Minute Book: September 1705

Calendar of Treasury Books, Volume 20, 1705-1706. Originally published by Her Majesty's Stationery Office, London, 1952.

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'Minute Book: September 1705', in Calendar of Treasury Books, Volume 20, 1705-1706, (London, 1952) pp. 29-33. British History Online https://www.british-history.ac.uk/cal-treasury-books/vol20/pp29-33 [accessed 26 April 2024]

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September 1705

Sept. 12. forenoon,
Whitehall, Treasury Chambers.
Present : Lord Treasurer, Chancellor of the Exchequer.
Mr. Bridges is called in. Memorandum. 56,515l. 17s. 0d. [and] 64,097l. 1s. 6½d. for subsisting the 40,000 men to the 23rd Dec. next is to be provided for in the first week of April.
Likewise 7378l. 19s. 2d. [and] 16,666l. 1s. 1¾d. for the Augmentation Troops.
[My Lord directs the] issue of 1860l. 0s. 6d. to Mr. Bridges : out of loans on the Two Thirds Subsidy : to make good the difference of 3 stivers per £ sterling between the exchange at 10 guilders 12 stivers and the payment of 10 guilders 15 stivers for 131,442l. 7s. 6d. being the subsistence of the Subject Troops forming part of the 40,000 men and 10,000 [Additional] men and full pay of the General Officers from 24 June 1705 to 23 Oct. 1705. Let Mr. Bridges apportion this 1860l. 0s. 6d. on the several orders [for remittance of subsistence money] and let him call on Sir Henry Furnese and Mr. Swift [sic for Sweet] for an account of money saved by the difference of exchange [to wit between the above rate of 10 guilders 12 stivers] "and of 10 guilders 10 stivers paid the Foreign Troops."
Direct the Board of Ordnance to take care that the Treasurer [of the Ordnance] be charged in his account as well with the interest as the principal money by him received or to be received on the orders for 20,700l. on the first 3s. Aid ; and to apply the same viz. 14,103l. 16s. 5¼d. to complete their [the Ordnance Office] proportion for sea service anno 1702 and 10,973l. 13s. 9d. to complete their proportion for land service anno 1703 and the rest as in part of 48,000l. for sea service anno 1703.
On Mr. Merrit's memorial of this day [my Lord Treasurer] ordered 420l. to Mr. How to pay the Earl of Peterborough's bill for 84 days' pay advanced to a Major General, Brigadier and 2 aides de camp : [to be issued] on the order for 5000 new men.
[Likewise] 12,000l. [to said How] to pay Mr. Methwin's bills : [to be issued] on the order aforesaid.
Likewise 300l. [to said How which he had] advanced to Major Lloyd, a Captain gone to Newfoundland.
[My Lord directed the issue of] 5000l. to the Navy Treasurer on the head of Wages : to be issued out of the funds [anno 1705] in the Exchequer [and is intended] to be paid over to Mr. Whitfield for the Marines : as by his [the Navy Treasurer's] memorial of yesterday's date.
likewise 3000l. [to the Navy Treasurer] out of money that is or shall be in the Exchequer of this year's funds : to be issued on the head of Wear and Tear and to be imprested to Mr. Gold and Mr. Hall for providing pitch and tar.
likewise 5000l. more out of same : on the head of Wear and Tear : and is to pay bills of exchange.
Send to the Navy to know how much 2 quarters more to the Yards will amount to and to express when each quarter ends and how much it particularly comes to.
Desire the [gentlemen of the] Bank to be here tomorrow morning.
[My Lord directs] 5000l. to be issued to Mr. Bridges in part of the subsistence for the 40,000 men : to be issued out of loans to be made by Bridges himself on the Malt Duty anno 1705.
[Direct the] Customs Commissioners to attend to-morrow afternoon.
[My Lord directs the issue of] 4819l. 13s. 9¼d. to the [Paymaster of the] Works : out of Civil List money : and is to pay 3 months to the Works due 31 March 1705.
[Send word to] Sir Christopher Wren to attend to-morrow morning. Treasury Minute Book XV, pp. 123-4.
Sept. 13, forenoon. Present : Lord Treasurer.
Write to Lady Falkland to appoint some proper person to prosecute her account [as executrix to her late husband as former Treasurer of the Navy] otherwise my Lord Treasurer cannot stay the process.
The gentlemen of the Bank are called in and are desired to lend the complement of the credit on Malt anno 1705. They will acquaint the Court of Directors on Wednesday and send their answer to Mr. Lowndes. Ibid., p. 125.
Eodem die afternoon. Present : Lord Treasurer.
The Customs Commissioners are called in. They are [directed by my Lord Treasurer] to call upon Mr. [Francis] Webber [Customer of Bridgwater port] to give security for his collection by the 10th October next.
[Samuel] Binks is to be the patent Customer Inwards at Southampton in the room of Mr. [John] Weaver deceased and to be charged with the collection at Portsmouth for his patent salary and fees with no further allowance than only 30l. per an. for his clerks.
Francis Mose to be collector at Chichester instead of [Samuel] Binks.
[John] Jones to be collector at Shoreham instead of [Francis] Mose.
[The Principal] Commissioners of Prizes are called in. My Lord tells them somebody must go forthwith as their agent to the West Indies. Ibid., p. 125.
Sept. 19. forenoon. Present : Lord Treasurer, Chancellor of the Exchequer.
The [Principal] Commissioners of Prizes and Mr. Brucer [John Bruer, Treasurer for Prizes] are called in. My Lord asks the Commissioners what care they have taken about sending an agent to the West Indies. They say one Mr. Clayton is recommended to them and they expect his resolution in a few days. His lordship also enquires in what forwardness their accounts are. They say the account to midsummer 1703 is already past and that for 1704 is under the examination of the Auditors. My Lord directs them to use all diligence in the passing thereof and to bring in their next account [for the year] ended at 1705 midsummer.
My Lord takes notice to Mr. Brucer [Bruer] that according to a paper or certificate of Prize money which he brought to the Treasury the 14th inst. there remains in his hands 33,386l. 7s. 6d. whereof 6450l. 19s. 1d. is said to be for the Queen's shares : that it has been represented to his lordship that notwithstanding there has not been less than from 35,000l. to upwards of 100,000l. in hand at any time for almost 3 years past (as appears by the certificates brought to the Treasury by the said Brucer) yet when 17,000l. was paid in June last (for stores delivered to the Ordnance) in tallies on Malt (which are since paid off) he has put the Government to the charge of paying interest for those tallies, when at the same time he had at least 20,000l. in cash in his hands and has ever since with the said 17,000l. so discounted had near 40,000l. of the Queen's and captors' money in his hands.
Brucer replies, that he thought he had done good service in getting the Bank to take those tallies at — per cent. per an. interest because people (he said) thought they would be deficient and Sir Stephen Evance to whom he offered them asked 5 per cent. premium besides the said interest : but [Bruer] gives no reason for the occasion he had to turn the said tallies into money.
My Lord also observes that the abovementioned certificate of the 14th inst. is the only one he has brought to the Treasury since the 19th of May last : that tis not signed by anybody nor distinguishes what money has been received by him since his last [certificate] of the 19th of May.
My Lord says his not keeping [in his portfolio] the said tallies was a disservice and that for the future he take care to make certificates once a month or oftener and shew therein what money he has received from the [time of the] determination of his preceding certificate and how much he has paid and for what services ; and that the Comptroller of Prizes do sign the said certificates : and also that the money for the Queen's share [of prizes] be forthwith paid into the Exchequer.
Sir Henry Furnese comes in and acquaints my Lord that the exchange for Holland is at present very high and if his Lordship will now order the money which by the minutes of the 12th inst. is to be provided the first week in October he believes twill save half per cent.
My Lord orders 30,000l. in part thereof to be forthwith issued to Mr. Brydges out of moneys in the Exchequer arising from Contributions for annuities.
Sir Thomas Littleton [the Navy Treasurer] comes in and acquaints my Lord that the Navy [Commissioners] are very pressing for the 40,000l. which they writ for a little while since for wages.
My Lord thereupon directs 20,000l. to be issued to him [Littleton] on that head : out of Contributions for annuities. Ibid., pp. 126-7.
Sept. 24, forenoon.
Windsor Castle.
Present : ut supra.
The memorial of Mr. Howe dated the 19th [inst.] is read and my Lord thereupon ordered issues to him as follows : viz.
£ s. d.
in part of 264,874l. 10s. 0d. for Guards and Garrisons anno 1705 : out of Contributions for Annuities
for 33 days' subsistence for the Troops and Regiments in England from 22 Sept. inst. to Oct, 24 next 13549 13 0
for 61 days' clearings for the Earl of Essex's Dragoons to June 24 next 668 9 2
for 61 days' pay for several Garrisons for the same time 428 9
£14646 11
£ s. d.
in further part of 87,125l. 10s. 0d. for 5000 men for Sea Service : out of the like Contributions
for 33 days' subsistence for Lord Paston's Regiment to Oct. 24 next 869 13 9
the like for Col. Whetham's and Col. Livesay's additional Companies 265 17 8
for 61 days' clearings for Col. Rooke's Regiment to June 24 last 800 17 7
the like for the said Regiment to August 24 last 799 16 11
£2736 5 11
£ s. d.
in further part of 98,968l. 10s. 0d. for 5000 additional men for sea service anno 1705 ; out of the like Contributions
on account of subsistence to Wyn's, Lillingston's and Lepell's Regiments of Foot 1000 0 0
to complete the subsistence of Soams', Breton's and Hotham's Regiments to the 21st inst. 990 18 9
for 33 days' subsistence for the said Regiments to the 24th Oct. next 2609 1 3
for clearings to Col. Soams' Regiment from the days of raising to the 24th June last 1498 6 5
£6098 6 3
[My Lord directs the issue of] 3000l. to Mr. Tailer : out of Civil List money : in further part of his order for 20,000l. for building at Woodstock.
[Likewise] 7581l. 12s. 6¼d. to the Cofferer of the Household : out of Civil List money : to complete what remains due in that Office for the quarter ended at June 24 last.
The Duke of Ormonde comes in. Several papers are read relating to the affairs of Ireland and minutes are [taken and endorsed] upon them.
After his Grace went away divers other papers were read and minutes taken [and endorsed] upon them. Treasury Minute Book XV, pp. 128-9.
Sept. 25,
Whitehall, Treasury Chambers.
Present : Chancellor of the Exchequer.
Upon the application of the Envoy from the Duke of Savoy for 2 months' subsidy to be remitted to Turin [the Chancellor of the Exchequer] ordered that Sir Theodore Janssen be sent to about it. He [is sent for accordingly and] waits on the Chancellor and offers to give his bills [on Turin] at 57d. per Crown of 82 sols, money of Piedmont, for 106,666 Crowns and to date his bills the 23rd inst, and make them payable at 60 days after date and to deliver them to Capt. Cartwright so as to be sent away by next Friday's post.
This proposal is agreed to by the Chancellor in the Lord Treasurer's absence ; Mr. [Captain] Cartwright [Deputy Paymaster of the Forces under Mr. Brydges] assuring him that upon enquiry he can find no other merchants [who] will undertake it for less than 60d. a Crown.
Janssen is promised payment on the 10th Oct. next. "This remittance is for the 2 months' payment that falls due the 3rd December next, new style, and is by [way of] advance from that day to the 3rd February following." Ibid., p. 130.