Partie f. 15r - Information of Margaret Rudd

Transcript

[In the margin:] Middlesex to wit

The Information of Margaret Rudd taken before Us this 17th. Day of March 1775

Who being upon Oath says that some few days before Tuesday the 7th. of March Instant Mr. Robert Perreau brought to her in Harley Street Cavendish Square a Bond for seven thousand five hundred Pounds from William Adair Esqr. to Robt. Perreau Esqr. ready filled up but not signed nor with any witnesses Names to it, that at the same time the said Robt. Perreau shewed to this Informant some Paper which seemed to this Informant to be a Letter on which was wrote the Name of William Adair asking this Informant if she could write any thing like that & saying that the Person who was to do it was out of Town or out of the Way & that he had no time to lose for that if he did raise the Money that he wanted upon that Bond he must lose his Life, that she desired him to leave the Paper & Bond with her which he did, that the same Day when Mr. Daniel Perreau came home she shewed the said Bond & Paper to him & told him of the Application Robt. Perreau had made to her, that the said Daniel Perreau begged she would do what Robert Perreau had desired her for that both his Life & his Brother’s Life depended upon having it done that from that time to Monday the 6th. of March Instant both the said Daniel Perreau & Robert Perreau made frequent applications to her to do it & so know whether she had done it, that at last on Monday Evening the 6th. of March Instant the said Daniel Perreau told this Informant that his Brother (meaning the said Robt. Perreau) had Occasion for Money the next day that he was sure Mr. Drummond wou’d advance him Money upon that Bond if it was signed & that if the Money was not obtained a Transaction would come out that would take away his Brother’s Life & might endanger his own, that she answered she would do any thing she could to save his Brother’s Life but begged him & conjured him on her Knees to spare her from doing that, that the said Danl. Perreau drew a Knife out of his Pocket & threatened to kill this Informant if she did not sign the said Bond for that his Brother must inevitably go to the Gallows & his own Life was in danger if that was not done, that under the Threats & Fears from the said Daniel Perreau she did accordingly sign the Name William Adair to the said Bond the said Daniel Perreau holding the said Knife over her Head in a menacing Manner whilst she did it, that she did not write the Names of the Witnesses which now appear to the said Bond, that the next Morning being Tuesday the 7th. of March Instant t[he] {1} said Robert Perreau came to the said House in Harley Street & asked fo[r] {1} the said Bond which was delivered to him & he took it away that she does not know directly or indirectly who wrote the Names of the Witnesses that now appear to the said Bond

Margt C. Rudd

Sworn before Us | March 17th. 1775
J Fielding
Sampn. Wright

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{1} Parts of these words are hidden where the document is pasted to the leaf of the volume.