Provincial Court Proceedings, 1665.  5






     Anketill uppon his Table. And Mr Bailey likewise did produce a Liber F F
     former Account of the yeare 1662, That to the best of my Remem
     brance was Ballanced by Mr Staplefort & signed by him, In wch sd
     account was made mention of the paymt of Brigantines seruants &
     Cattle & Plantaon, And further sayth tht about Nouembr last Mr
     Anketill went from my howse in Company wth mee to Court, & when
     the Court was ended I haning some busines up the Riuer, Mr Anketill [p. 91]
     desyned mee in my returne to call for him att his Brother Stapieforts,
     to goe home along mee wch I did. And being there I went into
     the howse & there Lay Bayles of Canuas & Drapery, And I asked Mr
     Staplefort whose they were? And hee answered they were Mr Bay
     leys sent him out of New England, & further sayth not.
      Elizabeth ffreeman aged 18 yeares or thereabouts sworne sayth,
     That when Mr Balley was att St Maries, W Staplefort being in his
     Bed in the morning & hearing as hee sayd a Tap drop in Mr Balleys
     Roome, Hee called one of his seruants named Humphrey Jones & bid
     him goe in att the window & open the Doore wch hee did. Then Mr
     Staple fort went in saying hee would see if all was well, Who came
     forth againe & shutt the doore, But whither hee brought any thing
     forth or noe this Depont knoweth not. ifurther the night before her
     mistresse calling her to come in, shee did not goe prsently, But when
     shee did goe The Doore was shutt, & endeauouning to open the doore
     her mistresse held the Doore & asking who was there? told her shee
     could not come in yett, And then was Mr Staplefort in Mr Balleys
     Clossett tht shutts wth a key, But what hee did there shee knoweth
     not. ifurther this Depont sayth That Mr Staplefort called for nayles
     & caused the sd window to bee mended, for feare any other should
     goe in. ifurther That on the Twelfe of ffeb. last being Sunday Mr
     Stapiefort tooke a Chest of his out of Mr Balleys Roome where was
     then three packs of goods, But att night shee did see Mr Staplefort
     rip up & breake open the packs of goods wch were in the sd Balleys
     Hall, shee then looking in att the window of the sd Hail; & further
     sayth not
      Mr Thomas Sprigge aged 35 yeares or thereabouts sworne sayth,
     That uppon the 15th ffeb. 1664 Mr Bailey came to mee wth a warrt
     from the Gour to make search for some of Baileys goods, tht were
     gone out of his howse The next day Mr Bailey & I went ouer to
     Mr Stapleforts howse & when I came there I asked his wife for him
     & shee tould mee shee did not know: yett afterwards shee went to the
     window & gaue mee a Letter tht was there left for mee The Con
     tents thereof was, That bee was gone abroad for 3 or 4 dayes. Then
     Mr Bailey spoake to mee to doe my office & to make search for his
     goods & shewed mee a Little Roome. The Doore sodenly opened &
     out came Mr Staplefort & shutt the Doore after him & sayd What
     haue yow to doe wth Staple fort? I called him into the yard desyring
     him if it were possible to agree amongst themseiues But it would not [p. 92]