Upon the fifteenth day of November last in the evening, this deponent happening to be in company at one Bromfield's, the sign of the Black Greyhound in Whitchurch in Shropshire, with the defendant in this cause, Mr Aldersey Dicken, the plaintiff's father, Mr Andrew Nickson, this deponent's son and one John Johnson who also lives with this deponent, and some talk falling out there betwixt the defendant and Ambrose Nickson of his (the defendant's) not coming to course on Mr Drake's ground and also of the said Ambrose's daughter, the plaintiff in this cause, whom the defendant said his brother John Dicken had something to say to and the said Ambrose answered yes, but that he had told the said John that he would rather his daughter married a thrasher in a barn than him, the said John, or to this effect. He the defendant thereupon said "Never any woman came to bed to me but Sally Nickson," adding and several times repeating, "I knew her and let who will have her, I knew her" by which words this deponent did take the defendant to mean that he had been in bed with and carnally knew or had been naught with the plaintiff and therefore this deponent thereupon asked him (the defendant) was he mad and what he was doing or to that effect, and afterwards (to this deponent's best remembrance) Ambrose Nickson saying "If my daughter be a whore, out with it do not spare her", or to that purpose, he the defendant then answered "No, I know nothing of it or her" or to that purpose, and further this deponent knowing not save that he took the defendant to be sharpened with drink at the time of his speaking the words aforesaid, though he himself said amongst the rest of their talk (as this deponent well remembers) that he was then sober and would prove what he said, that no woman but Sally Nickson ever came to bed to him.
Upon the fourteenth or fifteenth day of November last, at night, this deponent and his brother-in-law John Bostock the elder of Macefen and his son being in company together with Mr Ambrose Nickson, father of the plaintiff in this cause, and the defendant, Mr Alderney Dickens of Agden in Malpas parish, at the house of one Bromfield, the sign of the Black Greyhound in Whitchurch in Shropshire, and some angry discourse happening there betwixt the said Mr Nickson and Mr Dickens about coursing and also some talk about the said Mr Nickson's daughter, the plaintiff in this cause, Dickens seeming to be in drink and speaking to Mr Nickson said, "Your daughter" (meaning the plaintiff, her being before named in their discourse) "came to bed to me, I'll prove it, which no other young women ever did, I know her", which last words this deponent understood to have relation to what he had said before and that by his knowing her he really meant he had had carnal knowledge of and had committed fornication with the plaintiff, though immediately afterwards upon Mr Nickson's saying "My daughter knows you to be a rogue" said "If she be a whore, do not spare her" or to that effect, the said deponent replied "I know nothing of that" or to that effect, but looking upon young John Bostock said "Let who will have or marry her, I knew her" and further this deponent knows not.