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day, by one Isaac Provender his Bound Servant, a Boy betwixt Ten & Eleven years of Age As he had confessed to him; That he desired they would take his Confession & Examine the People who were Witnesses to several Circumstances Relating thereto.
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Whereup the Constable was Ordered to bring the said Isaac Provender before the Board, & to Summon the People aforesaid to Attend; which being done, They Proceeded to take his Confession as follows Vizt.
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That he the Isaac Provender had it often in his Head to cut his Master's and Mistress's Throats, but that Thought went off again, That he had purposed to cut the Throat of his fellow servant Mary Franks, & that he came down to the Kitchen which is close by the Room where she lay, with that Intent; but that his mind Chang'd. That the first time he thought of Burning his Master's House, was some days ago; That a person whom he had seen before on Hogg Island, mett him on the Road to the Town, near by Governor Cosby's Summer House & asked him how he liked his Master & whether he had not whipt him once or twice; To which the Prisoner answered, That was nothing; he was a good Master for all that, To which the other Replyed, That he had better Burn his house or it would be worse for him. That the same Person mett him in the Island with George Edwards (before he was Bound) & told him that Lieutenant Amhurst was a very bad Master & that it was the very same Person who mett him on the Road to the Town afterwards, & Advised him to burn his Masters House. The said Provender further Declares, that wanting his Pott yesterday about of day he got up & went to the necessary house to fetch it. That then it came into his mind to burn ye House & that for that purpose he went into the Kitchen and laid wood upon the Fire, & then he took a live coal from thence & carried it up to the Hay loft which joins the house, with two Sticks, That he laid it upon the Top of the Hay, that so soon as it began to blaze, he tried to put it out again, but finding he could not Effect it he came into the Yard & returned thro' the window to his Bed again, where he lay, till he heard some People call out, Fire!& then he came out in his Shirt to prevent any Suspicion of his having any hand in 't.
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Then George Edwards a Boy of thirteen years of Age was Examined touching what the Prisoner said of a Person that mett him in the Island; Who Declared that he remembered very well the time, & that William Green the Shoemaker was the Person that told Provender that he would be Bound to a very bad Master
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William Green the Shoemaker being Present & being shewn to the Prisoner he was ask'd whether that was the same Person that mett him on the Island & afterwards upon the road to the Town & advised him to Burn his Master's house to which he Answered in ye Affirmative.
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William Tracy a Soldier in the Garrison Declares, That about four days ago he saw the said Isaac Provender shake a Knife at Mary Franks for
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