where having asked for Mr Bridgewell the drawer called him down who seeing this deponent desired him to fetch his wife to drink a glass of wine with him, whom as soon as this deponent had brought, Mr Bridgewell carried them into a room and called for a pint of wine, telling them he had company with him, but would come to them presently. About ten a clock Mr Bridgewell, his wife the producent (who was in a very disordered melancholy condition) and Mr Ward half-brother to the producent came to this deponent and his wife, and Mr Bridgewell told them he was glad to see them but with an heavy heart for he and his wife the producent were both of them ruined, then this deponent asking of him how or by what means, Mr Bridgewell told them his wife had committed adultery with his apprentice Samuel Pearson and defiled his marriage bed, upon which this deponent fell into tears and utterly denied it, saying she was as innocent as the child unborn, then Mr ward, Mr Charley have been pressing of her but she will not confess it. Then drinking a glass or two of wine about twelve a clock Mr Bridgewell and his wife went home with this deponent and his wife, where Mr Bridgewell denied to lay with his wife the producent, but by persuasion of her crying and weeping and this deponent and his wife he did lay with her that night... That upon the Saturday following Mr Bridgewell went away from Norwich to Yarmouth and would not let his wife go home with him, but told her it was better for her to stay till matters were a little settled. And farther that upon Monday or Tuesday following John Pearson the apprentice aforesaid sent for this deponent and his wife to the Blue Bell Tavern on Hog Hill in Norwich and told them that his master Bridgewell... carried him up the chamber and charged him with kissing and laying with his wife but the said Samuel Pearson said he never kissed her nor laid with her in his life, and how that he left his master and came immediately away for laying so foul a thing to his charge... Upon the Wednesday following this deponent carried Mrs Bridgewell home to her husband's house at Yarmouth, where going into kitchen they found Mr Bridgewell, Mr Hutchinson and Mr Ward sat smoking a pipe, who for a considerable time took no notice of either of them till at last this deponent told Mr Bridgewell he had brought his wife home according to his order, to whom Mr Bridgewell said he wondered how she had the impudent face to come there and also mr Hutchinson his wife's father-in-law told her he wondered at her impudence...
At Lady Day last she this deponent went to be maidservant to Mrs Mary Bridgewell, where she lived about five weeks, during which time Mary Bridgewell did in all things demean and behave herself, as a careful loving virtuous wife towards her husband, always endeavouring to please and humour him, never easy but when she was in his company, and that she seldom went abroad but kept at home with her family and farther she this deponent says she has lived with several women but never with a more prudent, discreet housewifely woman, whom she never saw commit or omit any part of her duty, whereby her husband might be provoked to treat her roughly, or unkindly, or whereby he might be jealous of her virtue and chastity, for that she was never out of this deponent's or her partner's sight, except when she was in a closet or in some other room in the house where they knew it impossible for any other person to be with her without their knowledge. And farther this deponent says that her husband Samuel Bridgewell always expressed much kindness to his wife Mary Bridgewell, and treated her with a great deal of tenderness seeming to have a great love for her... During the said time she lived with the producent Mrs Bridgewell she observed her master Bridgewell to show a great deal of kindness for his apprentice Samuel Pearson, by giving him a great deal of liberty in the house more than apprentices she believes usually have, and very often when he and his wife drank coffee or tea or a glass of wine he would most an end bid his wife the said producent call in the apprentice Samuel Pearson to drink a dish of coffee or tea, or a glass of wine with them, when at the same time this deponent believes that Mary Bridgewell was much against his countenancing him so and not curbing of him more.