Entry Book: June 1684

Calendar of Treasury Books, Volume 7, 1681-1685. Originally published by His Majesty's Stationery Office, London, 1916.

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'Entry Book: June 1684', in Calendar of Treasury Books, Volume 7, 1681-1685, (London, 1916) pp. 1476-1478. British History Online https://www.british-history.ac.uk/cal-treasury-books/vol7/pp1476-1478 [accessed 25 April 2024]

June 1684

Date. Nature and Substance of the Entry. Reference.
June 12. Great seal for the annuity to the Prince and Princess of Denmark ut supra, p. 1123. King's Warrant Book IX, pp. 360–4.
June—. The Treasury Lords to Sir Tho. Lynch [Governor of Jamaica]. We have received yours of Feb. 25 ult. The first part thereof is an answer to our letter of 1683, May 5. touching the better collection of the quit rents wherein we recommended you and the Council to give the several collectors 5 per cent. out of the fee of 10 per cent. allowed to the Receiver General of Jamaica and to represent the matter to us if said 5 per cent. should prove insufficient. You assure us that no one will undertake the collection of the quit rents for 5 per cent. and that you see no possibility of getting a rent roll any other way than as you formerly proposed. You are to pursue the directions as in our said letter with this difference only that you may allow 7½ per cent. for the collection. As to your representation concerning Sir Henry Morgan's debt to the King for pirates' money and the ship Vyner and his pretence of salary over and above what the King has thought fit to allow, you are to cause said Morgan's accounts to be finally stated and process to go out against him in case he otherwise refuse to satisfy what appears due to the King with the deduction only of such charges as you shall think reasonable. Out Letters (Plantations Auditor) I, pp. 134–6.
Appending: copy of said letter from said Lynch to the Treasury Lords dated from Jamaica 1683–4, Feb. 25. I formerly wrote your Lordships that everything should be brought to accompt as you direct. Nobody would undertake to collect the quit rents at 5 per cent. Mr. Martin and the Attorney General were sending out distresses, of which I see no great effect nor possibility of getting a rent roll any other way but that I proposed. I have pressed the Receiver and given repeated orders about the accompts. He had been discomposed but now promises to send them to Mr. Blathwait by these ships. I have demanded of Sir Henry Morgan the pirates' money and 300l. for the Vyner. He answered it was due for salary and that he believed your honours would allow it, and if I would give him time he would abide by your order; which I consented to do because I could not get it sooner, unless I should have taken away his negroes and so have ruined him for ever. I advised him to write and to provide to pay it "for I was sure your Honours would not remit it; for he had committed a crime in taking discharges, denying and concealing the pirates' money."
The Earl of Carlisle's third of the forfeitures was retrenched before the condemnation of the Vyner. The King and soldiers were so barbarously cheated that no officer deserves a farthing pay. Yet his Lieutenant Fetherston carried away 1,500l. or 2,000l. It's notorious that of 100 men but 16 or 18 did duty here and not one of these ever saw a farthing but were starved; nor were they much better used in Lond[on] for Capt. Tolsby drawing on John Bindlos for 600l. in his hands he protests the bills and sends hither 600 pistoles worth [between] 12s. and 13s. the pistole. It's after this manner the King and soldiers were served. I told Sir Harry [Morgan] he had no reason to pretend this revenue owed him 530l. because he was paid the Lieutenant's salary to the day I arrived and that 530l. was only due on his moiety of the Governor's [salary] which [as merely Lieutenant Governor] he had no right nor Treasury order to receive. My Lord [the Earl of Carlisle] was paid to Sept., a month after his Commission was extinguished by mine and after that Sir Harry had half about three months which my Lord had no power to receive much less to give, coming away without the King's leave and having no order about the disposal of the revenue nor order of Council here. So that I told him, considering what is ordered at B.B. and that neither Governor nor Council here can dispose of the King's revenue, he had more reason to think your honours would order him to refund all he had received of the Governor's salary than that you would allow of 530l. more especially considering as Lieut. Gov. he had 600l. per an. here, 600l. in England and a Foot Company, that his Lieutenant is supposed to have got 2,000l. by [viz. from said Foot Company] in three years. I am sure its better than my salary were it paid (as it's like not to be) and no other governor had ever such advantages though no good use has been made of them. Besides all this he had a Retrospect Act that rendered him 1,400l. which was contrary to his instructions and looks as if, to get that, he had passed those infamous clogs in the revenue. However, if he had for two years 1,200l. in England, 1,200 here, a Foot Company, 600l. of the Governor's salary, 1,300l. with the Retrospect Act all amounts to 5,700l. So that your Lordships have no great reason to allow 500l. or 600l. more nor he to pretend it. If he were not paid the Lieutenant Governor's salary or Captain's the last year yet [he] has received more than the Governor's salary. If you order the payment [by said Morgan] of the said pirates' money (that [is] about 400l.) deducting charges and the Receiver's 10 per cent. and the 300l. of the Vyner I will endeavour to recover it.
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