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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

for doing the same in the summe of fifteen hundred pounds to have this course taken We hold it very fit and necessary for the prevention of all the aforesaid abuses now put on this Commonwealth And the undertaker ought to have all encouragement in this businesse being a considerable service done to the Nation most especially to such as wear gold and silver lace All which we submit 16. June 1667. This is a true Copy of the several Votes of the Sub-Committee to whom the Petition of Mr. Thomas Violet was referred Which Votes were signed by Mr. Dunce Mr. Moody and Mr. Clark John Martin Clark to the Committee for Trade To the Right Honourable the PARLIAMENT of England c. The humble Petition of Thomas Violet Humbly Sheweth THat your Petitioner represented the 1. April 1650. unto the Parlament then sitting that daily great quantities of heavy currant Silver Coines of this Nation were melted down for the making Gold and Silver Wyer Lace Thread Ribbons Spangles c. to the great wast of the stock of the Nation by which evil practises many mischiefs cheats and damages are intruded upon this Common-wealth which ought strictly to be prevented and most especially in this conjuncture of time having war● with Spain and the springs of Silver which used to flow in to us by Trade now stopped That great quantities of Gold and Silver Thread and Lace is slightly and unduely wrought to the great deceit of those that weare the same as your Petitioner hath proved in many particulars to the late Committee of Parliament for Trade to whom that businesse was referred And they upon many daies Examination and full hearing of all parties as by their Certificate of the Committee of Trade hereunto annexed may more fully appear have certified the daily great abuses by the false and deceitful making Gold and Silver Thread and Wyer the wearers being daily cozened both in putting into their Silver Thread a slight proportion of Silver to silk whereas they should make good silver Thread to containe six ounces fine silver and two ounces of silk to one pound Venice of Silver Thread and five ounces fine silver and three ounces of silk to the slightest Silver Thread that ought to be made Now great quantities of Gold and Silver Thread and Lace is dayly sould which containes five ounces Silk to three ounces Silver and four ounces Silver to four ounces silk and many times this Silver Lace is not onely slightly and deceitfully made with a lesse proportion of silver to silk then it ought to be but also is made under sterling silver being mixed with Copper and the silk false and deceitfully dyed which makes the Lace turne black and tarnish and spoiles the Garment of all persons that weare the same assoon as any wet or aire comes to the Lace Your Petitioner the last Parliament in June anno 1657. produced Mr. Alexander Jackson the sworne Assay-Master of Goldsmiths Hall before the Committee for Trade who being examined confessed that at one time in the compasse of a few weeks he made Assay of above one hundred several parcels of Gold and Silver Lace Thread Spangles Wyer which was bought up in several Shops in London and brought to him by your Petitioner and others all which silver Manufactures was sould for good Silver and upon the Assaies every several parsel was found course and adultrate under the Standard as is attested under the hand of Mr. Alexander Jackson sworne Assay-Master for the Company of Goldsmiths which Certificate your Petitioner hath ready to be produced for your Honours view It is certified by the Committee of Trade 16. June 1657. that they find it affirmed to them by several Artists that by the slight making of Gold and Silver Thread and Lace there is above thirty thousand pounds a year wasted and spent in this Nation which by a due regulation of enjoyning all persons to put at least five ounces fine silver to the pound Venice this Treasure would all be saved in the stock of this Nation and the Lace will last four times as long as it now doth and not turne black and the silver return all to the melting Pot for great quantities of Silver Lace that is now sould the buyers are cozened both in the finenesse of the silver being mixed with Copper under Sterling or paying for silver when they buy silk heavy dyed having many times a third part silk more then ought to be put into the silver Thread were it duely made according to the former Rules 1635. to 1641. The late Sub-Committee for Trade made so large a progresse into this businesse finding it to be of great concernment spent many daies to finish their Report and have certified the several frauds practised in the making all these Manufactures of Gold and Silver Wyer Thread c. And have set down Waies and Rules for the preventing the like abuses for the future Your Petitioners most humble prayer is that this High Court would be pleased to finish so good a work and perfect the Regulation of this Manufacture for the future and that a Law be made that none of the currant silver Coines be hereafter melted for the making any of these Manufactures that no Gold or Silver in Wyer or Lace be put to saile under Sterling that no Gold or Silver Thread hold or containe lesse silver then five ounces silver to be at the least Sterling upon severe penalties besides the defaceing of the Materials And that your Petitioner be commanded by the Parliament to see to the due Execution and to receive such fees and allowances as he is authorized to take by his Patent under the great Seale of England And your Petitioner shall pray c. This pretended Parliament referred this Petition to a Committee and shortly after were forced and dissolved by the Army The Rump Parliament succeeded them and promised to reforme these abuses but did nothing but promise and delay His MAJESTY returning for England upon whose blessed arival your Petitioner made this following Petition and had this gracious Reference to the Right Honourable the Lords Commissioners of the Treasury The original Petition is in the custody of Sir Philip Warwick and followes viz. TO THE KINGS Most Excellent MAJESTY The humble Petition of Thomas Violet of London Goldsmith Humbly sheweth THat your Petitioner being commanded by your Majesties Royal Father in 1643. to bring up his gracious letter to his City of London directed to the Lord Mayor Aldermen and all other his well affected Subjects of that City which letter your Petitioner did bring up to London and was for so doing committed to the Tower by order of Parliament where he remained four yeares and for 928 dayes of that time kept close prisoner in a dismal place little better than a Dungeon in which time of confinement your Petitioner expended above 700 l. and the Parliament sequestred your Petitioner of all his estate they could finger to the value of 11000 l. and

be made of good Silver none under Sterling or the Standard And if it should chance any person or persons to be wronged in the premises and buy Gold and Silver Wyer Thread or Lace made and drawn and sealed in the said Office by your Petitioner or his Servants that then your Petitioner should pay full damages to any Person that could find out or discover the same And your Majesties Royal Father set forth his Proclamation and appointed by his Commissioners under the great Seal some of His most honourable Privy Council his Attorney and Solicitor General and Masters of Request and Clarks of the Council His Officers of the Mint and some eminent Aldermen to be His Commissioners giving them instructions under his Majesties sign Manual this being done 1635. by the advice of His Privy Council after many daies hearing at the Council Table These Gentlemen sate every week one day and five made a Committee and sometimes more to regulate and restrain the abuses and they caused some of the Offenders to be set in the Pillory being indicted at Newgate and in the compasse of six years brought the workmen and all people trading in this Manufacture into that good order and decorum that all Gold and Silver Lace Thread Wyer c. was as exactly made as the Plate or moneys of the Kingdom the numbers of Workmen regulated a due Proportion of Silver to Silk whereby this Manufacture was made the best in London of any place in Christendom and your Petitioner seeing all orders and rules setled and made by the Commissioners or any five of them to be duly executed was the principal cause of that Reformation that followed This Regulation was complained of in Parliament 1640. but upon Examination all Parties put to take their Remedy by the Law and I have in all times justified the Regulation Your Petitioner being 1641. first sent by the Parliament a Prisoner to Peter house then a ship board to the Kings Bench in the year 1643. sent close Prisoner to the Tower for near four years being kept in a dungeon 928 daies of that time and had my estate plundred to the valew of eleven thousand pounds and my damage at this day above twenty thousand pounds and threatned to be sent for a slave to Argier for bringing from your Majesties Royal Father from Oxford 1643 a Letter for peace to the City of London In all I was about eight years a Prisoner But upon the persecution of the long Parliament your Petitioner went to your Royal Father to York and the honourable Commissioners appointed for the regulating this Manufacture being Privy Counsellors and other eminent Officers of the Kingdom These Gentlemen almost all of them according to their duties followed your Majesties Royal Father in all his Troubles but since length of Time fortune of the Warres and other casualties almost all of these Honourable Councellors are dead by whose wisdom and care these abuses were regulated and this Regulation afterwards neglected the heavy coines melted Silver slightly and adulterately made to the damage of the Kingdom many hundred thousand pounds within this twenty years In your Petitioners Patent under the Great Seal of England there is this Provisoe that if hereafter the Government or Regulation of this Manufacture by Commissioners be altered or changed into any other form or any other Proclamation for the regulating this Manufacture yet your Petitioners Grant with his Fees and Powers should be and continue firme good and effectual in the Law as appears by your Petitioners Patent dated 7 Sept. 14. Car. which Patent taken out of the Rolls your Petitioner hath left with the Honourable Mr. Attorney General with a Petition to your Majestie formerly referred to the Right Honourable the Lords Commissioners of your Majesties Treasury touching the Regulation of this businesse 15. Sept. 1661. Your Petitioners humble prayer to your Majestie is that your Majesty would speedily prevent the great abuses and disorders daily practised in the undue making of Gold and Silver Thread Wire Lace Spangles and the unlawful melting of the heavy current silver Coines there being above twenty thousand pounds a year wasted and bruised away by thin and slight making of Silver Lace for the private profit of the Wiredrawers which if it were duly made would all be returned to the melting Pot and avoid that waste of Treasure that by order of your Majestie and your Privy Councel all persons as formerly from 1635. to 1641. be enjoyned to the due essaying of all Silver Wire at the Bar and the Thread sealed and true Registers kept of all Gold and Silver employed in this Manufacture and all Bars and Engines brought into one place according to the Proclamation of your Majesties Royal Father in the 11th year of his Reign that so your Majestie may have a true Accompt what Silver is spent in this Manufacture and so regulate the Excess which is to the prejudice of your Mint that base and inferior persons may not weare the same I humbly beseech your Majesty to read the Reasons of the Committee for Trade fol. 11. 10. Head never to trust the wire-drawers with a Corporation or with the rule government of this Manufacture And then if your Majesty be pleased to compare what your royal Father of blessed memory observed of these wire-drawers in the Parliament when he was Prince that they had deceived their trust and he would not trust them again they have cozened the Kingdome within these twenty years of above twenty thousand pounds a year in slight course and deceitful silver lace and now are endeavoring to get a Corporation to work in iniquity by a Law if your Majesty prevent it not And that your Petitioner may be required to continue his Searches so often as he shall finde just occasion to seize all course Silver under sterling made or making into any of these Manufactures and to deface the same returning the material to the Owner as soon as they are defaced according to his Patent that no Gold or Silver Lace be hereafter mixed in any part with Copper or made under sterling For the better enabling your Petitioner to do this service your Petitioner humbly prayes your Majestie to renew your Royal Fathers former Commission 1635. with such alterations and additions as your Majestie and your Privy Councel with the Attorney General shall judge fit for the persons and the powers to be your Majesties Commissioners for this business Or else if your Majestie and your Privy Councel shall think it meet for your service and the fuller discovery of these abuses never suffer the Gold Wiredrawers to have a Corporation But if your Majestie by advice of your Privy Councel command the Corporation of Goldsmiths by reason the regulating of Gold and Silver is a particular branch of their Trade that they be required by your Majestie to take and view the former regulation of this Manufacture as it was setled by Commissioners from the year 1635.

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

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