ABSTRACT
That about the last Christmas was ten years she, this deponent, who had formerly lived with Hester Bolton in the house of her first husband, Mr John Hawes, later became servant to her and her now husband, Mr Stephen Bolton, and continued their servant until her this deponent’s marriage to her now husband, to wit for about two years and three quarter, and after her marriage she continued their servant for some months, and sayeth that Mr Stephen Bolton did then [ms torn] two houses in Threadneedle Street, London, of which houses Mr John Hawes, the former husband of Hester Bolton, was in his lifetime the owner, and he at his death left them to his wife Hester Bolton and [ms torn] (who loved Hester Bolton [ms torn] and as [ms torn] possibly a man could love his wife) did have Hester Bolton (by common report and as this deponent believes) other estate of a very considerable nature. And sayeth that Hester Bolton did, as this deponent is fully persuaded, bring Mr Bolton a considerable estate in marriage besides the two houses but the value thereof this deponent being but a servant was not acquainted with nor can estimate, and sayeth that as was commonly said and reported and commonly credited and as this deponent did and does really believe, Mr Bolton did after his marriage with Hester Bolton receive for a time for the two houses left to Hester Bolton by her former husband the sum of 220 pounds, and so Mr Bolton in discourse with this deponent acknowledged to her about three years since, and he also received (as ’twas commonly reported and credited and as he also confessed to this deponent) 70 pounds per annum for the rent of the two houses over and above the fine, and sayeth that as this deponent understands, Mr Bolton received the annual rent for about ten or eleven years next before the fire.
