![*](images/icon-portbooks.png)
That about eighteen years ago the arlate John White dwelling in the service of this deponents said father Mr George Leedes in Holt arlate was a fellow of a dissolute life a frequenter of inns and alehouses and one that was much given to excessive drinking and drunkenness, but what his life hath been since this deponent knoweth not... the arlate William Blackborne was and is reputed to be a common haunter and frequenter of inns and alehouses, in the town where he did and doth dwell and some other towns nigh unto him... the arlate John White was and is an idle man of dissolute life and conversation, which induceth this deponent to believe that he is a man may easily be drawn to swear or depose an untruth, and in the time that he dwelt in the said town of Holt which was many years until within these ten years past that he hath been gone out of the town then the said White was a man given to frequent inns and alehouses and to excessive drinking for which and other misdemeanours this deponent in the time that he was constable of the said town hath threatened to set him in the stocks... at Holt Fair last which was about the 25th of February the said White being at Holt was disguised and distempered with drink and was drunken as appeared to this deponent by his gesture and stammering in his speech and for his [cunning?] since he went out of town this deponent cannot depose otherwise then before... that within the space of half a year before the time of the production of the arlate William Blackborne the said Blackborne was an idle man of ill life and given to frequent... alehouses.
That he this deponent hath known the arlate John White from a child and by reason of his idle and vicious life, which this deponent hath known, he this deponent doth verily believe in his conscience that he the said White will or may easily be drawn or persuaded to say or depose an untruth, and he saith that the said White within these seven years past hath been a common haunter and frequenter of inns and alehouses and keeping much company and given to excessive drinking, and that within these three years hath seen the said White disguised or distempered with drink, staggering in the street, stammering in his speech and for such a person he hath [illegible] the said White... he this deponent hath [known] the arlate William Blackborne all the days of his life especially by the space of these 40 years past, dur[ing which] time the said Blackborne hath been and is a man [of] ill and lewd life and by reason thereof this deponent verily be[lieves] in his conscience that he may easily be drawn to say or depose an untruth, and he saith that by all the time aforesaid [the] said Blackborne hath been and is a common frequenter of inns and alehouses, and given much to excessive drinking and profaning the Sabbath as he knoweth for that he this deponent when he hath been an officer in the town of Holt about 3 or 4 years ago he hath gone to some alehouse in Holt in service time upon the Sabbath day where [he] hath taken the said Blackborne drinking in his house [with] other company like to himself, for which his offence this deponent caused him to be put into the court. And for such a person as he hath now deposed the said Blackborne hath been and is commonly reputed and taken to be within the town of Holt aforesaid.
That this deponent doth not know nor hath heard that the arlate John White was or is such a person as in this article is expressed nor taken nor reputed to be such a one.
That all the time that the arlate John White was Mr Leedes his servant, for anything this deponent or heard he the said John White demeaned himself civilly and honestly, and kept his church orderly of this deponent's knowledge, and never to this deponent's knowledge did frequent inns and alehouses in a scandalous and disordered manner, but what he hath been since he came out of Mr Leedes his service this deponent knoweth not neither doth this deponent nor hath heard that he the said White is at this time reputed and taken within the parish of Holt to be such a person as in this article is expressed.
That when the arlate John White dwelt in the service of Mr Leedes late parson of Holt this deponent the going to school to Holt hath heard that the said White would be disguised and distempered with drink, but of late years he doth not know how he hath been that way addicted, saving this deponent hath heard that the said White upon the day of his production in this cause was so drunk that he was fain to lie under the [illegible] at Mr Claxton's house... that he this deponent hath known the arlate William Blackborne by [illegible] of these 30 years past, and he remembreth... he this deponent went to Holt school this deponent [did] diet at his brother's house in Holt, by reason... this deponent hath often seen the said William Blackborne [illegible] and distempered with drink, and about [illegible] years ago this deponent employed the said Blackborne in hedging and diking and other works of h[usbandry] above a quarter of a year together in which time [he] had much ado to get the said Blackborne... to work he was so disguised and distempered with drink, but what his life hath been since this deponent [knoweth] not.
That when the arlate John White dwelt in the town of Holt which was many years together until within these 4 or 5 years past, he the said White was a man of an ill and lewd life given to haunting and frequenting of inns and alehouses and to excessive drinking and this deponent hath divers times seen him disguised and distempered with drink, but what his life hath been since he went out of the town of Holt this deponent knoweth not... that he this deponent hath known the arlate William Blackborne ever since he can remember, and within the space of these three years past the said Blackborne hath been reputed and taken within the town of Holt arlate to be a man of an idle and lewd life, and hath of this deponent's knowledge within that time been a great frequenter of inns and alehouses and given to excessive drinking, and this deponent hath seen him drunk staggering and reeling up and down and hath many times been drinking at tap houses and his own house in time of divine service and sermon upon the Sabbath... this deponent hath credibly heard and in part h[ath] known, but since the time that he... keep with Mr Claxton which hath been since [illegible] last as he now remembereth the said B[lackborne hath] reformed his life and his manners, and this [deponent hath] heard no ill of him.
That since this deponent dwell in Holt arlate which was about 11 years and for a year or so [illegible] said White dwelt in the service of Mr [Leedes] Parson of Holt he the said John White was a man of a very lewd and disordered life much given to excessive drinking and being drunk, and this deponent hath divers times seen the said White within that time in the town of Holt arlate overcome with drink and drunken, that he was not able to go in the streets and for such a one he was then commonly accounted and taken within the town of Holt arlate, but what his life hath been since he went out of the said town of Holt to dwell this deponent knoweth not of his own knowledge, but he hath heard it hath been very ill as in former time... the aforesaid Mr Leedes came often to this deponent to desire him to seek out the said White where he was drinking and to set him in the stocks for being drunk and neglecting his service... that by all the time he this deponent hath dwelt in the said town of Holt... at least until the arlate Blackborne came into the service of Mr Claxton which was about Michaelmas [illegible] the said William Blackborne was a man of a bad and lewd life [and] conversation and hath been much given to frequent inns and alehouses in Holt, and to excessive drinking and being drunk and this deponent hath seen him divers times so overgone with drink that he hath reeled and staggered as he hath gone in the streets, and this deponent hath once or twice since Michaelmas last seen him so overgone with drink that his wife hath been fain to lead him home, and hath often times been absent upon Sundays from his parish church but upon what occasion this deponent knoweth not.