people wherby many disherisons and divers great mischeifes and damages bee hapned aswell to the King as to his said people and to all his Realm wherof hee to the honor of God and for the weale of him and his Realm And for the quietness and Releif of him and of his people who have ben in divers manners greatly charged before this time willing with the grace of God against such mischeifes to provide a good and due remedy HATH of his free will and at the request of the Lords and Comons aforesaid ordayned made and assigned his great Officers that is to say The Chancellor Treasurer and keeper of his Privie Seale such as hee holdeth good sufficient and lawfull for the honor and profit of him and his Realm And moreover of his authoritie royall certain knowledg and good agree and freewill And by the advice and assent of the Prelats Lords and Comons aforesaid in the full Parlament in ayd of good governance of his Realm And good and due execution of his said Lawes And in releif of the Estate of him and his people in time to com uppon the full trust that he hath of good advisement witt and discretion of the Honorable Fathers in GOD William Arch Bishop of Canterbury and Alexander Arch Bishop of York his dear Uncles â—dmond duke of York and Thomas duke of Glocester the honorble Fathers in GOD William Bishop of Winchester Thomas Bushop of Exeter and Nicolas Abbott of waltham and his wellbeloved and Faithfull Richard Earl of Arundell John Lord of Cobham Sir Richard le Scrope John Devoreux hath ordained and assigned and deputed them by his Letters Patents under his great Seal to be of his greate and continuall Counsel from S. Edmonds Eve the Martyr by a whole year next following after the date of the said Letters Patens to survey and examine with the said great officers That is to say the Chancellor Treasurer and keeper of his privie Seal aswell the Estate and governance of his house and of all his Courts and places as of all his Realm as of all his officers and Ministers of whatsoever Estate Degree or condition hee bee aswell within the said Hous as without and to enquire and take Information by all the wayes which to them best shal seeme of al the rents revennues and profits that to him appertaneth and be due aswell within the Realm as without in any manner way or condition And of all manner of Gifts and Grants alienations and confirmations made by him of Lands Tenements Rents and ymmunities profits Revenues wards marriges Escheats forfeitures franchises liberties voydances of Archbushops Bushiprickes Abbies Priores Fermes of Howses and Possessions of Aliens And of all other possessions soms of money goods and Chattels and of all other things and to what persons and for what caus and how and in what manner And namely of those persons which have taken without desert And also all manner of Revenues and profits aswell of his said Realm as of Lands Seigniories Cities Towns Castles Fortresses and also of all manner his other posesons aswell on this side the Sea as beyond and of the profits and emoluments of his money bullions and of the taking of Prisoners Towns and Places Ships Carackes good and Ransoms of warre by land and by sea And of benifices and other possessions of Cardinals Rebels and all other aliens and also of carrying of money out of the Realm by the Collectors of the Pope Procurators of the Cardinals Lumberds other persons aswell aliens as Denizens And of the Emoluments and profits coming and rising out of the Customs Subsides of Wools Leather And woolfels and of smal Custstomes and other Subssedies of Cloethes Wynes and all other Marchandize And of disines quinzins And all other subsides and charges granted by the Clergie and the Comons and also of the receipt profits and payments of the hamper of his Chancery And of all other his receipts from the time of his Coronatiion tell And of fees Wages and rewards of officers and Ministers more and less Also of immunities and other Rewards And also guifts and grants made to any person by him and by his Father and his grand father in fee or for terme of life or in any other manner And if gre or payment bee to them thereof made and by whom and how And in what manner And also how much they have released or given to officers or others to have their payments to what persons how and in what maner And of Lands Tenements Rents Revenues and forfeitures barganed and sold to the prejudice and damage of him and of his Crown and by whom and to whom how and in what manner And of the Sale or bargain of Tallies and Patens of singular profits aswell in the tyme of his said grand-Father as in his own time and how and by what persons And also of all his jewells and goods which were his said Grandfathers at the time of his death and what and of what price or value and where they bee becom and how and in what manner And of all Cheviences any wise made to his use by any maner of persons And of all loss and damage hee hath had fustained by the same And by what persons how and in what manner and of charters of pardons generall and espcciall and also of the somes and payments and maner of expence aswell of his said hous as for the salvation and defence of his Realms Lands and seignioryes Towns Castles and fortresses and other Places on this side the Sea and beyond don and received by any persons aswell Soldiers as others and by any manner of way and how and in what manner and how much they have given to have their payments and of the concealments of rights and profits and by whom how and in what maner and of maintainers and takers of quarels embracers of enquests and of officers and ministers made by brockage and of their broggers and of them that have taken the said brocage and how and in what maner and also of all the defaults and offences that bee don aswell in his said hous as other places and courts aforesaid as in all other places within his realm of England by any manner of persons whereby the profit of him and of his crown hath been impaired and diminished or the common law disturbed delayed or other damage to him hapned giveing comitting by the same of his royall authoritie and by the advice and assent aforsaid to the said counsellors or any six of them and to the great officers full power authority generall especiall to enter his said hous all the offices of the same and all his other Courts places as often as them pleas to caus to com before them where when them pleaseth The Rols records and other minuments evidences such as them liketh and all the defaults waste and excesses found in his said hous and also all the defaults and
PROPOSALS HUMBLY PRESENTED To his Highness OLIVER Lord Protector of England c. and to the High Court of Parlament now assembled For the calling to a true and just Accompt all Committee-men Sequestrators Treasurers Excize and Custom-Commissioners Collectors of Monethly Assessments and all other Persons that have been entrusted with the Publick Revenue or have in their Custody any thing of value appertaining to the Common-wealth WITH Several Reasons for the Doing thereof and the Waies how it may bee exactly done and several Presidents by Acts of Parlalament for the due and strict execution of the same for the Honor of God and Ease of the good People of this Nation in general in their Taxes ALSO For the Regulating of the Manufacture of Gold and Silver Thread and Wyer and for the passing an Act against Transporting Gold and Silver and against Melting down the Currant Silver Monies of the Nation LIKEWISE A Narrative of the Proceedings in the Court of Admiraltie against the Silver-Ships Sampson Salvador and George By THO. VIOLET of London Goldsmith Prov. 11. 10. When it goeth well with the Righteous the City rejoiceth And when the Wicked perish there is shouting Josh 7. 19 20 21. Luke 16. 1 2. LONDON Printed Anno Domini M. DC LVI To His Highness OLIVER LORD PROTECTOR OF England Scotland Ireland and the Dominions thereunto belonging May it pleas Your Highness AMongst the Roman Emperors the name Pater Patriae was held their highest title of Honor and the surest support of all good Princes hath been the Peoples hearts For where the Tongue-string and not the Heart-string make's the musick the harmony may and doth many times end in discord Queen ELIZABETH that glorious Queen and England's Deborah used to say Give mee my People's hearts and wee shall not need to ask their purses and this Maxime never deceived her With what easshee got aids from the Nation in Parlament the Records of her Reign shew The chief point that made the People so free to grant in those daies was they knew by forty four years experience shee was sparing and frugal her self and God blessed her with a wise and prudent Counsel And in point of managing her Revenue That shee never forgave her Accomptants or Receivers of her publick Revenues where it was possible to bee levyed The State had had millions of money now in bank had they followed her Rules to take a strickt accompt of all their Receivers The monies belonging to her Crown as I humbly said was never forgiven Insomuch as som of her greatest Servants and Favorites dying in her debt shee would not discharge their Heirs or Executors but held their Lands under extent till shee was paid the uttermost farthing saying Shee would not forgive any Officer that was an accomptant for the publick monies was not hers to give And the Earl of Leicester Secretary Walsingham and Lord Chancellor Hatton for all their being great Pillars in the Common-wealth and greatly in her favor having gotten to bee in her debt their several Lands were held under extent after their deaths till every penny was paid her Though som of their Heirs petitioned yet they were forced to pay the uttermost farthing receiving this answer from the Queen That if the People should know that shee prodigally gave away the publick Treasure they might justly denie her when shee had occasion in Parlament or otherwaies An excellent Rule at this time and at all times for all sovereign Princes to follow May it pleas Your HIGHNESS About the Spanish Invasion in 88 Queen Elizabeth borrowed of the Merchant Adventurers about One hundred thousand pound and kept that money by her for above one year and paid it exactly at the day with interest after 10 per cent though shee made not any use of one penny of it but put it in bank with the rest of her Treasure This shee did out of her fore-cast and providence that so if the Spaniards had landed shee would not then bee to seek for Treasure for to pay her Souldiers and supply her occasions Her wise rich and provident Grandfather Henry the 7th shee reading his Life and Reign could teach her that Rule never to let her Exchequer bee empty hee leaving as is recorded in Richmond Hous Seventeen hundred thousand pound in gold which is now by computation according to the present value neer five millions By these courses that glorious Queen got such reputation for good husbanding and prudent managing her Revenues and principally by her just repayment and by her sparing the publick Treasure that in many of her Parlaments the subsidies and fifteons granted â—â—re intreated and pressed on her as a beâ—evolence and free-will offering of the People to her with many expressions of thanks from the Parlament for her good and gracious Government And somtimes their voluntary bounty hath been such that the Parlament hath granted more than shee would accept and the Queen hath with thanks her self in Parlament returned Subsidies again Her Fame extending beyond Solomon's even to the farthest and greatest Monarchs in the world The Grand Seigniour sending his Imperial salutes and desiring her Peace and Amitie with Commerce and Trade And the Emperor of Russia admiring her great Valor in offering to affront and assault and begin a Warr with the King of Spain at her desire did grant to the English Merchants for the respects hee bore to their glorious Queen Elizabeth many great Privileges and Immunities in his Empire for Him and his Successors for ever which were inviolably observed by his Successors till about the year 1650. Shee usually said Shee desired that her Subject's Purses should bee her Exchequer For as long as they were rich shee could not bee poor These Princelie and Popular Expressions took so with all her Subjects rich and poor that shee never stirred out of the Court but shee had the Acclamations Praiers and Praises of Thousands of her People both in City and Country And shee would shew the like tenderness and affection to her People And this Blessing God bestowed then on this Nation that Prince and People were of one Minde one Heart and one Faith except som few Catholicks Her watchfull eie was ever over them and that strengthened by God's blessing her hands that in her time shee did such great things in her greatest Difficulties her Affairs were carried smoothly on by the prudence of her Counsel If Grievances were by the Commons in Parlament presented unto her it was in such a decent form shee alwaies keeping the dignity of her State Imperial that the People's Grievances appeared unto her like the tears of the Turtle and the mourning of Doves Som of the Representations of their Grievances in Parlament I have seen and read to this effect That if there was any thing expressed otherwise then they should have represented That her Majestie would cast the vail of her Grace upon it and give a favorable and benign Answer and Interpretation of their humble Petition And
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
unless it bee sealed with This Restraint ought now to bee carefully looked after and to make the melting down of Shillings Sixpences half Crowns and five Shilling pieces Felony And strictly to forbid upon severe Penalties all Goldsmiths not to presume to bee Cashiers and Receivers of Merchants monies by which means they have formerly and do at this day cull and melt down the heavy English money The Goldâ—miths have by buying and selling English Gold above the currant price bought and sold all the Gold out of the Nation to the unspeakable dammage thereof And now there is no other Remedy to get Gold back in the Nation but by raising of it as some would have it shortly wee shall have no Silver Coyn left in the Nation and then wee must raise that to get back our Silver again And by this means all setled Revenues and Landlords will lose so much in their estates as you raise Gold and Silver the Seal of the Company And upon these Conditions they offered to pay his Majestie his Heirs and Successors for ever One thousand pounds yearly and over and above two pence the ounce for all Forain Bullion that shall bee used in their Trade And humbly petition That his Majestie would bee pleased to publish his Proclamation to forbid any to practise any the said Trades or Manufactures or Drawing or Spinning of Gold or Silver Thread or Wyer other than such as should bee Incorporated Upon this Petition his Majestie granted this following Reference viz. 2 Aprill 1635. HIs Majestie referreth this Petition to Mr Attourny General To take the same into consideration together with the Earl of Holland's Petition and certifie his opinion R. Freeman This Petition I have readie to bee produced Sr John Bankes Attournie general certifies back to the late King to this effect viz. That hee did not discern any inconvenience that the Gold Wyerdrawers who offer his Majestie upon their voluntary Petition One thousand pounds a year and two pence for everie ounce of Bullion which should bee used by them should bee incorporated for their better government according to their Petition so that they bee tied to some certain Conditions amongst which they were not to work any of the currant heavie Monie of this Nation nor any of the Plate of the Nation for any Manufacture of Gold or Silver Thread or Wyer they were not to use any Silver in their trade but Forrain Bullion and no more than yearlie should bee imported by their means and the Manufacture made according to the Standard or better Hereupon the Refiners Alderman Wolaston and Alderman Gibbs c. seeing themsellves exposed to the Law by the information of some of the Wardens and Company of the Goldsmiths informing against them and Mr Attournie General Banks by Order of the King and Lords prosecuting them in the Starr Chamber for high Crimes and Misdemeanors the Refiners viz. Alderman Wolaston and Alderman Gibbs c. Petition the late King in An. 1635. for his grace and mercy and making their humble Application to the then Attournie general Bankes and Sr J. Cook Secretary of State and to Sr William Beecher and several others whom they paid and gratified with great sums of money to get their pardons I being privy thereunto and desired and requested by them to use all my endeavors to keep Sr John Wolaston off from being indighted upon high Crimes and Offenses which Alderman Wolaston was charged with by Sr Henry Mildemay and some of the Wardens of the Company of Goldsmiths which I did by Secretary Cookes power and I did assist them to get their Pardons and spent my money and used all my endeavors and interest freely And at the earnest entreatie of Alderman Gibbs who with many tears besought mee to do it for Gods sake I having a little before made my peace and paid to the King two thousand Pounds for my pardon for Transporting Gold and Silver and by that means being intimately acquainted with Sr John Cook then Principal Secretary of State and Mr Attourney General Bankes and Sr William Beecher Clark of the Counsel I could and did get for Alderman Wolaston and Alderman Gibbs great favour of them I managed their business so amongst them that the edg of Justice was blunted and Sr Henry Mildemay's Commission revoked and all his endeavors to undoe Alderman Wolaston and Alderman Gibbs I disappointed by the power of the aforesaid persons And I am confident they paid them well for it for in those times there was nothing done by Courtâ—ers for Cittizens without money and I am sure I in my particular found it so But I never would accept or take of Alderman Wolaston or Alderman Gibbs for my expenses and pains one farthing though they often times then offered mee their pretended great acknowledgments And this I do say is true as I shall answer before God I did it freely upon the account of Frendship I bare unto Alderman Gibbs And how well and justly Alderman Gibbs and Alderman Wolaston requited mee for getting them their Pardons of the King in 1636. the Common Counsel of London and many honorable members of Parlament know and heard at a common Hall in January 1643. when Alderman Wolaston beeing Lord Major and Alderman Gibbs were the chief Informers against mee in Guild Hall and incensed many honorable members of Parlament and the body of the Citie of London against mee as a malignant and vicious person And this Alderman Gibbs did by along winded Speech openly at Guild Hall And som few daies before they abused and villified mee before a Committee of Parlament at Goldsmiths Hall and procured mee to bee sent to the Tower through their unjust Information But God in his good time will finde their iniquity out for since it hath been proved what Alderman Wolaston hath been to the Government and that makes him uncapable to bear Office in the Commonwealth How God will dispose of Alderman Gibbs this Parlament that time will present And what Service I have don to this Nation I most humbly leav it to the considerations of all true English men I saved the Nation at one time three hundreed Thousand Pounds in the year 1652. A summ of money more then all the Goldsmiths and Refiners are worth put them all together And in doing that service I most humbly say I clearly shewed my Dutie and Affection to this Nation and shewed I was no Malignant When Alderman Wolaston and Alderman Gibbs do so much for this Nation I shall take them to bee better men then now I do After many dayes Attendance of Alderman Wolaston and Alderman Gibbs at the Counsel-table and at the Attourny General Sr John Banke's Chamber Upon condition that Alderman Wolaston and Alderman Gibbs Their Pardon 's under the Great Seal of Enland will shew the offences they were guilty of for men need not take a Pardon if they be not guilty and faulty I refer my self to the paticulars in their Pardons what offenses
well known to many hundred persons in London Hereupon the Wyer-drawers petitioned against this Monopoly of Alderman Gibbs and Alderman Wollaston to the Parlament in 1640. and therein set forth that this Monopoly was contrary to the Common Law and against the Statute of 21. Jac. concerning Monopolies and contrary to the Liberties of the City of London And that this monopoly was for the excessive profit of the Refiners for that they could buy their silver at a moneths time 3 pence an ounce cheaper then they were forced to pay the Refiners ready money And this was affirmed in Parlament by Thomas Joles Robert Patrickson Laurence Whalley NathanaeÌ„l Seabourn and several other Gold-wyer-drawers Upon Examination of this Business by the Parlament the Patentees Alderman Wollaston Alderman Gibbs c were commanded to bring into the Hous their Monopoly and then the Wyer-drawers got quite free from it by Parlament The Refiners Alderman Wollaston and Alderman Gibbs to avoid the punishment which might justly have been imposed on them by the Parlament according to the Statute of 21. Jac. cap. 3. concerning Monopolies When they saw they could hold their Monopoly no longer and that the Parlament was called they petition to have their Pattent of Agencie dissolved as if it had been put on them by force and against their wills alledging That they were sued in the Starr-Chamber and that to avoid a sentence there being terrified by the example of the Soap-boilers and the Vintners they accepted of beeing his Majesties Agents When the truth was they accepted of being the Kings Agents for the sole refining and vending of One hundred thousand pounds silver a year for this Manufacture out of a covetous desire to enrich themselvs and unjustly did exclude all Goldsmiths and Wyer-drawers that had served their time to the Trade and by their undertaking this Monopoly they got their Pardons under the great Seal of England for many great as may appear upon view of their Pardons That they were sued in the Starr-Chamber it is very true For such Crimes that had the Cause proceeded and witnesses then been examined and the Court given Judgement against them they had been both undone To my knowledg this was their chief Plea in Parlament and so they flung dirt in the Kings face for his mercie towards them by their Petition which they presented to the House Though before the Parlament they would neither let Goldsmiths nor the Wyer-drawers to have a free market but stiffly insisted on it ever when it came to a dispute That the Refining and preparing Gold and Silver wyer did absolutely belong to the Refiners and so excluded the Goldsmiths of London And by their Monopolie excluded all other persons from the Trade but onely eight persons the Kings Agents and Pattentees These Agents laid out of their own purses Two hundred eightie and two pounds three shillings for repairing the Office which they gave me a Bill of under their own hands and desired mee to move Secâ—etarie Cook to get the King to allow it them I did so but the King returned them answer That if it had cost them ten times as much hee would not allow one penny for hee had Ordered Alderman Wollaston and Alderman Gibbs to have their Pardon and that in that hee had given them Ten thousand pounds I have the Original Bill by mee Several times this Monopolie of the Refiners was opposed and argued oftentimes at the Counsell Table and before the King Commissioners in Little Brittain and at Mr Attornie General Bankes Chamber both before Alderman Wollaston and Ald. Gibbs got their Monopolie and after they had their Pattent some of the Wyer drawers and some of the Goldsmiths and Silkmen chiefly Sir George Binion a Silkman for the Silkmen and the Wardens of the Companie of Goldsmiths for the Goldsmiths and all the chief Wyer-drawers in behalf of themselvs and their Fellow Wyer-drawers opposing Sir John Wollaston and Alderman Gibbs Monopolie and desiring to have a free market to buy their Silver But the Refiners still made such potent friends no doubt their Gold flew plentifully amongst the Courtiers or else they could not have carried it that neither VVyer-drawers nor Goldsmiths could buy of them or sell either silver or wyer for any the manufactures aforesaid but all must bee bought of Alderman Wollaston and Alderman Gibbs and others the Kings Agents and Pattentees till 1640. that that the same was overthrown in Parlament May it pleas your Highness DUring the Prosecution and Contest of this business between the Goldsmiths Gold Wyerdrawers Refiners and Silkmen about the frauds and abuses committed in their Trades each man putting it of from one to another The King and Lords of the Counsel cast about How to bee truelie informed of all these abuses and to search into the bottom of all this Knavery and Cheating Several wayes were propounded At last the Lords of the Counsel Ordered a private Search and Inspection into all Silkmens and Gold Wyerdrawers shopps And afterwards the King and Lords impowered mee Thomas Violet under the Great Seal to make these Searches frequently to prevent srauds in Wyâ—rdrawers and silkmens shops and in any other places where I conceived slight and bad Silver and Gold Thread and Wyer was and to seaze the same and if I found it bad to deface it and to certifie their names to the Kings Counsel or the Attourney Generall And the Lords of the Counsel at that time Ordered Sr Henry Mldemay to send several persons to buy small parcels of Gold and Silver Wyer and Thread Spangles Purls Oas c. in almost all the Silkmens and Wyerdrawers shops in and about London That so they might bee truely informed upon an Assay by the sworn Assay-master at Golsmiths Hall Mr Alexander Jackson what manner of gold and silver Wyer and Thread Spangles Oes and Purl and the Standard of the Silver was made and vented for good silver I do verily believ There was never a fuller or clearer Discoverie of Frauds and Cheatings in the world then was discovered at that time For Mr Jackson the Assay-master of Goldsmiths Hall hath Reported everie particular Assay by it self and Master Humfrey Worthington Mr Thomas Johnson and Mr Leonard Welsted have set down the dayes of the moneth and the year the Silkmen and Wyerdrawers shopps and their names where they bought this cours adulterate Silver Thread and Spangles and that they bought it and paid for good silver I have both the original Certificates ready to be produced The Title of the several Assayes is TRialls made by me Alexander Jackson sworn Assay-master of the Right Worshipfull the Company of Goldsmiths for his Majesties service of certain Quills of gold and silver Thread Spangles Plait and Wyer for and by the apointment of the Right Worshipfull Sr Henry Mildemay Knight as followeth being first burnt and melted and assayed brought by Sr Henry Mildmay the 9th of July 1635. to Goldsmiths Hall The Kings Standard for Starling silver is Eleven
or melted down any of the currant coyns of England or of any Gold or Silver bulloin to have it passed by with a generall Pardon The Committee for the mint taking Especiall notice of the greate mischeifs that have hapned to the Nation by the said abuses when the general pardon was drawing up they made this order to prevent the Offendors escaping their due punishment viz. At Whitehall Jan 24. 1651. Mr Attorney Generall At a Committee of the Counsell of State for the Mint this inclosed exception was presented to the Committee to have it inserted in the Generall pardon The Committee do hold fit for the benefit of the Commonwealth to have this exception inserted in the Pardon and do recommend it to you accordingly viz. Except all offences don and committed by any person whatsoever in transporting out of England any gold or silver in Coyn or Bullion without licence and all other offences in the unlawfull buying selling exchanging and melting down of any the currant silver moneys or Bullion against whom or for which any information is now depending in the Court of Exchequer at Westminster Ordered that Mr Thomas Violet attend Master Attourney General with this order of the Committee and also the Committee of Parlament for drawing the General pardon to have these offences excepted James Harrington Herbert Morley I did attend the Committee of Parlament and Master Attourney General with this abovesaid order and they did insert the exception in the General pardon and so none of these offenders are pardoned the offenders are liable to the Law at this day At the Committee at Whitehall August 16. 1649. Ordered that a Committee bee appointed to take into consideration the business of the Coyn and the Par between us and other Nations and how the coyn of this nation may bee kept from being carried out and likewise to consider of som means Whereby the Mint may bee set on work and they are to speak with any persons they think good about it December 20. 1649. THe Committees names Lord President Bradshaw Sir James Harrington Sir Gilbert Pickering Sir William Constable Mr Scot Mr Bond Collonel Purefoy Collonel Joanes Mr Thomas Challoner Sir Henry Mildemay Collonel Morley Mr Allen Mr Darley Mr Cornelius Holland Mr Nevil or any two of them Sir James Harrington had the Chaire for this Committee hee writes to mee this Letter viz. SIR BEeing informed of your abillity and readiness to make tender of such proposals as may bee for the service of the Common-wealth I thought fit to desire you that I may speak with you to morrow in the afternoon being Tuesday about two a Clock at which time you shall finde mee at my lodgings in the Stone Gallery in Whitehall 12 Jan. 1649. Your loving friend James Harrington For Mr Thomas Violet these And at the desire of Sir James Harrington and Mr Thomas Challoner and others of the Honorable Committee for the Mint I did write to Holland for all the principal Coynes in Christendom and did deliver many of them to the officers of the Mint to make an assay of them which several pieces of forrain gold and silver were assayed in the Presence of the Committee of the Mint they being there at the Tower several dayes to make these Trials where I attended them and I sent into Holland France and Flanders for all their several Placares and did procure the Lawes and Ordinances for regulating their respective mints with the several standards and weighits for their Coyns gold or silver to be translated and thereupon the Commitee of the Mint caused the principall of these forrain Coynes to bee ingraven with their weight and finenes of every piece according to the standard of each mint both gold and silver what it ought to weigh with a just Calculation of the vallue what all the several Species would make in the Tower of London and the penny weight and graines that everie such forrain Specie or Coyn would make in the Tower of London and what proportion our gold and silver held with the mints of Flanders France and Holland and this was exactly calculated by the officers of the Mint and my self in the years 1651 and 1652 and all the proceedings thereupon After many moneths time and the several Coynes graven in Copper Plates were delivered into the custody of Sir James Harrington the chairman of that committee to report them unto the Hous but the Parlament being dissolved 20 April 1653. the Act against the Transporters of Gold and all the Proceedings concerning the regulation of the mint was stopped for that time There had been severall Agitations concerning this Act in the hous manie times in Parlament viz. 18. March 1640. The business of the examination of the transporting Goldand Silver referred to the Committee that was appointed to consider of the state of the Kings Army and Thomas Violet appointed by that order of Parlament to prosecute this business An order of Parlament 1 September 1647. That the Committee of the navie consider of som effectual cours to prevent the Transportatim of Bullion and to report what they have don to the hous The Committee of the Navy 2. September 1647. direct their order to the Commissioners and officers of the Customs and particularly to Mr Edward Watkins then head Searcher and they were all desired to consider of som cours to prevent the Transportation of Bullion out of the nation In October 1647. All the Commissioners with the chief officers of the Custom-house set down several waies for the prevention of the Transporting of Gold and Silver which the Marchants by all secret means do daily Transport The Committee of the Navy by their order of the third of Dec. 1647. directed their order to the officers of the Mint to certifie their opinions what waies courses were to bee taken for preventing the Transporting of Gold Silver out of the nation The officers of the Mint after great consultation and consideration having taken good advice som of them having had long experience viz. Mr. Palmer and Mr Cogan were the fitter to give advice first the officers of the Mint upon their certificate desire that all the Transporters of Gold and Silver and such as have melted down the currant Coyn of the nation may bee brought to justice to Deterr others from acting the like abuses for the future Secondly that according to the president of the statute of 14 Richard 2. Cap. 12. A Commission bee granted to make enquirie through the nation after all such as had conveyed the moneys of England out of the nation and of all such as culd out and melted the heavy currant money 4 Hen. 4. Cap. 10. the sixth of Edward 6. Cap. 19. Touching the exchange of Gold and silver to bee put in execution that whosoever gives more for Gold or Silver then it is or shall bee declared shall make fine at pleasure of the State To conclude they say in their Certificate that the Mint cannot bee imployed