of Life and Estate in Spain to Transport Silver if you confess it or bee taken doing it And whether wee had Peace or Warr with Spain the Silver had been all the States For what silver belonged to Holland the Dutch they could not Claim by the last Articles of Peace And what the Spaniard Claimed heer by Merchants would have all been denyed in Spain for no man there would confess the Transporting Treasure And if the Bills of Lading and the Laders were denyed to bee true in Spain the State had done their work I have stated this business at large to shew the great Expence trouble hazard and pains the hard and difficult wayes I found out I made use of Sea-men that were Passengers Merchants English Strangers all sors of people and all interests to effect this service I took pains night and day And I most humbly say if I bee impowered by your Highness to have a full Inspection into the Frauds of the Accomptants and Treasurers of this Nation with power to act as Remembrancer And to have the same power as Doctor Walker gave mee in the Admlraltie to inspect into all manner of proceedings of Committee men and Accomptants and Frauds of the Nation as aforesaid I will most humbly undertake upon the peril of my life to bring your Highness in many hundred Thousand Pounds Provided I may have just reward and encouragement for what I have done already Vpon my humble Petition to your Highness and the Counsel for my satisfaction for the staying the Silver Ships The Counsel of State made this order Wednesday 16 January 1652. ORdered the humble petition of Thomas Violet with the These Papers annexed to my Petition are the Originall Affidavits of my Expenses and Charges in this Business and Warrants from Doctor Walker and the Counsel to require mee to do this Service and they remain now in Mr Jessop's custody Papers annexed bee referred to Generall Montague and Colonel Sidenham to bee by them considered of And the fact with their opinion reported to the Counsel Henry Scobell Clerk of the Councel Tuesday 22 January 1655. ORdered that Mr Srickland bee added to the Committee to whom the Petition of Thomas Violet is referred Henry Scobell Clerk of the Counsell Vpon these Orders of the most Honorable Counsell I writ this Letter ensuing A Copie of my Letter to the Lord Bradshawe May it please your Honor SInce the Order for the taking up the Accompts of this Nation I have found in Mr John Corbet's Custody hee being one of the Committee for Salop three of my Bonds of 2000 pounds for the Payment of one Thousand Pounds to mee Thomas Violet and the State never received Penny for them Whereupon I have Petitioned his Highness and the Counsel of State for these three Bonds as part of my satisfaction and Mr Corbet hath been sent to by Mr Scobell and was with the Committee Yesterday and confessed that hee had the Bonds and that the State never received Penny of them This Mr Corbet told my Lord Strickland and Colonel Jones and that hee would deliver them unto mee if hee had the Counsels Order I have likewise Petitioned the Counsel that for the present I might have five hundred pounds in part of my satisfaction which money I laid out in the Prosecution of the silver Ships Sampson Salvador and George And this I have proved upon the Oaths of Five men And Dr Walker and the Commissioners for Prize goods have sent these Affidavits up to the Counsel for my satisfaction And these Certificates and Affidavits remain sealed together in Mr Jessop's custody And I had the Counsel of States faithfull promise but chiefly and above all I relyed upon Your Honor for the Restoration of my Estate or the Value the Parlament having taken from mee to the value of above Eleven Thousand Pounds in Houses Lands Bonds Moneys and Offices when by Gods law nor the law of this Nation at the time when they took away my Estate I had not forfeited one penny If it had not been for my protesting against the Discharge of the Silver and my prosecution of that business the Silver had all been let slip out of the Nation I most humbly beeseech your Honor to acquaint Mr Scobell of my severall services and defire him that hee bee carefull to draw up my order for my bonds that I may bee enabled to sue and prosecute them as freely as if they had never been under Sequestration And that I may have for the present my monies I have expended in this service against the Silver Ships It is a lamentable Case my Usage for mee to bring the State nere four Hundred Thousand Pounds And to bee put to Petition for the monies I laid out of my purs At the Counsel of States and at Doctor Walkers Entreaty I imployed people to do this service as I can make it appear under his hand My condition I humbly conceiv is not to bee matched I having done so good Service and been so ill requited It will make all men afraid to trust to English States mens promises If I would have betrayed my trust and my Country I take God to witness I was several times offered ten thousand Pounds of some of the Claimers of this Silver Which had I done it I need not either to have stayed in this Country or to have petitioned for my Bonds or Charges Your Honors most humble and Obbiged Servant THO. VIOLET The Lord Bradshaw's Report on the side of this Letter written with his own hand viz. I Must needs affirm That it appeared to the late Council of State that Mr Violet did very good service to the Parlament and Common-wealth touching the Ships mentioned in this Letter and deserved good acknowledgment and satisfaction for it as being very instrumental in discovering the Dues to the State and finding out frauds in this and other particulars for which in those times hee was thought worthy of Consideration February 7. 1655. John Bradshaw For this his Justice in certifying the Truth I give his Honor most humble thanks I Presented this Letter and Certificate to som of the Honorable Council who when they had read it replyed They wondred my Lord Bradshaw and the Council of State did not give mee satisfaction when I did this service saying They could have done it and if they would they might have kept their promise they then had power enough to do it TO which I humbly answer My agreement with the Lord Bradshaw and the Council of State was That I should bee paid eleven thousand pounds for this service out of the first moneies the State coyned of the silver in these ships after I should by good and legal witness disprove the Spanish Ambassadors Claim Or I should bee restored to my estate in Offices Lands Bonds Money and Houses the Parlament had taken from mee with all my dammage Now may it pleas your Highness neither the Lord Bradshaw nor the Council all the time
Your loial Subject did present unto Your Highness's said Commissioners at Worcester-hous about the last day of May the names of several persons who had been entrusted and employed as Accomptants and Treasurers to receiv and finger the publick Monies Lands and Marchandise Very many of these persons have made the Commonwealth's Money Lands Goods and Merchandise which they were entrusted with so like their own that to this day it stick 's in these men's hands and is in their private possession to the great dammage of the Nation And many of them upon examination will bee found to have at this time vast summs of money in their hands and possessions amongst them all to the value of many hundred thousand pounds Likewise your loial Subject hath most humbly presented your Highness how strict Queen Elizabeth was to have all her Receivers called to a just accompt never sparing her great Officers and Favorites by which means shee lived and died rich never finding want in her Exchequer nor her Chests without Treasure Your faithfull Subject finde's now upon his Inquiry many of these Gentlemen that were Treasurers and Accomptants to wonder and make it strange that ever they should live to see the day that any persons should call them in question upon their accompts and that a just and true accompt should bee ever expected by the State from all persons that have received and possessed themselvs of the publick Moneys Lands and Merchandise c. May it pleas your Highness your humble Suppliant saie's That that opinion of these Gentlemen for to have a perpetual Indempnity and to escape scot-free as hee most humbly conceiv's is not grounded upon any just or true reason for there bee hundreds of Orders Ordinances and Acts to enable them and thousands of people now living to bee Collectors of Subsidies Committee-men Treasurers Excise-men Commissioners of the Customs Trustees for the sale of the King Queen and Prince's Lands Bishop's Deans and Chapters and other Delinquents Lands Receivers Sequestrators and Collectors of the monthly Taxes Collectors for Charitable Uses and all and every one of these persons by the fundamental Laws of this Nation their bodies lands and estates from the time and hour they became Debters to the Common-wealth their Persons Heirs Executors and Administratorâ— their and every one of their Goods Tenements into whose hands they are sold converted or do com And all other Lands Tenements Goods and Chattels which any other person then had or now have in trust for their use or which at any time ever hereafter shall have power to dispose of are all lyable to the due and true accompting paying and answering your Highness and your Successors the monies lands and goods c. they have received and this is by many Statutes known to be the law of England And many of them before they were admitted to act as Trustees Sequestrators Committee men or Treasurers took an Oath not to act contrary to the several Rules Limitations and Instructions given them by several Acts and Orders of Parlament and Council of Sate as appeareth by the Journal books and printed Acts and Ordinances of Parlament and Council of State likewise many of the abovesaid persons upon strict examination will bee found wilfully perjured which makes the Offenders lyable to fine and ransom for the breach of their Oaths The Lawes now in force to bee duely and truely executed for to have an exact accompt will bring your Highness and the Common-wealth in milions of money there is not any one of the aforesaid persons can shew any Order Ordinance Act of the Council of State or Act of Parlament that when they were made Committee-men or Treasurers to give them or any one of them a privilege or indempnity to cozen and defraud the State or to licence any one of them to pocket up the Wealth and publick Treasure of the Nation which they have fraudulently converted to their own use And when they can shew no such privilege nor so much as a pardon they need not make it strange as many of them do at this day That they should bee forced to give the Common-wealth a just strict and true Accompt or els their Bodies and Estates as also their Heirs Executors Administrators and Assigns to bee lyable till they shall have justly and truly accompted Your Highness's humble subject delivered in Wâ—iting to your Commissioners at Worcester-Hous certain Queries for his better direction to proceed in this service and most humbly desired their judgments thereupon that so hee might know whether his discoveries were within the cognizance of their Commission All which hee humbly presented unto them as being verie materiall both for your Highness and the Commonwealths service and hee told the Commissioners that hee intended to make their judgment thereupon to him to bee his Rule either to proceed or desist in these discoveries to avoid unnecessary expence and trouble to himself and others May it pleas your Highness in June last your Supplicant left with your Highness servant Mr Kelleway the true copie of the Writing hee did deliver to the Commissioners at Worcester-Hous and most humbly besought him to present the same unto your Highness And his most humble petition to your Highness was That you would bee graciously pleased upon your Highness's perusal to signifie your pleasure thereupon to your humble and loyal subject concerning the premisses that so hee might know how to proceed but Mr Kelleway having no covenient opportunitie to get your Highness to peruse the same by reason of your Highness other great and weighty affairs thereupon your Supplicant received back the said writing again from Mr Kelleway and hath now printed the same The true reason wherefore your humble Subject hath forborn to attend the Commissioners at Worcester-hous to receiv their order and direction concerning the premisses is becaus your most humble and loyall subject intends to put in the same Writing into the Parlament and there will humbly wait for your Highness's and the Parlaments gracious Commands and directions therein And the results of that most high and honorable Court upon the premisses what your Highness and your high Court of Parliament in your great and profound wisdomes shall judg fit to bee don for the glory of God and good and eas of the nation concerning all the premisses May it pleas your Highness your loyal Subject hath in som things enlarged himself more then in his writing hee left with your Highness hee hopes it is for the honor of God the benefit of your Highness and the eas of the good people of this nation in generall His daily praiers to God is That the publique Treasure that is in private mens hands may by a gracious Act of this ensuing Parliament bee ordered converted and turned into the right Channel to save the publique Taxes which will bee as a sweet smelling Perfume in the nostrels of the good people of this nation when they shall see those Caterpillers that have not
after their agreement with mee could pay mee neither did I desire it before it was due for I was to bee paid my monies out of the same monies which were then aboard the Ships For although by my discovery and protest the Councill of State stayed the silver which was the 17th of December 1652. Yet all the time after of the Parlament and Council of States sitting which was to the 20th of April 1653. the suit against these silver ships and their silver and lading went on in the Admiraltie and my witnesses some of them examined in the Admiraltie though many other witnesses I would have examined more then I did get to bee examined but could not have them And there was no publication till after the 20th of April 1653. and then the power of the Old Council of State was taken from them and the silver though stayed all that time from December 1652. to April 1653. remained a ship board though both the Commissiones for Prize Goods and my self often times made the Council of State acquainted with the daily Imbezilments of the Silver in these ships May it pleas your Highness Upon the dissolving of that Parlament and Council of State I received new Orders and directions from your Highness's most honorable Counsel commanding mee to proceed and present to them all frauds and abuses concerning this silver And when I presented to your Highness's Counsel my humble desires and told them what agreement I had made with the Old Counsel of State which was That I should receiv twelv pence upon every twenty shillings which was paid to the State out of these silver ships for my discovery till the summ of eleven thousand pounds was paid mee After I had attended your Highness's Counsel several daies for my Answer the right honorable Colonel Sidenham and Colonel Jones for Answer to my humble Petition for the said Allowance told mee the Councils pleasure was and they required mee in the Councils name to proceed and that I should have from the Council all my charges and an honorable Reward for my pains and hazzard expence and time both for those I emploied and for myself if I did disproov the Spanish Ambassadors Claim to the silver aboard the Sampson Salvador and George and other particular Agreement your Highness's Council would not make with your Supplicant for Colonel Sidenham and Colonel Jones told mee It was below the Council to make any other Agreement and of the just performance of this I might rest assured on May it pleas your Highness Till I had this promise from your Highness's Council I would proceed no further but refrained my Attendance on Doctor Walker hee sending for mee earnestly to proceed both by Mr Doreslaus and others I told them when the Counsel of State had given mee their answer how I should bee restored to my estate and receiv satisfaction for my disbursments I had and should lay out in this service I would then proceed in this Business And upon the right honorable Colonel Jones and Colonel Sidenham's promise to mee as aforesaid and upon Doctor Walker's earnest intreaty of mee as appears under his hand I proceeded in this service And this was done since your Highness took the Government by order and command of your Council of State and at the entreaty of your Advocate Doctor Walker And upon these honorable Promises besides my former Agreement with the Old Council of State I relyed and proceeded whereupon Doctor Walker gave mee several Warrants to the Register to the Examiner and to Mr Budd your Highness's Proctor and Mr Doreslaus The Copies whereof follow viz. 3 September 1653. MAster Doreslaus and Mr Bud are now again desired to deliver unto Mr Violet a Copie of the Specifications given in by the Masters and Commanders of the ships Sampson Salvador and George as likewise Copies of all the Pleadings Articulate Exhibited and admitted on the part of the Claymers of the Silver in any of these ships And they are to go with him to the Register and Examiners Offices and to procure him a view of all the Bills of Lading Extracts and Exhibites either brought into the Office or exhibited by any Claymers And whatever Papers are or shall bee exhibited by any Claimers in the three Ships I do as Advocate for the Commonwealth desire Mr Doreslaus to yeild all his endeavours and assistance as also the Register Examiner and Deputy-Register in the Admiraltie from time to time to give Mr Violet free admittance and view of all Acts Bills of Lading and Pleas Exhibited and Extracts and Papers remaining in the Registry or which shall come in And to do it readily and effectually the same tending to the Service of the Commonwealth and being in order for preparing the Evidence fit to bee produced for the Commonwealth And I do according to the Order of the Counsel of State of the First of September 1653 earnestly desire and Entreat Mr Violet and also the Commissioners If this Discovery had been so easily made and had been every bodies work to have found out the Spaniards Frauds I should not have had these earnest Entreaties fâ—om Dr Walker according to the Orders of the Councel of State of the 1 of Sept. 1653. The Commissioners for Prise goods have certified to Mr Secretary Thurloe how active and knowing they found mee to make these Discoveries and had I not been so your Highness had lost every penny of this great Treasure amounting to above Three Hundred Thousand Pounds for Prize goods and their Sollicitors and Agents as also the Proctor and Sillicitors for the State and every one of them with all convenient speed severally to set down in Writing all the Informations that they respectively know of or can finde And all the Evidences and Proofs that may bee discerned or produced on the part of the Commonwealth That so a full Plea and Articulate Allegation may bee prepared and the Proofs brought in for the Commonwealth And no Default bee done suffered or committed 3 Sept. 1653. Walter Walker And another Warrant of Doctor Walkers to the Examiners Mr How and Mr Arnold viz. 1 December 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 yeild his Assistance to bring in Evidence on the behalf of the Commonwealth I did heretofore sign a Warrant that all the Proceedings might bee shewed him Hee 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 Claymers and every one of them particularly and the Allegations and Interrogatories upon which they have been produced might be shewn to him This that hee desires being just I desire that you Dr Walker knew to his own knowledge that I imployed many people every day in these
to intitle the State to this Silver and disprove the Spanish Ambassadors and the Spaniards Claims The Affidavits follow viz. JOhn Glover of London Merchant aged about forty years maketh Oath That Mr Thomas Violet having since December 1652. received several Orders and Warrants from his Highness's Council and Doctor Walker Advocate for the Common-wealth to assist in the behalf of the Common-wealth against the silver Ships Sampson Salvador and George and all their Silver and lading In pursuance of which service the said Mr Violet hath constantly intreated his this Deponents assistance amongst several other persons which hee the said Mr Violet imployed for making discovery of the several frauds and practises of the Masters of those Ships and of several other merchants Claimers of the Silver and lading in the aforesaid Ships to deceiv the State by their several Claims And also of the several Bils of lading and in several other particulars in pursuance of this service for the Common-wealth for several moneths this Deponent with one Mr Simon Baldwine a merchant who lived a long time at Cades and St Lucars in Spain and with Mr Violet this Deponent and they two did view and examine all the Bils of lading and the several pleas and Exhibits Extracts and all other writings and papers which were brought in and remain in the Registrie of the Admiraltie concerning these ships silver and lading the Register declaring that they had seen all the Transactions that was then upon record in that business which were manie thousand sheets and that the said Mr Violet had several Warrants from Doctor Walker to the Register and Examiners of the Admiraltie to require them that the said Mr Violet and all such as hee should nominate under his hand to the said Register and Examiner should bee impowered to make several searches which hee this Deponent and the rest did almost every day for about three moneths And this Deponent further maketh Oath That after hee and the rest had taken such observations and directions as Mr Thomas Violet had given order concerning the marks of the several Bills of Lading and several other particulars both Mr Simon Baldwyne and this Deponent delivered the Papers up to Mr Violet hee having imployed and promised to content us for our pains This Business concerning the ships and silver this Deponent came to bee ingaged in at the request and entreaty of the said Mr Violet hee having heard how necessary and advantagious hee this Deponent should bee in making this discovery of the truth of this Business For that this Deponent for many years was an Inhabitant and merchant in Rotterdam and had Commerce and Trade with most Townes in Holland where Trading was stiriing And this Deponent know's manie of the marks of the Bills of Lading of these Silver Ships though they pretend to belong to Spaniards Hamburgers and Flaunders yet they are the same marks as divers Merchants of Holland give on their goods and Merchandize And that since the War with Holland divers Ships and their lading have been condemned in the Admiraltie and made prize of which had Silver and merchandize aboard them at the time of the condemning with the same markes which are in these Ships Sampson Salvador and George And this Deponent further deposeth That hee knoweth the said Mr Violet imployed besides Mr Simon Baldwine several other people for the making these discoveries ever since December 1652. And this Deponent hath been imployed by the said Mr Violet in this business for almost a year and an half in the finding out and searching this business and the said Mr Violet hath to his this Deponents knowledg expended very great sums 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 December 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 elswhere And this Deponent maketh Oath That thâ—s 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 and John Gerrel make Oath that in December 1652. Mr Thomas Violet was Commanded by the Council of State to assist in the behalf of the State against the Ships Sampson Salvador and George And several times since the said Mr Violet hath received warrants from his Highness Council and Doctor Walker Advocate for the Common-wealth for the prosecution of that service this the Deponents know becaus Mr Violet hath shown them several times the warrants upon several occasions hee having imploied them these Deponents for about sixteen moneths in the assisting him to prosecute this business concerning the Silver Ships Besides to their these Deponents knowledg hee did imploie eight other persons at his charge for making these Discoveries for above sixteen moneths together hee the said Thomas Violet paying all charges of meetings Boat-hire and for writing and subscribing all the Transactions for the Counsel of State and Doctor Walker for Printing the several Proceedings for the Parlament and Counsel And they these Deponents are assured and know Mr Thomas Violet could not though hee hath been very thrifty in this Business to have as much done for as little money as hee could expend in this Service for the State in his prosecution of these silver Ships hee hath expended above five hundred pounds besides all his hazzard pains and time having to their knowledg sate up many nights and daies together to do this Service And having contracted the envie of many merchants for staying this Silver And this Affidavit these Deponents make for satisfaction of all whom it may concern Thomas Ley. John Gerrel Both sworn the 25 of November 1654. JOHN PAGE SImon Baldwine of London merchant aged neer 43 years maketh Oath that Mr Thomas Violet in December 1652. was ordered and required by the Council of State to assist in the Admiraltie in the behalf of the Common-wealth against the Silver Ships Sampson Salvador and George and their Silver And several times since hath received several orders and warrants from his Highness s Council and Doctor Walker Advocate for the Common-wealth against the said Ships and all their Silver and Lading For
the more effectual prosecution of this service the said Thomas Violet knowing this Deponent had lived for some time at St Lucars and Cades and by that means knew the way of their Accompt and shipping Goods and Silver when the Silver Fleet returned from the West Indies Thereupon the said Thomas Violet and this Deponent and one Mr John Glover and several others did view and examine the Bills of Lading and their several marks Pleas and Exhibits Extracts and other Papers which were brought into the Admiralty concerning these three silver Ships their Silver and Lading Which Search Mr Violet was desired to make by Order of Doctor Walker in pursuance of an Order of his Highness s Counsel as appears by several Warrants to the Register and the Examiner of the Admiraltie And this Deponent maketh Oath That Mr John Glover and this Deponent having taken such Observations and directions as Mr Violet conceived was for the most advantage of the Common-wealth concerning the several marks of several Bils of Lading both for their silver and merchandize and several other particular Observations and that Mr Violet to this Deponents knowledg imployed at his own expence many other people to finde out this Business hee having engaged to see mee Simon Baldwine and Mr Glover satisfied for our pains This Deponent delivered Mr Thomas Violet the Papers And this deponent further saith That hee was imployed by Mr Violet for one year together this deponent living in the house with him for that time purposely for the Transactions of this Business And this deponent verily beleeveth that Mr Violet in the prosecution of this service against the Ships Sampson Salvador and George hath expended many hundred pounds and that it cannot bee less then five hundred pounds besides all his pains attendance and hazzard this deponent knowing Mr Violet to sit up many nights and daies for this Business this deponent having given his constant attendance therein for about one year to finde out the frauds of the Spaniards Claims unto and in the aforesaid Ships Which frauds after much search Mr Violet discovered by many passengers and marriners and by other waies and means as doth appear by many confessions under the hands of several people and the several other papers in Mr Violets custody Simon Baldwine Sworn the 17 of February 1653. JOHN PAGE THomas Violet maketh Oath That since the thirteenth of December 1652. in his this deponents prosecution and assisting against the Ships Sampson Salvador and George their Silver and Lading hee having imploied several persons amongst the Sea-men and Passengers belonging to these Ships to get acquainted with them and of several other persons for the searching out of all Records both in the Tower and in the Admiraltie And for the transcribing and printing the several Transaction's of this Business for the State this deponent having for sixteen moneths together constantly imploied eight several person and somtimes above half a score for the effectual prosecution of this service many of them being constantly with him this deponent when hee addressed himself to Doctor Walker about this business In which service this Deponent hath expended above the summ of five hundred pounds besides all his time and hazzard of his person Upon this consideration viz. the Counsel of State having in December 1â—52 faithfully promised this Deponent That if hee did disprove the Spanish Embassadors and his Agents Claims to the Silver in these Ships and to prove by good and legal Witnesses that great and considerable quantities of the silver aboard those Ships appertained to the Dutch That then this deponent should bee restored to his estate or the value of it upon the Credit of which promise hee this deponent borrowed five hundred poundes to doe this service the deponents estate being taken away from him by the long Parlament to his this deponents damage of above eleven thousand pound as hee this deponent presented to the Committe for Foraine Affairs December 1652. And the Committee faithfully promised him this deponent a restoration of all his estate in kinde or the full value thereof for this service if hee did disprove the Spanish Embassador and his Agents Claims to the Silver in the said Ships THO. VIOLET Sworn Nov. 25. 1654. John Page A Copy of the Commissioners of the Dutch Prise Office Letter to Mr Thurloe then Clerk of the Councel of State Mr Thurloe Wee have a certaine discovery that a great quantitie of Gold and Silver hath been stollen out of the Dutch Prize Ships that calls themselves Hamburgers wee desire for the service of the State to have a warrant to bring all the Bullion in the Dutch Prize Ships on shore Wee have here inclosed Mr Thomas Violets Letter to us and proofs taken in the Office Every hours delay of not taking the Silver a shore is a great loss to the State Wee finde Mr Violet the bearer hereof verie active and knowing to make these discoveries And hee hath don several good and great services for the State already in this business which wee desire you to present the same to the Counsell of State with the tender of our services wee are Sr Your very friends and servants Sam. Wilson Rich. Hill Dated Dutch Prize Office December the 18th 1652. This is a true Copie examined by mee THOM. BRUCE Scr. UPpon what is here sworn and attested by able legall Witnesses I do most humbly appeal to Your Highness Whether I did not deal with the Counsel of State and the Committee for Forrain affaires and Your Highness's Counsell as publick Ministers in the name and behalf of the Commonwealth And that if I had not relied on their honorable Promiss and since on Your Highnes's Counsell whether I would have run these hazards been at this Charge hiered half a score several persons and to have spent five hundred pounds and payed Interest for it till this day if I had not had the assurance from the State of just and honorable dealing the Lord Bradshawe nor any one of the old Counsel of State were privately interessed in this business with agreeing with mee for the restoring of my Estate or the summe of Eleven Thousand Pounds if I did disprove the Spanish Ambassadors and the Spaniards Claims they were not nor none of their relations were to have one penny or farthing benefit by this agreement They did onely look upon the greatness of my service and the hazzard charge and difficulty I should undergo And some of the Counsell of State told mee If I did prove what I undertook I deserved forty thousand Pounds for I saved the State all the Three hundred thousand pounds But if I should faile in what I had undertaken I deserved to lose my life And that if I would bee so rash to make a Protest against the discharge of the Silver and when I had done could not prove it I must suffer highly for it for it was at that time to bring more fists about their ears then the State could well
defend themselves from Many of the Counsel of State and some of the Commissioners for Prize goods and Officers of the Mint told mee I had undone my self if I did not prove there was great quantitie of silver in these Ships Sampson Salvador and George belonged to the Dutch in the United Provinces Many great Personages told mee The Spanish Ambassador would demand Justice on mee for presuming to contradict what so great a Princes Ambassador affirmed to the Counsell of State and to the Parlament if I failed of my proofs against him Also the Merchants many scores of them would have their actions against mee for their Damages for my detaining their ships and silver upon a fall pretence they having enterred a Protest for their Dammage in December 1652 for detaining this silver And above all some of the Councel of State told mee themselves if I could not prove what I had alledged to bee true I should bee taken for an Incendiary and so they would report mee to the Parlament So that in seeking to get mine Estate I ran a great hazzard totally to â—do my self May it please Your Highness In brief I might with the same security have as well flung my self off of Paul's Steeple as to have missed to maintain my charge and not have disproved the Spanish Ambassadors Claim Therefore when I had made my Protest in the Admiralty I was forced to bee at the Charge to make out my Evidence and Proofs and then fully to follow this business or bee undone The prosecution of this business hath been to my insupportable Charge to this day I pay Interest for five hundred Pounds I borrowed and laid out in this business to bring the State in above Three hundred thousand Pounds as appears formerly uppon the Oaths of severall credible Witnesses And although I was promised the summe of Eleven Thousand pounds Of all that summe I have received as yet though I attended dayly the State but three Bonds which were my own Bonds in two thousand Pounds for the payment of one thousand Pounds unto mee Thomas Violet These Bonds being seized and taken out of my sisters custâ—dy in Holbourn Anno 1644 by the Committee of Shropshire And these Bonds I could not haue out of the Committee of Salops Custody till I paid them forty Pounds as appears by the Order of the Counsel following So that there is nothing that comes into a Committees hands of my Estate that I could yet ever get of Scot-free But I must ever humbly acknowledg John Corbet Esq his great Justice and favour to mee in helping mee to my Bonds even on those terms I had them For which I give him humble thanks And if the said Committee of Salop will restore mee back the said forty Pounds I have deposited in Mr Corbets hands for their use now they see my faithfull Affection and Duty to my Countrey in these several particulars I shall like-wise-give them thanks for their Justice in doing mee right Their County will bee little the Richer for taking this Forty Pounds of mee The Order of the Counsel of State thereupon follow viz. Friday March 21. 1655. At the Counsel at White-Hall UPon reading a Report from the Committee to whom the Petition of Thomas Violet was referred praying that certain Bonds seized upon by the Committee of Salop may bee delivered unto him Upon consideration of the said Report and for that the said Bonds are ingaged for forty pounds which the said Committee imploied for publique use Ordered by his Highness the Lord Protector and his Counsel That upon the said Thomas Violets paying unto the said Committee the said summ of forty pounds for which the said Bonds are ingaged That the said Committee bee required to deliver up the said Bonds unto the said Thomas Violet and that hee bee at liberty to sue the same and to take the benefit thereof as formerly hee might have done and that it bee referred to John Corbet Esquire to see the said Bonds delivered up accordingly upon payment of the said forty pounds Henry Scobell Clerk of the Counsell Mr John Corbet I attended with this order March 28. 1655. Hee was pleased to tell mee hee was to go down into Shropshire and would speak with the Committee who were to receive the forty pounds and then I should know where to pay my money for hee told mee hee had never received Publique monies and hee was verie unwilling to receiv any now But upon his return uppon my earnest intreaty and to save mee from further trouble hee told mee hee would receiv and keep this fortie pounds in deposito for the use of the Committee till hee had order from them for the disposing of it That transaction follows viz. MEmorandum That the 24th of May 1656. In obedience to the Order of his Highness the Lord Protector and his Counsel of the 21. of March 1655. I John Corbet Esquire have delivered unto Thomas Violet of London Gold-Smith three Bonds the first bearing date the 6th of June 1638. of eight hundred pounds for the payment of four hundred pounds within one year after the death of the Lady Anne Waad in whcâ—h Bond the said Lady Anne Waad Charles Mordent Philip Cage and Edmund Lenthal Esquires stand bound to the said Thomas Violet and one other Bond of the 6th of June 1638. in six hundred pounds for the payment of three hundred pounds within two years after the death of the said Lady Anne Waad in which the Persons aforesaid stand bound to the said Thomas Violet and one other Bond of the same date of six hundred pounds for the payment of three hundred pounds within three years after the death of the said Lady Anne Waad in which Bond the Persons aforesaid also stand bound to the said Thomas Violet The summ of forty pounds being paid by the said Thomas Violet according to the said Order JOHN CORBET Witnesses then present Edward Watkins William Davis Edmund Cogan John English Scr. The Lady Ann Waad of Battels Hall in Essex died about May 1643. And the Bonds are due to mee Th. Violet as abovesaid May it please your Highness OUt of your princely regard to Justice to reliev your humble Supplicant and to give that order and direction that either your Supplicant may bee restored to his Estate again with his Damages or the summ of Eleven Thousand pounds paid him according to the faithfull promise of the Counsel of State Or any other way Your Highness in your great Clemency and love to Justice shall think most convenient for the just Reward of your Loyall Subject to give him Satisfaction Your Supplicant having formerly at large Printed the Grounds and Reasons for his Stay of this Silver and the severall humble proposalls hee from time to time presented to your Highnes s Counsel and Doctor Walker for your service And your Highness having disposed of all this great treasure by the hands of Sr J. Baxter your Highnes 's Lieutennant of the Tower who hath
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
probibited mee I should have then been afraid besides Mr Ryley should never have made mee act against a declared Law Now forasmuch as your Supplicant having ever since his Inlargment out of the Tower made it his daily practice to study to serv the Common-wealth and doing such remarkable Services as aforesaid for the Common-wealth I do most humbly implore your Highness s most gracious Order for the refloring mee to my aforesaid estate with damages or the paying your Supplicant the summ of eleven thousand pounds May it pleas your Highness 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 me by the Claimers of the Silver in those Ships either in monie here or Bills of Exchange beyond Seas that monie would have made mee live plentifully in any part of Christendom I do most humbly implore your Highness that I may have such Justice by your Highness goodness and benignity as I may have cause never to repent of my being faithfull to your Highness and the Commonwealths Interest in this particular concerning the Silver Ships their Silver and Lading May it please your Highness THe exact looking back into the Accompts of this Nation which upon my bended knees I here humbly have desired a strict inspection into by approbation and authority of Parlament and strict Laws to bee made without favour or affection the prosecution of this great business to bee left to uninteressed men to doe Justice When this is done it will bring the State in many millions of money and leav a stock of Lands for the Publick Which if it bee effectually justly and strictly done will make all after ages call this Parlament the BLESSED PARLAMENT the true nursing fathers and builders up of the breaches and ruines of this Nation It is incredible the great summs of money that belongs unto the State which particular persons have fraudulently concealed and upon a strict search will bee discovered Great Sir THere hath been some of Your Higness's Commissioners for Customes out of a pretended zeal to do Your Highness and the Commonwealth service offered themselves to execute those places without any fee upon thâ—â—â— first undertaking and upon that specious pretence turnâ—â— almost all the old Officers of the Commonwealth for collecting of Customes and Custome business out of their places to the totall ruine of many scores of Families thorow out the Nation onely to make way for their one friends and relations to come into beneficiall places which could not bee duely executed but by persons of skill and trust to make up many of their broken kindreds and friends decayed fortunes This mischief was practised uppon the old Officers of the Customes And by the ignorance and insolency of many of these new Commissioners and Officers the Revenues of the Customs have been much abated and the Commonwealth Damnified But upon examination of some of these pretended godly Commissioners viz. Colonel Harvey and Mr Alderman Avery the Father now a prisoner in the Flâ—et and his son Dudley Avery now a prisoner in Lambeth-hous detected and proved before your Highness's Counsel to have cozened the State of several thousand pounds The Father being intrusted as Treasurer by the Commissioners of the Customs Many of their dark actions have been brought to light some of them for their bad practises and insolencies to Marchants being generally cursed and hated in the City of London and in all the Sea Ports ' of this Nation May it pleas your Highnes it caused a general joy amongst all good Marchants and honest men in London when these men were questioned And when they were made to restore great summs which thy had fraudulently deceived the State of It pleased all good men The same just cours to bee strictly now taken with all the Treasurers Sequestrators and Committee men of the Nation will make all honest men thank God and bless your Highness and the Parlament for the ease the good people in generall shall receiv in their taxes by stripping these â—ublicans and Sinners Amongst the many swarms of â—â—em your Highness will hardly finde one relenting repenting Zaccheus And for those Treasurers that have laid out the Commonwealths moneys in Lands their Lands will and is by the Law of this Nation lyable till they have perfected their Accompts and come out of the Commonwealths debt And the like for any Accomptant that is dead their Heirs and Executors by the Law are lyable to pay the same if an Estate can bee found in their hands May it pleas your Highness the business of calling the Treasurers of the Nation to a strict Accompt as hee humbly conceiveth can and will offend none but the guilty and they will storm to see these humble Proposals or that any should presume to bee so much a true English-man and lover of his Countrey as to petition for an accompt of these Treasurers actions either to your Highness or the Parlament For thâ—se that have been just in their Trust this humble Petition will make no impression on them It will only concern vex and griev the Guilty and such as have cozened your Highness and the Common-wealth All such as cannot endure this Examination trial and rubbing if they winch they are galled horses and faulty But for such as are just persons in their Trust in their publick Accompts and Payments that have none of the Common-wealths Blood and Sinews Money converted to their private ends nor have made themselvs and their families rich by fraud in these troublesom Times and common Calamities there are many such just men no doubt in all these Offices for these Gentlemen no doubt it will pleas them This search and inquisition the strickter it is will pleas good men most for it will purge the dross from the gold it will clear honest mens credits it will separate the sheep from the goats it will vindicate them and their posteritie that when so many of their Callings and Mysteries when Inquisition was made were found guilty of fraud and cheating the State and Common-wealth they discharged their Trust with a good conscience faithfully and truly And I hope all this number of Committe-men will bee on my side for to have a strict Inspection into their Accompts according to former Presidents of Parlament and by the Laws of the Land hath been formerly done May it pleas your Highness An Act to bee revived and to appoint the Sages and Pillars of the Land to see Justice and execution impartially done imploying able and discreet persons by your Highness's Commissions in every Parish and Countie of this Nation to enquire upon oath into all Frauds and misdemeanors and what Persons and Estates and their value have been sequestred what Goods and Chattels Woods felled money and all other things of value since the year 1642. and into whose hands and possession the Profits came and into the monthlie Assesments and
of this nature as these in my Queries I set down All which I humbly present unto you as being very material both for his Highness's service and for myself As for my part I intend to make your Judgments thereupon to bee my Rule either to proceed or desist in these following Discoveries to avoid unnecessary expence and trouble both to my self and others My humble Queries are these following 1. WHen Comissioners are or have My Copy is not perfectly exactâ—◠〈◊〉 in soâ—e one or two small particulars it may â—â—â—fer from the Originall which I put up to the Commissioners at Worcester hous been appointed either by Ordinance of Parlament or Order of the Councel of State or under the Great Seal of England for to take the Care and Charge of the Sale of all Prize Ships and Merchandize brought in by any of the men of Warr of the late Parlament or of his Highness's and the States Shipping and all and every one of the said Commissioners having allowance of Poundage or yearly Fees from the State for that Service for their care and pains in the sale of all or any Merchandize Gold Silver Jewels Plate Ships and all other goods whatsoever brought in for the Use of the Publique Which Commissioners have been appointed by Parlament Counsel of State or his Highness And by vertue of that Power Commissioners have acted being all of them obliged and tied to make a true and just Accompt upon oath unto his Highness of all summs of money they receiv and the just and true value of all Merchandize and Goods they have been intrusted with the Sale without any fraud or mentall reservations saving onely their just Fees and Sallerie appointed to each of the Commissioners by the Parlament or his Highness And these Commissioners having failed in their Trust whether according to the Statute 6 Hen. 4. Cap 3. this bee within the Cognizance of your Commission to punish the Offenders and to cause them all to make a just and true Accompt upon oath and to pay the Commonwealth what they have defrauded the State for what remains in their hands 2. Whether these Commissioners when they had their Commissions have Covenanted jointly or severally with the State to give a just and true Accompt to his Highness and the Parlament And whether they bee guiltie all of them that were put into one Commission if I prove the offence of some of them Or whether onely such of the Commissioners as are proved guilty and the other Commissioners though their power was all of one date and they acted together shall not bee accomptable but every man for himself severally to answer for his own particular actions and no further 3. That if I shall prove some of the Commissioners for the States Prize Goods HAVE sorted out Wines Sugars Oyles Wools Fruit silks Linen Cloth of Gold and Silver Jewels Pearl Civer Bezer Stones and any sorts of Commodities in anie Cellars Ships Warehouses or other Places within this Nation either by themselves servants Coopers Brokers Porters or anie other skilfull persots in Merchandize and when this sorting picking garbling is one to reserve a quantity more or less of this sorted picked and garbled Merchandize for the Commissioners themselves either one or more of them viz. If the Commissioners or Sub-commissioners for the State make a sale of thirty thousand Poundes of goods and merchandize more or less there having been before Ten thousand Pondes of this merchandize sorted and garbled out for the Commissioners As in one Instance Suppose 300 Tunnes of French Wines are the whole Parcell of Wines the State hath by their Commissioners to Sell and 200 Tunns of this Wine is exposed to Sale by the States Commissioners and sold by the Candle as the usuall way is publiquely to every man And one hundred Tunns of this French Wines being picked out of the choicest and principall of the whole Parcell is reserved for a Commissioner or Commissioners for the sale of Prize goods and these Commissioners shall pretend this small Parcell of 100 Tunns of Wines is not worth the trouble to make a new Sale by the Candle And thereupon these Commissioners or Sub-commissioners being intrusted to sell these Wines by the State having a Fee or Sallary for the same do contrary to their Trust either by themselves in their own name or names or get friends and use the names of others to buy the said 100 Tunns of Wines but so that still the Commissioners have the profit of the said Wines so sold when in truth this 100 Tunns of Wines picked and sorted out of 300 Tunns was realy worth in the Market as much as the 200 Tunns sold publiquely by the Candle for 15l 16l 20l the Tunn and sometimes more And some of the Commiseioners for Prize goods have bought for their own uses the Hundred Tunnes of the choisest and pick'd Wines at the rate of 15l 16l 20l the Tunne and sometimes more which Wines have been by the said Commissioners sold to the Vintners and others at 30l 35l and 40l a Tunn ready money when the State hath had but 15l and â—0l allowed and put down on their Accompt This demonstration serves for all their Wines Sugars Tobaccoes Silks Linnens Salt Civet Bezer-stones Pearls Jewels Wools Oyles Fruit and Spice and all other Commodities brought in any the States Prizes These merchandises sorted garbled and pickt from the gross bulk may bee better in the true value then the gross quantitie of merchandise sold usually by the Candle sometimes 20l. 30l 40l in the hundred and sometimes where goods are perishable half in half there is so much difference in the sorting And whether these Commissioners being intrusted to sell the States Goods at the best rate could underhand buy these Goods themselvs after they have been picked and sorted or go partners with any that did buy and that much under the true value as will bee found upon examination by my discovery 4. Whether these things being duly proved the Commissioners for Prize-goods and every one of them are not lyable to make a true accompt to his Highness and to stand charged with all the surplusage of Monies they have made of all or any the Prize-goods belonging to the State and his Highness which they have not as yet duely and truely accompted for and to bee ordered to deliver in upon their several oaths a just and true accompt of all the Merchandise Jewels Diamonds Pearls Civet Beazar-stones c. that have come into their custody and what Prize Ships or Goods they sold and had a share in themselvs of the true value of all merchandise that hath come to their hands and whether I may not cause to bee viewed all Books and Papers which I know can evidence the same and thereupon produce any person or persons to bee examined to finde out the bottom of the fraud and whether any person or persons nominated to bee examined as witnesses touching the premisses shall bee