ounces Two penny weight Fine upon the pound The Assayes follow viz. The particular Originall Reports I have readie to produce to the Counsell of Trade wherin they will see the great Cheats put upon the Nation by some Refiners Wyerdrawers and Silkmen At the bottome of the original paper this followes viz. These are the severall Assayes of the silver Spangles plaited Wyer and silver Thread made and Reported by mee Alexander Jackson They being all under Starling and against the Laws of the Kingdom Some part of these Assayes I made by the appointment of Sr Henry Mildemay Knight in the year 1635 and some part of which falsified and defective silver Thread flatted Wyer and Spangles were brought to mee by Mr Tho Violet in the year 1638. By mee ALEXANDER JACKSON the sworn Assay-master to the worshipfull Company of Goldsmiths London By Order of the Lords of the Counsel I Tho. Violet paid Mr Jackson Five pounds for this Service And this silver Thread Wyer Spangles c. was one hundred and odd several parcels made contrarie to the oath of every Goldsmith Wyerdrawer and Refiner when they are made free at Goldsmiths Hall I humblie leav it to bee considered on whether this manufacture ought not strictly to bee looked after and duelie regulated when neither Oaths nor bonds will keep them to work good â—â—lver For executing of my Office justlie and strictlie to hold the Refiners and Wyerdrawers to a Rule to make all their wyer and thread of good silver and punishing the Offenders manie of them I brought to Justice And I shewed the King how hee was cozened in the Mint of Three thousand Pounds a year which caused Alderman Wollaston secretly to hate mee mortally And hee caused mee to bee clapt up by his incensing some members of Parlament against mee in the Tower in Januarie 1643. when hee was Lord Major of London And the Parlament kept mee close prisoner there Nine hundred twentie eight daies and Fourteen Moneths more in which I had libertie to go at large in the Tower upon the pretence I was a Malignant when the truth was Alderman Wollaston vented but his private malice against mee Upon this occasion viz. Alderman Wollaston having put up to the Parlament in the year 1640 a Petition slighting the Kings mercie and goodness towards him in giving him his Pardon when I saw Alderman Wollaston's carriage in that Petition hee presented to the Parlament I then told the King in the year 1640. that Alderman Wollaston joining with some of the Officers of his Mint had made a fraudulent agreement to melt all the silver in the Mint which was to make monies and hee to have from the King the allowance of 16 grains upon the pound Troy which is 2 pence the pound weight Troy for all the silver hee melted in the Mint This agreement was made without either the King 's or the Lords of the Counsells knowledg or approbation nor was there anie allowance or power under the Great Seal of England for him to receive these fees or the Officers of the Mint to grant them to him By which fraudulent bargain the King was defrauded of neer upon three thousand pounds a year from the year 1630. to the year 1640. And Alderman Wollaston put up all this monie in his own particular purse the King nor Lords never knowing any thing of this blinde bargain Alderman Wollastons place in the Tower being so inconsiderable in the eie of the State and in the reputation of the world the melter of the mint being but the Master workers servant that Alderman Wollaston never had a Patent for it under the Great Seal whereas the Master worker of the Mint hath a Pattent the Warden the Assaie-master the master of the Irons the Engraver the Comptroller the Teller and several other Officers of the Mint have all of them their several Pattents under the Great Seal of England for their several places Now Alderman Wollaston's place was worth every year to him more monie then all the aforesaid Officers of the Mint twice told for every year hee cleared near three thousand pounds a year as I proved to the late King and I can prove it to your Highness the Parlament and your Counsel whensoever you pleas and all the Officers Fees in the Mint did not amount to one thousand pounds a year A strange fraudulent trick that a servant for in the Mint Alderman Wollaston was but the master workers of the mints servant should get six times more then his master and three times more then all the Officers in the mint It was the profits of this Place raised him principally to bee an Alderman But this is no great wonder when the masters of the mint for many years are and have been ignorant of the mysteries and perquisites of their places to the great dammage of the Nation in many particulars In former times it was not so Goldsmiths and Artists were masters of the mint that knew the course of Exchanges and held Correspondence with Forrain Bankers and merchants no Age can shew afore this a Doctor of Physick master worker of the mint and had not I stopped at one time three hundred thousand pounds of silver the Irons in the mint would have been rustie I caused more money to come to the mint at one time 1653 then hath been coyned this seven yeare besides that money Upon this my Information to the King hee presently sent for Mr Andrew Palmer the Assay-master of the mint and Mr Henry Cogan the Comptroller of the mint and examined the business about Alderman Wollastons Place in the Tower and commanded mee to bee by and to declare before them what I had told his Majestie concerning Alderman Wollastons Place of melter in the mint And when they heard what I said they confessed it to bee a truth that Alderman Wollaston had in ten years beeing esteemed but as a servant by the condition of his Place in the mint to the Head-Officers the master Worker and Warden of the mint gotten more by his melting of the Silver in the mint then all the Officers of the mint put them all together had done Whereupon the King was wonderfull angry with them they beeing his Officers in the Mint that they would suffer such a thing and not acquaint him or his Counsel with it And asked If my Lord Treasurer or Lord Cottington or the Lords of his Counsel allowed him to have such Fees and allowances or knew that Wollaston made such Gaines in the Mint by being Melter of the Gold and Silver They told his Majestie No they did believe none of them knew it nor any others but the Officers of the Mint for that it was a mysterie and few did know it Thereupon the King sworâ— his Officers of his Mint must either bee Knaves or Fooâ—s to let such an one as Alderman Wollaston gull him of three thousand pounds a year and to give such a Place of Profit to any without his consent or the
the value of one thousand three hundred and odd pounds Besides many of my Papers and Accompts of great concernment to the Commonwealth and as yet I cannot come to the knowledg who hath them But this I am sure of If there had been any thing in them that could have made against mee there had then use been made of them 2. My mother had at another time a Privy Seal taken from her wherein the late King acknowledged hee owed me for my expences in discovering the Transporters of Gold and Silver ninteen hundred threescore and eight pounds which money I laid every penny out of my own purse to do the late King and Commonwealth that service and I caused the transporters of gold and silver to be fined in the Star Chamber at Twenty four Thousand pounds besides several Merchants and gold and silver Refiners viz. Alderman Wollaston and Alderman Gibbs Mr Peter Fountain and others Upon their Petition to the late King and paying well for it had their Pardon under the Great Seal of England for several abuses practised by them in their Trades and complained of at Whitehall to the late King by Sr Henry Mildemay Master of the Jewel-hous and by som of the Wardens and Company of Goldsmiths as will appear by the Order of the Counsel-table 25 Jan. 1634. 3. The Committee of Essex put mee out of Possession of the Mannors of Battells and Patan-Hall in Essex as appears by their Warrants Of which Lands I had an Extent to the just value of One thousand pounds and one Mr Elconhead received my rents ever since 1643 Mr Philip Cage being in possession for my Use 4. The Committee of Shropshire seized in my sisters hands in London three Bonds due to mee in two thousand pounds for the payment to mee Thomas Violet one thousand pounds by the Lady Anne Waad Edmond Lenthal Phillip Cage and Charles Mordent Esqrs as appears by the Bonds restored unto mee back from John Corbet Esq r 24th of May 1656 by vertue of your Highness and your Counsels Order of 21 of March 1655. And I have put these Bonds in suit according to the power given unto me by your Highness and your most honorable Counsel For which Justice I most humbly am bound to give to Colonel Syddenham my Lord Strickland and Col. Jones most humble thanks humbly trusting in God that they will bee honorably pleased to move your Highness and the Councel to take that order the rest of my Estate under Sequestration shall bee justly restored Or that I shall have the summ to bee made up Eleven thousand pounds paid mee according to the faithfull promise of the Councel of State 1652 for staying and intituling the State to the aforesaid Three hundred thousand pounds in silver which the Commonwealth onely by my means had every penny of it 5. I had the Leas of ten severall Houses at the Posterne in Little Moor-fields and the Tennants owed mee when I was committed to the Tower in arrears for rent above one hundred pounds And for these Thirteen years I received no Rent of them But one Mr Elconhead hath received the Rents of them ever since 6. I had the Office of sealing and surveying of all gold and silver Thread and Wyer which prevented the making of all sleight and adulterate gold and silver Thread and Wyer granted to mee under the Great Seal for three Lives from the late King which Office cost mee Fifteen hundred Pounds to the Lord Treasurer Juxon L. Cottington Sr John Cook Secretary of State and Sr. John Bankes the late Kings Attourney The necessity of keeping up that Office to prevent the dayly Cosennages and frauds of divers Silkmen Wyerdrawers and Refiners in their making Cours sleight and deceitfull Gold and Silver Wyer and Toread I shall at the later end of this book shew at large having about three hundred Assayes of adulterate and cours gold and silver Wyer Thread Spangles Oes c all made and sold contrary to the Lawes and Statutes These Assayes are in my custody under the Hand and Attestation of Mr Alexander Jackson Assay-master of Goldsmiths Hall and the several Silkmens names and shops and dayes of the Moneth in which they sold this cours adulterate gold and silver Thread and Lace Spangles Wyer c. to the great deceipt of the Nation in generall And upon the Discovery of these notorious Cheats the late King and his Counsel appointed mee Surveyor and Sealer of the said Manufacture I caused all the abuses to bee laid aside I Indicted som offenders imprisoned som caused others to stand in the Pillory and made many of them that wrought adulterate cours silver run away out of London By which means I angred many cheating Wyer-drawers Silkmen and Refiners and the late Kings Councel and Commissioners setled such Rules and Orders during that Regulation the Manufacture was all made of good silver and the Coin and Bullion of this Nation preserved and your Supplicant was bound to the late King to warrant all the Manufactures either of gold or silver Wyer or Thread which hee sealed or surveyed in the Office to bee good silver and to make it good to any party grieved in the Nation as appears by my Patent under the Great Seal of England For which Assurance Surveying and Sealing I was allowed to demand and take an half penny for every once Troy in Wyer Spangles Oes ctc. I suveyed and 4 pence for every pound weight Vennice for all the Gold and Silver I sealed with the Seal of my Office being the Rose and Crown 7. I had a Grant from the late King under his Signet to bee Master-worker of the Mint in the Tower of London for my life with the Fee of five hundred pound a year for executing that place which Grant was taken from my Mother out of her Custody when I was sent to the Tower 8. I had one quarter part of the Lady Willers Farm at the Custom-hous for the Importation of all gold and silver Thread Hatbands Lace and Copper thread throughout England and Wales which costmee a little before I was sequestred above seven hundred pounds And if the making gold and silver thread was put down in England the Custom of gold and silver thread imported would make a far greater Revenew then now it doth by the Excise and the manifacture if it bee made here ought to bee kept to a strict Regulation 9. I spent in my Imprisonment in the Tower for almost four years above seven hundred pounds and could never get to be heard though I petitioned to the Parlament as aforesaid many years to come to a Triall knowing my self to bee innocent both by God's Law and the Laws of the Land and above all by the testimony of a good Conscience which hath ever supported mee in and thorow all these troubles All this Estate was and is Sequestred but my three aforesaid bonds to this day besides my Dammage for my four years Imprisonment 10. Since I came out
of the Tower by order of the Counsel of State 1652. and since I laid out in the Prosecution of the silver Ships Sampson Salvador and George above the summ of five hundred pounds as appears by the Oaths of severall persons which I emploied in this Discovery as you may see in this book Fol. 50 51 52 53 54 55. I borrowed every penny of this money paying Interest for it at this day And by my Protest against the Discharge of these silver Ships Sampson Salvador and George and my Discoveries thereupon by many good and legal Witnesses Passengers and others in these Ships I caused all the Silver to become the States All which services I did upon the faitfull promise of the Counsel of State in December 1652 to restore mee to all my Estate or the full value of Eleven thousand pounds being Required to do this Service by severall Warrants from the Counsel of State and at the Entreaty of Doctor Walker as appears in this Book And no other man in England besides my self did ever at one time save the State three Hundred thousand Pounds which if it had not been for mee the State had been cozeâ—ed of every penny of it as appears by this and my former Narrative Here followeth the Copie of the late Kings Letter to the City of LONDON To Our Trusty and Wel-beloved Our Lord May or and Aldermen of Our City of London and all other Our wel-affected Subjects of that City Charles Rex TRustie and Well beloved wee greet you well When wee remember the many Acts of Grace and Favor Wee and Our Royal Predecessors have conferred upon that our Citie of London and the many examples of eminent Duty and Loyaltie for which that City hath been likewise famous Wee are willing to beleev notwithstanding the great defection wee have found in that place That all men are not so farr degenerate from their affection to Us and to the peace of the Kingdom as to desire a continuance of the miseries they now feel And therefore being informed That there is a desire in some principal persons of that City to present a Petition to Us which may tend to the procuring a good understanding between Us and that Our City whereby the peace of the whole Kingdom may bee procured Wee have thought fit to let you know That wee are ready to receiv any such Petition and the Persons who shall bee appointed to present the same to Us shall have a safe conduct And you shall assure all our good Subjects of that Our City whose hearts are touched with any sense of Duty to Us or of Love to the Religion and Laws established in the quiet and peaceable fruition whereof They and their Ancestors have enjoyed so great Happiness That wee have neither passed any Act nor made any profession or Protestation for the maintenance and defence of the true Protestant Religion and the Liberties of the Subject which wee will not most strictly and religiously observ And for the which 〈◊〉 will not bee alwaies ready to give them any security that can bee desired And of these Our gracious Letters Wee expect a speedy Answer from you And so Wee bid you farewell Given at Our Court at Oxford in the nineteenth year of Our Reign December 26. 1643. By his Majesties Command GEORGE DIGBY I do most humbly desire the Common Council of the Citie of London to certifie your Highness if ever amongst all their Records since the foundation of their City they finde such a sad President as mine is And whether that any Messenger from any former King of England suffered the loss of his Estate to his damage above eleven thousand pounds for bringing them or any their Ancestors the like Letter as I did from the late KING And at that time viz. in December 1643. there was sent and came from Oxford the Writs weekly under the Great Seal of England without any Countermand My hard usage After-ages will hardly beleev had I not Printed it to Posterity I Sufferd Imprisonment in the Tower almost four years for bringing up the aforesaid Letter from Oxford to the Lord Mayor and Common Council of the City of London in December 1643 although I had an Order from the Hous of Commons as appears by their Journal Book and a Pass from the Lord General Essex to go to Oxford which were both procured for mee by Mr Theophilus Ryley Scout-master General of the City of London who was authorized to execute that place by the then Parlament and Common Council of London and I was authorized by the said Mr Ryley to do the same Mr Ryley being impowered by the then Parlament and Common Council of London to hold Intelligence in any the Kings Quarters as by his Orders hee shewed me Mr Ryley was a man of a known approved Integritie and in great esteem with the then Parlament and Citie of London at that time and would not have acted any thing but what was just and for the Parlaments service according to his Trust If hee had thought it otherwise and hee might have gotten a hundred thousand pounds upon my Conscience and that made mee to act this Business to bring up the Kings Letter upon his Intreaty as hee confessed upon his Examination and I justified my doing thereof by his Order hee being a publick minister and impowered to do it as hee told mee And also the Committee of both Nations was made acquainted with my going to Oxford for the bringing up the said Letter which I brought from the late King by Sir David Watkins Knight I desired him to make them acquainted therewith before ever I went to Oxford and to have their approbation which Sir David Watkins after hee had spoken with them told mee I had their approbation to go to Oxford And all this was done before any Law or Ordinance was made or declared to forbid mee or any other to do the same that ever I heard of And I humbly say That before a law made there is no transgression neither by Gods law nor Mans law And I was not to question Mr Ryleys power abilities and trust considering hee acted as a publick minister but to act according to his direction so long as hee was in the said Office of Scout-master I having his Warrant and approbation for doing what I did I have never read nor heard of so heavy a punishment as your Supplicant doth suffer under before a Law made to give a man warning And by the Statutes of 9. Hen. 3. cap. 29. 5. Edw. 3. cap. 9. and 28. Edw. 3. cap. 3. No person of what estate oâ— condition soever hee bee shall bee put out of Land or Tenement nor taken nor imprisoned nor dis-inherited without being brought to answer by due process of the Law which I have petitioned for by a legal trial many years but could never obtain the same May it pleas your Highness Had there been a Proclamation or Act of Parlament at that time to have
they were pardoned of might have their Pardons under the Great Seal of England for what offenses and abuses in their Trades they had done contrary to the Laws of this Nation and Mr Attournie Generall by order of the King and Counsel to stop his Proceedings against them and the rest of the Refiners both in the Exchequer and Starr-Chamber The Refiners Alderman Wolastone and Alder. Gibbs thereupon offer to pay his Majestie six pence the ounce for all Wyer that should bee disgrossed and spent in that Munufacture And they drew in six other Refiners to bee their fellow Partners and Monopolists and to pay the Rent of a fair hous above one hundred and twenty Pounds a year to pay Clarks wages and other incident charges And this Office they did execute several moneths in the year 1635. before the King would give Alderman Wolaston and Alderman Gibbs their pardons for their offenses And much adoe then they had to get their Pardons for when their pardons were at the Signet Office Sr Henry Mildemay got the King to stop their pardons And this Sr John Cook the Secretary of State told me That Sr Henry Mildemay had presented to the late king how grosly both Alderman Gibbs and Alderman Wolaston had abused the Commonwealth contrary to the Law and how they had surprised the King in getting their Pardons and that they deserved to bee made exemplar I am sure according to the usuall way of the Court Alderman Wolaston and Alderman Gibbs could not remove such obstructions but with great summs though the particular summs I never knew And I was desired by Mr Secretry Cook at Oatlands on Sunday after Diner to go presently to London to Alderman Gibbs and Alderman Wolaston which accordingly I did to let them know from him their Pardons were stopped by the King and that they should attend him about it which accordingly Alderman Gibbs and Alderman Wolaston the next morning did I was well acquainted for I had paid for it what the meaning of such a message was to bee sent by me to Alderman Gibbs and Alderman Wolaston And I did believ that they had not come up to a full price nor paid so much as was expected and I knew that was the main stop of their Pardons Upon this Offer of the Refiners to pay the King six pence the ounce beeing asmuch again as the Gold-wyer-drawers had offered by their Petition the Gold-wyer-drawers were laid aside with their Petition and Propositions by the late King and his Counsel as inconsiderable persons And the Refiners Alderman Gibbs and Alderman Wollaston by their craft getting to bee great with the Attorney General Bankes Secretary Cook Sir William Beecher and other Courtiers got to bee the onely men to carry on this Project for being the Kings Agents to furnish One hundred thousand pounds a year for this manufacture And the late King to gratifie the Refiners who had bid him so roundly granted Alderman Wollaston and Alderman Gibbs their pardons under the great Seal of England the rest of the Refiners being then but young men were esteemed as rascal Deer they had not wool on their Backs nor had committed sins enough for to have their pardons under the great Seal of England and so got dismissed by Order of the Lords of the Counsel in the Court of Starr-Chamber And the King appoints the Refiners viz. Alderman Wollaston Alderman Gibbs Henry Patrickson Daniel Stalworthy William Haward Richard Gibbs Thomas Nowel and Walter Hill under the great Seal of England to bee called by the name of his Majesties Agents for the refining of One hundred thousand pounds Gold and Silver a year for this Business And they had not a bare title onely of that name for the late King allowed them to share with him and to tax the People in their prizes to sell their gilt silver Wyer two pence upon every ounce and the silver Wyer one penny upon every ounce more then divers Goldsmiths of London offered to sell the Wyer-drawers And this was offered several times by Captain Williams the late Kings Goldsmith a man of a great and vast Estate Mr Footer Mr Symonds and divers other able rich men And good securitie offered to the late Kings Commissioners and at the Counsel Table at Whitehall for the performing of Covenants But this would not bee granted by the late King or his Counsel And this gave the great Offence in Parlament 16â—0 it being found by the Parlament upon Examination that so great and numerous a company as the Company of Goldsmiths and Gold-wyer-drawers are should bee debarred so great a branch in their Trade as this is For it will be justified and credibly demonstrated to your Highness and the Parlament that these aforesaid eight Refiners whereof Alderman Gibbs and Alderman Wollaston had one half of the Trade and stock as appears by the Monopolie got more for their own particular profit by monopolizing to themselves the sale of all Gold and Silver Wyer for this Manufacture being one hundred thousand pounds a year then all the Goldsmiths in London which are many hundred families did get at that time by selling all the new Plate in London And I am confident all knowing Goldsmiths will calculate it so which was and is the principal part of the Goldsmiths Trade The Duty reserved to the King in lieu of his Customs was nothing so odious to the Wyer-drawers in comparison as the Refiners Monopoly was The Wyer-drawers constantly affirmed to the King and his Counsel and to the Kings Commissioners that the Refiners Monopoly was contrary to Law and upon a dispute at the Counsell Table the King called the Refiners Alderman Gibbs and Alderman Wollaston his Sheep and the Wyerdrawers he called his Goats but in the conclusion both these Refining Aldermen proved the Kings Majesties Sheep biters And the late King pressed the Wyer-drawers at his Counsell Table to conform themselvs to the Regulation but some of the Wyer-drawers told the said King They would submit to the Law but not to the Refiners Monopoly and that it was against the Law that Freemen of the City of London should bee restrained a Free Market to enrich private men and to make them Aldermen Besides the Gold-wyer-drawers were compelled upon great penalties as appears by their Bonds to buy no Silver wyer for their manufacture but of the said Alderman Wallaston Alderman Gibbs and the other six Patâ—ntees joined with them and oftentimes the Refiners Gibbs and Wollaston pressed the Commissioners to cause searches and complaining they were at great charges paying Clerks wages and Hous-rent and therefore desired searches and seisures of such Wyer-drawers silver which did not buy of them And they forced all persons to pay them two pence the ounce for all gilt wyer and a penny the ounce for all silver wyer more then they ought or needed to have done had the Wyer-drawers been permitted to have had a free market And the Goldwyerdrawers paid this for divers years together as is
people wherby many disherisons and divers great mischeifes and damages bee hapned aswell to the King as to his said people and to all his Realm wherof hee to the honor of God and for the weale of him and his Realm And for the quietness and Releif of him and of his people who have ben in divers manners greatly charged before this time willing with the grace of God against such mischeifes to provide a good and due remedy HATH of his free will and at the request of the Lords and Comons aforesaid ordayned made and assigned his great Officers that is to say The Chancellor Treasurer and keeper of his Privie Seale such as hee holdeth good sufficient and lawfull for the honor and profit of him and his Realm And moreover of his authoritie royall certain knowledg and good agree and freewill And by the advice and assent of the Prelats Lords and Comons aforesaid in the full Parlament in ayd of good governance of his Realm And good and due execution of his said Lawes And in releif of the Estate of him and his people in time to com uppon the full trust that he hath of good advisement witt and discretion of the Honorable Fathers in GOD William Arch Bishop of Canterbury and Alexander Arch Bishop of York his dear Uncles â—dmond duke of York and Thomas duke of Glocester the honorble Fathers in GOD William Bishop of Winchester Thomas Bushop of Exeter and Nicolas Abbott of waltham and his wellbeloved and Faithfull Richard Earl of Arundell John Lord of Cobham Sir Richard le Scrope John Devoreux hath ordained and assigned and deputed them by his Letters Patents under his great Seal to be of his greate and continuall Counsel from S. Edmonds Eve the Martyr by a whole year next following after the date of the said Letters Patens to survey and examine with the said great officers That is to say the Chancellor Treasurer and keeper of his privie Seal aswell the Estate and governance of his house and of all his Courts and places as of all his Realm as of all his officers and Ministers of whatsoever Estate Degree or condition hee bee aswell within the said Hous as without and to enquire and take Information by all the wayes which to them best shal seeme of al the rents revennues and profits that to him appertaneth and be due aswell within the Realm as without in any manner way or condition And of all manner of Gifts and Grants alienations and confirmations made by him of Lands Tenements Rents and ymmunities profits Revenues wards marriges Escheats forfeitures franchises liberties voydances of Archbushops Bushiprickes Abbies Priores Fermes of Howses and Possessions of Aliens And of all other possessions soms of money goods and Chattels and of all other things and to what persons and for what caus and how and in what manner And namely of those persons which have taken without desert And also all manner of Revenues and profits aswell of his said Realm as of Lands Seigniories Cities Towns Castles Fortresses and also of all manner his other posesons aswell on this side the Sea as beyond and of the profits and emoluments of his money bullions and of the taking of Prisoners Towns and Places Ships Carackes good and Ransoms of warre by land and by sea And of benifices and other possessions of Cardinals Rebels and all other aliens and also of carrying of money out of the Realm by the Collectors of the Pope Procurators of the Cardinals Lumberds other persons aswell aliens as Denizens And of the Emoluments and profits coming and rising out of the Customs Subsides of Wools Leather And woolfels and of smal Custstomes and other Subssedies of Cloethes Wynes and all other Marchandize And of disines quinzins And all other subsides and charges granted by the Clergie and the Comons and also of the receipt profits and payments of the hamper of his Chancery And of all other his receipts from the time of his Coronatiion tell And of fees Wages and rewards of officers and Ministers more and less Also of immunities and other Rewards And also guifts and grants made to any person by him and by his Father and his grand father in fee or for terme of life or in any other manner And if gre or payment bee to them thereof made and by whom and how And in what manner And also how much they have released or given to officers or others to have their payments to what persons how and in what maner And of Lands Tenements Rents Revenues and forfeitures barganed and sold to the prejudice and damage of him and of his Crown and by whom and to whom how and in what manner And of the Sale or bargain of Tallies and Patens of singular profits aswell in the tyme of his said grand-Father as in his own time and how and by what persons And also of all his jewells and goods which were his said Grandfathers at the time of his death and what and of what price or value and where they bee becom and how and in what manner And of all Cheviences any wise made to his use by any maner of persons And of all loss and damage hee hath had fustained by the same And by what persons how and in what manner and of charters of pardons generall and espcciall and also of the somes and payments and maner of expence aswell of his said hous as for the salvation and defence of his Realms Lands and seignioryes Towns Castles and fortresses and other Places on this side the Sea and beyond don and received by any persons aswell Soldiers as others and by any manner of way and how and in what manner and how much they have given to have their payments and of the concealments of rights and profits and by whom how and in what maner and of maintainers and takers of quarels embracers of enquests and of officers and ministers made by brockage and of their broggers and of them that have taken the said brocage and how and in what maner and also of all the defaults and offences that bee don aswell in his said hous as other places and courts aforesaid as in all other places within his realm of England by any manner of persons whereby the profit of him and of his crown hath been impaired and diminished or the common law disturbed delayed or other damage to him hapned giveing comitting by the same of his royall authoritie and by the advice and assent aforsaid to the said counsellors or any six of them and to the great officers full power authority generall especiall to enter his said hous all the offices of the same and all his other Courts places as often as them pleas to caus to com before them where when them pleaseth The Rols records and other minuments evidences such as them liketh and all the defaults waste and excesses found in his said hous and also all the defaults and
of this nature as these in my Queries I set down All which I humbly present unto you as being very material both for his Highness's service and for myself As for my part I intend to make your Judgments thereupon to bee my Rule either to proceed or desist in these following Discoveries to avoid unnecessary expence and trouble both to my self and others My humble Queries are these following 1. WHen Comissioners are or have My Copy is not perfectly exactâ—◠〈◊〉 in soâ—e one or two small particulars it may â—â—â—fer from the Originall which I put up to the Commissioners at Worcester hous been appointed either by Ordinance of Parlament or Order of the Councel of State or under the Great Seal of England for to take the Care and Charge of the Sale of all Prize Ships and Merchandize brought in by any of the men of Warr of the late Parlament or of his Highness's and the States Shipping and all and every one of the said Commissioners having allowance of Poundage or yearly Fees from the State for that Service for their care and pains in the sale of all or any Merchandize Gold Silver Jewels Plate Ships and all other goods whatsoever brought in for the Use of the Publique Which Commissioners have been appointed by Parlament Counsel of State or his Highness And by vertue of that Power Commissioners have acted being all of them obliged and tied to make a true and just Accompt upon oath unto his Highness of all summs of money they receiv and the just and true value of all Merchandize and Goods they have been intrusted with the Sale without any fraud or mentall reservations saving onely their just Fees and Sallerie appointed to each of the Commissioners by the Parlament or his Highness And these Commissioners having failed in their Trust whether according to the Statute 6 Hen. 4. Cap 3. this bee within the Cognizance of your Commission to punish the Offenders and to cause them all to make a just and true Accompt upon oath and to pay the Commonwealth what they have defrauded the State for what remains in their hands 2. Whether these Commissioners when they had their Commissions have Covenanted jointly or severally with the State to give a just and true Accompt to his Highness and the Parlament And whether they bee guiltie all of them that were put into one Commission if I prove the offence of some of them Or whether onely such of the Commissioners as are proved guilty and the other Commissioners though their power was all of one date and they acted together shall not bee accomptable but every man for himself severally to answer for his own particular actions and no further 3. That if I shall prove some of the Commissioners for the States Prize Goods HAVE sorted out Wines Sugars Oyles Wools Fruit silks Linen Cloth of Gold and Silver Jewels Pearl Civer Bezer Stones and any sorts of Commodities in anie Cellars Ships Warehouses or other Places within this Nation either by themselves servants Coopers Brokers Porters or anie other skilfull persots in Merchandize and when this sorting picking garbling is one to reserve a quantity more or less of this sorted picked and garbled Merchandize for the Commissioners themselves either one or more of them viz. If the Commissioners or Sub-commissioners for the State make a sale of thirty thousand Poundes of goods and merchandize more or less there having been before Ten thousand Pondes of this merchandize sorted and garbled out for the Commissioners As in one Instance Suppose 300 Tunnes of French Wines are the whole Parcell of Wines the State hath by their Commissioners to Sell and 200 Tunns of this Wine is exposed to Sale by the States Commissioners and sold by the Candle as the usuall way is publiquely to every man And one hundred Tunns of this French Wines being picked out of the choicest and principall of the whole Parcell is reserved for a Commissioner or Commissioners for the sale of Prize goods and these Commissioners shall pretend this small Parcell of 100 Tunns of Wines is not worth the trouble to make a new Sale by the Candle And thereupon these Commissioners or Sub-commissioners being intrusted to sell these Wines by the State having a Fee or Sallary for the same do contrary to their Trust either by themselves in their own name or names or get friends and use the names of others to buy the said 100 Tunns of Wines but so that still the Commissioners have the profit of the said Wines so sold when in truth this 100 Tunns of Wines picked and sorted out of 300 Tunns was realy worth in the Market as much as the 200 Tunns sold publiquely by the Candle for 15l 16l 20l the Tunn and sometimes more And some of the Commiseioners for Prize goods have bought for their own uses the Hundred Tunnes of the choisest and pick'd Wines at the rate of 15l 16l 20l the Tunne and sometimes more which Wines have been by the said Commissioners sold to the Vintners and others at 30l 35l and 40l a Tunn ready money when the State hath had but 15l and â—0l allowed and put down on their Accompt This demonstration serves for all their Wines Sugars Tobaccoes Silks Linnens Salt Civet Bezer-stones Pearls Jewels Wools Oyles Fruit and Spice and all other Commodities brought in any the States Prizes These merchandises sorted garbled and pickt from the gross bulk may bee better in the true value then the gross quantitie of merchandise sold usually by the Candle sometimes 20l. 30l 40l in the hundred and sometimes where goods are perishable half in half there is so much difference in the sorting And whether these Commissioners being intrusted to sell the States Goods at the best rate could underhand buy these Goods themselvs after they have been picked and sorted or go partners with any that did buy and that much under the true value as will bee found upon examination by my discovery 4. Whether these things being duly proved the Commissioners for Prize-goods and every one of them are not lyable to make a true accompt to his Highness and to stand charged with all the surplusage of Monies they have made of all or any the Prize-goods belonging to the State and his Highness which they have not as yet duely and truely accompted for and to bee ordered to deliver in upon their several oaths a just and true accompt of all the Merchandise Jewels Diamonds Pearls Civet Beazar-stones c. that have come into their custody and what Prize Ships or Goods they sold and had a share in themselvs of the true value of all merchandise that hath come to their hands and whether I may not cause to bee viewed all Books and Papers which I know can evidence the same and thereupon produce any person or persons to bee examined to finde out the bottom of the fraud and whether any person or persons nominated to bee examined as witnesses touching the premisses shall bee
most excellent Waies and Rules were setled in the Court of Exchequer in all Kings Reigns by the great care of many Ages And the Sages of the Law know there was not a more exact method in the world then the Court of Exchequer was for the just accompting and paying the Kings Dues I have heard my Lord Cottington say in the Exchequer Chamber That no Prince in Christendom had the like exact way as the King of England had by the course of the Exchequer if the Rules set down by the Court bee by the under-Officers duely executed so that whatsoever summ comes in there bee it a million of money must bee duely paid and accompted for or else hee could finde it upon the foot of the accompt if ever it came in charge into the Pipe And if the course of the Exchequer had not been disturbed and the payments of the publick money thrust out of the old Channel it had been impossible to have had so many Treasurers cozen the Common-wealth so grosly and shamefully as they have done And in order and pursuance of calling all Accomptants to a just true and strickt Accompt your Supplicant most humbly presents these ensuing Proposals to your Highness and the Parlaments view and consideration and humbly prayeth that the same may bee put in strickt execution with such alterations and additions as your Highness and the Parlament shall conceive fittest for the good of the Nation in general to ease the people of their Taxes For God defend that the generalitie of the people should contribute their monies and pay it to Treasurers that shall make themselves great and their private posterities after them out of what they have cozened and defrauded the Common-wealth of Therefore I humbly petition your Highness and the Parlament 1. THat an Act of Parlament may bee made and a Proclamation thereupon go forth commanding and requiring all Committee-men Sequestrators Trustees for sale of Delinquents Estates Commissioners of Excize Commissioners of the Customs Treasurers of the publick Plate and all other Treasurers Receivers Collectors and all other Accomptants and persons whatsoever that have been imploied to collect and receiv and have collected and received any the publick monies goods chattels plate c or other things of value throughout England and Wales ever since the beginning of the year 1642. shall within three moneths next after the date of the said Act and Proclamation make up and deliver according to the Laws and Statutes of this Nation made for Accomptants and Accompts into the Exchequer or other place your Highness shall appoint their several just and true Accompts of what Monies Goods Chattels Plate c. or other thing of value they or any for them have received And how and by what warrant they have paid and delivered out the same The same Accompt to bee delivered in upon the particular oath of every such person Accomptant that the same is a just and true Accompt And upon every particular accompt so made to pay in the money remaining in his hands upon his said Accompt if any there bee into the Exchequer or other person and place your Highness shall appoint to receiv the same And upon failer of bringing in their several and particular Accompts according to the said Act and Proclamation that then all such monies goods chattels and other things of value which shall bee found and proved upon Inquisition they have received for the Common-wealth whereof they have not accompted for shall bee levyed and taken upon their estates and their persons imprisoned untill they have justly and truly accompted And if any person or Accomptant aforesaid shall bee dead then the Heir and Executor or Administrator of such person so dying or being dead shall duely accompt for the partie so dying or being dead according to the Laws and Statutes of this Nation 2. That an Act of Parlament may bee made and sent throughout England and Wales to require and impower four of the next Justices of the Peace or such other Commissioners your Highness shall appoint to call a Jury in every Parish of substantial Free-holders or other discreet honest men either of the same Parish or Parishes next adjacent and to call to their assistance all other discreet persons that can and will give them true information concerning any of the premisses in charge And the said Jury so impannelled to make true Inquisition of all such neighbours and persons aforesaid of these particular things following viz. 3 That the Jurie bee impowered to enquire and present all persons men and women and their degree and qualitie that have been sequestred in each respective parish within every County of this Nation and the dayes of the moneth and year when this was done Also they are to enquire and present what stock of Cattel Money Plate houshold stuff c. or other things of value they had taken from them and to set down the particular values thereof Also to set down the values of the Houses Lands and Tenements Woods c. sequestred and into whose hands the same came And to set down the parcels and values distinctly and the several time and times when this was done and by whose order warrants and directions and who received the monies 4. They are to enquire and present in every Parish what Committee-men and Sequestrators and Treasurers are in every Parish their distinct names and qualities who of them are dead and who bee their Heirs and Executors or Administrators And if any Sequestrator Treasurer or Committee-man bee removed out of their ancient abiding places since 1642. to set down to the best of their knowledg or information they can get where every such Sequestrator Committeeman and Treasurer doth live in what Countie and place within this Nation or elswhere 5. They are to enquire in what Places of the Countie the Committee for Sequestrations did usually sit and to certifie the same And that diligent search bee made for all Books of Orders of everie particular Committee That in every Parish twelv able and discreet persons upon oath shall make strict inquisition who received all Rents and Profits of all Lands and Houses of Delinquents in the said Parish and how long every Delinquents lands were under Sequestration before they were compounded for or sold and to present all persons that shall bee proved to have the publick money in their hands and what quantity And this all Juries in every Parish shall swear to do without favor or affection and that some considerable penaltie may bee inflicted on such Juries or the Parties offending amongst them that shall wilfully perjure themselvs in wilfull making false Returns and in wilfull concealing any frauds to the prejudice of the Common-wealth through their connivance or willfulness when the Evidence for the State hath by good and legal witnesses sworn the fact positively and clearly and yet the Jury will not make their Returns according to their Evidence to set a penalty upon all Offenders of this
Which will increas your Highness Revenue some thousands of pounds yearly And that your Petitioner may bee Ordered by your Highness to attend the Committee for Trade with his draught for the regulation of this Manufacture And as in duty bound your Petitioner shall pray c. THO. VIOLET Whitehall May 8. 1655. HIs Highness referreth this to the Consideration of the Committee and Counsel for Trade to enquire into the particulars and certifie their opinion Nath. Bacon May it pleas your Highness THe late King Charles and his Privy Counsel would never suffer that the silver courrant Coins or Plate of the Nation should bee wastâ—d in this Manufacture for the making of gold or silver Thread What the Refiners and Wyerdrawers did spend of the Plate and Coin in these Manufactures it was and is against the Laws of the Land And by the very Monopolie that the King granted to Alderman Wollaston and Aldermam Gibbs An. 1636. for to be his onely Agents for refining one Hundred thousand pounds a year of Forrain Silver for making this Manufacture yet in that Project of Gibbs and Wollaston they Covenant with the King not to Refine or caus to bee melted down any the Courrant Coin or Plate of the Nation and that they should melt none but Forrain Bullion which shall be Imported for the making this aforesaid Manufacture And many of the Privy Counsel then were for the total putting down of the making and wearing this Manufacture here in England as causing an excessive Expence to all Sorts and Conditions of people as being a Vanitie that the Nation might well bee without But then it was considered by the King and his Counsell the multitude of Women spinsters and other people that had their subsistance out of it and in that regard the Manufacture was continued but under strict Rules for the due Regulation and that all the Workers should conform to the same and they did promise an humble conformity and I Thomas Violet was appointed under the Great Seal of England to take the care and Charge of Sealing and Surveying all these Manufactures to prevent the former cheating and Cosennage both of Wyerdrawers Silkmen and Refiners The several frauds I clearly proved under the hand of Mr Jackson the sworn Assay-master of Goldsmiths hall and I cut and defaced all sleight cours and deceitfull gold or silver Thread Spangles wyer c. which Office I did justly and faithfully execute for almost Five years and prevented all former Abuses and caused the workmen to work their silver for these Manufactures as exactly and justly as the Plate or Money of the Nation is made during the time I regulated the Manufacture by my sealing of it This I have proved under the hand of many hundred Spinsters who petitioned for the Restoring mee to my Office again Your Petitioners most humble prayer to your Highness is that the Honorable Committee for Trade now having this Business under their examination and having the particulars in this Petitition in consideration may bee by your Highness ordered to make their Report and to take care for the preservation of the Bullion and Coins of the Nation And that all Silver made for this Manufacture bee melted at a Publique place and Viewed and Registred that so none of the Coins or Plate of the Nation bee melted down for any of these Manufactures And to appoint such Officers as they shall conceiv may bee fit for the regulating of all Abuses in the Manufacture and for the best advantage of your Highness The honorable Committee for Trade have given the wyerdrawers and Refiners several dayes for the propounding of wayes for regulating of the said Trade and to prevent the abuses by-past and to preserve the Coin and treasure of the Nation But instead of that the Wyerdrawers have presented the Draught of a Corporation to the Committee of Trade which if it should bee granted unto them in that way they have presented the same They would melt and caus the Goldsmiths to melt for their use in a few years all the heavie Gold and Silver Coin and Plate of this Nation And indeed they are come to that confidence that they think to cozen all people that wear Gold and Silver And to get a Charter for the doing thereof that so they may work Iniquitie by a Law May it pleas your Highness THere was a Complaint made to the late King Charles and the Lords of his Privy Counsel January 25. 1634. And an Information given by some of the Wardens of the Company of Goldsmiths touching the detriment and dammage which ariseth by the undue Practices of some Refiners and Gold-wyer-drawers of London by melting the currant Coynes and Bullion of the Nation And several Depositions against the Refiners of London were presented to the King and his Counsel at White-hall of very high and heynous Crimes by some of the Wardens and Company of Goldsmiths and no doubt but the Company of the Goldsmiths have the Copies of these Papers in their Hall There-upon Mr Attorney General Bankes received a Command from the said King and Lords to prosecute the Statute of 4. Hen. 7th against such Refiners and Gold-wyer-drawers as hee should finde to bee Offenders and to see the Penalties might bee recovered And upon further examination of these most heynous Offences an Information was put into the Starr-Chamber by the Kings Attorney General Bankes against Alderman Wollaston and Alderman Gibbs for melting and procuring several Goldsmiths to cull and melt the currant Silver Coynes of the Nation And for the unlawfull buying and refining of the said heavy currant English Monies and for unlawfull buying and refining Gold and Silver and for several other Abuses practised by them contrary to the Laws and Statutes of the Nation as appeareth at large by the Kings Attornies Information in the Starr-Chamber against them Some of the Wyer-drawers of London seeing the Winde blow at that Corner to prevent the danger approaching on them petition the said late King in the behalf of themselvs and divers other Wyer-drawers of the City of London the second of April 1635. In which Petition they set forth that there are many Abuses daily practised and done in the said Trade of Gold and Silver-wyer-drawing and the manufuctures thereof and that their Trade was under no Government That they desired his Majesties most gracious care in suppressing the promiscuous use by ordering them into a Government Therefore they pray That such as have served for the Trade or such as they should deem fit to use the same and one or two Refiners that may refine Gold and Silver to bee used in the Trade may bee made a Corporation with a non obstante of the Statute of 4. Hen. 7. or any other Statute or Proclamation And that they may bee Incorporated and have two Wardens and twelve Assistants and to have a fitting Officer for their Company and raising money for necessary Charges And that no Gold or Silver thread may bee put to sale