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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
master_n	esquire_n	john_n	thomas_n	10,239	5	9.5089	5	true

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A65091	A true narrative of the proceedings in the Court of Admiraltie against the ships Sampson, Salvador, and George, their silver and lading and an accompt presented what silver was taken out of the said ships, and coined in the tower (being above two hundred seventy eight thousand pounds), all which silver the common-wealth got by the chargeable prosecution and discovery of Tho. Violet, who saved the common-wealth this silver, Dec. 16, 1652 ... : together with several humble proposals, for the profit and honour of this common-wealth, in saving them many score of thousand pounds ... / by Tho. Violet ...	Violet, Thomas, fl. 1634-1662.	1659 (1659)	Wing V594; ESTC R18686	84,216	166

great expence pains and faithfulness shall have its due and promised Reward considering that in these humble Proposals which I have propounded to your Honours for my satisfaction I take no money from the publick but humbly offer to pay in monethly a great Revenue to the maimed Souldiers to regulate the abuses of the Manufacture of Gold and Silver Thread and Lace to give a stop to the Transportation of Gold and Silver to keep your Mint constantly at work to coyn money great quantities yearly all which services are of very great consequence to the Common-wealth the consideration of the premisses I humbly leave to your Honours and remain Your Honours dutifull and humble Servant TH. VIOLET THE TABLE THO. Violets Petition to the late Protector Oliver for getting the Common-wealth two hundred seventy eight thousand pounds and to be paid his reward according to Promise p. 51. The Lord Protectors Reference 61 The Officers of the Mint their Certificate concerning this businesse 61 Several persons Affidavits of Tho. Violets Services 63 A Copy of Tho Violets Letter sent to the Lord Bradshaw 67 Mr. Wilson and Mr. Hills Letter to Mr. Thurloe 68 Doctor Walkers Warrants to the Examiners Mr. How Mr. Arnold Mr. Dorislaws Mr. Bud concerning Tho. Violet 69 Sir Tho. Viner Sir Iohn Barkstead Iohn Limbery Maurice Thomson Esq their desires to the Lord Bradshaw touching Tho. Violet 74 Doctor Walkers Certificate 90 Lord Com. Bradshaws Certificate concerning Tho. Violets service in staying this Silver 80 Alderman Francis Allen Esq his Certificate 83 Sir George Fleetwoods Certificate concerning this service and the Councel of States Promise and engagement to Tho. Violet for his reward 84 Sir Iames Harringtons Certificate of many services done in staying this Silver and in other Particulars 92 Sir Tho. Viner Sir Iohn Barkstead Gabriel Beck Capt. Iohn Limbery Edward Dendy Henry Middleton Maurice Thomson Isaac Dorislaws Esq Certificate touching Th. Violets great service in the Silver-business 99 The Late Lord Protector Richards Order to Gabriel Beck and Francis Bacon Esquires touching Tho. Violet 112 Francis Bacon and Gabriel Becks Certificate to the late Lord Protector Richard 113. Tho. Violets Petition to the late Lord Protector in the name of Edward Iohnson Esq for the making of a publick farthing 118 The late Protectors Warrant to Master Solicitor General Ellis to prepare a Grant for these Farthings 120 An Account given to Sir Thomas Viner Mr. Alexander Holt c. of this business of the Silver Ships 122 The several abuses and obstructions of the Mint with ways propounded by Tho. Violet to set the Mint on work 11 The late King Charles's Letter to the Lord Mayor and Aldermen of the City of London 33 An Account of what hath been taken from me by the Parliament 38 An Order of the Councel of State requiring Th. Violet to pay fourty pounds to the Committee of Salop for certain Bonds with power to take the benefit of them and sue them as he might have done before any Sequestration 47 Iohn Corbet Esq his Receipt for the aforesaid fourty pounds 48 To the High Court of PARLIAMENT of the Common-wealth of England c. AND TO THE RIGHT HONOVRABLE THE COUNCEL OF STATE I. THomas Violet of London Goldsmith humbly presents this Narrative concerning his staying in the Court of Admiralty the Silver in the Ships Sampson Salvador and George together with the Certificates and Reports of many Honourable Persons attesting your Petitioners great service done this Nation in his seasonable Applications to the Councel of State 1652. and his protesting in the Admiralty against the discharge of this silver and discovering the frauds of the Spanish and Flemish Claimers and in many other particulars II. Further sheweth that there was unloaded out of the aforesaid ships 1653. upon your Petitioners discovery the summe of two hundred seventy eight thousand pounds which your Petitioners stayed by his Protest in the Admiralty the same houre the Judges would have discharged it And this silver was all coyned in the Tower And Colonel Barkstead Lieutenant of the Tower paid all this treasure to the Army and Navie for the defence and service of this Common wealth in 1653. and 1654. as will appear to your Honours upon the sight of his Accounts concerning this businesse III. These Particulars with many others are certified to his late Highnesse Oliver Lord Protector under the hands of Col. Barkstead Lieutenant of the Tower Alderman Viner Capt. John Limbery Doctor Walker Serjeant Dendy Maurice Thomson Treasurer of the East-India Company Serjeant Middleton Isaack Dorislawes Gabriel Beck Esquires By vertue of his late Highnesse reference directed to them 13. July 1657. IV. The true Copies of these original Petitions and Certificates and several other Transactions touching this silver are here presented to your Honours view to the end your Petitioner may after so long a delay of Justice have his dearly earned reward Your Honours upon perusal of all the Premisses will see it clearly proved your Petitioners great expence eminent zeal faithfulnesse and integritie with the hazard of his life in this service of the Common-wealth Your Honours Humble Servant THO. VIOLET May 25. 1659. TO THE RIGHT HONOVRABLE The LORDS and others of the COUNCEL OF STATE VIZ. Thomas Lord Fairfax Major Gen. Lambert Col. John Desborough Col. James Bury John Bradshaw Serjeant at Law Sir Anthony Ashley Cooper Sir Horatio Townsend Sir Arthur Hesilrigge Sir Henry Vane Lieut Gen. Ludlow Lieut. Gen. Fleetwood Major Saloway Col. Dixwell Mr. Reynolds Mr. Josiah Barners Col. Morley Mr. Thomas Scot Mr. Robert Wallop Sir James Harrington Col. Walton Col. John Jones Col. Sydney Col. Sydenham Mr. Hen. Nevill Mr. Thomas Chaloner Col. Downs Lord Chief Justice St. John Col. Thompson Lord Whitlock Sir Robert Honywood Sir Archibald Johnson May is please your Honours YOur Petitioner did about the eighth of Decemb. 1652. deliver into the Councel of State a Written Paper wherein was discovered that at that present time a Practice and Combination was set on foot by several Merchants and others to deceive the Common-wealth of a great quantity of silver above three hundred thousand pounds which was then aboard the Ships Sampson Salvador and St. George then riding about Black-wall Upon Examination of this Businesse at the Councel of State the Councel within few dayes after commanded and engaged your Petitioner in this service and your Petitioner did faithfully promise the Councel his uttermost endeavours to discover this fraud and at his own charge to prosecute this Businesse in the Court of Admsraltie The Judges of the Court of Admiraltie did appoint the 16. day of Decemb. 1652. to give sentence for clearing these ships and silver being to the value of about three hundred thousand pounds in silver as appears by the Certificate of the Officers of the Mint Whereupon your Petitioner came into the Court of Admiralty the very day and houre the Judges were clearing the said silver and at his own peril made his Protest in the Admiraltie

offer the Petitioner ten thousand pounds to have deserted this businesse of prosecuting against the Spanish Ambassador and Claimers concerning this Silver And this was confessed by the Merchants Solicitor to be true as appeareth by two several persons Affidavits viz. Mr. Thomas Hewet and Mr. William Savill taken before William Glascock Esq one of the Masters in Chancery And whereas the Petitioner alledgeth That in the prosecution of this great businesse for the space of about two years he was at the sole charge himself thereof and paid ten several persons whom at that time he employed in this service as he hath proved by Affidavit of foure Witnesses viz John Glover and Symon Baldwin Merchants Thomas Ley and John Gerrell Citizens of London Sworn before John Page and Robert Kelloway Esquires Masters in Chancery in 1654. That the Petitioner to their knowledge expended above five hundred pounds in this service in 1652. and 1653. We finde the Petitioners debts and engagements contracted in the prosecution of this businesse of the Silver Ships to be very great amounting unto the summe of seven hundred sixty five pounds and upwards which the Petitioner oweth at interest at this day And he hath presented us a particular List of the several mens names of whom the Petitioner borrowed the said money to do this service the truth of which appears unto us by the Affidavit of the said Mr. Violet sworn before Doctor Harrington one of the Masters of your Highnesse Court of Chancery besides several other great summes of money which the Petitioner affirmes to us to have taken up at interest for his necessary support and maintenanee ever since the Sequestration of his estate in 1643. May it please your Highnesse upon this businesse of the Petitioner we have had many meetings And being by your Highnesse Reference required not only to slate the Petitioners Case but to certifie our opinions upon the whole matter We do accordingly in all faithfulnesse and humility certifie to your Highnesse That upon due consideration had of the great travel charge and hazard which the Petitioner hath undergone in the prosecuting of this businesse as hath been proved unto us as aforesaid As also upon the Attestation of Sir George Fleetwood and Sir James Harrington concerning the Promise of the Councel of State to Mr. Violet for the restoration of his estate or eleven thousand pounds Upon the whole matter we do in all humble manner certifie your Highnesse that we finde the Petitioner is a person who not only deserves the making good the Councel of States Promise to him as abovesaid But also by your Highnesse goodness bounty and favour that there be some signal Reward conferr'd upon him for this his eminent service according to the Promise of the said Councel as by the Certificates of Sir George Fleetwood and Sir James Harrington hath been attested unto us That so all others for the future may be encouraged to serve the interest of your Highness and the Common-wealth with all faithfulness as it appeareth to us the Petitioner hath done We have also considered of the Petitioners debts and expences contracted in this service and for his support since 1643. and beleeve the Petitioners engagements at this present are very great and pressing upon him Wherefore being ordered by your Highness to certifie our opinions upon the whole matter We humbly offer unto your Highness That for the present left the Petitioner should be thrown into prison and thereby utterly ruined for the very moneys he hath expended in this service That some considerable summ of money in part may speedily by your Highness be assign'd unto him for the paying of his debts contracted in this great service for the publick And also that care be taken for his subsistence according to his quality And that the remainder of the money promised him by the late Councel of State as aforesaid may be paid unto him assoon as your Highness and the great affaires of the Common-wealth can permit he having eminently and signally shewed his zeal resolution and forwardness with the hazard of his life in this service for his Countrey All which we Humbly submit to your Highnesse Wisdome and Justice 1. May 1658. John Barkstead Tho. Viner Gabriel Beck John Limbery Edward Dendy Henry Middleton Maurice Thomson Isaac Dorislaus Examined by us Jo. Symes Jo. Rimmer WHen your Petitioner after much paines patience and attendance had gotten all these aforesaid honourable Gentlemens Certificates and Testimonialls aforesaid in May 1658. I cast about how I should bring my businesse to have it come to a good issue that after so much delay I might have Justice Thereupon your Petitioner Petitioned Oliver Lord Protector setting forth my former services and backing the same with so many bulwarks and Certificates that in justice nor honour I thought he could not delay me longer of my dearly earned reward for I knew he could not deny a tittle in my Petition but what I alledged I had fully proved and that your Petitioner might be dealing with him for something to get some imployment till he paid me the summe of eleven thousand pounds I did offer in part of my satisfaction of eleven thousand pounds to except of the imployment of Regulating the manufacture of gold and silver thread with the fees I formerly had received and I humbly offered to accept of this office at the value of two thousand pounds this office being a part of my own Estate for which I paid formerly 1500l And had I not bin disturbed in the due execution by some damorous cheating Silkmen and Wyer drawers and Refiners who make it their common trade to cozen the wearers of gold and silver lace and have melted down within this twenty yeares of the Plate and heavy silver Coynes of the Nation to the value of a million of money to the wispeakable losse of the Common-wealth by wasting of the blood and sinews of this Nations money which ought to bee kept in peoples purses to maintaine Trade and Commerce and not to be put upon Womens Petticoats to be burst and wasted away For to induce his Highnesse Oliver to grant me the said imployment I annexed to my Petition and Papers a Report of the Committee of Parliament for Trade Dated June 16. 1657. the original Report I have readie to produce to your Honours which Report certifies that they have had it fully proved before them upon many dayes Examination the great abuses daily practised in the culling and melting down the currant silver coines of this Nation for the expensive making Gold and Silver Lace Wyre and Thread They certifie under their hands the dailie abuses and cheats is put on the Wearers by the deceitful making Gold and Silver Thread and Lace and also by several fraudulent practices in the making Gold and Silver Thread that there is w●sted of the stock of Silver in this Nation about thirty thousand pounds a year And that at this day there is no Rule nor Order for

by the said Mr. Violet in this business for almost a year and a half in the finding out and searching this business and the said Mr. Violet hath to his this Deponents knowledg expended very great summes of monie in prosecution thereof to the value of above five hundred pounds besides all his pains attendance and hazzard this Deponent having heard him several times threatned and in danger of his life by several Merchants and others Claimers of the Silver in these Ships they having declared in this Deponents presence That by the said Violets protesting in the Court of Admiraltie against the discharge of these Ships and Silver in Decemb. 1652. the day the Judges appointed for discharging the Ships and Silver and by his further prosecution against those Ships and Silver since hee hath been and is the onely cause of hindering them of their Silver and Ships And that they had had their Silver long since had not Thomas Violet undertaken the prosecution of this Business And this this Deponent hath heard affirmed several times by merchants and others claimers both at the Exchange and elsewhere And this Deponent maketh Oath That this Affidavit is for the affirming and justifying of Mr. Violets pains hazzard and service in prosecution of this Business of the Silver ships and Lading John Glover Sworn the 27th November 1654. before mee ROBERT KELLEWAY Master of the Chancery in Ordinary Thomas Ley. John Gerrel Both sworn the 25. of Novemb. 1654. before me JOHN PAGE Simon Baldwin Sworn the 17. of February 1653. before me JOHN PAGE A Coppie of my Letter sent to the Lord Bradshaw 25th of March 1653. May it please your Honour I Have left with Colonel Harbert Morley this day my Petition to the Council of State against Otho George I humbly desire your honour to take notice if the Council of State do not take some present order in it to consider what encouragement my self or any man that serves the Common-wealth in the discovery of the Ships silver and Merchandize now brought in as Dutch prize shall have when they shall bee assaulted in the streets with Stilettoes and Poniards from Cap Otho George for being instrumentall to do the State service I have been advised by several friends for this eight dayes not to come to the Exchange or Admiraltie least I should bee murthered for undertaking this business Mr. Joachim Pesler Chirurg●on upon the Ship Sampson now riding at Eriff of which Ship Otho George is Captaine and Jacob Elaes Otho George his Cabbin Boy hath discovered the Silver in the Ships Sampson Salvador and George that a great part thereof belongs to the Dutch For when they had been ten daies at Sea the Purser was ordered by the Captain to go into the Fore-Castle and take his Book and blot out all the names of the Hollanders and Zealanders and in their place to insert abundance of other names for which discovery Captain Otho George did stab the Chirurgeon of the Ship My humble prayer to your Honour is That the examinations taken about this business before the Lord Mayor of London in the presence of Mr. Will. Reymes John Carleton Jonathan Symonds These Examinations will imforme you at large Your Honors humble servant THO. VIOLET To Our most worthy friend John Thurloe Esquire at White-hall these present The Commissioners for Prize Goods Letter to Mr. Thurloe Mr. Thurloe WEE have a certaine discovery that a great quantity of Gold and Silver hath been stolne out of the Dutch prize ships that call themselves Hamburgers wee desire for the service of the State to have a Warrant to bring all the Bullion in the Dutch prise-ships on shoare Wee have here enclosed sent you Mr. Thomas Violets Letters to us and his proofes taken in the Office every houres delay of not taking the Silver a shoare is great losse to the State Wee finde Mr. Violet the bearer hereof very active and knowing to make these discoveries and he hath done several good and great services for the State already in this businesse We desire you to present the same to the Councel of State We are Sir Dated Dutch prize-Office Decemb. 18. 1652. Your very Friends and Servants Samuel Wilson Richard Hill A Warrant of Doctor Walkers to the Examiners Mr. How and Mr. Arnold in the Court of Admiralty December 1. 1653. MAster How and Mr Arnold in the business of the three ships Sampson Salvador and George and the Silver and Lading in those ships Mr Violet was ordered to contribute and yield his assistance to bring in Evidence on the behalf of the Common-wealth I did heretofore signe a Warrant that all the Proceedings might be shewed him He now desires that the names of all the Witnesses already produced on the behalf of the State as also the Allegations and Matter upon which they were produced as likewise the names of all Witnesses produced on the behalf of the Claimers and every one of them particularly and the Allegations and Interrogatories upon which they have been produced might be shewen to him I pray your Honours to consider whether I could employ men in this Discovery for two yeares and not to pay them for their paines and yet I have not had one penny for this service Doctor Walker knew that I employed many people every day in these Discoveries several of these being often with me both at the Admiralty and at his chamber and he knew I imployed none in this businesse but credible persons as appears here under his hand And could Doctor Walker have made this Discovery or known the tricks of these Merchants Masters of ships and Pursers by forged bills and many other subtilties of Trade which is not in his Law-books but is common amongst the Dutch Merchants in these times Dr Walker would have saved me the labour and charge for employing people to make this Discovery or from making my Protest in the Admiralty and would have had the credit and thanks from the State for this Service and Discovery to himself But this I dare say though he be a great Lawyer yet for the making of this Discovery he was then 16. Decemb. 1652. utterlie ignorant of the way to do it this being a subtilty amongst a few Merchants and not to be read in the Civil Law-books and had I not had all my Intelligence from their own creatures and plowed with their Heiser I could not have done this service or made this Discovery And upon examination of this business at the Councel of State Doctor Walker confessed that it was not his study nor his place to seek up and down to procure Witnesses or to finde out waies to entitle the State to this Silver and except I could bring legal Witnesse the State must lose this Treasure this hee declared several times before the Councel of State But if the Passengers did confesse this Silver to be loaden a great part of it for the accompt of Merchants of Ansterdam as I had undertaken they would do then

any thing but what was Just and for the Parliaments service according to his Trust If hee had thought it otherwise if 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 beeing 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 the Parliament acquainted therwith before ever I went to Oxford and to have their approbation which Sir David Watkins after he 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 or to this day can hear 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 to take heed how hee Transgress 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 or condition soever hee bee shall bee put out of Land or Tenement nor taken nor imprisoned nor disinherited 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 Honours Had there been a Proclamation or Act of Parliament at that time to have prohibited mee I should have then been afraid besides Mr. Ryley should never have made mee act against a declared Law nor the King neither Now forasmuch as your humble Supplicant having ever since his Inlargement out of the Tower made it his daily practice to study to serve the Common-wealth and doing such remarkable Services as aforesaid for the Common-welath I do most humbly implore your Honours most gratious Order for the restoring mee to my aforesaid estate with damages or the paying your Supplicant the summe of eleven thousand pounds according to the promise of the Council of State 1652. May it please your Honours If I would have betraied my Trust to the Common-wealth about this Silver that was in the Ships Sampson Salvador and George I could have had every penny of eleven thousand pounds paid mee by the Claimers of the Silver in those Ships either in money here or Bills of Exchange beyond Seas that money would have made mee live plentifully in any part of Christendom I do most humbly implore your Honours that I may have such Justice by your Honours goodness and benignity as I may have cause never to repent of my being faithfull to your Honours and the Common-wealths Interest in this particular concerning the Silver Ships their Silver and Lading I most humbly here present an Accompt of what hath been taken from me Tho. Violet for which I most humbly desire satisfaction with my damages or the summe of eleven thousand pounds as was faithfully promised unto me by the most Honourable Councel of State in December and January 1652. for staying the silver in the ships Sampson Salvador and George and disproving the Spanish Ambassadors Claim to this silver which was above three hundred thousand pounds my damages at this day by the taking my Estate 1643. is above twenty thousand pounds 25. May 1659. viz. VVHen I was first sent unto the Tower the 6th of January 1643. my mother had of mine good Bonds and Bills in her hands taken away from her at several times to the value of one thousand three hundred and odd pounds Besides many of my Papers and accompts of great concernment to the Common-welath 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 nineteen hundred threescore and eight pounds which money I laid every penny out of my own purse to do the late King and Common-wealth that service in prosecuting the Transporters of Gold and Silver in the Star chamber I caused them to be fined twenty fowre thousand one hundred pounds besides several Merchants and others who had their pardons from the late King for transporting Gold and Silver and melting down the heaviest Silver Coynes of England viz. Alderman Wollaston and Alderman Gibbs Mr. Peter Fountain and several other Merchants the terror of which sentence and punishment for some yeers did give a stop to transporting of Gold and Silver to the great service and advantage of the Common-wealth and if the Parliament please to passe the Act against Transporting Gold and Silver which has twise this Parliament been read in the House and several times Committed and impower your Petitioner to see to the due execution thereof your Petitioner will give a stop to the Transportation of Gold and Silver and discover the Offendors if a Commission be granted to make enquiry of the same according to former Presidents in Richard the Seconds time by Act of Parliament This Parliament was so careful to have these Offences prosecuted that they excepted them out of the general Pardon being the desire of the Committee of the Mint as appears by this following Order White-hall Janu. 24. 1651. Master Attorney Generall AT a Committee of the Councel 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 it fit for the benefit of the Common-wealth to have this exception inserted in that Pardon and doe recommend it to you accordingly viz. EXcept all offences done or committed by any person or persons whatsoever in transporting out of England any Gold or Silver in coyne or in bullion without License and all other offences in the unlawfull buying selling exchanging or melting down of any the current gold or silver coynes of England or of any gold or silver bullion against whom or for which any Information is now depending in the Court of Exchequer at Westminster Ordered that Master Thomas Violet attend M. Attorney Generall with this Order of the Committee and also the Committee of