Poaching 1674
 

Coppull

 

The Informacon of William Taylor of Coppull in the County of Lancr yeoman taken before Sir Peter Brooke knight one of his Mast Justices of peace within the said county of lancr the 29th day of October in the 25 yeare of the raigne of our sovraigne Charles the second kinge of England &c

Whoe upon his oath Informeth & saith that hee this Informer on or¨ about the 20th day of July now last past beinge in the ffields ¨about his business did see a person with a gunn in his hand kneelinge and creepinge along a hedge in a close called moore hey the inclosed warren of Edward Standish Esquire And hee this Informer haveinge formerly had direccon from some of the servants of the said Edward Standish to have care who should abase the said warren or kill any of the coneyes there and suspectinge the said person was aboute such a deed this informant with all speed hee could runn towards him but before hee could reach him hee shott off his Gunn att a coney in the said Moore Hey and killd the same And imediatley hee sawe him run over the hedge and take up the said coney and put her into his lyninge And this informant beinge desirous to discovr whoe the same pson was pursued after him & overtooke him and discovred him to bee one Christopher Mather of Anderton in the said county husbandman who had beene moweinge or makeinge hay with others for one Robert Monke And this informant questioninge the said Christopher Mather wherefore hee killed the said coney the said Mather gave this Informer many ffoule threatninge words And said if hee would not begon hee would shoote him And further saith that there were two or three psons standinge att a Barne doore neare to the place where the said coney was killed and lookinge as hee conceaves att him when hee shott but who the same were hee knoweth not and saith that sevrall dayes before the tyme the said coney was killed hee heard a gunn or gunns goe off about the same place and beleiveth itt was the said Mather or some other psons that were moweinge for the said Monke that were shootinge at coneyes in the said Warren or close called Moore Hey.


William Taylior

taken before me
Pe: Brooke

(QSP 416/2 - 1674)