Minute Book: December 1715

Calendar of Treasury Books, Volume 29, 1714-1715. Originally published by Her Majesty's Stationery Office, London, 1957.

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'Minute Book: December 1715', in Calendar of Treasury Books, Volume 29, 1714-1715, (London, 1957) pp. 313-318. British History Online https://www.british-history.ac.uk/cal-treasury-books/vol29/pp313-318 [accessed 24 April 2024]

December 1715

Dec. 13. Present: Mr. Walpole, Sir William St. Quintin, Mr. Methwin, Lord Finch, Mr. Newport.
A report from Mr. Sloper upon a demand of 540l. to satisfy a bill drawn from Placentia is read and approved.
The report from the Customs Commissioners on the petition of Sir John Lambert et al. is read and approved.
John Thorold to be Surveyor of Windows, Co. Cambridge, loco William Knowles. Ibid., p. 194.
Dec. 14. Present: Mr. Walpole, Sir William St. Quintin, Mr. Methwin, Mr. Newport.
The [Principal] Officers of the Ordnance [are] called in. Their memorials [for money] are read. Some of them will attend again to-morrow.
Mr. Burroughs [being] called in is told that he must not be a contractor for the forage in Scotland, but must still be the Commissary and make the best bargains he can with people to furnish the forage to the best advantage of the K[ing]: that he must go down to Hull or other places most proper to buy the said forage and make magazines upon the Forth for 4,000 horse for three months, where he must go and take care of the delivery.
Mr. Poultney [Secretary at War] will consider with my Lord Lincoln [Paymaster General of the Forces] how much [of the cost of said forage] is to be borne by the King and how much by the Troops: and he will prepare a new commission for Mr. Burroughs or new Instructions as shall be necessary. Treasury Minute Book XXII, p. 195.
Dec. 15. Present: Mr. Walpole, Sir William St. Quintin, Mr. Methwin, Lord Finch, Mr. Newport.
[My Lords] ordered that out of the money raised by the Treasurer of the Navy by sale of South Sea Stock and orders and tallies on the Land Tax the sums following be [issued to the Treasurer of the Navy and be] applied [to the services of the Navy] as follows: viz.
£
for half a year's pay due at Michaelmas 1714 to the Chatham, Sheerness and Portsmouth Yards (Memorandum: 6,551l. for Plymouth was paid before: so this sum is reduced to 56,667l.) 63,218
for half a year's pay due the same time to the labourers, coopers &c. employed in the Victualling 6,500
£69,718
[My Lords direct the issue of] 1,000l. for secret service: to be delivered to the King's hands forthwith.
Issue 6,000l. to the Ordnance for the [Artillery] Train sent to Scotland.
[Write] to Mr. Sloper for copies of letters he has received from the Deputy Paymaster [of the Forces] at Edinburgh: and to Mr. Poultney [Secretary at War] for copies of the Representations he has for payment of the Forces in Scotland.
[My Lords order] Thomas Turnor to be King's waiter in the place of Roos Peterman, deceased.
Issue 5,000l. to my Lord Lincoln [as Paymaster General of Guards, Garrisons and Land Forces]: out of the proceeds of [the sale of] South Sea Stock: to be by him paid over to Mr. William Burroughs, Commissary of Provisions and Stores, upon account to provide forage, provisions and stores for the Forces in North Britain.
And prepare a s[ign] m[anual] to authorise Lord Lincoln to pay over the same accordingly. Ibid., p. 196.
Dec. 16. Present: Mr. Walpole, Sir William St. Quintin, Mr. Methwin, Mr. Newport.
Write to all the [Departmental] Officers to bring in their Estimates [for the coming year's service]. Ibid., p. 197.
Dec. 19. Present: Mr. Walpole, Sir William St. Quintin, Mr. Methwin, Lord Finch, Mr. Newport.
On Thursday in the afternoon my Lords will sit and consider the reports and warrants prepared for my Lord Carnarvon and Mr. Chetwin [relating to their accounts].
[Write] to Mr. Holbech to lay before the Treasury forthwith an account of all the moneys by him deducted or received for fees or other profits of the money which was issued to him for payment of wages, bills or other demands in the Office of Treasurer of the Chamber [during the time he acted there in the vacancy of the office of said Treasurer after the death of Visct. Fitz Hardinge].
Send to the Secretary at War to know what Agents [for Regiments &c.] are employed abroad and elsewhere and upon what services: in order to their giving sufficient security for their respective employments.
[My Lords direct] 30l. to be paid to the churchwardens of St. Martins [in the Fields]: by the hands of Mr. Lowther [Paymaster of the King's private pensions and bounties] upon a request made by them to the King, as a parishioner, for charity to the persons whose houses were burnt in the late fire in the Strand.
The petition of Nicholas Rich, Esq., is to be considered when a distribution is made of the King's bounty. [Later] 40l. paid. Ibid., p. 198.
Dec. 20. Present: ut supra.
Mr. Cholmley's [struck through] Molineux's letter is read importing that there is no objection against signing the warrant for the Judges of Wales. My Lords [say they] will sign it.
On reading Secretary Stanhope's letter for the Envoy of Tripoli my Lords resolve they cannot remit Duties where due nor permit prohibited goods to be imported. Ibid., p. 199.
Dec. 22. Present: ut supra.
[My Lords direct] 1,500l. to be imprested to Mr. Cracherode for law charges: he being going down with the Judges upon special commissions into Lancashire.
[My Lords direct] 1,000l. to be paid in part of 15,000l. for French Protestants.
Mr. Aston for Mr. Misson is called in. A letter from the Admiralty is read enclosing one from Admiral Baker; and Mr. Sloper's memorial of 22 Nov. last is read. [My Lords thereupon order Mr. Lowndes to] prepare a letter to the Governor of Gibraltar forthwith to cause the remains of the King's stores delivered to Mr. Misson to be valued according to the contract: and Mr. Sloper is to make a demand to-morrow of the sums stated by him; which is an extraordinary charge on the Forces and [is] to be asked of Parliament.
And [my Lords order] an Estimate to be made for the year ensuing of the whole charge of the Garrison of Gibraltar, including the Victualling and the extraordinary charge of this year.
An Estimate is also to be made of the charge of the 13 Regiments of Dragoons and eight Regiments of Foot raised last summer from the time of raising till the 25th Dec. 1715, including as well what has been issued to them for subsistence as what will be due to them for offreckonings and clearings.
And likewise an account of all the augmentations and other exceedings that have been made in the Land Forces this year.
And present these to my Lords with the Estimate lately directed for the year ensuing: and likewise an account of the whole charge of Chelsea Hospital for the year 1716.
My Lords direct my Lord Lincoln to borrow of the Bank 120,000l. for two months at 5 per cent. upon a sufficient deposit of tallies and orders on the Land Tax and Malt Act for the year 1715 (struck through). My Lords desire the Earl of Lincoln to borrow of the Bank of England a sum of 120,000l. for the service of the Forces: upon a sufficient deposit of tallies and orders on the Land Tax and Malt Acts for the year 1715 and my Lords do agree on his Majesty's behalf that the same shall be repaid within two months with 5 per cent. per an. interest from the day or days of lending to the day of repayment.
My Lords are resolved that the Commissioners of the Transports shall not be continued longer than till the time to which they were last limited: but will move the King to appoint Mr. Colby singly to carry on such Transport services as shall be necessary for the future and to settle the demands of the creditors of that [Transport] Office for the time past, at his former salary. Prepare a warrant accordingly. Treasury Minute Book XXII, pp. 200–1.
Eodem die, Afternoon. Present: Mr. Walpole, Sir William St. Quintin, Mr. Methwin, Lord Finch, Mr. Newport.
The reports of the Auditors [of Imprests] on the accounts of the Earl of Carnarvon are read: viz.
for the Forces in the Low Countries for the years 1709, 1710 and 1711.
for Spain and Portugal for the years 1707, 1708, 1709, 1710 and 1711.
Desire the two Auditors of Imprests to be here to-morrow at 12 o'clock.
His Lordship's [the Earl of Carnarvon's] memorial for allowance of payments to Regiments on account of pay, subsistence and clothing is to be referred to the [said] Auditors.
Direct Mr. Churchill to procure a set of Rym[er's] F[œdera] for the Library at Hanover.
[Write] to Mr. Hewet to be here to-morrow. Ibid., p. 201.
Dec. 23. Present ut supra.
Auditor Harley [is] called in. He says it will be safer and better to have the allowances to the Earl of Carnarvon mentioned in the Auditors’ reports [to be made and passed] by privy seal rather than by a [royal] warrant only.
My Lords order the reports to be sent [back] to the Auditors to prepare the draft or drafts of a privy seal or privy seals according to their reports.
[My Lords order for] Monsieur Herman van Pettecum [Hermann Petkum, minister from Holstein-Gottorp] 200l. [as royal] bounty. Ibid., p. 202.
Dec. 26. Present: Mr. Walpole, Sir William St. Quintin, Mr. Newport.
Ordered that 20,766l. 1s. 2d. be issued to Harry Mordaunt, Treasurer of the Ordnance, to pay for arms: 20,000l. thereof to be issued out of money arisen by sale of South Sea Stock from the Trustees for such sale, and the remaining 766l. 1s. 2d. out of Contributions for Annuities anno 1715. But 10,000l. of the said sum being intended to pay for arms in Ireland [my Lords order that] a letter is to be prepared to the Lords Justices [of Ireland] to cause that sum to be forthwith transmitted out of the revenue in Ireland to the Treasurer of the Ordnance in England to refund that payment [made] by him.
Ordered that out of the sum of 120,000l. borrowed of the Bank for the service of the Forces my Lord Lincoln [Paymaster General of Guards and Garrisons] do apply 118,591l. 15s. 6d. to the uses following: viz.
£ s. d.
for a month's subsistence [to the Forces] in England and the Plantations 54,055 4 2½
one month's subsistence to Half Pay Officers in quarters to 24 Dec. 1715 7,078 10 0
six months' half pay to Officers by warrant: to 24 June 1715 2,599 11 4
contingent warrants for the Guards in Hyde Park 449 2 0
clothing for 16 Companies of Invalids 3,019 18 4
Officers' servants at Gibraltar and Port Mahon 910 18 8
the General and Staff Officers in England
to 24 June 1715		 2,054 14 11
a month's subsistence to the Regiments in
Scotland		 12,997 0 2
for subsistence to the Dutch Forces upon
account		 11,077 16 2
for transportation and provisions for the
Dutch Forces		 10,121 5 7
for pay and contingencies advanced to them
before embarcation		 10,624 11 4
more for expenses relating to their embarcation 1,638 1 11
for Officers of Port Mahon and Gibraltar
now in England		 1,965 0 10½
£118,591 15 6
My Lords upon considering the papers of Mr. Holbech of the fees by him received for payments made in the Office of Treasurer of the Chamber after the death of my Lord Fitz Hardinge and before the succeeding Treasurer of the Chamber was appointed do determine that of 1,943l. so by him received 452l. 1s. 0d. be allowed him for all [Exchequer] charges relating to the receiving the sum of 48,664l. 10s. 3½d. [from the Exchequer for the service of said Office] and the payments out of the same: and that out of the remaining 1,490l. 19s. 0d. the sum of 190l. 19s. 0d. be allowed for his own trouble and pains in receiving and paying the said money and that the remaining 1,300l. be paid to Mr. Chetwynd and Sir Thomas Clarges as executors of the Lord Fitz Hardinge, late Treasurer of the Chamber: and a s[ign] m[anual] is to be prepared accordingly. Ibid., pp. 202–3. Disposition Book XXIII, p. 116.
Dec. 27. Present: Mr. Walpole, Sir William St. Quintin, Mr. Methuen, Mr. Newport.
Resolved that the sums due from his Majesty to Midsummer 1715 in the Civil List offices [the offices supported out of the Civil List revenues] be forthwith satisfied.
My Lords will read the papers of Mr. Chetwind on Thursday in the afternoon.
My Lords think that the four Judges (struck through and altered to) Counsellors going into Lancashire may have each 100l. in hand and 100l. at their return. Treasury Minute Book XXII, p. 204.
Dec. 28. Present: Mr. Walpole, Sir William St. Quintin, Mr. Methuen, Mr. Newport.
My Lords direct 7,000l. for salaries of the Admiralty Lords and other officers of the Navy [Office: viz. for the quarter] become due at Xmas 1715: whereof 314l. is to be issued out of money raised on Land Tax anno 1715 and the remaining 6,686l. out of money raised on South Sea Stock.
Out of the rest [unapplied remainder] of 120,000l. borrowed of the Bank my Lords direct 1,000l. to Brigadier [Lewis] Petit upon a warrant dated Dec. 22 inst.: and is to be placed to the account of 250,000l. given [by Parliament] for [Allies'] subsidies and arrears.
My Lords will read the report of the Auditor of the Exchequer relating to Mr. Edwyn on Friday morning next. Ibid., p. 205.
Dec. 29. Present: ut supra.
Prepare a s[ign] m[anual] to put the works in the Mews under the care of the Office of Works.
Prepare a s[ign] m[anual] to allow the payment of the Officers' salaries for Windsor works till the last day of June 1715; and from that date those salaries to determine.
Prepare a s[ign] m[anual] for 1,000l. to [Thomas Morgan] and another for 500l. to [Thomas Walton] and another for 300l. [being 150l. each] to [Susannah Yelverton and Sarah Slingesby] as of [his Majesty's] free gift and royal bounty. Ibid., p. 206.
Dec. 30. Present: ut supra.
His Majesty's pleasure is signified that Mr. Methwin have a privy seal to discharge his indenture for the plate [delivered to him out of the Jewel Office on his going] as Ambassador in Spain.
Write to the [Principal] Officers of the Jewel House to call in the plate delivered to Lord Bingley as Ambassador to Spain, he never having gone upon that service.
Mr. John Chetwin's stated account and the draft of his privy seal are read and [are] to be further considered on Monday morning.
Prepare a —. Ibid., p. 207.
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