Parliament for drawing the generall Pardon to have these offences excepted James Harrington Herbert Morley Your Petitioner did deliver this Order to Mr. Attorney Generall and this exception is put into the generall Pardon of this Parliament as may bee seen upon perusal 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 of One thousand pounds for the payment of five hundred and one Mr. Elconhead received my rents ever since 1643 and never paid the Committee of Essex any thing for your Petitioners Extent of five hundred pounds and the same Elconhead injoyes your Petitioners Lands in Essex to this very day by colour of the Sequestration of the Committee of Essex to your Petitioners great damage 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 Esq's 1643. which Bonds were carried to Shrewsbury 5. I had the Leas and Extent 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 sixteen years I received no Rent of them But one Mr. Elconhead hath received the Rents of them ever since by colour of a Sequestration of the Committee of Middlesex 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. Cottingon Sir John Cook Secretary of State and Sir John Bankes the late Kings Attourney The necessitie of keeping up that Office to prevent the daily Cozenages and frauds of divers Silkmen Wyerdrawers and Refiners in their making Cours sleight and deceitfull Gold and Silver Wyer and Thread Your Petitioner formerly presented unto your Honours and can prove it that forty thousand pounds a year in silver is wasted besides the Wearers daily Cozened for want of a due Regulation of gold and silver Thread and Lace And upon the Discovery of these notorious Cheats 1635. the late King and his Council appointed mee Surveyor and Sealer of the said Manufacture I caused all the abuses to bee laid aside I indicted some offenders imprisoned some 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 Wyerdrawers Silkmen and Refiners and the late Kings Council and Commissioners setled such Rules and Orders during the Regulation of the Manufacture as it 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 ounce Troy in Wyer Spangles Oes c. I surveyed and 4 pence for every pound weight Venice for all the Gold and Silver Thread I sealed with the Seal of my Office being the Rose and Crown And all that time the gold and silver Lace was as good Silver and as duly assaied as the Plate or Money of the Nation and now it is made under no Rule nor Government but the Wearers many of them cheated by course and deceitfull Lace Wyer silver Thread as I can demonstrate 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 pounds 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 Villers Farm at the Custom-house for the Importation of all gold and Silver Thread Hatbands Lace and Copper throughout England and Wales which cost mee 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 farr greater Revenew then now it doth by the Excise and the Manufacture if it bee made here ought to bee kept to a strict Regulation Mr. Edwards and Mr. Tbornbury I imploied to Collect this duty at the Custom-hous 9. I spent in my Imprisonment in the Tower for almost four years about eight hundred pounds reckoning my Fees and Expences and could never get Justice though I petitioned to the Parliament as aforesaid for many years to come to a legall Triall knowing my self to bee innocent both by God's Law and the Laws of the Land and by the testimony of a good conscience which hath ever supported mee in and thorow all these great troubles All this Estate was and is Sequestred to this day but my three aforesaid bonds which I now have in my Custody besides my damage for my four years Imprisonment 10. Since I came out of the Tower by order of the Councel of State 1652. your Petitioner laid out in the Prosecution of the Silver Ships Sampson Salvador and George above the summe of seven hundred sixty five pounds I borrowed every penny of this money paying Interest for it at this day And by my Protest against the Discharge of these silver Ships Sampson Salvador and George and my Discoveries thereupon by many good and legal Witnesses Passengers and others in these Ships I caused all the Silver to become the Common-wealths All which services I did upon the faithfull promise of the Councel of State in Decemb. 1652 to restore mee to all my Estate or the full value of eleven thousand pounds John Corbet Esquire one of the Members of this present Parliament at this day and one of the Committee of Shropshire meeting with your Petitioner in March 1655. was noblie pleased to take notice of your Petitioners good endeavours to serve the Common-wealth and seeing that your Petitioner had put out in Print a List of his particular damages and the particular Bonds Houses Lands Offices set down which had been taken from your Petitioner his Mother and Sister who had then a great part of his estate in their Custody at the time of his imprisonment in the Tower and were plundred of it during that time of my Imprisonment there by the title and name of Sequestration This Noble Gentleman Mr. Corbet being very sensible of my sufferings and how your Petitioners estate had bin
the Sampson Salvadore the St George These Silver-ships brought treasure to our shore Two hundred seventie thousand pounds and more Color'd by Flemish and by Spanish Claimes The Fraud's discover'd Violet spoile's the games By seasonable Protest when Great Ones did decree To th' Nation 's Dammage to haue set them free Reward is due ô lett it not bee said The Worke is don But Workman never paid Tho Violet 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 Commonmon-wealth this Silver Dec. 16. 1652. As in this Narrative is Attested under the Hands of many Honourable Persons Together with several Humble Proposals for the Profit and Honour of this Common-wealth in saving them many score of thousand pounds 1. By making an Act against transporting Gold and Silver 2. Against the culling and melting down the heavy currant Coines of the Nation By removing the Obstructious of the Mint and wayes propounded to make the Mint constantly coyn money 4. For the just and due Regulation of the Manufactures of gold and silver Lace to prevent the daily cheats put upon the Wearers 5. And for the making of a publick Copper Farthing and a great Revenue propounded to be monethly paid out of the same for the relief of the maimed Soldiers And several other Particulars humbly represented to the Parliament and Councel of State By THO VIOLET of London Goldsmith Deut. 24. 14 15. Thou shalt not oppresse an hired Servant that is poor and needie whether he be of thy brethren or of the strangers that are in thy land within thy Gates Ver. 15. At his day thou shalt give him his Hire neither shall the Sun go down upon it for he is poor and setteth his heart upon it lest he cry against thee to the Lord and it be sinne unto thee LONDON Printed Anno Dom. 1659. To the RIGHT HONOURABLE John Lord Bradshawe Lord Commissioner of the Great Seal of England Tho. Lord Fairfax Maj. Gen. Lambert Sir Arthur Hesilrigge Sir Henry Vane Sir James Harington Lieut. Gen. Ludlow Lord Whitlock Lieut. Gen. Fleetwood Josiah Barners Esq Coll. Morley Tho. Scot Esq Col. Sydenham Henry Nevill Esq Tho. Chaloner Esq All of them of the most honourable Councel of State May it please your Honours IT is a curious Art to make a Watch and he must be a skilful Artist that exactly sets a broken Bone God for the sins of this Nation hath several times in this Age took the Clock of this Common-wealth in pieces and many of the pins and wheels have bin and are misplaced It now requires great skill to place and set every thing in its due order Your Honours have a great work to do God hath broken us in pieces and divided our Councels and none can unite us but he that hath wounded us he only must cure us and bless and sanctifie all lawful means or else our disjoynted bones will never be truly knit or exactly set For this end hath God apointed a select number of honourable persons of which number your Honours are Members whose heart God hath fixed for this great Work to revive the stones out of the heap of rubbish and to build the Walls of our Jerusalem though the Sanballats Arabians and Ammonites be worth and conspire altogether to fight against Jerusalem to hinder this VVork Right Honourable if you will finish this good VVork you have begun you must do as Nehemiah did keep good watch day and night because of your enemies lest your adversaries serve you as they served Nehemiah for they say you shall not know nor see till we come in the midst amongst them and slay them and cause the work to cease if this be not prevented this Parliament will have a fatal end Presidents in Courts of Justice is a great Guide to all just Judges especially when they have been made by the Grave and Learned and are recorded in the Sacred Bible the chiefest Book that every good Statesman walks by such Statesmen that walks by Machiavels rules the wicked Maximes of these troublesom times they do as Saul did when he left God and went to the VVitch of Endor he pretended to go to speak with Samuel and met with the devil so these times have produced many a Fast the pretence hath bin to seek God and Peace when the true end hath bin to get to be the Head of a Party and Faction to make division and to get the Peoples money The People are now very well acquainted with such canting and as we know after a flash of lightning there comes a clap of thunder so hath it many times fallen out after Fasts hath followed an erecting of an High Court of Justice or one remarkable oppression or other I humbly present you here in this Epistle with a good President made by a great Statesman Nehemiah such a one as God hath recorded was a Saviour of his Countrey a Builder up of Jerusalem in the like case and in the like straits as it is now or suddenly without Gods infinite mercy will be vvith us he took this course In the first place he sought God and prayed before the God of Heaven and did not make a mock-Fast then he used the means he fell to his VVork and built up the walls of Jerusalem and did not only build but he built wisely and politickly and had there bin a Sanballat found amongst them the people would have stoned him On the lovver places behind the vvall and on the higher places he set the people after their families vvith their svvords their spears and their bovves and vvhen he had set himself in a posture of defence he made the people to be his Guard and delivered an Oration to the Rulers and People saying Be not afraid of your enemies remember the Lord which is great and terrible and fight for your brethren your sonnes and your daughters your wives and your houses I shall humbly desire your Honours to observe vvhat vvas the effect of this orderly and good posture Nehemiah and his people did not their work carelessely and by halfes and spent their precious time in needlesse questions but did all things upon sound advice For when great things are quietly without Faction disputed and the Result concluded then to use expedition and resolution is just policie But all hasty and unadvised attempts at long running brings the Common-wealth into great danger and the Actors generally into contempt and misery many men in their designes thinking to catch a great Fish but after long angling bring up a Frog this daily experience hath shewed and I can experimentally say it to be true For those men that read Machiavel and make it
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
that the Common-wealth ought to pay it and had not the Government beene changed I am assured from several honourable persons his late Highness the Lord Richard Cromwell would have seen mee justlie paid the summe of eleven thousand pounds and given me an honourable reward and Imploiment over and above Your Petitioner implores your Honours to consider of all his premisses and that as your Petitioner did this Nation the greatest service that ever was done by any man of his condition in saveing this Common-wealth two hundred seventie eight thousand pounds which was all imployed in defence of this Common-wealth Your Petitioners humble prayer is after so long a delay of Justice he may have his dearly earned reward the payment of the summe of eleven thousand pounds in such wayes and in such maner as your Petitioner may be inabled to pay off the great ingagements he hath layd out in this service and to support himself according to his quality and that others seeing your Justice may for the future bee incouraged to serve the interest of the Nation with that integrity activity and faithfullnesse as your Petitioner hath done with the hazard of his life and all that hee had dear in this world your Petitioner having ingaged his Credit and borrowed above fifteen hundred pounds which hee expended every penny in this service and in his attendance to geâ—t satisfaction and at this day oweth the summe at interest to save and gett the State this great Treasure besides all his paines and hazard These several Services and Proposals done by your Petitioner for the honour and profit of the Common wealth your Honours will see them certified under the hands of the Lord Bradshaw Sir James Harrington Sir George Fleetwood and Francis Allen Esquire and that your Petitioner was faithfully promised the restoration of his estate by divers members of Parliament and Councel of State for several chargeable services your Petitioner had done the Parliament some years before from the year 1648 to 1652. before your Petitioner undertook to stay the silver in the ships Sampson Salvador and George and this is clearly demonstrated by the said Certificates But upon your Petitioners happy and successful staying of this silver and undertaking at his own charge to prosecute this discogery in the Admiralty upon the Promise of the Councel of State 1652 to pay your Petitioner the summe of eleven thousand pounds for this service in lieu of his sequestred estate which for so many yeares your Petitioner had solicited both the Councel of State and Parliament to have it Sir James Harrington and Sir George Fleetwood fully and clearly certifie that they think themselves bound in honour and conscience to certifie the truth of their knowledge to his Highnesse Referrees according to their Request and Desire concerning the Councel of States promises and engagements to pay your Petitioner the summe of eleven thousand pounds that so your Petitioner may have his dearly earned reward for this great service and not labour for the State in vain And that if the rule of the Gospel were observed to do to other men as they would be done unto your Petitioner could not be many weeks without receiving eleven thousand pounds and over and above an honorable reward and memoriall from the State for this great service and that the State in Honour and Justice was obliged to pay your Petitioner the above said summe and that no doubt but so faithfull a service so carefully and painfully performed would have a happy issue and the Petitioners reward from the State would bee sutable to the greatnesse of the service upon perusal of Sir James Harrington and Sir George Fleetwoods Certificates your Honours will see this more fully set down and amplified The Lord Bradshawes Certificate for the substance is to the same effect so is Francis Allens Esquire who being a Goldsmith knew experimentally the great abilities in your Petitioner to regulate and reforme the abuses in the Mint and the services and overtures of your Petitioner 1650. 1651. 1652. offered the Councel of State both to set the Mint on work and to give a stop to the transporting of Treasure he certifies your Petitioner had taken great paines and spent much money in this business which had the humble advice and proposition of your Petitioner then bin taken by the Parliament you had filled the Nation at this day with Gold and Silver and constantly imployed your Mint to the great honour and profit of the Nation for all the Warr with Spain Your Petitioner at this day humbly offers to set the Mint on work so he may be imployed and not labour for the State in vaine for your Petitioner to take the paines and bee at the Charge and other persons who have no skill in this businesse to run away with the profit Your Petitioner hath too often bin so served by great men in power and shall not do it againe for any ones pleasure whosoever Thus have I humbly presented my services done for the State and the Councils ingagements and promise for your Petitioners satisfaction It is a Rule set down by God and all Nations Christians Turkes and Jewes that there are degrees of rewards for vertue and degrees of punishments for vice the degrees of Punishments and Rewards are in all well-regulated Kingdomes and Common wealths put down and the people know them that so they may not offend and there is no offence to be justly punished either by Gods Law or Mans before a Law be made to give men the Rule for the Apostle saith I had not known sin but by the Law And that punishment that is inflicted on a man before a Law made to prohibit or restrain a man from doing the same let it be inflicted by what Power soever must needs be a very great affliction and punishment sent of God for a mans other sins and cannot as to men be said to be regularly done especially where the offence is taken and the punishment so heavy as it shall deprive a man of all his estate and keep a man almost foure yeares a Prisoner in which time your Petitioner spent eight hundred pounds for charges whereof nine hundred twenty eight dayes of that time he was kept a close Prisoner without ever being brought to a legal Trial according to the Fundamental Lawes of the Nation by a Jury the birth-right of every Englishman rich or poor but after a mans estate is squandred disposed and given away to several Persons and Committees for particular mens profit and upon false and untrue pretences to the value of above eleven thousand pounds as your Petitioner for many yeares hath proued and presented to the Councel of State and Parliament ever since the year 1648. being much about the time your Petitioner was turned out of the Tower without any legal Trial or Reason given for his Commitment or the taking away of his Estate contrary to Magna Charta and all the Laws of this Nation God having given
the Parliament by which I conceive hee merited the indempnity and restoration of his estate before this great undertaking mentioned in his Petition about the Silver in Decemb. 1652 but doing this service successfully in staying this Silver I thinke my selfe therefore now much more bound in honour and conscience after so longe a tryall of this mans patience constancy and fidelity and his love to his Country to give you my true observation of the man both in his acting this and other great businesse and this I attest upon my knowledge and experience of the man and not upon hear-say And if the rule of the Gospel be observed viv that all men do to others as they would be done to themselves Mr. Violet cannot be many weekes without a full restoration of his Estate or the value and if Mr. Violet hath had such measure as he hath presented to the world in print surely I must say he hath had hard measure but I wish him not only his Estate but also an honourable memoriall to be left to Posterity of his great service according to former engagements to him by some of the then Council of State for this particuler service of the Silver mentioned in his Petition this just due and deserved Testimony I do give him this first of October 1657. James Harrington This is a true Copy Examined by us Thomas Hewet John Rimmer John Symes WHen I brought these aforesaid Certificates to the Commissioners to whom the Examination of my services touching this Silver was referred by the late Lord Protector Oliver I offered to bring them the Testimonialls of several others of the Council of State to affirme and attest to the same effect as these honourable Gentlemen had don But the Referrees were pleased to say they had seen enough and to forbid mee the troubling any others for conformation of what I had alleadged in my Petition they declaring that these Certificates aforesaid had given them full and ample satisfaction and that they were sorry I should bee so dealt with and that they did see my sad sufferings and would fully and effectually certifie the true State of my businesse to his Highnesse Oliver what I had merrited from the State they not doubting but I should have not only the summe of eleven thousand pounds paid mee for this discovery and great service but also should receive an honourable reward over and above for the same To Incourage others for the future to relie and trust to the Promises of the Council of State and to be faithfull in the trust that was imposed on them by the State The Referrees telling your Petitioner that in Justice Prudence Honour and Policie the States must pay mee and that they could not expect but the end of my labours would come to a happy issue and thereupon the aforesaid Referrees were pleased to give mee this honourable Certificate following concerning the true State of my services and the Council of States ingagements to pay mee the summe of eleven thousand pounds and an honourable reward over and above viz. May it please your Highnesse WHereas by your Highness order of the 13th of July last your Highness was pleased to referr unto us or any three of us Mr. Thomas Violets Petition hereunto annexed whereby wee are directed to examine the premisses suggested therein and to state and certifie the Case to your Highnesse together with our opinions upon the whole matter In obedience whereunto wee having perused the said Petition and finding many perticular services which the Petitioner thereby affirmeth were done by him and well knowne to the Lord Bradshawe and many others of the late Council of State and hee having named to us Sir James Harrington Sir George Fleetewood and Francis Allen Esquires who amongst other of the Council knew the Petitioners great service done concerning the Ships Sampson Salvador and George their Silver and Lading mentioned in his said Petition and the Council of States intentions and engagements to him when hee undertooke to disprove the Spanish Ambassador and Spanish and Flemish Claimers thereunto in the yeares 1652. and 1653. For the clearing of the truth of the Petitioners allegations suggested in his said Petition wee held it necessary to acquaint the Lord Bradshawe and the said Sir James Harrington Sir George Fleetwood and Francis Allen Esquires with your Highnesse said Referrence and sent them Copies thereof with the said Petition and with our desires that they would certifie their particular knowledges therein that so wee might the better returne to your Highnesse the true state of the Petitioners Case And wee have accordingly received Certificates from all the aforesaid Persons which wee have hereunto annexed together with the said Petition and Referrence for your Highnesse gracious peruseall all which Testimonialls and Certificates set forth the great services done by the Petitioner by his seasonably discovery of the Spanish Ambassadors and Claimers fraudulent endeavors to deceive the Common-wealth in December 1652. Wee have likewise perused severall Orders of Parliament and Council of State that set forth the intended fraudes and Practices of Don Alonso de Cardenas in coming in his owne Person to the Parliament and to the Council of State with severall other Merchants and their Claiming the Dutch Silver then aboard the said Ships And wee finde Mr. James Stenere committed by the Parliament for tampering in this business Wee finde it attested under the hands of Mr. George Brett James Hoare and Thomas Birch all Offieers of your Highnesse Mint they being then in the Court of Admiraltie the 16th of Decemb. 1652. that the Petitioner by his active faithfull and seasonable Protest in the said Court at that very instant nicke of time and the very hower the Ships and Silver were in judgement before the Judges there and upon discharge the Petitioner by his Protest stayed the Silver mentioned in the Petition being to the value of above two hundred seventy eight thousand pounds in Silver taken out of the aforesaid Ships and Coyned in your Highnesse Mint as the Petitioner hath proved to us upon the sight of some accomptes And wee finde by severall Orders of the Council of State and Orders from Doctor Walker the Common-wealth's Advocate and by severall Depositions and Certificates that the whole weight of that businesse was imposed on the Petitioner by the Council of State in 1652. and 1653. as to the discovering part and the Petitioner was required to prosecute this service after the dissolving of the long Parliament by the Council of State then being The Heads of the Lord Bradshaws Certificate Wee also finde it attested by the Lord Bradshawe that the seasonable interposition of the Petitioner and his Protesting in the Admiralty applications to the Council and discovery of the fraudes both of the Spanish and Dutch touching the said Silver those actions of the Petitioner accompanied also with great charge hazard and trouble were the maine occasion if not the causa sine qua non of the after
regulating the Work-masters nor the Workers but every one is ' est to cozentle Common-wealth and they have certified it by what several wayes they do it as will appear upon your Honours Perusal of the Certificate of the Committee for Trade And the Committee for Trade finding this to be a great abuse and cheat put on the Nation have upon many dayes consideration presented to that Parliament a Report of a Model and Way for the due Regulation of all these abuses and recommend in their Certificate your Petitioner for the execution of that service to be appointed the sworn Officer and to take the fees for doing that service as formerly your Petitioner did and that your Petitioner for the future put in security in the Exchequer to warrant all these Manufactures of Gold and Silver Lace Wyre and Thread to be good silver that is drawn assayed marked or sealed at the Office And to warrant the same to be sterling silver according to the Standard at the least or to pay all damage to the Party or Parties grieved and that all Gold and Silver Thread shall be duly spun with a due proportion of Silver to Silk to the end that the Silver may not be brushed and rubbed of Lace Buttons and other sorts of works in Gold and Silver Thread as it daily is to the quantity as hath bin proved to the Committee for Trade of thirty thousand pounds a year Whereupon his Highnesse refers this Petition July 13. 1658. and all the aforesaid Reports together with a Report of the Councel of Trade for the regulating the Manufacture of Gold and Silver Thread to the considerations of the Privie Councel to take all the premisses into their consideration and to see your Petitioner paid for these services in staying the Silver and for his former losses according to Equity and Justice And that if the Councel conceived it fit I should have the emploiment to see to the due regulating the manufacture of Gold and Silver Wyre and Lace and to prevent the melting down heavy English money as I desired but the Protector soon after died before I could get the Councel of State to meet and so I renewed my Petition to the late Lord Protector Richard who signed this Order to Gabriel Beck and Francis Bacon Esquires viz. RICHARD P. WHereas wee are informed that Thomas Violet of London Goldsmith hath formerly done our most dear Father of famous memory and this Nation severall great services and that the said Thomas Violet hath made his addresses unto you and in many particulars hath acquainted you with his humble desires and good affections to our service and shewed you severall transactions which ought to be taken into our considerations being as wee are informed both for our service and the profit safety and honour of this Nation Wee therefore require you to give us an accompt of all such particulars concerning the Publique as the said Thomas Violet hath already acquainted you with and if you conceive it fit for our service you are by these presents authorised to send for the said Thomas Violet and to examine him upon any other questions or matters which you shall conceive is fit for our service and in what way the said Thomas Violet may be serviceable unto us and the Publique and the result of your debates to present unto us in writing with what expedition you can Dated 28. October 1658. To our trusty and Welbeloved Francis Bacon and Gabriell Becke Esquires May it please your Highnesse IN obedience to your Highnesse Order of Referrence dated 28. October last hereunto annexed wee have several times mett and finde that Thomas Violet Petitioned your Highnesse royall Father for his promised reward which Petition his late Highnesse 13 July 1657. referred to the Lord Barkstead Sir Thomas Viner and severall other Persons and their Report thereupon is hereunto annexed which Report we have perused and also severall Certificates of the Lord Bradshawe Lord George Fleetewood of the Vache Sir James Hanington and Francis Allen Esquires and severall other Certificates of the Officers of the Mint as also the Orders of the late Council of State Depositions and Orders of the Court of Admiraltie whereby it appears to us that the said Thomas Violet by his seasonable interposition and Protest in the Admiraltie 17. December 1652. his application to the then Council of State and his discovery of the Spanish and Dutch fraudes touching the Silver in the Ships Sampson Salvador and George being neere three hundred thousand pounds this his discovery and prosecution in the Admiraltie in all probabillity saved the State this great Treasure or else the State had been cozened thereof as appeares to us at large by all the aforesaid Certificates ready to bee produced to your Highnesse Wee finde it proved and certified that Thomas Violet expended seven hundred sixty five pounds in the prosecution of this service besides all his time and hazard which monies appeares to us he tooke up at interest for which he stands indebted to severall persons and he hath proved to us he is every day in danger to be taken in execution for the very monies hee expendded in this service to get the State this great Treasure And wee finde it attested unto your Highnesse royall Father by the Certificates of all the aforesaid Referrees that the State did promise unto Thomas Violet upon his undertaking at his own charge to do this service to pay him the sum of eleven thousand pounds and some other rewards for this service in stopping the aforesaid Silver And it is further certified to your Highnesse royall Father by all the aforesaid Referrees that they finde it proved that Thomas Violet was offered ten thousand pounds in the behalfe of the Claimers to have desisted his prosecution in the behalfe of the State touching this Silver And we finde that the Lord Barkstead Sir Thomas Viner and all the other Referrees humbly propounded to your Highnesse royall father as very fit and just that a considerable summe of money bee presently paid unto Thomas Violet for to discharge his debts and for his support lest otherwise hee should bee throwne into Prison and utterly ruined for the very money he hath expended in this service and that care be taken for the future for Thomas Violets subsistence according to his quality and that the remainder of the money to make it up the summe of eleven thousand pounds promised to him by the State for this service may be paid unto Thomas Violet as soone as the great occasions of the State can permit This Certificate is hereunto annexed and signed by all the aforesaid Referrees 1. May 1658. to your Highnesse royall Father And wee humbly offer it as our opinions that it is both just and fit for the honour of the State that the monies Thomas Violet hath expended in this service and a due consideration for his support for the future be speedily paid unto him to preserve him from a present ruine
against the Judges of that Court and against all further Proceedings of theirs to discharge this Silver in the aforesaid ships till your Petitioners Witnesses were examined and shewed the Judges many Reasons being for the advantage and safety of the Common-wealth for respiting for some dayes their Judgment Thereupon the Court of Admiralty adjourned till the next day and the Judges being very angry with your Petitioner for making the aforesaid Protest and for what your Petitioner had said to the Judges in open Court the Judges thereupon command your Petitioner to attend the Council of State that very day in the afternoon being 16 of December 1652. the Petitioner to answer before them for his mildemeanor so the Iudges were pleased to call it that morning in the Court of Admiralty Your Petitioner did accordingly attend the Council of State that day 16 Dec. in the afternoon and upon full examination of the Business before them the Council stayed the silver and blamed the Judges for their complaining of your Petitioner and your Petitioner had thanks from the Council for what hee had done in his timely and seasonable staying this silver and commanded to use what expedition hee could in proving that great quantities of the silver then aboard these ships appertained to the Merchants of Amsterdam Thereupon your Petitioner undertook to the Council of State to disprove the Spanish and Flemish clamors and the Spanish Embassadors pretences to all this silver in the aforesaid ships And this discovery your Petitioner undertook to make to the Council of State at his own charge The Council of State upon the considerations aforesaid and to incourage your Petitioner to proceed they did faithfully promise your Petitioner for this his service and discovery that your Petitioner should be paid the sum of eleven thousand pounds out of the silver that should be taken out of these ships and converted to the use of the Common-wealth this summe of eleven thousand pounds being the value of your Petitioners Estate which the Parliament 1643. upon mis-information against your Petitioner had sequestred And the Council of State declared unto your Petitioner That if your Petitioner should fail to make good his undertaking in disproving the Spanish and Flemish Claims to all this silver then aboard the ships Sampson Salvador and George that the undertaking would undo your Petitioner for upon your Petitioners failing to make good proof of what he had undertaken the Councel of State would report your Petitioner to the Parliament to be an Incendiary therefore it highly concerned your Petitioner to be well assured of what he had undertaken and also to be justly dealt withal when he had done this service Upon the assurance of the Councel of State upon the aforesaid termes your Petitioner engaged and undertook this great difficult and dangerous service wherein your Petitioner employed above ten several persons for about two years and laid out of Purse besides all his time and hazard the summe of above seven hundred sixty five pounds which he payes interest for at this very day as is deposed by several Witnesses whom your Petitioners employed in this service and this is attested under the hands of several Honourable Persons to the late Lord Protector Oliver May it please your Honours besides this service your Petitioner did for the Common-wealth he discovered to the Councel of State in Jan. 1651. That from August to December 20. 1652. the Admiralty had discharged fifty eight ships all loaden with rich merchandize I printed the several daies of the moneth they were cleared out of the Court of Admiralty the names of the ships and the Master of the ships names and the parties to whom these ships and merchandize was delivered at London and that many of these ships after their discharge from hence unloaded their merchandize at Amsterdam for the account of the Dutch to the value of many hundred thousand pounds Upon examination of this Business the Council of State had certain intelligence from beyond sea that this information was true and these Letters were remaining in Captain Bisheps hands who can testifie the truth Whereupon your Petitioner humbly presented to the Council of State in writing several waies for the preventing this abuse for the future and the Judges in the Admiraltie was removed and other Iudges put in their places with particular instructions for the prevention of the former frauds put on the Nation By which discovery made by your Petitioner the Common-wealth got many score prizes which were condemned as Dutch prizes when they could not bring attestations from Hamborough under the Parliament Agents hands viz Mr Bradshaws that they really and truly belonged to Hamborough The value of the Ships and goods by your Petitioners means discovered was amounting to several score of thousand pounds besides all the silver your Petitioner stayed which the Dutch had cozen ed us of had not your Petitioner acquainted the Council in Ianuary 1652 with the former cheats put on the Nation in printing a list of 58 Saile of ships most of them Dutch prize which the Common-wealth lost for want of keeping a good Watch on the Actions of their Judges and Officers in the Admiralty in those times 1652. 1653. It was nothing for ordinary Proctors in the Admiralty to get foure of five thousand pounds a yeare by cozening the State in their prizes till your Petitioner by his discovery to the Councel of State spoiled their Trade for a great part of it This discovery got your Petitioner the envy of many hundred Merchants and others in the Admiralty There was not a motion nor any Proceedings in the Court of Admiralty for about three yeares touching the Silver Ships Sampson Salvador and George their silver and lading but every day your Petitioner was required to give his attendance therein at the Court of Admiralty and forced to employ at his own charge many persons and your Petitioner was required by Doctor Walker at his own charge to employ many persons to breviate and have inspection into all the Records Acts Bills of lading Pleas Extracts Allegations and Interrogatories Witnesses Depositions in the Silver businesse as will appear under the hands of several persons employed and paid by your Petitioner for that service Your Petitioner did several times move the Councel of State in December January February March 1652. to unload the silver out of the ships to avoid the embezeling thereof there being above an hundred thousand pounds stollen out of these ships while the silver was in the River there are bills of lading in the Admiralty for silver that was never delivered into the Tower to the value of above a hundred thousand pounds in silver which bills appertain to these ships Sampson Salvador and George Your Petitioner presented to the Councel of State in 1652. 1653. several frauds and abuses put upon the Common-wealth in the Sale of their Prizes Ships and Merchandize by the indirect meanes of some Officers they intrusted to sell the same
merchants transport gold and silver without licence from the State and to keep good intelligence and watch upon their actions that so the gold and silver endeavored to be unlawfully transported may be seiz'd and forfeited For a man to be his Crasts-master in this mystery requires as many years study as to be a Doctor of Physick and is never to be learn'd by looking on an Vrinal Your Petitioner humbly saies The Parliament had made a better bargain to have given these Doctors of Physick fortie thousand pounds for a pension than to suffer that dammage they have received by the not imploying of the mint daily gold and silver being imported into this Nation and before ever it be coyned transported out again without licence to the great dammage and weakning of the stock of this Common wealth There is silver and gold vast and great quantities brought daily from beyond the seas and landed in this Nation without paying of Custom and this verie silver and gold is stoln out of the Nation again before ever it be coyned without licence or paying of Custom so here is a Trade to the value of some hundreds of thousands of pounds by the year for the particular profit of some covetous merchants and the Common-wealth have no profit either by Excise Custom or Coynadge and till skilfull men in these Mysteries be imployed in the Mint this mischief will not be stopt or removed either by Doctors or Apothecaries Your Petitioner did formerly offer and now doth humby offer unto your Honours that he may be impowered and commissioned to be master-Worker and melter of the Mint to undertake now at this time to set your Mint to work notwithstandidg the present Warre with Spain provided your Petitioner may be impowered by your Honours order for the execution of what he shall humbly propound for the honour of the State and service of the Common-wealth in this business God send your Honours to order all these abuses by mee here presented may be prevented for the future and care taken where corrupt ignorant and unskilfull persons are got into imploiment for the publick they may be removed and trustie skilfull Officers put in their imploiments Your Petitioner humbly saies This is a sure waie to abate and lessen the great engagements of the Commonwealth when Drones are discharged and Bees imploied for if your Honours take away the cause the cure of the disease followes of course OLIVER the late Lord Protector the 20. of April 1653. dismisses the Parliament and the same day put a Guard of souldiers aboard the aforesaid ships Sampson Salvador and St. George then riding about Black wall And shortly after unloads all the silver into the Mint which your Petitioner stayed for the use of the Common-wealth your Petitioner can prove it by the Account of the Mint that the silver which was taken out of the said ships beside what was stoln and embezeled amounted to the summe of two hundred seventie eight thousand odde hundred pounds and Mr. Lieut. of the Tower Col. Barkstead paid out all this great Treasure In reducing the Dutch paying the Army and other services for the Publick as will appear by the particulars of his Accompt and your Petitioner never had farthing so that this great Treasure your Petitioner stayed was every pennie laid out in defence of the Common-wealth and subduing the Dutch It was a great mercie of God to this Nation that your Petitioner prevented the Dutch from getting this great Treasure at that juncture of time 1652. that silver would have made work for us else had the Dutch had it When your Petitioner see all this money disposed of by Col. Barkstead and not one penny thereof paid unto your Petitioner according to the promise of the Councel of State yet at the same time your Petitioner to be daily commanded and enjoined by the late Lord Protector Oliver and by his Councel and by the Judges of the Admiraltie and Doctor Walker 1653. 1654. dailie required at his own charge to attend and prosecute this businesse and to pay about ten other persons for about two yeares who assisted your Petitioner in the prosecution of this businesse as appears by the Warrants of the Councel of State Court of Admiraltie Doctor Walker all of them dated after the 20. of April 1653. which Warrants and Orders your Petitioner hath ready to produce to your Honours Your Petitioner finding this unmerciful and hard usage in this businesse to be dailie forced to borrow great summes of money at interest and to expend the same in prosecuting this business in the Admiraltie to maintain the States claim to this silver against the claimers and your Petitioner never to receive one peny from the States for his service he was enforced to petition the late Lord Protector OLIVER for his reward and satisfaction according to the promise of the Councel of State his Highness being one of the Members that had faithfully promised your Petitioner the summe of eleven thousand pounds when your Petitioner first undertook this service before Col. Bingham and Mr Sadler In his Petition hee sets forth the several services chargeable and dangerous imploiment together with the Councel of States engagements and promise to pay your Petitioner eleven thousand pounds for this his discovery and service and named several of the Councel of State which knew this to be a truth and that your Petitioner wholly relied upon the Councels Promise as aforesaid which was the true cause that engaged your Petitioner to undertake this difficult chargeable and dangerous task and emploiment And had not your Petitioner borrowed above seven hundred sixty five pounds and expended it all in this service which he payes interest for at this very day besides your Petitioners daily attendance in the Admiralty with about ten persons whom he paid and employed in this business to assist your Petitioner had not your Petitioner done this the Common-wealth had lost every penny of this great treasure The late Lord Protector Oliver upon your Petitioners addresses unto him and after his daily attendance for above two years with Petitions at Whitehall and Hampton Court for his dearly earned reward the reasons wherefore the Protector delayed your Petitioner so long before his reference touching this businesse was he knew the Referrees would certifie the debt and that he knew I could prove his particular Promise for the paying of your Petitioner eleven thousand pounds for this service which he made me at the Cock pit at Whitehall before Col. Bingham and Mr. Sadler who were of the then Councel of State and brought me to him to give him a particular Account what your Petitioner had done in this businesse your Petitioner by his importunity and daily attendance following him every day got his Highnesse Oliver at last to referre the aforesaid Petition to Col. Barkstead Lieut. of the Tower Mr. Alderman Vyner Capt. John Limbery Doctor Walker Advocate for his Highnesse Gabriel Beck Serjeant Dendy Maurice Thomson
Treasurer of the East India Company Serjeant Middleton Isaac Dorislawes Esquires or any three or more of them to take your Petitioners Petition into their consideration to examine all the premisses and thereupon to state and certifie your Petitioners case to his late Highnesse Oliver Lord Protector together with their opinions upon the whole matter touching your Petitioners reward and satisfaction for this service as appears by the original Petition and Reference All the aforenamed Referrees upon reading this Petition and the transactions thereupon after many dayes meeting held it very necessarie for the clearing of the truth to acquaint the Lord Bradshaw Sir James Harrington Sir George Fleetwood and Francis Allen Esquires with your Petitioners Petition and his Highnesse Reference thereupon in regard your Petitioner had named all the aforesaid Honourable perjons in his Petitions and Papers amongst others who both knew your Petitioners services touching the staying this silver and were privie to the Councel of States Ingagements and Intentions to pay your Petitioner eleven thousand pounds when your Petitioner undertook to disprove the Spanish and Flemish Claimers And upon Consideration of the Councels promise to your Petitioner as aforesaid was the cause that made your Petitioner undertake this difficult chargeable and dangerous service And the aforesaid referrees received Certificates from everie one of the aforesaid honorable persons which Certificates set forth the great service done by your Petitioner viz. That your Petitioner was upon his first undertaking of this Business looked on by the then Councel of State as the Great Wheel that set all on work and set on foot this discovery in getting the State this great Treasure or else the State had lost it in the Admiraltie and that these Actings of your Petitioner accompanied with great charge hazzard and trouble was the Cause sine qua non of the after-benefit received by the State upon conversion of this silver That the Councel of States Ingagements and intentions to the Petitioner at his first assuming the imploiment was not without good reason uncommitted to writing for avoiding of misconstruction And the Councel of State did not onely promise the Petitioner the restoration of his Estate for his particular service of staying the Silver but did also promise to confer upon the Petitioner an Honorable Memorial and had not the Petitioner had a real assurance from the Councel of State in 1652. for the paying of him the summe of eleven thousand pounds the whole Businesse touching this Silver had been lost and left undertaken had not the Petitioner had such an insurance and promise and also relied on the same for a just Performance It is true they certifie that for some Reasons of State the Petitioners Thomas Violets assurance and reward was not committed to writing to avoid clamour and lewd tongues but this omission was not to frustrate the Petitioner of his dearly earn'd Reward the restoration of his Estate or eleven thousand pounds These are but the Heads of the aforesaid Certificates the Originals certifie all matters touching this Business at large under the hands of the Lord Bradshaw Sir James Harrington Sir George Fleetwood Francis Allen Esquires every person severally certifies all the aforesaid referrees their particular knowledge of this Business Col. Barkstead Sir Thomas Viner and all the before-named Referrees upon consideration of these Certificates and upon sight of the attestation of the Officers of the Mint and several other Witnesses who depose That Thomas Violet was several times offered and might have received from the Claimers of Silver Merchants of Flanders then in London the summe of ten thousand pounds to have desisted the prosecution of this Business in the Court of Admiralty and to have betrayed the trust which the Councel of State imposed on him to make a discovery of Spanish and Flemish fraudulent Claimes and also upon sight of several orders of the Councel of State the Judges of the Admiralty and Doctor Walker and several depositions taken in the Petitioners case upon the whole matter all the aforesaid Referrees certifie his late Highness Oliver Lord Protector viz. That upon Examination of Thomas Violets Petition they finde that the Petitioner is a person who not onely deservs the making good of the Councel of States Ingagement and Promise unto him for the true paying your Petitioner Tho. Violet the summe of eleven thousand pounds but upon due consideration had of the great Travel Charge and Hazard which your Petitioner hath undergone in the Prosecution of this businesse and your Petitioners great faithfulness in refusing to be corrupted or betray the interest of the Common-wealth as hath been fully proved unto them as also upon the Attestation of Sir George Fleetwood and Sir James Harrington concerning the Promise of the Councel of State to your Petitioner Tho. Violet for the restoration to him his estate or eleven thousand pounds all these Referrees report to his late Highnesse Oliver Lord Protector that they humbly conceive upon the whole matter of Fact that over and above the payment of eleven thousand pounds that there be some signal reward conferred on the Petitioner for this his eminent service that all other for the future may be encouraged to serve the interest of the Common-wealth with that singular faithfulness and integrity as the Petitioner hath done and they all certifie that they finde It proved that the Petitioner by his chargeable prosecution of this business in the Court of Admiralty hath contracted debts amounting unto the summe of seven hundred sixty five pounds which the Petitioner borrowed at interest all his own estate being under sequestration ever since 1643. besides several other great summes of money your Petitioner borrowed at interest for his support ever since his sequestration upon consideration whereof they finde the Petitioners Engagements are very pressing upon him and they all humblie offer that for the present lest the Petitioner should be thrown into prison for the very moneys he hath expended in getting the Common-wealth this great treasure of two hundred seventy eight thousand pounds the just accompt thereof they had seen presented unto them by Col. Barkstead That his Highnesse Oliver Lord Protector in consideration of all the Premisses would be pleased presently to pay the Petitioner Tho. Violet some considerable sum of money to pay off his great engagements for the State and for his support for the future according to his quality and that the remainder of the money to make up the summe of eleven thousand pounds be paid unto him according to the Promise of the Councel of State the Petitioner Tho. Violet having served the Common-wealth in this great businesse with a great deal of resolution faithfulness and activity This Report is at large signed and certified to his late Highness Oliver Lord Protector the first of May 1658. by Col. Barkstead Lieutenant of the Tower Mr. Alderman Vyner Gabriel Beck John Limbery Edward Denly Henry Middleton Maurice Thomson Treasurer of the East-India Company Isaac
Dorislaws as appears by the original Certificate Your Petitioner petitioned the late Lord Protector Oliver 29. July 1658. and annexed the aforenamed Report of the Referrees and petitioned to be paid the sum of eleven thousand pound The Lord Protector Oliver upon reading the aforesaid Petition and the Report annexed refers your Petitioner for satisfaction together with the Report of Col. Barkstead Sir Tho Vyner and others for your Petitioners satisfaction unto his privy Councel that they take consideration of all the maters therein contained so that the Petitioner may have and receive satisfaction according to Justice and Equity for this service 29. July 1658. but his death shortly following nothing as yet hath been done for your Petitioners satisfaction Your Petitioner thereupon in Octob. 1658. petitioned the late Lord Protector Richard for his satisfaction and annexed the aforesaid Reports and Petitions upon his Highnesse perusal of the same he was pleased to referre the same unto the consideration of Francis Bacon late Master of his Requests and Gabriel Beck Esquires Solicitor to the late Councel of State They after many dayes meeting concerning this businesse have certified accordingly as Col. Barkstead and the former Referrees have done viz. for the due paying your Petitioner the summe of eleven thousand pounds and that they hold the Petitioner to be a person very fit and useful to be employed in removing the obstructions of the Mint and that the Petitioner be employed for regulating the Manufacture of gold and silver Wyre and Lace which Certificates are here to be produced to your Honours signed by Francis Bacon and Gabriel Beck Esquires 18 Jan. 1658. Your Petitioner humbly prayes your Honours to take into consideration the great and eminent advantages your Petitioner did this Common wealth in staying this silver at that juncture of time in Decemb. 1652. for had that silver come into the hands of the Dutch they would have laid it all out in powder and shot agaiust this Common-wealth as we employed it against them as will appear by Col. Barksteads Accompts which moneys under God was a principal mean to reduce the Dutch what service this treasure did the Nation in that juncture of time Christendome knowes the Dutch then our enemies felt and this Common wealth at this day enjoys the happy fruit of it But had all advantages been home followed against the Dutch in the last War we had grubbed up their greatnesse by the roots and flayed his Zealand Lions skin and broken their sheaf of Arrows to shivers making them unable for ever to trouble us but we only pared their nailes and parted with them upon too gentle conditions and made such a peace with them that at this time they carry all our Trade from our Merchants in a manner and do us more damage by being our feined friends then they could do being our open enemies the due consideration thereof is humbly hinted here to your Honours And if your Honours require a more particular Accompt I can demonstrate it to you in many particulars May it please your Honours These Certificats though they doe declare the truth of your Petitioners service really performed by a great number of Witnesses yet without further consideration they pay not your Petitioners engagements which were disbursed by him for the accomplishment of this service and those Gentlemen that have lent their moneys reallie to your Petitioner to enable him to do this service look for real payment in moneys and not in words your Petitioners engagement at this daie for this businesse of staying of the silver being above fifteen hundred pounds St. James saith what profit is it if a Brother be naked or destitute of daily food for one to say to him be thou warmed and bee thou filled if he supply him not with food and raiment so likewise a bare Certificate without further supply will neither pay debts nor cloath nor feed a man many words will not fill a bagg it is Justice that establisheth a Nation and payment of money quits debts and not words What a shame would it bee to those that professe so much Justice and reformation as this age doth to have it left to posterity and record That your Petitioner that hath done this Common-wealth such an eminent service in getting them more money then any man in this Nation ever did before should not be justly rewarded according to the promise and ingagements of the Council of State which made your Petitioner undertake this chargable difficult and dangerous service your Petitioner might have had tenn thousand pounds from the Claimers to have held his peace and bin quiet and to suffer the Judges of the Admiraltie to let this Silver passe the truth of this is certified under the hands of many persons of quality had your Petitioner taken this course to have bin bribed off it had bin most for his ease but lesse for his honesty The Common-wealths interest and his own reputation in making good his promise and ingagement to the Lord Bradshaw and Council of State he valued more then his life your Petitioner hath done his duty and will leave the issue to God 't is Solomon that saith a poor man delivered the City yet no man remembred the poor man when he had done his work I humbly hope that your Honours Justice will prevent mee that I may not have occasion to say the same that is true of this Age or leave so sad a memorandum of the ingratitude of these times If the Rules of our Saviour were observed by men of power in this Nation at this day to do to all People as they would be done unto your Petitioner should not have bin so long from time to time delayed with references in so Just and equitable Petition If your Petitioner hath not this his dearly earned reward it will remain to posterity in print to fright and terrifie all persons and make them wary how they ingage for the future upon English States-mens promises when they shall see and read these Transactions and Certificates If your Petitioner hath not satisfaction according to Justice it would be a means to make other men to take money when it is offered and not to trust to English States mens promises About the 20. of April 1659. your Petitioner did ingage an Honourable person to present to the Lord Richard Cromwell the late Protector these very Petitions and Certificates which I now present unto your Honours in print I am credibly informed upon his perusal of them hee was most honourably pleased to be verie sensible of your Petitioners sad sufferings great expence paines and fidelitie for the Common-wealth in this service And that seeing all this Treasure which your Petitioner stopt in the Ships Sampson Salvador and George was imploied and spent in the defence of the Common-wealth his late Highnesse was pleased to declare to an Honourable person that informed mee your Petitioner his late Highnesse did think my promised reward to be a just debt and
squandred away was pleased to tell your Petitioner he could do him a courtesie in procuring to your Petitioner three Bonds taken from your Petitioner in two thousand pounds for the payment of your Petitioner one thousand pounds 1644 which Bonds Mr. Corbet told me were at Shrewsbury in Shropshire morgaged by that Committee for fourty pounds which the Committee had laid out for publick use Your Petitioner was glad to hear where these Bonds were and to know who had them though they day in Lavender for fourty pounds your Petitioner for many yeares making diligent enquiry after them and had never got true information where they were had not Mr. John Corbet told him and it was a thousand to one that these Bonds being eleven yeares out of your Petitioners Custodie that your Petitioner ever heard of them or got them again into his hands This Worthy Gentleman Mr. John Corbet advised me to make my Application by Petition to his late Highnesse Oliver Lord Protector and to his Councel for to have these Bonds restored and that if his late Highnesse and his Councel would give him order to do it he wished me so well be would procure your Petitioner these three Bonds safe and uncancelled Provided your Petitioner would pay the Committee of Shropshire for them the summe of fourty pounds which your Petitioner willingly offered to do whereupon your Petitioner petitioned the late Lord Protector Oliver and his Councel for the aforesaid three Bonds And the Councel of State ordered John Corbet Esquire should attend them to give them true information of this businesse which accordingly he did and thereupon this Order following of the Councel of State was made and your Petitioner paid his money to Mr. Corbet accordingly 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 be 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 Highnesse the Lord Protector and his Counsel That upon the said Thomas Violets paying unto the said Committee the said summe 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 Esq 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 receive any now But upon his return upon my earnest intreaty and to save mee from further trouble hee told mee hee would receive and keep this forty pounds in deposito for the use of the Committee till he 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 Esq have delivered unto Thomas Violet of London God-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 which 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 stand bound to the said Thomas Violet The summe of forty pounds being paid by the said Thomas Violet according to the said Order JOHN CORBET Witnesses then present Edward VVatkins VVilliam Davis Edmund Cogan John English Scr. The Lady Anne Waad of Battels Hall in Essex died about May 1643. And the Bonds are due to mee Thomas Violet at this day as abovesaid Your Petitioner may justly say his Estate was squandred away when a thousand pound of good Bonds of your Petitioners lay in lavender for eleven years for forty pounds and your Petitioner had never known where they had bin had not Mr. Corbet tould him your Petitioners humble Prayer to your Honours is that seeing your Petitioner hath paid Mr. Corbet the forty pounds according to the aforesaid Order and hath these Bonds safe and uncancelled now in his Custody and in consideration of your Petitioner services in staying this Silver That your Honours would be pleased in part of your Petitioners satisfaction of eleven thousand pounds by your Honours Order to Impower your Petitioner by Authority of Parliament to shew and Implead these Bonds notwithstanding any Order of Parliament to sequester the said Bonds and to Impower your Petitioner to take out Judgement and Execution thereupon notwithstanding any Order or Ordinance to the Committee of Shropshire or any other Committee Touching or Concerning these Bonds And my most humble Petition is to John Corbet Esquire one of the Honourable members of this Parliament that as hee received my money for the use of the Committee of Shropshire and gave mee the first notice and discovery in whose Custody these Bonds were so hee would now bee pleased out of his love to Justice to certifie his knowledge of the truth of this Business that so I may have Releif in this business according to Justice and equity Hereafter followeth your Petitioners Petition to Oliver Lord Protector and his Reference thereupon to Col. Barkstead Alderman Viner Capt. Iohn Limbery Doctor VValker c. TO HIS HIGHNESSE OLIVER LORD PROTECTOR Of the COMMON-WEALTH of England Scotland and Ireland And the Dominions thereunto belonging The Humble Petition of Thomas Violet SHEWETH THat your Petitioner did about the 8th of Decemb. 1652. deliver unto the Council of State a written Paper wherein was discovered that at that present time a practice and Combination was set on foot by the then Spanish Ambassador Don Allonso de Cardenas with several other Merchants both Strangers and Natives to deceive the State of a great quantity of Silver near fower hundred thousand pounds which was aboard the Ships Sampson Salvador and George then riding at Eriffe
Which Persons before-named had contrived by forged Bills of Lading false Claimes and Claimers with other fraudulent pretences to get cleared the Court of Admiralty the aforesaid Silver and Ships and for the effecting thereof there was no Cost spared nor Stone left unturned as appeared by intercepted Letters of Mr James Steniere a principal Actor to have this Silver cleared which Letters caused the said Mr. Steinere to be Commited to the Serjeant at Armes attending the Parliament and by Mr. Pompey Callendrens Letter there was fifty in the hundred offered in Amsterdam to ensure the said Silver and Ships out of our hands Many of the Council of State did upon the intercepting these Letters concerning the Silver Ships believe that the Spanish Ambassador had for a peece of money to be paid him claimed this Silver as the King of Spaines Treasure and his Subjects colourably but they knew not which way to discover it and to prove the fraud that so the State might have the Silver as Prize there lay the mistery that then the Council could not fathom and that made the Lord Bradshawe and severall of the Council of State to ingage your Supplicant in this service they telling your Petitioner that if this fraude was to be found out they were assured your Petitioner could do it if your Petitioner would be true to the State whereupon your Petitioner did faithfully promise the Council of State his uttermost endeavours to discover this fraud and within three dayes after your Petitioner hearing the Parliament had made an Order upon the request of the Spanish Ambassador for the Judges of the Admiralty to proceed to a speedy sentence concerning these Ships and Silver thereupon about 8th of Decemb 1652. your Petitioner made the Lord Bradshaw and Council acquainted that hee had certain Intelligence and would prove it upon the perill of his Life by many credible Witnesses that a great part of this Silver appertained to severall Merchants of the united Provinces and that these Ships having unfree Goods in them were by the Civill Law forfeited to the State and upon the aforesaid Paper which your Petitioner delivered into the Council of State the Council of State sent for Doctor Walker your Highness Advocate who told the Council of State that if what was alleadged in that Paper could bee made good the Ships should bee stayed let the Judges say what they pleased May it please your Highness The Judges of the Admiraltie appointed 16th Decemb. 1652. to give sentence for the Clearing or Condemning these Ships Sampson Salvador and George and they ordered the Commissioners for Dutch prize Goods to bee then in the Court but the Commissioners Mr. Hill and Mr. Wâ—lson declared unto your Supplicant the day before they were to attend in the Admiralty that they were Merchants and a great part of their Goods and Estates in Spaine and therefore they durst not for feare of having an Imbargo on their Estates in Spaine bee seen in the Court of Admiralty to stopp these Silver Ships but they earnestly prayed and advised your Petitioner that if hee knew any way to entitle the State to the Silver in those Ships hee should doe the Common-wealth very great and acceptable service and save the State all the Silver which otherwise would be discharged that morning for then there was no other person appeared to stay these ships and silver but your Supplicant either at the Councel of State or with Doctor VValker your Highnesse Advocate And this Doctor VValker knowes to be a truth In pursuance of entituling the State to this silver in the aforesaid ships your Supplicant received a Command from the Counsel of State 13. Decemb. 1652. That if your Supplicant would undertake at his own peril to disprove the Spanish Ambassadours Claim and to prove that great quantities of the silver in the aforesaid ships appertained to Merchants of the united Provinces and Amsterdam by good and legal Witnesses That then notwithstanding the Order of Parliament your Petitioner should make his Protest in the Court of Admiraltie against the discharge of the said silver till his Witnesses were examined The Councel of State declaring that if the Court of Admiralty committed your Petitioner for making his Protest then the Councel would presently hear and take cognizance of the same businesse The Councel of State further declared that if your Supplicant should faile to make good what he had undertaken he would be utterly undone for that they would certifie your Petitioner to be an Incendiary in presuming to contradict the Spanish Ambassadour and Duke Leopoldus Agents in affirming the silver belonged for a great part thereof to Merchants of Amsterdam when the Ambassadour on his honour affirmed it was all for his Catholick-Majestie and his Subjects Accompts and none other But if your Petitioner was so assured as he would venture his life liberty and estate to disprove the Spanish Ambassadour and Duke Leopoldus Agents claim and prove great quantities thereof to appertain to the Dutch of the united Provinces then our enemies by good and legal proof and did perform this his undertaking your Petitioner should not only be restored to all his estate the Parliament had taken from him being about eleven thousand pounds for which summe your Petitioner had for severall yeares before Petitioned the Parliament and Council of State but also your Petitioner should have both that Estate and a good reward over and above for his good service and this Promise your Supplicant had from the Council of State and the Committee for forreign affaires and that they would see your Supplicant justly and truely satisfied and upon this Honourable assurance your Petitioner engaged and undertooke this great service and when your Supplicant Petitioned the Council of State for an Order of the Council or Parliament in writing for the States just performance when hee had proved that great quantities of this Silver aboard the three aforesaid Ships appertained to the Dutch the Committee of forreign affaires and the Lord Bradshaw was much offended that your Supplicant should scruple the Justice of the State as not to bee fully rewarded according to the greatness of the service Protesting it could not enter into the heart of any honest man to scruple or suspect the Council of State so ungratefull as not to performe there promise justly with your Petitioner and had that Council of State continued in power your Supplicant is assured in his Conscience that hee had reeeived every penny of the summe promised being eleven thousand pounds out of the monies as it was Coyned The reasons that the Council of State did not give your Petitioner a written Order for the restoration of your Petitioners Estate or the value being eleven thousand pounds was that if it was done either by the Order of Parliament or Council of State then the Spanish Ambassador and other Nations would know that the Council of State had stayed that Silver contrary to an Order of Parliament and had promised a
reward to your Petitioner to make this discovery before the service done which the Lord Bradshaw told your Supplicant at the Council-Board the Council would not to get all the Silver in the Ships bee knowne to make an agreement to finde out Witnesses to have the businesse done but that your Supplicant might rest assured on just and Honourable dealings and the restoration of his Estate or eleven thousand pounds If your Petitioner did by good and legall Witnesses disprove the Spaniards Claim to this Silver in the aforesaid Ships Your Supplicant having proceeded so farre as to make his Protest in the Court of Admiraltie against the discharge of these Ships and Silver hee was necessitated to proceed to make his discovery or else the undertaking it had undone him for ever and your Petitioner acquainted the Council that to proceed in this discovery would bee very Chargeable and your Supplicant being under sequestration unsupportable but no allowance of money could bee obtained till your Petitioner had intituled the State to the Silver and this being done on your Supplicants part the Council said your Petitioner might rest assured of just and Honourable performance for the payment of your Petitioners eleven thousand pounds or his Estate Your Petitioner being at or about that time severall times offered by some Merchants of Flanders Claimers of great quantities of the Silver That if your Petitioner would desist and not prosecute this business in the Court of Admiraltie hee should have paid him downe the summe of ten thousand pounds either in money here or in Bills of Exchange upon the discharge of the Ships and Silver but your Petitioner refused the offers of the Merchants and made the Lord Bradshawe and the Council acquainted therewith and valued more the safety and Honour of the Nation and his own reputation in this undertaking then the Spanish Merchants money relying wholly on the promise of the Council of State for his just reward and satisfaction Your Supplicants Expence and Charges in the prosecuting this business in one year and a halfs time amounted to above five hundred pouuds besides what summes of money your Supplicant hath since expended hee having imployed constantly ten severall persons some of them lived in Spaine and Holland and severall monthes your Petitioner imployed severall Merchants and others in the Registry of the Admiralty to inspect into all proceedings Claimes Exhibites pleadings Bills of Lading and comparing many thousand sheetes of paper and writing and translating many Bills of Lading and other transactions all which your Petitioner did by the Command of the Council of State and upon Warrants and Orders of your Highness Advocate Doctor Walker Your Supplicant also imployed severall persons about Erisfe Limehouse Blackwall Wapping and St. Katherines to finde out where the Seamen and Passengers of these Ships lay paying all charges of their meetings boate-hire writing and transcribing all the proceedings and printing them for the Parliament to vindicate the Justice of the Nation in staying this Silver and Ships for it is proved out of the mouthes of severall Passengers that came from Spaine that very Voyage That vast and great quantities of this Silver appertained to the Dutch and was delivered in Spaine aboard these Ships for the accompts of Marchants of Amsterdam and by the Originall Letters under the States generall Seale to their vice Admiralls de Witt and de Rutter remaining now in your Highnesse Court of Admiralty commanding them to Convoy and guard these Ships from the Parliaments Forces and these Commissions or Letters were procured upon the Petition of the Merchants of Amsterdam and by severall advices remaining in the Court of Admiralty these Ships and Silver were bound for Holland It is proved that when these three Ships first set Sale to go their Voyage they went from Holland and the Ports and Harbours of the united Provinces also that severall Merchants in London for their own proper accompts had Silver Laden aboard these Ships this Voyage in Spain which cleerely disproves the Spanish Ambassadors Claime to all the Silver in these Ships to bee only for his Master and his Subjects accompts for Merchants Natives of London are not the King of Spaines Subjects It is also proved that severall parcells of Silver aboard these Ships were entered and Bills made in feined names and colourably to avoyd the taking and condemnation of the Silver and of these Ships if they were taken by the English It is also proved that although the Bills of Lading were for Oastend yet the Silver was consigned to Amsterdam It is likewise proved by severall Passengers that when these Ships had bin ten dayes at Sea and hearing of the Warrs betweene the English and the Dutch the Masters Books were altered and all the Hollanders and Zelanders names were put out and other names put in their stead and after three times perusall and examination of the names the Bookes were written out saire which were the Bookes produced in the Court of Admiraltie And the originall blotted Bookes which were the true Bookes were not to bee found but when these Ships came into the Downes the Purser of the Ship Sampson tooke them and tyed them to an Iron Barr and then threwe them into the Sea These particulers with many others are the volontary confessions of severall Passengers in these Ships being actors and parties in Spain and privie to all these actions both in Spaine and on Shipboard and the Confession of Dutch-men and Easterlings Your Petitioner hath humbly presented these proofes and Witnesses to shewe the greatness of your Supplicants service and the Justice of the Nation in staying and confiscating this Silver so that it now cleerely appeares the Claime of the Spanish Ambassador to this Silver was but a fraudulent practice in him to have cozened the State and cheated them of all this great Treasure This business your supplicant effected with the assistanee of tenn other persons in a year and halfes constant attendance sitting up many daies and nights together when your Petitioner first undertooke this service being daily threatned to bee murthered by the Claimers and expending above five hundred pounds in this service All which particulers of your Petitioners prosecuting this business and the charges hee was at for doing the same is attested upon the Oathes of four credible Witnesses who were imployed in this service and were privie to your Petitioners expence Which five hundred pounds your Petitioner borrowed and hath ever since continued at interest and is now above seven hundred pounds Severall Gentlemen lending the same to your Petitioner out of their good will to the Nation in generall and that your Petitioner might bee restored to his Estate againe and had not your Petitioner borrowed this money to enable him to do this service your Highnesse and the Parliament had lost every penny of this Silver being about three hundred thousand pounds Never any man as yet brovght and saved your Highnesse and the Parliament so much money at one time
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 Chirurgâ—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
this Petition together with the reasons thereunto annexed and with this our Warrant VVho are desired to Ordaine and appoint such Rules Prohibitions and Penalties for the effectuall and better management of this service the preventing of all former abuses and restrayning of the Counterfeiting and importation of any the said farthings from the parts beyond the Seas as they shall thinke fit and necessary for the carrying on of this Service for the good of the Common-wealth Given at Whitehall the 19th day of Aprill 1659. To our Trusty VVel beloved Sir William Ellis Barronett our Sollicitor Generall To my much honoured and worthy Friends Sr Thomas Viner Kt. Mr Alexander Holt Mr John Sanders Mr James Hore Mr Will. Baldwine Mr Will. Du-Gard Mr Sarjeant Dendy Mr Gabriel Beck Mr Bovey Mr Ed. Watkins Mr John Heatly Mr Lucas Lucie Mr Thom. Packington Mr Francis Bishop Mr John Burredge Mr Delabar Mr Nowel Mr Emery Mr Hord. Worthy Gentlemen and my good Friends TO you of all others I am most obliged to give a particular account of this business touching my staying this silver mentioned in this Book because I could not have done this great service of staying the Shipps Sampson Salvador and George and prosecuting that business in the Admiraltie but that I had the money to do it from you and I owe it you at this day about 1500 l. I have formerly shewed unto most of you the Orders of Parliament touching this business and what endeavours were acted by Mr James Steneer and severall other Merchants to cozen the State of all this great treasure All the printed Transactions most of you have seen formerly But the orders that mentions seaven severall Letters of Mr. James Steneres and severall other Merchants Letters which were read in Parliament Mr. James Steneer writes to his Correspondents beyond Seas concerning the geting them this Silver out of the Admiraltie wee meaning himselfe and the rest of his confederates have made a great many friends among the great ones to speake for us in the business when it comes before them a wise man may guess who those great ones were and what great ones made a trade by cozining the Common-wealth in their Prizes the Claimers of the silver at that time having stollen several scores of thousand poundes out of these Ships so that they weree full of money and they could bribe any Person in power that would be corrupted in another of Mr Steneres Letter that was read in the Parliament House Mr. Stenere writes to his Correspondents beyond Seas that he must have a care what hee did write to them touching this Silver business left his Letters should be opened when he was brought to the Parliament Barr the first of December 1652. he rather chose to act the part of a foole and a lyer rather then to serve the Common-wealth to discover this design for which tampering of his the Parliament committed him from the Barr to the Serjeant at Armes the first of December 1652. as appeares by the journals of the Parliament at that time Van Trumpe the Dutch Admirall was in the Downes and no doubt but his mouth watered after this Silver there is a Commission under the great Seal of Holland and the originall orders of the States Generall Upon the petition of the Merchants of Amsterdam to guard these ships and silver from the Parliaments forces which will remain to posteritie to show the justice of this Nation in staying this silver for Dutch silver the truth of this being also confest in the Admiraltie by many of the marriners and passengers which came that Voyage from Spain and that the Pursers books and many of the Bills of Lading were forged and altered at sea after that they had heard certainly by some ships that the Dutch were at warrs with England The Parliaments Agent at Cades gave advice here to Mr Wilson his kinsman the day that these ships set saile from Cades and though they gave out there that they were to go for Dunkirk yet their designed Port was Amsterdam they being loaden for the greatest part upon the account of the Dutch and the same was confest in the Admiraltie by many of the Passengers and others Decemb. 14. 1652. The Spanish Ambassador Don Alonso de Cardenas Embassador extraordinary for the King of Spain came in person to the Parliament and made an Oration in the House claiming all this silver in these three ships to belong to his Master and for his Masters subjects account which Speech hee also at the same time presented to the Parliament in writing both in Spanish and English together with two bundles of papers touching this silver which hee referred to the consideration of the House And for several daies hee made his appearance at the Council of State and put in the like claimes for this silver hee ingaging his Honour that no part of it did belong to the Dutch as will appear by the proceedings and the records of the Council of State and Mr Stenier was bayled and his businesse never called on to this day While these businesses were transacted at the Parliament Councel of State and Admiraltie I made the Lord Bradshaw and many of the Council of State acquainted with the whole practice and fraud that was intended to be put on them by the aforesaid parties and that if they had not a special care the Judges in the Admiraltie would discharge this silver and the Dutch had rather it should be in the bottom of the sea than wee should have it Upon this Information the Council of State commanded mee to attend carefully the motions of the Court of Admiraltie and the Merchants touching this Silver and from time to time to give the Council an account what was done in the businesse Whereupon December 15. 1652. I made the Council acquainted That the Judges of the Admiraltie had appointed to bring these ships Sampson Salvador and George their silver and lading to a judgment the next day being Decemb. 16. in the Admiraltie And that I did believe the Judges would cleare the ships the Lord Bradshaw and some others of the Council askt mee what reason I had to say so or to suspect so Whereupon I told them the Commissioners of Dutch prize Goods had given me a warrant to go aboard these Dutch prize ships when I pleas'd and to imploie whom I thought good to get acquaintance with the sea-men aboard these ships And I had certain intelligence that Otho George Captain of the Sampson had commanded all his men to be in readinesse and had taken in fresh victualling and biskets and that in a few daies they should be at Dunkirk declaring that Van Tromp would do them no hurt though hee were on the Downes Upon this discovery many of the Council of State did apprehend the great dammage and danger the Nation was in if this great treasure should fall into the hands of the Dutch and after much debate I was commanded by the Council to attend in