and furious carreer of Alderman Gibbs and Alderman Wollaston while they were the Kings Agents in the Kings time but to save their skins when the times altered they could presently change their notes put on sheep-skins and would appear as Lambs they would be full of godlie expressions in Guild-hall Goldsmiths-hall and many other places in the City and bee highly for the Covenant and amongst their Brethren storm at the oppression of the Times and at Projectors and Monopolizers when there was none greater then themselvs as appears by this Monopoly They have said at a common Hall in Guild-hall when I was sent to the Tower that I was the Monopolist and Pattentee for this Manufacture when truly I neither had heart or hand in it nor any manner of waâ—â—s concerned in the buying or selling the silver Wyer for this Manufacture If I would I could not for the aforesaid Indâ—â—ture between the King Gibbs and Wollaston sets forth that onely eight Refiners were the Pattentees and none others enjoy notwithstanding the Statute made in the fourth year of Hen. 7th cap. 2. and notwithstanding the Statute made in the 5th and 6th years of Edw. 6th cap. 19. intituled The Penaltie for Exchange of Gold and Silver And notwithstanding the Statute of 18 Eliz. cap. 15. or any other Act Statute Law Ordinance Proclamation Provision or restriction whatsoever to the contrary in any wise notwithstanding And his Majestie for Him and his Heirs and Successors did will ordain and declare that during the continuance of this his Grant his Majestie his Heirs and Successors will not give or grant any libertie licence or power or authoritie to any person whatsoëver other then unto such as have already served or shall hereafter serve as Apprentices wholly and only to the Art of Refining and parting Gold and Silver by the space of seven years as the said John Wollaston William Gibbs and other the parties before named have done to bee made expended and imploied in or about the making gold or silver thread or any the several Manufactures herein before mentioned And the afore-said persons every one for himself did covenant and promise to and with his Majestie his Heirs and Successors that from time to time during the terme granted to perform their best endeavors in and by all lawfull waies and means for the promoting and advancing of his Majesties benefit and service in the premisses And his Majestie for him his Heirs and Successors during the term thereby granted did Covenant to vouchsafe his and their assistance to the said Agents and the Survivors of them for the better performance and discharging of the said Agencie and all other the premisses so by them undertaken according to the tenor and true meaning of the said Grant In witness whereof to the one part of this Indenture remaining with the said Agents Our Sovereign Lord the King hath caused the Great Seal of England to be put And the other part remaining with his said Majestie the said John Wollaston William Gibbs Henry Patrickson Daniel Stallworthy William Haward Richard Gibbs Thomas Nowell and Walter Hâ—ll have set their hands and Seals the day and year first above written Anno Dom. 1636. Witness Our Self at Westminster the 7th daie of May in the twelfth year of our Reign I have the Copie of this Monopoly of the Refiners verbatim at large sworn and attested ready to bee produced if required May it pleas your Highness THese are the chief Heads of the Monopolie granted by the late King Charles 1636. to Sir John Wollaston Alderman and Alderman William Gibbs and others Refiners of the City of London This monopolie was complained of to the late King and his Counsel by some of the Wardens and Companie of the Goldsmiths in Anno 1636. and since oftentimes to the late King and his Commissioners both by several Goldsmiths and Wyerdrawers as being a great loss and abuse to the whole Company of Goldsmiths in Annis 1637 1638 and 1639 and is against the Statute of 21. Jac. cap. 3. and several other Acts of Parlament and against the Common Law of the Land and the Charter of the City of London By this monopoly they ingrossing into a few particular mens hands for their private lucre and gain under the specious pretence of the Kings service which was the ordinary mask used by Pattentees and Monopolists of that time the lively-hood and subsistance of many hundred Goldsmiths and Wyerdrawers which by the Charter of the Company of Goldsmiths ought not to have been debarred and by the custom of the City of London were legally impowered to refine Silver and Gold aswell as the said Refiners were And though this was oftentimes offered it was alwaies denied and opposed by the Refiners who had got this monopoly in their Iron clutches and would not let go their hold till their monopolie was put down by the Parlament upon the Petition of the Gold-wyer-drawers as aforesaid I have left with the honorable Committee for Trade in Aug. 1656. several humble Proposals for the just and due regulation of this Trade of Refining and Gold and Silver-wyer-drawing If they bee put in execution the Manufacture will bee again justly and truly made the Coyn and Bullion of the Nation preserved and your Highness Revenue augmented But as the Manufacture of Gold and Silver Thread c. is now made the wearers thereof are many of them cozened and the Coyns and Plate of the Nation melted to the great dammage of the Nation and every day new Cheats are invented to deceive the Wearers by Wheels or Engines Therefore I most humbly pray for either a due Regulation of Gold and Silver Thread and Wyer c. or the making to bee put down in England especially at this time now wee have a Warr with Spain strictly to look that none of the Coyns of the Nation or Plate bee melted down for any of these Manufactures 8. That within these three months in June last Mr Alexander Jackson the Assaie-master of Goldsmiths-hall beeing desired to go to the Excize-Office to make an assay of some Silver that was made into Wyer for this manufacture seized on an Ingott of course Silver about 30l. which was thirteen penny weight worse then the Standard And weekly upon strict examination it will bee found that great quantities of course silver hath been made into these Manufactures This Silver as I am informed belongs to a Refiner and it is both contrary to the Law and a breach of his Oath to prepare any such Silver for any Manufacture I have many Assayes under Mr Jacksons hand the Assay-master of Goldsmiths-hall where four ounces of Copper hath been mixed and put into eight ounces of Silver and sold for good Silver by some Silkmen and Wyer-drawers to the intolerable deceipt of the Wearers of gold and silver Lace And whereas all persons should make gold and silver Thread to hold six ounces Silver to three ounces of Silk it hath been ordinary and at this day
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
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
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
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 four parts of the City and Suburbs to make these searches and seisures and they were paid one hundred pound a year during all the time I had the Office This Geares made many thousand pounds of Gold and Silver thread half Copper and half Silver and sold it all for good Silver in London I did also upon search seize upon several quantities of Silver Lace mixed with Copper in Alderman Garwayes Hands which by several Wyer drawers and others was sold to Merchants that traded to Russia and there it was found out and detected by the Russians and sent back to England to the Governour of the Company Alderman Garway to have these Wyer-drawers in London found out and punished that had dishonored the Nation in making Gold and Silver lace mixed with Copper and selling it to Russia Merchants for good silver This Lace was one Mr Sand's lace Sr George Sand's brother who was deceived in it I made Twentie men runn away about this Business There have been within this few years several other Refiners and Goldsmiths indicted at the Sessions Hous in the Old Bayly for counterfeiting gold and silver the Coins of the Nation who have so craftily managed their business that some of them have escaped hanging by miracle If I have my Office established again I wish them to forbare coming thither to the Old Bayly any more for I know by what tricks they have deceived the Jurie and the Court. These men and their fellows are angrie with mee and would by no means have mee to have the looking after the regulating of the Trade of gold and silver Wyer and Thread And indeed they have reason for had I my Office again for Sealing and Surveying this Manufacture I should spoil many a mans cozening Trade which hee daily now practiseth in deceiving the Commonwealth by the deceitfull making these Manufactures of silver Wyer and silver Thread c. For I found out where Silkmen had sold to some of the Nobilitie and some Honorable persons silver lace mixed with Copper for good Silver I caused the offenders to bee prosecuted in the Starr Chamber for it and caused them to make it good to the parties wronged In brief for Five years I caused all the Gold and Silver that was spent in this manufacture to bee duely and justlie made The value yearly out of Silkmens shops in London when it was made into Lace and Ribbins Spangles Oes c amounted to above Two Hundred thousand pounds a year Starling as I have calculated it by my Accompts for it all passed my Seal and Survey either by mee or my Deputies such as I was to answer to the Commonwealth for the true performance of their Places and gave Securitie in the Exchequer for their just performance I caused all these manufactures to bee made so justly and exactly as the Plate and money of the Nation And though some that I caused to bee punished for their cheating were and are angrie with mee and got others to back them with complaints by their petitioning to the Parlament in 1641. That I had caused some of them to bee imprisoned disturbed them in their Trades and spoyled and defaced their Wyer Thread and Spangles c. and made searches and seisures in their shops and houses Trulie I confess this part of their petition was true when I found their Silver was adulterated This I did whilest I had my Office And afterwards for want of doing it the Nation was Cozened and at this day is Cozened as I can shew in one hundred and odd several parcels of cours and adulterate Silver and gold Lace Spangles Purl Oes and Wyer All under the hand of Mr Alexander Jackson sworn Assay-master of Goldsmiths Hall For the cheating Fellows of the City let them bee either Wyerdrawers Silkmen or Refiners I dare sware whether they bee rich or poor I gave them little reason to love mee or wish mee well for I hindred them as much as I could And I never knew a Thief love a Judg heartily But there are honest men of these Trades both Refiners and Gold-Wyerdrawers and Workmen which desire I may have my place restored to mee and that wish the abuses of their Trades and Manufactures may bee redressed For all honest workmen are undone for want of a regulation and power to bee settled on some select persons to punish the offenders And reduce their number only to such as have served Apprentices to the trades and to make the workers to conform themselves to such orders as your Highness and Parlament shall see best for the preventing the waste of the Coyn and Plate of the Nation I have humbly presented a Model for a Regulation of the abuses to the counsell of Trade to which I humly refer May it please your Highness ALderman Gibbs and Alderman Wollaston c. were authorized in any part of the Realm of England and Dominion of Wales by their Monopoly to prepare and fine One hundred thousand pounds in silver and gold yearly and every year or somuch thereof as may yearly by them bee jointly vended uttered or sold according to the Rates and Provisions aforesaid To have and to hold the said powers licences and authorities and all and singular the premisses unto them the said John Wollaston William Gibbs Henry Patrickson Daniel Stallworthy William Haward Richard Gibbs Thomas Nowel and Walter Hill during the term of seven years from thence forth next ensuing fully to bee compleated and ended And that without any accompt to bee made for the same to his Majestie his Heirs or Successors 5. And they Covenant they will sell no silver or gold for these Manufactures but to such persons that shall bee admitted to work and bee allowed to buy the same And also that they shall and will pay the aforesaid Duties to his Majestie his Heirs and Successors which was sixpence upon every ounce Troy of Silver spent in this Manufacture 6. They Covenant with the King that they nor their servants shall not melt down or bee consenting to the melting down of any the currant Coynes of the King his Heirs or Successors or the Plate of the Nation for any the Manufactures aforesaid except such onely as shall arise and return off and from any gold and silver Thread Lace Purles Oas Spangles or Wyer or shall bee imported from the parts beyond the Seas and hath not been manufactured in this Nation And all and singular these Grants Powers Licences and Authorities before given and granted they shall lawfully use and Alderman Gibbs and Alderman Wollâ—ston binde their Monopoly to them as fast as they can it must break through all former Laws for their private and particular profit it must oppress Goldsmiths Wyer-drawers Silkmen and all other Tradesmen whatsoëver it Their Monopoly must go through thick and thin though against the Law no Act Statute or Ordinance Proclamation Provision or Restriction formerly made whatsoëver shall or can stop or contradict them this was the pace