A Just and True REMONSTRANCE OF HIS MAJESTIES MINES-ROYALL IN THE PRINCIPALITY OF WALES Presented By Thomas Bushell Esquire Farmor of the said Mines-Royall to his MAIESTIE SHREWSBURY Printed by ROBERT BARKER Printer to the Kings most Excellent Majestie And by the Assignes of JOHN BILL 1642. Most high and mighty Soveraign WHereas Your Majesty was graciously pleased not onely to command the imployment of my Service in Your Highnesse Mines-Royall occasioned by some discourse of them at Enston-Rock Your Majestie vouchsafing to honour that place with your presence but also to give your Majestie a true relation what they were when I entred upon them what they are since at present and of what hope for the future if diligently pursued and cherisht by your Royall aspect In obedience whereunto I do in all humility affirme That the Mines at my first entrance were drowned with water and consequently not worth the working as by severall certificates hereunto annexed appeareth which did then much disencourage my undertakings but considering how deeply your Majesties many favours had engaged me the meanest of your Subjects I conceived my selfe obliged to adventure upon the undermining of the adjacent Mountains thereby to make triall whether those Mines if once discovered at the surface of the earth would not prove richer in their deeper search of which having received severall opinions from the best Mineral-masters of our age as Sir Francis Godolphin M. Alexander Roberts M. Ioseph Hexsteter and M. Walter Barksby with divers others well practised in that way encouraging me therein I then resolved to hazzard my fortune on them assuring my selfe that all Mines and Minerals were to be discovered by some one or other because originally created for mans use and Gods glory and thus having setled my former irresolute thoughts I began with a cheerefull heart to cut thorow five severall mountains at their lowest levell which by the Art of Dialling appeared to be some sixtie some eightie and some an hundred fathoms perpendicular and so continued these battery-works foure yeers night and day before my hopes could give me any happy assurance that the Minerall-beds of these subterraneall riches lay fast locked in those barren Rocks untill my charge grew so great that I became pitied of my friends and insulted over by my enemies which did anew perplex my minde yet when I considered that I was not born for my selfe but for the Service of God your Majestie and my Countrey and that I had not only that heavenly guider to direct me but also your sacred Majestie to encourage me I then began to cast off my former justly conceived fears and notwithstanding any opposition or seeming disswasive arguments to pitch on this resolution that better it were for me to suffer shipwrack in my poore estate and credit then that such treasures should lye buried in the BOWELS of those vast mountains and not be made both known and beneficiall to your gracious Majestie being inherent to your prerogative as by the Declaration under the hands of learned Counsell hereunto annexed appears which hills although large in extent yet are not considerable in herbage nor fit for any other plough then the Miners sledge gad and twybill That which first wrought in me a desire to try and fathome those Mines was a sensible discourse delivered me by a Portugal in presence of Sir Francis Godolphin by whose death I lost the hope of a most knowing Partner who had for many yeers been imployed under the King of Spain in his West India Mines purporting that if his Master were Soveraign Lord of those Brittish hills as is your Majestie he should not doubt but to make them a second Indies deeply protesting that the greatest riches in those Mountaines lay in their lowest levels which I finde to be true by undeniable experience in those five mountaines For by this way of driving thorow the depth of Rocks we are not onely freed from the danger and deluge of waters but have also discovered the veines to prove richer in quantity and quality some containing twenty pound some fifteene some tenne and some six in Silver in the Tunne of Lead upon the great Pest which are answerable to most of the Mines of the King of Spaine the Emperour of Germany and the Duke of Saxony finding moreover that by mixing and smelting these severall veines together the one proves a good additament to the other and becomes thereby a meanes to advance the Mines-Royall and in them the good of your Kingdome and Subjects We have many gracious testimonies how much the Almighty is pleased with these our innocent labours by continuall preservation of the workmen amidst their hourely dangers especially in one accident which lately befell by driving an Addit into one of those mountaines called Tallibont but bâ—cause I was no eye-witnesse of it I humbly desire your Majesties perusall of the narration thereof as I received it being then in London from a Minister resident Preacher to the Minerall men hereunto annexed And as I am bound to give to Caesar that which is Caesars so must I further humbly acknowledge your Majesties large addition to your former Royall favours in granting mee the meanest of your Creatures liberty to give your Majesties impression to such Silver as the Mole-like Miners cast out of the Earth for their speedier payment they being the men who make the Rocks their resting place and expect no other reward or benefit for their sweaty browes then what they gaine from out of the darke Cavernes of the earth by importunate labour And for declaration of part of my poore indeavours your humblest suppliant begs a perusall of the annexed remonstrance presented by your honourable and grave ministers of Justice and other noble Gentlemen of quality residing within your Principality of Wales whose eyes have been spectators as your servant a diligent labourer in those Minerall Vineyards And having thus far traced out dâ—ved into the secrets of natures treasures and by the influence of your Majesties favours overcome those amazing difficulties which hindred the entrance of these great adventures I then for better improvement of the works caused a meeting of Myners Monyers Smelters Refiners to consult debate and try whether fuell of turfe would not seperate the oare extract the silver reduce the litharge as well as the vast expence of whole Forrests of woods formerly consumed for that purpose and upon an exact triall made thereof by altering the earthy substance of turfe into charkie cynders we found by infallible experience that your Majesties Turfaries will furnish Your Mines Royall with Fuell to all future ages So that there remaineth nothing more to make the inside of these barren Mountaines produce an addition of gems to your Crown but to finish the building of your princely foundation by your Royall recommendation thereof to your High Court of Parliament whose judgements will quickly discerne how much these Mines would redound to the generall good your Majesties gracious Letters
having already caused sundry Merchants and Gentlemen of quality to take a personall view of the gaine which accrewes from this publike worke of the Mines Royall as a means to inrich Your Subjects the ancient Britains of those parts with the free trade and vent of their Home made cloth and to enable them to become Merchant-adventurers as well by land as sea Many others also of eminent ability wil be encouraged by these apparent possibilities of profit to hazzard a portion of their present fortunes as a lot so as they may be secured to enjoy those prizes which divine providence shall cast and conferre upon them in these their so honest adventures And for manifest proofe of my proceedings in this businesse I shall with Your Royall assent humbly desire a Commission from the High Court of Parliament to examine the former and present state of the Mines Royall and your Majesties riches that are buried under the most inconsiderable herbage of these vast Mountains which in time may alter the name of Welch Rocks into Welch Indies and make it plainly appeare to any who is not meerly of an earthly and avaricious temper and can in any measure resent the true support of a flourishing State that they if followed cannot but prove flowers to the Crowne a glory to the Kingdom and a rich blessing to the Subject Be pleased therefore most gracious Soveraign to vouchsafe that the beames of your Royall favour may cherish the growth of this hopefull designe so as it be not blasted in the bud and then my affectionate endeavours prove as fruitlesse to this Common-wealth as was the neglected tender of Columbus his discovery of the West-Indian Mines in the reigne of Henry the seventh And to make it in some measure appeare to your Majestie how desirous I am to advance your revenew in an imployment so much conducing to the publike good I do in all humblenesse offer as an increase of rent after the expiration of the Lady Middletons lease assigned to me and yet in being one thousand pounds by the yeer for and during the continuance of another lease thereof granted to me in reversion for confirmation of which leases by your Majestie and your High Court of Parliament I do further humbly present 1000 Marks as a prefine to your Majesties Privie Purse over and above the benefit of your Majesties Mintage the increase of shipping and he importation of necessary commodites occasioned hereby which as I am informed by Merchants of good worth that drive the trade will amount to 4000 li. per annum And for grant of the custome of exportation of such Lead onely out of which the silver is refined I will so it please your Majestie be bound to double the yeerly Revenew of the Farmers booke according to a medium of seven yeers cast up for that Port of Dovy your Majestie having not from any former undertaker or Farmor of those Mines ever received either fine or penny of rent all which I submissively propose and desire the rather to encourage my Coadventurers who as they were first invited by Your Princely letters of assurance so will they now things bâ—ing thus honourably setled be most willing to expose their fortunes for the consummating of so advantagious so honourable and so publick a good work Having thus made to your Majestie a true relation of the state of your Mines-Royall in Wales a faithful explication of my loyall intendments and of other Minerall mens opinions conceived of those Mines I professe before God and your sacred Majestie that I therein have no other ends then the glory of my Maker the honour of your Majestie and the good of my Countrey Let me therefore on a bended knee humbly implore your Soveraign goodnesse not onely to peruse these Petitions and Certificates annexed but also to pardon the constrained prolixity of Your Majesties most humble and devoted Servant Thomas Bushell The Declaration of learned Lawyers what a MINE-ROYALL is acording to former presidents ALthough the Gold or Silver contained in the base mettall of a mine in the lands of a Subject be of lesse valew then the baser Mettall yet if the Gold or Silver do countervaile the charge of the refining or be of more worth then the base Mettall spent in refining it this is a Mine-Royall and as well the base Mettall as the Gold and Silver in it belong by prerogative to the Crown Sir Ralph Whitfield His Majesties Serjeant at Law Sir Edw. Harbert Att. Gen. Oliver Saint Iohns Solicitor Iohn Glandvill Serjeant Iohn Wilde Serjeant Richard Creswell Serjeant Or. Bridgman the Pr. Solic Esquires Robert Holborn Iohn Hern. Edward Bagshaw Thomas Lane Richard King Edmund Prideaux Iohn Maynard Edward Hide Iohn Glyn. Christopher Fulwood Harbottle Grimston Iohn white George Peard Iohn Francklin Richard Weston Iohn Glover William Ellis Thomas Culpeper Iohn Goodwin William Sanford Iohn George Iames Haward To the Kings most Excellent MAIESTIE The humble Petition of THOMAS BUSHELL Your Majesties Servant Most humbly Sheweth THAT whereas your Royall Father of ever blessed memory who was truly stiled the King of Peace and mirror of mercy to the sparing of life and blood was graciously pleased for saving the lives of such malefactors as were condemned to death by the Law for Petty fellonies being such as were not any scandall to the Church or State nor had imbrewed their hands in blood to admit their transportation to the East India and Virginia-Companies for furtherance of their plantations In which action doubtlesse he did also cast his eyes upon the warrantable proceedings and presidents of other most famous Princes in the like kinde as the late Queen Elizabeth who put certain Gallies of purpose for imployment of such kind of offenders of strong and able bodies as might attend her memorable designes at Sea especially upon all suddain and resolute enterprizes it being the usuall course of other Christian Princes as the King of Spain both for the supply of his Gallies against the Turks and Moores and especially for the inlargement of his Indian Mines of Gold Silver Quicksilver and the like and his conquests of Mollocco Goa Ormus and other rich populous Ilands The King of France for his Gallyes at Marsellis The State of Venice The Duke of Florence who by such kind of saved offendors built Ligorne one of the most famous Sea-ports within the Straits In all which States and Services divers of these malefactors by good incouragements have sought not so much by surviving as by their incredible labours effecting matters otherwise held invincible to obliterate their former ignominies by merit of rewards And whereas in this your Majesties populous Kingdome too many such offendors are most untimely cut off in their best abilities of service so is there within the pale of this Your Kingdome and without any occasion of Sea or forreigne service means of imployment for such persons to redeeme their lost reputation by endeavouring to doe faithfull service for their Countries
honour and the Kingdomes good in that happy worke begun by your Sacred Majestie for the better discovery of Your Silver Mines His most humble suit therefore is that You would be pleased out of all these weighty considerations and beneficiall consequences tending so much to your Honor Crown and Dignity and good of the Common-wealth to grant your Majesties Commission if it may be thought fit by the advice of your High and Honourable Court of Parliament for the choosing of such severall persons out of the prisons in this your Kingdome as are and shall be condemned for small offences and of able serviceable bodies by the approbation of Your Judges and shall implore your Majesties mercy to be imployed by your said subject in the workes of your Mines-Royall they giving security for their good behaviour with such limitation of time and allowance for their sustentation as to your Majesties said High Court of Parliament shall be thought fit that by their dutifull and laborious performance therein they may afterwards come into the happinesse of your Majesties pardon of grace for their former offences And your Petitioner shall ever rest c. To the Kings most Excellent MAIESTIE Most Gracious Soveraign THE Loyalty of my faithfull service will not suffer me to conceale a bequeathed Legacy to your Majesty by the last Will and Testament of your most Loyall Subject Iohn Bishop of Worcester lately deceased of a treasure discovered by him and committed to my trust for revealing thereof to your Majesty Who perceiving the inclination and affection I had to Mines and Minerals much commending it as the most honest gaine and greatest good to a Common-wealth began this ensuing discourse unto me Mr. Bushell YOur own eyes see how neere I am to the dwelling of death by my gray haires which are the true records of fourescore and fourteen yeers of age next my limbs which have no more strength then those that are lap 't in the Sepulchre of their winding-sheet onely my intellectual parts are yet preserved to ascribe God the glory and to disclose the secrets of two rich Mines the one holding some quantity of Gold worth the extracting the other in Silver worth the refining to your trust and fidelity with a confidence that your charity cannot conceive me guilty of betraying your judgement with an imaginary treasure when my soule and body are so neere the approach of death as I must suddainly give an account in the other world besides I have taken upon me the calling of a spirituall profession and have this day received the Sacrament as a pledge of my redemption which I trust are sufficient motives to beleeve truth from a dying mans tongue who hath no other end then that the hopefulnesse of such riches may not be buried by my dissolution but that the honour and profit thereof might redound to his Majestie and his royall posterity as a living and loyall remembrance of his Princely favours to me and mine And thereupon he did injoyn me upon the integrity of my allegiance to consecrate the first fruits of my labours therein as his discovery and service to your sacred selfe And thus having made a true relation of his discourse to me I leave it to your Majesties wisdom to approve or dislike Your Majesties most humble Servant Thomas Bushell TO The most Illustrious PRINCE CHARLES Prince of Wales Most High and Mighty Prince AS the smaller Rivulets by their naturall motions make haste to pay their tribute unto the vast Ocean as well as do the greatest Rivers So come I with humble assurance that your Highnesse will not despise this poore present extracted out of your Welch Mines wishing the coyne could speak that language of Ophir as it doth this of Cardigan wherein I trust by Divine Providence and your princely prevailing with the most honourable Court of Parliament for the confirmation thereof nothing doubting but that in processe of time I shall be able with the assistance of my Coadventurers and help of their greater purse and fortunes to make these Brittish hills as in scituation so in esteeme too resemble the West Indies or at least wise those renowned Mines of Saxony Thus I most humbly take leave of your Highnesse hoping your Princely goodnesse will pardon my presuming to present so great a Prince with so poore a present as doth in all humblenesse Your Highnesse devoted Beadsman Thomas Bushell TO Our Dread Soveraigne Lord the KINGS most Excellent Majestie May it please your Majestie WE do most humbly and thankfully acknowledge that Your Majesties vouchsafing to this your Principality the trust of a branch of your Royall Mint is an honour that neither our Ancestors nor our selves durst wish for and we do as humbly and as thankfully acknowledge and confesse that by it you have not onely honoured us more then any of your Royall predecessors but have thereby offered us the means to inrich our selves to the making of us happier then our fathers in freeing us from the cares and fears that hindred us from diving into these Mountains that promise a masse of treasure For be pleased to know that before Your Majestie vouchsafed unto us this great favour we were fearfull to adventure far into the Mountaines because we had farre to send before wee could make the silver currant that we should at charge recover Nor was our care of carriage and recarriage the least hinderance to our proceedings from all which by your Majesties goodnesse and the endeavours of your industrious and faithfull servant Thomas Bushell we are happily freed for which favour we whose names are hereunto subscribed in the behalfe of all the inhabitants of this your Principality of Wales do render all humble and hearty thanks and for them and our selves do hereby promise to Your sacred Majestie that we will do our utmost endeavours to finde out that measure which we beleeve God and Nature from the Creation hath preserved for Your Majesties use that thereby we may approve our selves your Majesties loyall and most obedient Subjects and humble Servants Thomas Milward Knight Chiefe Justice of Chester Marmaduke LLoyd Knight Richard Price Knt. Baronet Iames Price Knight Sampson Eure Knight Iohn Lewis Knight Timothy Turnor Esquire L. Littleton Esquire Walter LLoyd Esquire Thomas Price Esq Robert Corbet Esq Evan Gwin Esq Morgan Herbert Esquire Iohn Vauhan Esq Vincent Corbet Esq Humfrey Greene Esq Iohn LLoyd Esq David LLoyd ap Reighnald Esq Thomas Phillips Esq Iohn Edmund Esquire Hugh LLoyd Gentleman David Rees Gent. Iohn Bowen Gent. William Watkin Gent. Iohn Meredith Gent. Iames Kegitt Gent. A Certificate from the Miners presented to the Right Honourable the Lords and other of his Majesties most Honourable Privy COVNCELL May it please your Lordships ACCORDING to your commands We whose names are under written being Miners Smelters Refiners Carryers Washers and Monyers belonging to his Majesties Mines-Royall in the County of Cardigan in all humility do certifie of our certain knowledge and experience concerning the new