deposition before His Majesty's Council, 16 August 1686
Capt. George St Lo Esq aged about thirty two years or thereabouts being duly sworne deposeth & saith that whereas an oath was to be administered to severall persons before ye Rt Hoble ye GoverE on Wednesday ye 11th Augt instant about Goerge Bascomb & Willm Keels deteyning his maties forts from ye GoverE, one Jonathan Stoakes going to lay his hands on ye bible in order thereunto was hindered by one James Farmer, one of His Maties Justices of ye Peace in these Islands, bidding Stoakes not to swear and in a rustical manner went up to ye GoverE and said if Stoakes must swear he would swear too, being as ready as ye other, when this depont thinking ye said James Farmer would have struck ye GoverE stepped between them, when Farmer cryed out, that this was what they had long expected wch was slavery, & now he found it to be true and further saith not.
G StLo
The above attestacon (excepting what concerns James Farmers striking ye GoverE) attested by me John Jauncye Dept. Sect. Sworne before ye Rt Honble GoverE ye 16th day of Augt 1686. Test. Richd Phillips, John Jauncye Dept. Sect.