miles in length, yet sometimes not above five besides the priest and clerk were there. Three clerks were convinced, one after another, and came among Friends. though one of them fell short; yet he never would be clerk again: and one of them, being so conscientious told the priest, whose name was Robert Priestman, he could not say Amen to him, for he saw the priest himself was short; the priest replied, he might say Amend, but all would not do, so he left him. The sessions, considering the premises, wrote to Dacres, who was a justice of peace, to let us have no wood, neither would he give us our money again: and wood being in great men's hands, they hearing this, would sell us none for money, in this part of England. It being toward the end of the reign of King Charles the Second, when there were great severities against the dissenters, the old priest dying, and George Story, a young man, getting the place, and not being much acquainted with Friends' integrity to the Lord, in suffering for his name's sake, at a certain time spoke to me that if we would not suffer friends that lived in other parishes to come and meet with us, he would not molest us; but if we would meet constantly in our parish, and suffer Friends of other parishes to come and meet with us, he would not suffer it. For want of complying with his proposal, he was hot in his mind for

persecution, and they began with Sunday shillings, (as they called them,) for not going to the public worship, and made distress of Friends' goods. But this they thought did but little, and afterwards the said priest (as they said) caused the wardens of the parish of Kirklinton to frame a bill at the assizes against several of us, and indicted us as popish recusants, for not coming to their worship: processes were issued out against us for twenty pounds a month; but our meetings continuing large, the priest greatly wanted an informer; for because of the ill success, they that were before, had met with, sober neighbours would not meddle; at last one James Appleby, a Yorkshire man born, brought up at school, and having some knowledge of the law, undertook the office of an informer. He persuading one Christopher Story, that had lived at Allegarth, to join with him, in the tenth month, 1682, came to my house, the meeting being there, and made information to Henry Forster of Stonegarthside, a justice of peace at that time, of several being met together. He asked him if I was at home; my name being among the rest. He said I was, (as the justice reported) although I was in Lancashire, above forty miles from my own house, that day. And though a warrant for distress came out, yet I being gone from home above two weeks before, and not returning till six weeks after, the offi

cers forbore to make distress, and the informer was at that time disappointed, perceiving his mistake. And though the informer had sworn falsely, yet they were so much encouraged by the government, that little could be done against them. And towards the latter end of summer, he seeing himself likely to escape the danger, they came again to my house, and took an information, and went to John Aglionby of Drawdykes, a justice, and a warrant was put into the officers' hands, who were so sparing in making distress, that Richard Scott of Newbiggin was bound to the "good behaviour for neglect of his office, most of what was about my house being seized on, they proclaimed a sale-day at public markets and other places; but none came to buy, except James Appleby, the informer, and one man that he brought with him. They had things at their own rate; and two horses he took to a fair in Northumberland, and sold them under half price, for neighbours would not buy them. Driving the sheep away, young people (that were not Friends) being grieved, set dogs upon them in the way; and the noise being heard, other young people, almost in every place where they came, ran out with their dogs, and scattered the sheep; so that when the informer and others had followed full two miles, they had only seven left, and were greatly grieved thereat. When he had sold them, and had made fast

the barn doors with locks and chains, he used endeavours to hire threshers, but could not get any for money in the country,; so he hired a man at Newcastle, forty miles distant, and was to give him twelve pence a day, meat and drink, whereas the usual price is but four pence. The

man coming into the country, and people understanding his business, before he came to the informer's house, or scarce within five miles of mine, they persuaded him to turn back again telling him some dangerous thing would befal him if he meddled. So he returned again, and would not thresh for money. The informer being then persuaded he could not get it threshed, unless he had it carried away from the place; and his daughter being married to a near neighbour of mine, he thought to have removed the cora thither; but her father in law, being an old man, would not consent, for fear of danger, saying, "Some will burn it, and my houses also; so that though there was a great deal of corn, he had no power to get it: but selling other corn and things taken from Friends, he made a purse, went to London, and made complaint to Jefferies, then lord chief justice, (so called,) and brought subpoenas against sixteen of us, to appear at London; but we understanding a prison would do, whether we went or not, resolved to abide at home. Upon our not appearing, he went to London again, and made complaint

against justice Forster. And judge Jefferies coming the north circuit, the informer indicted us several times for meeting together, and called our meetings riots, routs, and unlawful assemblies; endeavouring by a warrant to have us appear before judge Jefferies; but the constables hearing, and partly believing, that we should then be ruined, (for he had indicted about twenty of the most substantial among us, as he supposed,) would not appear to be seen by the informer, till it was too late to bring us before Jefferies. At this assizes, justice Forster was fined one hundred pounds, (imprisonment till paid) and put out of his place, which caused some of the justices to be afraid and the informer being high in his mind, and his money almost spent, comes to our meeting again, and brings with him his son-in-law, George Waugh and carries his information to Henry Dacres, a justice, (so called) and brings a warrant. I being fined twenty pounds for preaching, the officers took several cows and and young beasts, and drove them to the market; but not being willing to sell them, they set men at a little distance to tell buyers what sort of goods they were; and also asked above the market price for them. The informer perceiving it, made information to the said Dacres of their neglect, and one of them, George Irwin, was bound to the good behaviour. But some responsible men, particularly Edward