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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A65092	Two petitions of Thomas Violet of London goldsmith, to the Kings Majestie I. Seting forth the great abuses practised by the makers of gold and silver thread, wire, lace, to the great waste of the stock and treasure of the kingdome, in culling and melting down the heavy currant silver. II. One hundred & twelve several parcels of course and adulterate silver lace, ... Mr. Alexander Jackson, who is sworne assay-maker at Goldsmiths Hall, ... III. Ten several heads or branches certified by the Committee of Trade the 17th of June 1657. seting forth the several abuses in making gold and silver lace, wire, and thread; ... IV. Thomas Violet's petition to the Right Honourable, several Lords of the Privy Council, who are appointed a committee for the removing the obstructions of the mint, ...to present to your Lordships such rules, orders, and instructions for the due vending, and uttering of the said manufactures, ... for the ends expressed.	Violet, Thomas, fl. 1634-1662.	1661 (1661)	Wing V594A; ESTC R222530	22,825	26

TWO PETITIONS OF THOMAS VIOLET of LONDON Goldsmith TO THE KINGS Majestie I. Seting forth the great abuses practised by the makers of Gold and Silver Thread Wire Lace to the great waste of the Stock and Treasure of the Kingdome in culling and melting down the heavy currant Silver II. One hundred twelve several parcels of course and adulterate Silver Lace sould for good Silver by several Shopkeepers in London all these assayes certified under the hands of Mr. Alexander Jackson who is sworne Assay-Master at Goldsmiths Hall which Silver was course and adultrate under Sterling being all wrought against the Law III. Ten several Heads or Branches certified by the Committee of Trade the 17th of June 1657. seting forth the several abuses in making Gold and Silver Lace Wire and Thread and several waies set down for the preventing the same for the future to which I humbly referre IV. Thomas Violet's Petition to the Right Honourable several LORDS of the PRIVY COUNCIL who are appointed a Committee for the removing the obstructions of the Mint that their Honours would be be pleased to take Order for the Regulating of this Trade and prevent the abuses put upon the wearers of Gold and Silver Lace and for their fuller information that an Order may be directd from the LORDS of the COUNCIL to the Company of Goldsmiths requiring them for His MAIESTIES service that they forthwith take into consideration to present to your Lordships such Rules Orders and Instructions for the due vending and uttering of the said Manufactures as they in their great experience shall find most necessary for the ends expressed LONDON Printed Anno Dom. 1661. TO THE KINGS MOST Excellent Majestie And to the LORDS of His MAJESTIES most Honourable PRIVY COUNCIL The humble Petition of Thomas Violet Goldsmith Humbly Sheweth THat your Majesties Royal Father of blessed memory upon complaint to him made by many Persons Noblemen Gentlemen Goldsmiths and others and also to his Majesties Privy Councel as appears by Orders of the Privy Council the 25. of January 1634. shewing That much course Gold Silver Lace Gold and Silver Thread Spangles Oaes and Wyre was daily in great quantities sould for good Silver to the great dammage and hinderance of the Mint in the excessive quantities made for inferior persons And that great quantities of English heavy Silver money was culled and melted down daily for the making of these Manufactures to the great wast of the stock of currant Silver and to the daily deceit of the wearers of Gold and Silver Lace And by Order of some of your Majesties Royal Fathers Privy Council viz. Mr. Secretary Cook your Petitioner and some others were imployed to buy up several parcels of Silver Lace in several Silk-men and Wyerdrawers Shops in London and thereupon your Petitioner and some others brought the said Lace Spangles Wyer Purles Oaes to Mr. Alexander Jackson Assay-Master of Goldsmiths-Hall and he Assayed about one hundred and twelve several parcels of Gold and Silver Lace Spangles Thread Wyer c. as appears under his hand All these Assaies being by him the sworne Officer appointed for that service found and reported to be all made of course and adultrate Silver mixed with Copper contrary to the Law being vended for good Silver and the Gentleman is now living a man of great experience skill and credit that can attest this to be true to your Majesties Privy Council And your Petitioner hath the names of the several mens Houses and Shops of the Silk-men Wyerdrawers and others and the day and the year this course adultrate Silver was by them sould These original Papers your Petitioner hath ready to produce to your Majestie and your most honourable Council Thereupon his late Majesty and his Privy Council commanded Sir John Banks your Majesties Father Attorney General to put some of the eminent of the Offendors into the Star-Chamber and thereupon both Refiners and Wyerdrawers petitioned his Majesty for a Corporation and that they would so order themselves that these abuses being so many and fully proved should all be regulated and prevented for the future But upon full examination at the Privy Council his Majesty and the Lords being fully possessed what had formerly been acted by the Wyerdrawers for several years When they had a Corporation that the abuses continued so notoriously notwithstanding the Wyerdrawers Charter that their Corporation was damned in Parliament about the latter end of King James's time in a quiet time this was done and Sir Giles Monpersons had like to be undone for procuring the Wyerdrawers to have a Corporation as will appear in the Parliament Records to which I humbly referre It was demonstrated in that Parliament before your Majesties Royal Father being then Prince that the Wyerdrawers made Silver Wyer with a core of Copper and sould the same for fine Silver your Majesties Royal Father remembring this was both shewed and proved in the Parliament House of Lords he being then present would not trust the Wyerdrawers with a Corporation 1635. his Majestie saying That would give the Gold Wyerdrawers an opportunitie to cozen the Kingdome againe they having cozened the Kingdome of above twenty thousand pounds a year by deceitful making these Manufactures and venting the same for good for these last twenty years May it please your Majestie your Royal Father upon debate and advice of his Privy Council taking special notice of your Petitioners activitie and abilitie to discover and reforme these abuses in consideration of these service did by his Letters Pattents appoint your Petitioner for three lives and the longer liver of them to have and take the charge and care to be the Surveyers Tryers Sealers Assayers of all Gold and Silver Wyer Thread Purles Oaes Spangles and all other Manufactures of this sort and to Mark Register Seal or Assay the same before any of these Manufactures should be exposed to saile with power given to your Petitioner to search for and seaze on all course and adultrate Silver made into any of the aforesaid Manufactures and to burn and deface the same according to the Law to suffer no Silver to be wrought into any of these Manufactures or put to saile but Sterling Silver at the least Your Petitioner hath two lives yet in being his own life and anothers under the great Seal for the grant and allowance of one half penny the ounce Troy for all Silver Wyer Spangles Purles Oaes and four pence the pound Venice which is one half peny the ounce Troy for sealing or surveying all Gold and Silver Thread c. For the consideration of these Fees your Petitioner did keep and is bound to keep at his own charge several persons to give their attendance to Survey or Assay all Gold or Silver Wyer Thread Spangles c. to pay House-rent books wax fire coles c. and to warrant to all persons whomsoever that all Gold and Silver Wyer drawn at the Office appointed by your Majesties Royal Fathers Proclamation should all

thought fit And since in the persuance of removing some obstructions in the Mint his Majesty hath set forth three Proclamations one against transporting Gold or Silver without leave from his Majesty the other setling the Rule of the currant Gold Coine of this Kingdome and the third decrying down after a certain Day all Gold and Silver Coines that have been made in England since 1640. by any authority whomsoever without his Majesties and His Royal Fathers Warrant and Proclamation to make them currant I ever held it my duty to do the Kings Majesties business first and when that was done humbly to present that which hath relation to my particular interest having obeyed some of your Lordships command to give the Merchants a reason why His Majesty could not trust them with the power to transport mony but with the inconvenience of the whole Kingdom in general Having done the Kings business I now humbly come to your Honours to have the Execution of this aforesaid office to Regulate Gold and Silver thread which I have granted unto me under the great Seal of England for two lives May it please your Lordships your Petitioner being intrusted with the Officers of his Majesties Mint and commanded by some of your Lordships to draw the draft of the Proclamation the 10. of June in the thirtenth year of his Majesties Reign He intreated the Officers of the Mint to speak with Mr. Attorney General concerning the great abuses committed by the Corporation of Wiredrawers in the adultrate false and slight making of Gold and Silver Lace And so insert it into the Proclamation that the Kings Majesty with the advice of his Privy Council would take speady Order therein The words are Viz. That whereas there is daily a great consumption of the heavy currant Silver Coines of the Kingdome and Bullion in the unlawful making Gold and Silver Wyer Thread Spangles Ooes Purles and Lace of course Silver under Sterling His Majesty doth intend in due time to take such strict course as shall reduce the makers of these Manufactures into such Order that all the abuses formerly put on the Subjects shall for the future be prevented and these Manufactures of Gold and Silver duly regulated and assayed according to the Lawes of the Kingdome May it please your Lordships This Clause in his Majesties Proclamation gave the Alaram to some persons that are Wiredrawers to ingage some worthy Gentlemen to be instrumental to procure the Wiredrawers a Corporation from his sacred Majesty and a draught of the Corporation being presented to the Wiredrawers by some persons who do undertake to use their endeavours for to obtain a Corporation for them the model presented was not liked by the Gold Wiredrawers Therefore the Gentleman desires the Gold Wiredrawers that they would alter the model of their Charter of Corporation as they pleased and he would endeavour to get from his Majesty the Corporation according as the Wiredrawers would have it for which the Gentleman covenants with the Wiredrawers to have from them one half penny the ounce for all Silver Wire imployed to make Lace or Thread c May it please your Lordships this Gentleman that would be tampering to get a Corporation for the Gold Wiredrawers of London doth not know the former passages and proceedings in Parliament touching this very Trade and the Workers being Gold Wiredrawers About the year 1618. one Sir John Michael and Sir Giles Monpersons together with the then Attorney General which I take it to be Attorney General Elverton combined together and for a some of money procured the Gold Wiredrawers a Corporation by sinester information to King James which Corporation was complained of the next Parliament as a great abuse and cozenage of these Wiredrawers of the Kingdome openly shown to the Prince and Lords in the House of Lords and by Act of Parliament their Corporation was damned Sir Giles Monpersons Sir John Michael being sentenced by Parliament for this Corporation the Attorney General hardly escaped I humbly referre my self to the Records of Parliament which may be a warning for any to have a care what they do in going about to get these Wiredrawers a Corporation let them remember Sir Giles Monpersons May it please your Lordships your humble Petitioner hath his Majesties Royal Fathers Grant under the great Seal of England Dated the 7. of Sept. in the fourtenth year of his Majesties Royal Father Reign for two lives yet in being his own life and another and the longer liver to warrant all these Manufactures to the wearers and to receive one half penny the ounce upon all Wire Assayed or Sealed and four pence the pound Venice for Gold or Silver Thread for sealing it and warranting it to the wearers to be good with a due proportion of Silver to Silk which his Majesties Royal Father gave to your Petitioner for two thousand pounds his Majesty owed your Petitioner for all his service and charges in spending above two thousand pounds to cause the transporters of Gold and Silver to be fined in the Star Chamber and sentenced by the Lords such Persons and such Fines set upon them as followeth 13. Caroli in the Star-Chamber viz Charles Frank 4000l Robert Ellis 4000l Isaac Romeere 3000l Jacob Delew 1000l Roger Fletcher 1000l Rich. Cockrem 1000l John Parrat 2000l Peter Herne 2000l John Terry 2000l Timothy Eman 2000l Isaac Brames 1000l Henry Futter 500l Henry Sweeting 500l John Perrin 100l The totall of the said Fines amount to the summe of 24100l. At this day there wants a high Court of Star Chamber to punish the transporters of Gold and Silver and some Goldsmiths that furnish them with gold This sentence did this good in the City of London that for seven years after from 1635 to 1642. that the Merchants were affraid to transport Gold or Silver and the Mint constantly was kept on work till these late troubles that overturned all things I shall humbly desire that your Lordship would be pleased to take notice that though his Majesty by his Proclamation hath called upon Gold a twenty shilling piece to go for 21 shillings 4 pence and so ratably yet some goldsmiths do take the houldness to give 21 shillings 8 pence 21 shill 9 pence and 21 shillings 10 pence And this Gold is bought up by the Sectaries either to transport or else to hoard up for some bad design His Majestie and your Lordships had need to he vigilent over these Fanaticks they are daily working hatching God grant this Ceckatrise be watched Your Petitioners humble prayer is that by your Lordships Justice for his Majesties service this Manufacture be put under some strict Rule and Order and that nothing may passe under your Lordships hands that may prejudice your Petitioners Grant which he hath under the great Seal of England for the regulateing the said Manufacture 1. I have humbly to recommend to your Honours great wisdom the due consideration of these several following Heads and humbly leave

or ought to sware to work no Silver in any Manufacture but sterling nor no Gold in Manufacture under Crown Gold that by the Law all persons offending ought to be Indited and stand in the Pillory and be fined at the Pleasure of the Justices at the Sessions and find Sureties for their good behaviour I caused some of these offendors that made Silver Lace Wire and Thread with a Core of Copper to be set in the Pillory in Cheapside and fined at the Sessions and caused twenty men to run out of the City of London beyond seas for selling Silver Lace mixed with Copper This Sir George Sands knoweth to be true his brother being cozened here in London with a great parcel of Silver Lace mixed with Copper which he paid for as good Silver If your Majestie had not pardoned these Abuses I could set down the particular names and mark them to posterity with a black Impression of both Silkmen Wiredrawers and others with the number of about fifty Shop-keepers who sold these hundred and twelve parcels of course counterfeit Lace Spangles Thread Wire for good Silver and the year and day they did it with good witnesses to prove it which had they their due by the Law they ought to stand in the Pillory and make fine and ransome to your Majestie But I hope for their amendment yet if required I can produce to your Majesties most Honourable Privy Councel their Names with witnesse At the Sub-Committee of Parliament appointed to take into consideration the several petitions of the Refiners of gold and silver the Gold Wyer drawers the Hand-Spinners with the Charie and Spindle and the Wheel spinners and of Thomas Violet of London Goldsmith for the due regulation of the Manufactures of Gold and Silver wyer and thread purle oaes plated wyer spangles and Copper wyer and thread c. to prevent the former abuses practised in the said Manufactures and to prohibit the culling and melting down the currant Silver coynes of this Nation for the future VVE have called before us the Petitioners and have several dayes heard this businesse and upon consideration had we do offer as followeth 1. Forasmuch as it appeared unto us that several great abuses have been and are daily committed in the culling and melting down of the currant silver coynes of this Nation It is therefore offered as our opinion that his and the Parliament take strict order by Proclamation or otherwise to restrain the melting down of the currant coines of this Nation for the making of these Manufactures or any other manufacture whatsoever We have had presented unto us four Proclamations two of them in the time of the late King James his Reign and the other two in the time of the late King Charles which Proclamations we have perused and do find in all of them that the melting down of any of the currant Coines of this Nation is forbidden upon strict penalties to be laid and inflicted upon the offenders 2. It is also our opinion that it would be good and benificial to this Commonwealth if his and the Parliament would be pleased to take order to prevent the daily abuses practised by Artists in the making of these manufactures aforesaid And for the discovering of these frauds for the time to come And for that end and purpose to appoint a sworn Surveyor with a Seal for the sealing of all gold and silver thred and copper thred and to appoint punchion irons to be made to mark all gold and silver wyer that shall be imployed or spent in any the said manufactures And the Surveyor Assayer or Sealer to put in good security to his in the Exchequer in the sum of 1500 l. to warrant all the manufactures sealed surveyed and marked to be good silver and gold according to the standard and well and duely made the silver and gold thred to contain five ounces Troy to a pound weight Venice which is Eight Ounces Troy and one fifth part And that no gold or silver wyer or thread shall be hereafter made and sold under sterling or before the said gold and silver thread or wyer be viewed and sealed or stamped upon pain of forfeiture of the same to his And that strict order and command be given that no person or persons do counterfeit the aforesaid Seal or stamps which are to be appointed by his or the Parliament The late King to prevent the aforesaid abuses in the eleventh year of his reign by Proclamation appointed the Rose crowned to be the seal for sealing this manufacture of gold and silver thred and for the copper gift and silvered thred the seal appointed was the Lion crowned 3. We offer it as our opinion that all gold and silver thread which shall be hereafter made shall hold a due proportion of silver to silk viz. no gold or silver thread be for the time to come made under five ounces Troy of sterling silver to a pound weight Venice upon pain of forfeiture of all the aforesaid manufactures which shall not be wrought according to the aforesaid rule But every work-master and other persons whomsoever are allowed to put in as much more silver as he or they please And this rule being duely observed will prevent all slight making of gold and silver thread which will save the State in the Bullion of this Nation many thousand pounds a year which is now brushed and blown away and comes to nothing 4. We offer it as our opinion that the Office of Surveyor Sealer or Assayer may be in one person to be responsable to the Common-wealth for all abuses in sealing sleight and adulterate silver thread or marking course silver Wyer under Sterling to avoid putting and posting off one from another the abuses when they are found either of course silver wyer or of course gold or silver thread made under Sterling or not justly made with five ounces of silver Troy weight to a pound Venice That so the office being in one person all persons wronged may know certainly where and to whom they may come for their remedy for all silver thread that is sealed or silver wyer marked or stamped in the office which shall be found course and adulterate or under Sterling the officer to be bound to make it good and pay the damage 5. That the Sealers or Surveyers shall cause all the silver imployed for these manufactures to be duely assayed in the Barr or Ingot or in the hanck of wyer and that true Registers and Entries be kept of the same both of the quantity and finenesse of every bar of silver or hanck of Wyer disgrossed for these manufactures And that the State may have a just account what silver is spent in this manufacture yearly to that end all Barrs and Disgrossing Irons be brought to one place as the late King by his Proclamation settled this manufacture in the eleventh year of his reign 6. That all gold and silver thread shall be made up in skeynes and not on

them at your Honours feet and though they may not please the Wiredrawers yet I am sure they be for his Majesties service It is true there is twenty thousand souls in London live and have dependance on this Manufacture and that made King James and King Charles suffer this Manufacture to be made here 2. My good Lords it is worthy of consideration the great damage his Majesty sustains in the losse of his Customes the losse and prejudice of his Majesties Mint by suffering the Silver after it is imported into this Kingdome to be made into Silver Lace c. to be diverted from Coyn which would pay a duty of coynage and augment the stock of the Kingdome which is now converted into this Manufacture the valew imployed in Gold and Silver yearly is about one hundred thousand pounds a year in Gold and Silver Lace Wire c. which was it converted into Coine every year and so passed between men would drive a million for commodities a year in Trade to the great improvement of the Kingdome by Commerce and Trade 3. That upon calculation it will be found the King in point of Customes and other Profits loses above ten thousand pounds a year by suffering this Manufacture to be made in England as will appear upon calculation of his Majesties Book of Rates of his Customes 4. That at this day there is no Excise laid on this Commodity which under favour humbly submitting to your great wisdomes is a Commodity may bear an Excise as well and better than almost any thing in the Kingdome gold and silver Lace is a superfluity and it is the wearers payes the Excise not the Silkmen Wiredrawers or other Tradesmen this Trade his Majesty doth allow in favour of the poor women Spinners and other poor people that are above twenty thousand souls who only have their livelyhood from this Manufacture or else for the reasons aforesaid it would not be allowed to be wrought in England 5. Therefore my humble Petition to your Lordships is in regard your Lordships are of the Committee for the removing the obstructions of the Mint that your Lordships settle such an Excise on this Manufacture at the least two pence the Ounce being so much as his Majesty loseth in the coynage of the same to be approved and confirmed by the Parliament for and towards his Majesties losse in His Customes and in his Coynage by suffering this Manufacture to be wrought in England 6. That your Lordship would Order for the future that no inferiour persons as Servants Maids and other mechanick People shall weare gold or silver Lace it being an abuse to persons of honour men and women to have mechanick People and Servants to weare Gold and Silver Lace 7. That your Lordships would be pleased for the service of his Majesty and good of all the wearers of gold and silver Lace which are the Nobility and Gentry of the Kingdome to require the Company of Goldsmiths to consider of such waies and means as they can adde or alter either out of the former Regulation setled by his Majesty 1635. or out of their own knowledg and experience by any other Way or Rules and to use all speed they can therein 8. The Company of Goldsmiths have declared to me before a Court of Assistants that they know there is many abuses in this Trade and if they be required from his Majesty or your Lordships of the Privy Council they would be very ready and willing humbly to consider of such Waies for the prevention of these abuses for the future and upon your Lordships approbation ot alteration of what they shall propound that those Orders and Rules agreed upon by your Honours for the Regulating of this Trade may be recommended by his Maiesty to be confirmed by Parliament and this will be a certain way to prevent these abuses for the future when the restraints and punishments shall be setled by Act of Parliament And so as in duty bound your Petitioner shall daily pray THat after ages and all true Englishmen may see the cruel oppression I sufferd under for being faithful to his sacred Majesty King Charles the first for bringing up to London from Oxford to the Lord Mayor and Aldermen of the City of London by his Majesties especial command to me 1643. this his Majesties letter which was as followeth To our Trusty and welbeloved Our Lord Mayor and Aldermen of Our City of London and all other our well affected Subjects of that Ctiy C. R. TRusty and welbeloved We great you well When we remember the many acts of grace and favour We and Our Royal Predecessours have conferred upon that our City of London and the many Examples of eminent dutie and loyalty for which that City hath been likewise famous We are willing to believe notwithstanding the great defection We have found in that place that all men are not so far degenerated from their affection to us and to the peace of the Kingdome 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 Vs and that Our City whereby the peace of the whole Kingdome may be procured We have thought fit to let you know That We are ready to receive any such Petition and the persons who shall be appointed to present the same to Vs 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 Vs or of Love to the Religion and Lawes established in the quiet and peaceable Fruition whereof they and their Ancestors have enjoyed so great Happinesse That We 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 We will not most strictly and Religiously observe and for the which we will not be alwaies ready to give them any security can be desired And of these Our Gracious Letters We expect a speedy Answer from you And so We bid you farewell Given at our Court at Oxford in the 19. year of Our Reign 26. De. 1643. By his Majesties Command George Digbie Thomas Violet POSTSCRIPT LEt any true English man consider of this his Majesties gracious Letter and then remember the bloudy Tragedies that followed for the sins of the Kingdome and every honest man will say the swaying party in that Parliament in Jan. 1643. were great Tyrants and Oppressers or else they would never have kept me in a Dungeon in the Tower 928 dayes and plundered and robbed me to the value of eleven thousand pound for bringing up this Letter from the Kings Majesty from Oxford to the Lord Mayor and Aldermen of the City of London but he is well kept that God keeps So I have ever just cause to say and praise God for my miraculous deliverance from those bloudy men FINIS