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A11193 To the Kings most excellent Maiestie, the Lords spirituall and temporall, and the Commons in this present Parliament assembled, the humble petition of Thomas Russell, Esquire Russell, Thomas. 1626 (1626) STC 21460.7; ESTC S3362 3,705 1

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To the Kings most Excellent Maiestie the Lords Spirituall and Temporall and the Commons in this present Parliament assembled The humble Petition of Thomas Russell Esquire Sheweth THAT WHEREAS the making of Salt-Peter within His Maiesties Realmes and Dominions is a great safety and benefit to His Maiestie and His Subiects in generall for that it effecteth and assureth a certaine prouision thereof for the furnishing of his Maiesties Stores for the strength defence and benefit of his Maiesties said Realmes and Dominions which if it should be had from forreine parts is not to be obtained but at the pleasure of other Princes and most commonly at vnreasonable Rates and the same so obtained might happen to bee intercepted or by contrary winds hindered in time of need or vtterly lost by Shipwracke or other casualties on the Seas And if no such hazzard were yet the same is not vsually to bee bought but for ready mony to bee transported and payd for the same whereby the Treasure of his Maiesties Realmes would be diminished and other forreine Kingdomes thereby enriched And whereas for making of the Salt-Peter which hath been formerly and now is made in his Maiesties said Realmes and Dominions the Subiects haue had and still haue their Houses Douehouses Cellars c. digged vp to their great trouble and also their Carts taken for carying of the Liquors Tubbes c. to places farre remote to their exceeding great preiudice which hath occasioned many complaints not onely to the Iustices of Peace in most parts of his Maiesties Dominions but oftentimes to His Maiestie and the Lords of His Highnesse priuie Counsell And whereas also there was neuer yet made since the first making of Salt-Peter in this Kingdom being about the beginning of the Reigne of Queene Elizabeth of famous memory notwithstanding all the trouble and grieuance of the Subiect a third part of the Salt-peter vsed for the ordinary seruice of the Kingdome and in diuers yeeres not so much as was spent for the Kings Store nor neere so much in time of Warre when there was most occasion of it but aswell the King as the Subiect were forced to procure the same from Barbarie France Poland Hamborough and other places in Germany The Salt-peter-men hauing formerly vsed as commonly they now doe to the abuse of the King and the Subiect to take Composition money of some two shillings of some fiue shillings of some tenne shillings of some more of some lesse to spare their Houses Stables and Douehouses from digging whereby the seruice intended for making Salt-Peter for his Maiestie is wholly neglected though the Subiect be continually charged with such composition money And further if the Salt-Peter-men in their accustomed course of working should for a few yeeres longer digge Houses c. for making of so great a quantity of Salt-Peter as the Kingdome shall require they would so impouerish the earth that they would in short time hardly make any at all there being no artificiall meanes vsed by them for enriching the earth but that which casually happeneth of which it is not fit to make Salt-Peter againe in many yeeres And whereas his Maiestie was informed that the Petitioner had by his great trauaile paines industry and charges discouered and made knowen a new way and meanes not heretofore knowen practised and perfected for the making and refining of perfect good seruiceable and Merchantable Salt-Peter c. whereby the Subiect should bee freed from the digging of their houses c. And likewise from taking vp Carts for carying their Liquors Tubbes Ashes c. from place to place And withall that by this new way the King should haue what quantity of Salt-Peter soeuer should be required both for his owne Store and all prouisions of the Subiect and for his neighbour Nations being in league and amity with his Maiestie Vpon which Information It pleased King Iames of blessed memory to referre the consideration thereof vnto the Duke of Buckingham his Grace the Right Honourable the Earle of Middlesex then Lord Treasurer of England and the Right honourable the Earle of Totnes Master of the Ordnance Who after long and many serious debatings diuers trials being made of the certainty of making Saltpeter in this new course proposed and the goodnesse therof were pleased to recommend it backe to the said King Iames as a proposition fit to bee embraced and a Priuiledge for the sayd Worke to bee granted to the inuentor for his encouragement for 21. yeeres But the warrant to Master Attourney Generall to draw vp the said priuiledge being made solely by the said Earle of Middlesex was so vnequally limited to price and no certainty for the payment thereof being deliuered with other strict Conditions and Prouisoes vnfitting for so great a Seruice intended for the generall good That those who intended to aduenture the Stocke for erecting the Workes were thereby vtterly disheartened and would not proceede therein whereby all the former charge of bringing the Inuention to perfection and procuring the Priuiledge being solely laid out by the Inuentor was like to be vtterly lost and the seruice intended for the good of the Common-wealth wholly neglected WHEREVPON a Petition being lately exhibited to His Maiestie that now is for inlargement of the said Grant It hath pleased His Maiestie for the incouragement of the Inuentor and to ease the Subiect of the now grieuance and secure the Kingdome with quantity of Salt-Peter graciously to condescend thereto For the speedy execution and aduancement of which worke The Inuentor is ready vpon his owne charge to erect a Worke foorthwith about the Citie of London which after the Earth is ripened and impregnated for making of Salt-Peter shall produce weekely as much Salt-Peter as now is or vsually hath been made in London and the liberties therof notwithstanding all the trouble the City is now put vnto By which meanes there shal be made a full demonstration to such Persons as this honorable House shall appoint both of the certaintie of the Workes the profit of it the quantitie and the continuance thereof for euer And that the Salt-Peter which shall bee made in this new course shall be farre better and more vsefull in all conditions required in Salt-Peter for the making of Powder then any that now is brought into His Maiesties Store-house from any Salt-Peter-worke in this Kingdome or imported from any parts from beyond the Seas But because so great a worke as this for speedy making of the quantity of Salt-Peter for the seruice of the whole Kingdome cannot conueniently bee effected by any priuate Purse The Inuentor therefore most humble prayeth That this honourable house will settle some present course That vpon the demonstration made as aforesaid the summe of 20000. li. may bee in a readinesse which will bee required for erecting and stocking so many workes as shall be sufficient to make 500. tunne of Salt-Peter yeerely for his Maiesties and the Subiects expence The said summe of 20000. li. to be layd