Minute Book: March 1713

Calendar of Treasury Books, Volume 27, 1713. Originally published by Her Majesty's Stationery Office, London, 1955.

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'Minute Book: March 1713', in Calendar of Treasury Books, Volume 27, 1713, (London, 1955) pp. 15-23. British History Online https://www.british-history.ac.uk/cal-treasury-books/vol27/pp15-23 [accessed 27 April 2024]

March 1713

1712–13.
March 2.		 Present: ut supra.
Ordered that Mr. Harison do prosecute the recovery of all the supers depending on the account of the late Paymasters of Ireland. Ibid., p. 46.
March 3. Present: ut supra.
[No entry of any minute.] Ibid., p. 47.
March 4.
St. James's.		 Present: ut supra.
Monsieur Le Keux, Deputy Governor, and others of the Lustring Company are called in. They say their exclusive privilege ends with the end of the next Session. Their [capital] stock of 60,000l. is reduced to one third.
My Lord Treasurer says it will be proper for them to apply to Parliament.
They [say they] petitioned two years ago and say the Commissioners of Trade and Plantations are of opinion they should have 2,400l. a year and the forfeitures.
Return the original receipts for plate [formerly sent to the Leeward Islands for the Governor's Chapel there] to Capt. Constable.
[Send word] to Charles Jones, messenger of the Board of Greencloth, to attend my Lord.
“Send a description of John Vie to the Customs Commissioners [with intimation to watch for him at the ports and] to stop him and the woman mentioned in the [letter from the] Earl of Dartmouth.”
My Lord ordered issues as follows out of money for the uses of the Civil Government: viz. to
£ s. d.
Mr. Scobell for tin 3,000 0 0
the Cofferer of the Household 2,000 0 0
the Privy Purse, [for] two weeks 1,000 0 0
the Robes, to complete 2,000l. directed by 500l. a week 500 0 0
the Great Wardrobe 500 0 0
Mr. Smethin in further part of 9,066l. 9s. 6d., whereof 2,500l. is paid [up to the present] 500 0 0
Mr. Compton out of [the Post Office or] Letter money 2,000 0 0
Lord Stamford and Mr. Pulteney, late Commissioners for Trade 932 17 6
the Bishop of Bristol [Dr. John Robinson, the Lord Privy Seal], in further part of 1,300l. as Ambassador at Utrecht, whereof 600l. is paid [up to the present] 300 0 0
the Earl of Strafford, for the like 300 0 0
the Earl of Peterborough 300 0 0
Mr. Philips, Receiver of Carmarthen 204 11 6
the Paymaster of the Works for Mr. Wise as in part of last Xmas quarter [for the Gardens] 300 0 0
the Provost and Fellows of Eton College 42 0 0
the Duke of St. Albans in part of 1,372l. 10s. 0d. 300 0 0
£12,179 9 0
Ibid.
March 5.
St. James's.		 Present: Lord Treasurer, Chancellor of the Exchequér.
The Master of the Jewel Office attends with his report about the plate delivered to the Governors of the Leeward Islands for the Queen's chapels there; which is read. Mr. Jones, who received from Capt. Constable a parcel of plate with the Queen's arms, which he (Constable) brought from Col. Douglas, Governor of [the Leeward Islands], attends and is called in. Jones says the plate which he received from Capt. Constable with the Queen's arms was four tankers or flagons, three beakers, five salvers, two dishes, and that he delivered this with other plate to Sir John St. Leger (to whom Col. Douglas directed it) the same day he [Jones] received it from Constable. He believes this plate or part of it may be the same which he, Jones, received from the Jewel Office a little after Douglas was gone to his Government, which he delivered to Douglas's lady to be sent by her to him.
My Lord Treasurer charges Jones to go to Sir John [St. Leger] and bring back all the plate which was delivered to him out of the Jewel Office and this by to-morrow morning. Treasury Minute Book XX, p. 49.
March 6.
Treasury Chambers, Whitehall.		 Present: at supra.
[Write to] the Officers of the Mint and Mr. Beranger to attend to-morrow at St. James's about the execution of the articles for the tin in Holland.
Write to the South Sea Company to send [my Lord] a certificate of the stock [in the said Company subscribed] for the use of the public and of the dividends due thereupon, as the same stood at Xmas last, for the half year then ended.
Sir John St. Leger and Mr. Jones are called in. Sir John says the Queen's plate was put on board when the French were on the coast of the Leeward Islands: he thought to ship it back again [to Col. Douglas, Governor of the said Islands], but can send [word] to have it unshipped again. Sir John [undertakes to my Lord that he] will deliver [as follows] into the Jewel House, old plate, viz. two old flagons, one patten, a salver and a dish, and be answerable for an old chalice at 25 ounces 3 pennyweight melted down: and will also deliver new plate, two flagons, two chalices and covers and one dish and take receipts for the same. Ibid., p. 50.
March 7.
St. James's.		 Present: ut supra.
My Lord Treasurer agrees on her Majesty's behalf that if the Bank of England will lend to Mr. Howe, Paymaster General of Guards and Garrisons, a sum of 8,300l. for the service of his Office upon a sufficient deposit of tallies and orders of loan on Malt anno 1712, the same shall be repaid with 6 per cent. interest within two months from the date of advancing same. Ibid., p. 51.
March 11.
St. James's.		 Present: ut supra.
[My Lord Treasurer] ordered [issues as follows] out of Civil List money in the Exchequer: viz. to
£ s. d.
Mr. Scobell for tin 3,000 0 0
the Cofferer of the Household 2,000 0 0
the Privy Purse 500 0 0
the Master of the Great Wardrobe 500 0 0
Mr. Smethin for her Majesty's goldsmith 500 0 0
Mr. Compton for Mr. Arthur, 1,700l., and for Mr. Marshall, 500l. 2,200 0 0
the Duke of Somerset for arrears due in the Stables 500 0 0
Col. Nicholson, three months' advance 606 5 0
Mr. Neal, the like 348 15 0
the Bishop of Bristol [Dr. John Robinson, Lord Privy Seal], Ambassador at Utrecht 300 0 0
the Earl of Strafford, the like 300 0 0
the Earl of Peterborough 300 0 0
the Paymaster of the Works, for Mr. Wise 300 0 0
£11,355 0 0
Mr. Brydges having attended the Attorney General with a memorial as follows in order to his drawing such a minute as he [the Attorney] should think proper to be entered at the Treasury in relation to his [Brydges'] compounding with Messrs. Vanderheyden and Drummond; and having brought back the said memorial with such draft of a minute and the Attorney General's opinion thereon, the same are entered by [my Lord Treasurer's] order as followeth: viz.
Messrs. Vanderheyden and Drummond of Amsterdam pressing very much that Mr. Sweet and myself [Brydges] may sign an Instrument of Composition in respect of the money they owe the publique upon a bill of exchange drawn upon them by Sir John Lambert, whereby they may be enabled to settle their affairs, I humbly lay before your Lordship [Treasurer Oxford] an agreement drawn up by the Attorney General to be entered into by Mr. Sweet and myself relating to this matter: and if your Lordship shall please to approve thereof I pray you will be pleased by a minute in the Treasury, or by some other proper authority, to direct and empower me and Mr. Sweet to sign the Act of Composition and to receive the moneys payable thereupon.
dated 27 Jan. 1712–3.
To all to whom &c.: the Honble. James Brydges, Paymaster of her Majesty's Forces in Flanders and Benjamin Sweet of Amsterdam, Deputy Paymaster of the said Forces, send greeting. Whereas on 29 Jan, 1711–2 bills for 30,000l. sterling were drawn by Sir John Lambert of London, bart., for value received of the said Brydges, directed to John Vanderheyden and John Drummond of Amsterdam, merchants and co-partners, and made payable to said Brydges or order, and by an endorsement thereon signed by the said Brydges assigned to the said Sweet: of which sum one third part or other greater part is yet unpaid, and by reason (as the said Brydges alleges) that the said Sweet did not duly protest same or otherwise by default or neglect of said Sweet the benefit of resorting to the drawer thereof is lost, which is denied by the said Sweet: and whereas the said Vander Heyden and Drummond are become unable to pay their debts and propose to compound the same; now to the intent such composition may be made without prejudice to the questions depending between them, the said Brydges and Sweet [as to] “which of them shall bear the losses that are to be on the accounts aforesaid,” it is hereby agreed that the said Brydges and Sweet or either of them may sign and execute such deed of Composition made or to be made by said Vander Heyden and Drummond with the major part of their creditors in Great Britain, Holland and elsewhere and such signing shall not conclude either Brydges or Sweet touching said losses, but that the same shall be borne or made good by such of them as ought by law to make same good as if no such composition had been made: and the moneys to be received on such composition shall be brought into the account now depending between them [the said Brydges and Sweet].
Mr. Attorney General is desired to draw up the form of a minute to be entered in the Treasury upon this memorial whereby Mr. Brydges and Mr. Sweet may be empowered to compound with Messrs. Vander Heyden and Drummond without making themselves more liable than at present they are to answer the default of payment of the bill of exchange therein mentioned and that the public may not thereby become more liable than at present it is to answer the said default of payment.
My Lord Treasurer hath no objection against Mr. Brydges and Mr. Sweet's making the best composition they can with Mr. Vanderheyden and Drummond for the remainder of the moneys payable on Sir John Lambert's bills drawn on them (Vanderheyden and Drummond), her Majesty or the public being not thereby to be taken to be liable to make good any losses on the said bills, but the question concerning such losses is to remain in the same state it now is.
Query: whether the entering this minute will not imply a discharge or whether it will leave the demand for the remainder of the debt upon the same foot it now stands for the whole.
The Attorney General's opinion hereon, signed by Sir Edw. Northey 3 March 1712–13:
I am of opinion the entry of such minute will not imply a discharge but will leave a demand for the remainder of the debt upon the same foot it now stands for the whole.
Treasury Minute Book XX, pp. 52–3.
March 12.
St. James's.		 Present: Lord Treasurer, Chancellor of the Exchequer.
Direct Mr. Brydges to apply the sum of 207,596l. 16s. 1d. which he received in tallies and orders on the fonds of the year 1712 as follows: viz.
£ s. d.
in further part of 1,324,728l. 18s. 7d. for the Forces in Flanders 30,955 12 6¼
in full of 475,385l. 7s. 8¼d. for the Forces in Spain anno 1712 56,749 4 2¾
in further part of 328,956l. 16s. 7d. for Subsidies anno 1712 49,527 3 0
in full of 370,221l. 18s. 9½d. for Deficiencies anno 1711 45,851 0 4¾
in further part of 149,621l. 8s. 10d. for extraordinaries [of the war anno 1712] 24,513 15 11¼
£207,596 16 1
Ibid., p. 54.
March 13.
Treasury
Chambers,
Whitehall.		 Present: ut supra.
[Write] Mr. Auditor Harley, Sir Roger Mostyn and Mr. Swift to attend here next Monday.
At the request of Lord Halifax my Lord [Treasurer] agrees that his [Halifax's] dormant warrant for his allowance of 650l. a year for the business in his Office relating to Exchequer Bills be altered so as to make the same payable by debentures: and an interlineation was made in the said warrant “in his Lordship's presence accordingly.”
[Write to the] Treasurer of the Ordnance to send my Lord an account of what tallies or other effects are in his hands for the service of that Office [of Ordnance] and in the meantime not to dispose of any of the said tallies or effects.
The Commissioners of the Stamp Duties and Mr. Owen Lloyd are called in. Mr. Lloyd's memorial is read complaining that the Commissioners did not accept of his proposal for supplying paper and parchment to that Office although most for her Majesty's advantage.
The Commissioners' answer thereunto is read and their presentment of — 1712 for settling the prices of stamped paper and parchment for the ensuing year.
Then Mr. Owen Lloyd's affidavit is read. My Lord asks several questions as to the facts alleged in the affidavit, some of which Mr. Pooley denies to be true, and says if he had received a copy of the affidavit he would have come fully prepared with an answer.
Mr. Basket and partners are called in. Their petition is read complaining of a loss to the revenue by the [Stamps] Commissioners dealing with Mr. Lloyd.
Upon hearing of them [the said Commissioners] my Lord Treasurer directs that the Commissioners do send hither a copy of the last contract they made with Mr. Basket and partners and of the warrants they signed for deliveries thereupon; and for deliveries by the said Basket and Company and Lloyd and Company since the last contract expired, and of the warrants signed for the payments thereupon. My Lord directs a copy of Lloyd's affidavit to be sent to the Commissioners of Stamp Duties and that the said Commissioners together with the said Basket and Owen [Lloyd] and Companies do attend again next Monday and also the Comptroller of the said Duties. Ibid., pp. 55–6.
March 18.
St. James's.		 Present: ut supra.
[The following issues for the week are ordered by my Lord Treasurer] out of her Majesty's Civil List money: viz. to
£ s. d.
Mr. Scobell for tin 3,000 0 0
the Privy Purse 500 0 0
Mr. Compton: [out of the Post Office or] Letter money 1,000l. towards payment of the great pensions [on the list of the Queen's private pensions and bounties] removed from the Post Office [revenue]: and 200l. out of other money 1,200 0 0
Sir David Nairn what is due on his salary as Secretary to the Order of the Thistle 150 0 0
Mr. Davenant for [his Ambassadorial] extraordinaries as late Envoy at Frankfort 299 9 6
Mr. Holt, going as chaplain to Barbados 20 0 0
£5,169 9 6
Treasury Minute Book XX, p. 57.
March 19.
St. James's.		 Present: Lord Treasurer.
[My Lord directs the] issue of 1,000l. to the Cofferer of the Household: and write a letter to him to pay thereout to Mr. Croft [William Croft, Master of the Children and Composer to the Chapel Royal] so much as is due to him to Xmas last on his allowance of 320l. per an. for maintaining the children of her Majesty's Chapel. Ibid., p. 58.
March 20.
Treasury Chambers, Whitehall.		 Present: Lord Treasurer, Chancellor of the Exchequer.
The Governor and others [Directors] of the Bank are called in. He says Mr. Bridges has sent to [ask] them to lend money on tallies. They remind my Lord Treasurer of a minute of January 1710–11 for a discount upon tallies.
[Write] Auditor Harley and Mr. Bythel to attend on Monday morning and to bring with them what they can concerning the account of Mr. Methwyn. He is to attend then: and in the meantime [Mr. Lowndes is to] look out papers and entries at the Treasury [relative thereto].
The Bank will lend 50,000l. to Mr. Bridges on tallies.
Mr. Sloper and Mr. Micklethwayt are called in. Ibid., p. 59.
March 21.
St. James's.		 Present: ut supra.
Write to the Comptrollers and Paymasters in the Lottery Offices to be at the [Treasury Chambers in the] Cockpit on Tuesday morning.
Memorandum: when the Attorney General next attends my Lord [William Lowndes, the Treasury Secretary, is] to move that he may receive my Lord's directions to obtain an order from the Lord Keeper for transmitting half yearly from the Chancery to the Exchequer the estreats of all reservations of rent and other things as formerly used to be estreated; for want of which many rents and other benefits cannot be put in charge but are lost. Ibid., p. 60.
March 23.
Treasury Chambers, Whitehall.		 Present: ut supra.
Mr. Cæsar [Navy Treasurer], Mr. Brydges [Paymaster of the Forces Abroad] and Mr. Micklethwayte [Transports Paymaster] are called in. Mr. Cæsar is willing to advance 60,000l. in South Sea Stock to Mr. Bridges for the service of the Forces, taking such a receipt from Mr. Brydges for the same whereby Mr. Cæsar may set Mr. Brydges in super for that sum in case the 60,000l. in [South Sea] Stock be not restored to Mr. Cæsar before the end of the next Session of Parliament.
My Lord will give [sign] a warrant for permitting the said 60,000l. Stock to be transferred from Cæsar to Brydges. And my Lord, on her Majesty's behalf, will take care that Mr. Brydges or the Paymaster of the Forces for the time being shall before the end of the next Session of Parliament be enabled to redeem [return] the South Sea Stock to be advanced as aforesaid and that it shall be retransferred to Mr. Cæsar with such dividends as in the meantime shall have been received thereupon.
And Mr. Micklethwaite, Treasurer for the Transports, having in his hands tallies for 53,101l. 19s. 7¾d., and being willing to assign the same to Mr. Brydges upon Mr. Brydges transferring the said [South Sea] Stock of 60,000l. to the said Micklethwaite by way of security, that the said tallies and orders shall be restored to Mr. Micklethwayte before the end of the said Session of Parliament, my Lord Treasurer approves thereof and directs that an assignment be made of the tallies and [that] security [be] given for the redemption thereof accordingly.
My Lord also orders that the 50,000l. in money which Mr. Brydges will borrow of the Bank on the said tallies and orders shall be applied to satisfy Mr. Decker for remittances by him made for the Forces in Flanders.
Mr. Brydges is to go to the Bank and desire them to lend him 50,000l. on a deposit of the tallies and orders undermentioned: viz.
£ s. d.
9 Dec. 1708 on the General Mortgage anno 1708, payable after 699,380l. 4s. 9d. 29,687 10 9¾
22 Oct. 1709 on the General Mortgage anno 1709, payable after 428,949l. 7s. 11d. 10,000 0 0
18 July 1711 on Land Tax anno 1711, payable after 1,801,999l. 0s. 10d. 1,866 19 2
18 July 1711 on Malt anno 1711, payable after 466,577l. 10s. 4d. 11,547 9 8
£53,101 19 7¾
And my Lord Treasurer agrees on her Majesty's behalf that if the Bank will lend the said sum they shall be repaid within two months with 6 per cent. interest from the day of lending.
Mr. Decker is called in. His proposal dated March 23 inst. is considered and agreed to by my Lord Treasurer as follows, viz. to give his bills for 50,000l. upon Andrew Pels and Sons at Amsterdam at eight days’ sight after the exchange rate of 10 guilders 15½ stivers current money upon a [collateral] security of 65,000l. capital stock in the South Sea Company [the 50,000l. value of said bills in sterling] to be repaid in two months from the date hereof, being May 23 next, with 6 per cent, interest, “and as the payment in current money are very uneasey in Holland I'll beg you'll be pleased to give directions that I may make [draw] the bills in [Amsterdam] Bank Money reducing the Current [Money] to Bank Money with agio after the rate of 4 per cent, as was done by my last agreement.”
Mr. Brydges [is ordered by my Lord Treasurer] to make a memorial [for 50,000l. for repayment to Decker] upon the foot of the aforesaid proposal. Ibid., pp. 61–2.
March 24. Present: ut supra.
[Write to] Sir William Wyndham [the Secretary at War] to attend the respective Secretaries of State to receive the Queen's pleasure for calling over all the Officers belonging to the [Artillery] Trains in Flanders and Spain or Port Mahon according to the proposition made by the Board of Ordnance.
And to inspect the Treaties [for subsidies to the respective Allies] and see what is to be paid in order to the putting out of pay such of the Foreign Troops as did not disobey [sic for obey] the Duke of Ormonde.
[Write] Mr. Auditor Harley, Mr. Bythell, Sir Roger Mostyn [and] Mr. Swift [and] Mr. Seizer (executors of Mr. Whitfeild) and Mr. Churchill to attend my Lord next Friday at 12 of the clock. Treasury Minute Book XX, p. 63.
1713.
March 25.		 Present: Lord Treasurer, Chancellor of the Exchequer.
Memorandum: to speak to the Duke of Ormonde about the subsistence for six weeks of three Regiments transferred to Ireland.
Write to the Customs Commissioners and Excise Commissioners to know what debts and arrears are standing out.
[Write to the] Customs Commissioners to certify what woollen goods have been exported yearly since her Majesty's accession to the Crown.
[Write to] the Solicitors in each [revenue] Office [viz. Customs, Excise, Taxes and Post Office] to send a state of their prosecutions.
[Write] Mr. Montagu, Solicitor of the Stamp Duties, to attend [my Lord] with the last contract with Mr. Basket and partners [concerning the supply of paper and parchment to the Stamp Duties Office].
[My Lord directed the issue out of Civil List moneys of] 200l. for Mr. Marshall, Stud Master: and 300l. for the Commissioners for the Stables. Ibid., p. 64.
March 27. Present: ut supra.
A list [is brought in by Mr. Brydges and submitted to my Lord Treasurer] of tallies and orders to be deposited with the Bank of England on account of a loan of 50,000l.:
£ s. d.
tallies on the General Mortgage anno 1708 and the General Mortgage anno 1709 and on Land Tax anno 1711 and on Malt anno 1711, ut supra, p. 21. 53,101 19 7¾
19 May 1710 on Land Tax anno 1710, payable after 1,875,404l. 12s. 8d. 1,550 0 0
31 Aug. 1710 on Candles anno 1710, payable 500l. after 308,995l. 14s. 8¾d.; 500l. after 342,495l. 14s. 8¾d. 500l. after 369,495l. 14s. 8¾d. 1,500 0 0
26 May 1710 on Malt anno 1710, payable after 580,011l. 19s. 5½d. 58 0 6½
22 Dec. 1710 on Land Tax anno 1711, payable after 551,885l. 9s. 9½d. 83 6 8
31 Aug. 1711 on Hops anno 1711, payable after 162,093l. 302 3 3½
18 July 1711 on Malt anno 1711, payable after 647,325l. 400 0 0
10 April 1712 on Land Tax anno 1712, payable after 1,879,720l. 8s. 5½d. 279 11 6½
4 April 1712 on Malt anno 1712, payable after 649,759l. 17s. 8¾d. 517 4 6½
£57,792 6 2¾
Mr. Brydges acquainting my Lord Treasurer that the Bank of England have, pursuant to his Lordship's minute of the 23rd inst., agreed to lend 50,000l. upon a deposit of 57,792l. 6s. 2¾d. tallies and orders mentioned in the above list, my Lord agrees on her Majesty's behalf that the said tallies and orders be deposited accordingly and that the said 50,000l. shall be repaid to the Bank within two months from the time of lending and with 6 per cent. interest.
Mr. Swift, Mr. Sizer and Mr. Midleton are called in. Sizer and Swift say they delivered an account upon oath to the Commissioners of Accounts concerning Mr. Whitfeild. They withdraw to fetch the copy.
Mr. Methwyn will pay the balance of his father's account and if he can find any orders to his advantage he will apply afterwards [for refund of same]. He says there was a Treaty made by his father and the Almirante, who had power when the King of Spain went first over, that 40,000l. then advanced should be repaid out of the half Customs of Spain and he heard there was a subsequent agreement with Mr. Stanhop which was for all the charges the Queen should be at.
Mr. Swift, Sizer and Midleton are called in again. [Write] to Mr. Jackson and Colebrook to attend my Lord to-morrow at St. James's with an account of what effects of Mr. Whitfeild are in their hands and in the meantime not to depart with any part thereof out of their hands. Ibid., p. 65.
March 30. Present: ut supra.
My Lord reads a letter from Sir William Wyndham [Secretary at War] concerning the Officers of the [Artillery] Train in Flanders and the Corps of Foreign Troops there who did not obey the orders of the Duke of Ormonde. The 8,000 Prussians in Italy having broken their stipulation by marching from Italy without giving notice required by the Treaty or any leave obtained from the Queen, no further pay is to be remitted to them.
The Duke of Ormonde's directions given in Flanders are to be produced for those Troops that did not disobey.
The [Principal] Officers [or Board] of the Ordnance [Office] are to advise with Sir William Wyndham in relation to the calling over the Officers of the Train from Flanders and Spain [so] that directions may afterwards be given by a Secretary of State for lessening that charge. Ibid., p. 66.
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