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That several times within the time and before the beginning of this suit Catherine Fallows hath sent diverse messengers several times to this deponent’s house situated in Cheadle to entreat someone there to go and entreat Radcliffe Kelsall to come speak with her the said Catherine. And amongst others this deponent by the entreaty of some messengers… as namely Alice Smith widow and… some of her children went unto and entreated the said Radcliffe Kelsall to come speak with her the said Catherine several times within the time aforesaid. And according to the said Radcliffe amongst other times came and met Catherine at 10 in the house of one William Brown in Cheadle Hulme and continued there together about the space of two hours in the day time, and saith then they were there private in a room of the said house and none was present with them… And afterwards then the said Radcliffe and Catherine agreed to meet one another at a day following at the house of one Robert Blanniley a boat man or ferry man in Lancashire… In one of the months of this year 1641 the certain time he cannot particularly express Radcliffe and Catherine according to their agreement met at the house of the said Robert Blanniley aforesaid about ten of the clock in the daytime with some other company whereof this deponent was one and after they had drunk a cup or two of beer then the said Radcliffe and Catherine requested speeches from the rest of the company and this deponent followed them and immediately then the said Radcliffe and Catherine took horse and rode away together on one and the same horse this deponent helped them on horse back and so knoweth the same to be true but himself came in again to their said company and saith she told this deponent they would go to the house of one Thomas Moore at Stretford.
Several times within since October last past Radcliffe Kelsall and Catherine Fallows have met each other at and in this deponent’s house and there in this deponent’s presence and hearing have spake of marriage… several times as this deponent believeth… Ellen Brown Dorothy Potter and others have come to this deponent and told her that Catherine Fallowes desired her this deponent to send for the said Radcliffe to meet her at this deponent’s house and sometimes elsewhere as she pleased And this deponent accordingly sent for him and he accordingly two several times within the time aforesaid met her the said Catherine at this deponent’s house and there sat in a chamber and sometimes upon a bed therein conferring together for the space of an hour or more in the daytime none present but themselves saving that sometimes they called to this deponent to come to them… And that also sometimes they lay sometimes upon a bed in the further chamber of this deponent’s house for the space of an hour together and sometimes called her this deponent to come by unto them, and to sit with them… The times of the said Radcliffe and Catherine their meeting predeposed Radcliffe desired Catherine in this deponent’s hearing to take Mr Nichols and her mother for her friends and to make them acquainted with his motions of love and marriage to her the said Catherine and that if his means did not equal hers with their liking and approbation they the said Radcliffe and Catherine would part friends as they met; but she the said Catherine answered she would not, but what she would do she would do of herself and said she would rather take his word then put it her friends in those things… That within the time arlate the certain time this deponent cannot more privately express this deponent’s house and her mother’s and there Catherine desired her this deponent to send to the said Radcliffe Kelsall and desire him to meet her the said Catherine at the house of one Robert a boatman near… and withal to let him know she was to go to her uncle in Stretford… And said that Radcliffe should meet her at the boatman’s house it might be she would give him a better answer than she did before, this deponent according to Catherine’s request predeposed sent to the said Radcliffe and he accordingly met Catherine at the boatman’s house as afterwards this deponent heard.
He this deponent hath been several times within the time arlate in company with Radcliffe and Catherine at the house of one William Brown… in the daytime and saith that sometimes he stayed with them and at other times he left their company for a certain time together and saith that sometimes he stayed with them and other times he left their company for a certain time together, and came to them again… That amongst other times and places Radcliffe Kelsall and Catherine Fallows their meeting together in this deponent’s company and presence they Radcliffe and Catherine came together with this deponent into the house of one Richard Richardson of Stretford in Lancashire and thereafter some conference together betwixt them and after some expressions of love for each other they the said Radcliffe and Catherine did in the parlour below the entry of the house of the said Richardson with each other’s mutual consent plight to each other their troth as followeth [illegible]… thee Radcliffe to my wedded husband and as this deponent understood her Catherine said… I plight thee my troth and more being then present in the same room of the premises predeposed except the parties themselves and him this deponent… John Hankinson has a good living in Cheadle under Humphrey Buckley whereon to maintain himself and his wife and doth maintain himself and wife herewith in good and honest sort and is or was a blacksmith by trade and useth with good and honest company sometimes to go drink a cup of ale or beer… Marjorie Brown her husband keeps ale to sell and saith this respondent hath sometimes been in company with him in the same house at the expense of some small sum of money in the day time and sometimes in the evening but in a civil and orderly fashion.
Within a quarter of a year last past this deponent hath seen James Kelsall somewhat overtaken with drink and being thereby overtaken to swear by god’s name upon light occasions, and also in such distemper to abuse some of his neighbours with bad language as namely this deponent’s husband and precontest Humphrey Fletcher in his own house within the time aforesaid, for which the said James hath been bound to the peace as this deponent hath credibly heard and believeth… That she hath known John Hankinson for the space of three last past years and upwards and saith that for all the said time he hath been and is reputed to be a poor man… of no profession or calling to get his living and maintain himself and family and is now fallen lame that he cannot work as this deponent believeth, and in the time of his ability to go abroad was easy to be drawn forth to alehouses with company that would give him drink and especially by Radcliffe and James Kelsall, and haunted their company very much, and was always willing to do for them as they would have him, this deponent was for all the said time and still is their neighbour and hath often seen them in company together and especially in this deponent’s husband’s house… That her precontest Margaret Moores departed the house and room where the persons were… and left the persons in the same room together without any other company with them but such of the house and family of the said Richardson as sometimes came and went into and out of the room as occasion required them to do.
He hath credibly heard that Radcliffe Kelsall hath only an annuity of five marks a year left him for his maintenance and preferment and that James Kelsall as this deponent hath heard and believeth hath endeavoured to bring the parties… into company one of another… James Kelsall for the space of a month last past or thereabouts hath been reputed and taken to be a man of evil name in respect that when he hath been overseen in drink as sometimes within the time aforesaid he hath been much given to swearing and inordinate language… he knoweth John Hankinson and saith he is reputed and taken to be a poor man in relation his living is set out as this deponent hath heard and the said John hath no profession whereby to maintain himself and his family, and hath for this half year last past until he fell lame commonly frequented alehouses and resorted thither with Radcliffe Kelsall and other company and hath sometimes within the space of a twelvemonth last past been overseen with strong drink within the parish of Cheadle of this deponent’s certain sight and knowledge and is so well affected towards Radcliffe and James Kelsall as this deponent verily believeth.
One evening in the latter end of summer last past to this deponent’s best remembrance the certain time she cannot more particularly express Radcliffe Kelsall and James Kelsall his brother together with Catherine Fallowes and Margaret Moore came into the house of this deponent’s husband Richard Richardson situated in Stretford and after they were come thither and had stayed about a quarter of an hour Thomas Moores his wife came in also unto them, and desired Catherine to come home thence, and saith that Margaret Moores continued most of the time that the said Radcliffe and Catherine were together in the said house, in one and the same room with them to the best of her remembrance, and saith that she this deponent sometimes came and went into the same room also but observed no passages betwixt or amongst the persons that tended to any contract of marriage to the best of this deponent’s remembrance and apprehension; nor that the said persons were otherwise at company together than was civil and in the company of other persons as namely as the persons predeposed also of the said James Kelsall and sometimes of the said Thomas Moores his wife… saith that the persons were never but the time predeposed in this deponent’s husband’s house nor then alone but with such company as she hath deposed for all or most of the time predeposed that then stayed there which to the best of her remembrance was somewhat above half an hour but not three quarters.
He hath credibly heard Radcliffe hath only an annuity of five marks a year left him and that he hath heard some of James Kelsall’s neighbours say and report that he the said James is much given to company for the alehouses and this deponent of is own certain sight and knowledge hath often seen him in the alehouses with other company… he hath known John Hankinson half a dozen years, and that for all that time he hath been and is reputed to be a poor man, and knoweth not nor hath heard that he possesses any calling except fowling sometimes with a piece, and hath often resorted to the alehouse… as namely with the said James Kelsall and his brother Radcliffe.
Upon the eight and twentieth day of March past being a Sunday to the best of this deponent’s remembrance this deponent with one John Fletcher went into an alehouse in Northenden where this deponent found James Kelsall, and upon this deponent’s demand of some monies which he had deposited for the payment of a shot of money for drink which they had then drunk together in the house and upon James Kelsall refuseth… the said James struck this deponent upon the breast and mouth several times that this deponent the same time burst out and bled and afterwards also for the space of a week spit blood because of the blows… in the presence of Thomas Hunt, John Fletcher and divers others… and further saith that he this respondent laid down sixpence upon a table towards the payment of the shot and departed and James Kelsall took the same up and this respondent demanded the spare thereof from him again and he thereupon offered him this respondent the abuses predeposed, and detaineth with himself the whole sixpence.
She knoweth John Hankinson and saith he hath been for a twelvemonth last past reputed to be a very poor man amongst his neighbours where this deponent liveth… she hath often seen the said John in the company of Radcliffe and James Kelsall at William Browne’s house being an alehouse in Cheadle Hulme.
Before the beginning of this cause James Kelsall have frequented alehouses ordinarily for that there hath been complaint made to this deponent being then one of his Majesty’s Justices of the Peace against him the said James Kelsall for several misdemeanours and for some of them hath been bound to the peace or to his good behaviour by this deponent his fellow Justices upon the complaint of diverse of his neighbours.
She knoweth John Hankinson and saith he hath been for this twelvemonth last past and still is reputed to be a very poor man… and believeth he is reputed to be an idle person because as she hath heard he is a smith by trade but doth not profess the same and is a frequenter of the company of James Radcliffe Kelsall in alehouses… this respondent hath heard James Kelsall hath been found in alehouses upon days appointed for several fasts throughout the kingdom and times of divine service and sermon and that he also [illegible] the same alehouses both by day and night and that he hath been suspected amongst his neighbours of dishonest dealing with them.
That upon St Peter’s day last past to the best of this deponent’s remembrance the arlate Marjorie Brown acknowledged and said that she caused Catherine Fallows to be sent for to her husband’s house being an alehouse as at the motion of one Edward Cowper a messenger sent Radcliffe Kelsall unto the said Marjorie to desire the said Catherine to come speak with one Peter Davenport at the same house, and the company being accordingly come to the said Ratcliffe came in after her.