Volume 42: December 22-31, 1696 | British History Online

Calendar of Treasury Papers, Volume 1, 1556-1696. Originally published by Her Majesty's Stationery Office, London, 1868.

'Volume 42: December 22-31, 1696', in Calendar of Treasury Papers, Volume 1, 1556-1696, (London, 1868) pp. 565-574. British History Online https://www.british-history.ac.uk/cal-treasury-papers/vol1/pp565-574 [accessed 24 April 2024]

December 22–31, 1696



1696. Dec. 22.	1. Letter of the Lords Justices of Ireland to Mr. Secretary Trumbull, sending the report and other papers of the Com^rs of the Revenue and Forfeitures, and that of the Solicitor-General, upon the petition of Sir John Topham, Advocate-General in Ireland, praying for a reward for his services during the several campaigns there, and particularly that under the command of the late Duke of Schomberg in the north of Ireland, in favour of his obtaining a grant of forfeited lands. The estates mentioned are those of Matthew Barnwall in the county of Meath, and of John Itchingham. Dated 22 Dec. 1696. Also the Com^rs' report, a copy of the Solicitor-General's report, a copy of the above Com^rs' report and of the above Lords Justices' letter; the petition and a copy thereof and a list of the lands petitioned for; copies of four warrants for arrest of persons signed by the Duke of Schomberg, and an affidavit. 11 pages and 3 parts.
Dec. 23.	2. Report of the Com^rs of Customs to the Lords of the Treasury, on the petition of divers merchants of London, owners and freighters of the “King William” galley, and other gallies in the like circumstances. Precisely similar to the report of 31 Aug. 1696. Dated 23 Dec. 1696. Minuted:—“Agreed.” Also the petition. 2 pages.
Dec. 23.	3. An order by the Committee of Privy Council appointing a day for hearing the petition of Daniel le Febre and Andrew Monamy, guardians of the children of Peter Monamy, deceased, of the island of Guernsey; touching the importation of salt, or other goods, from that island, custom free, according to the ancient privileges of that island. Dated 23 Dec. 1696. 1 page.
Dec. 23.	4. Letter of the Lords Justices of Ireland to the Lords of the Treasury, sending the report of the Com^rs of the Revenue on the petition presented to the King by John Pulteney, Esq., clerk of the Privy Council in Ireland, praying payment of 516l. 13s. 4d. for fees for copying books, entries, claims, and schedules of lands for the Commissioners appointed to inquire into the forfeitures of Ireland; which related to persons claiming the benefit of the articles of Limerick, or Galway, &c., or for compensation in lieu thereof, out of the foreited estates in Ireland. Dated 23 Dec. 1696. Minuted:—“Read 16 Ap. '97. The sum to be pd out of y^e gen^ll rec^t in Ireland.” Also the report and petition and two certificates. 6 pages and 2 halves.
Dec. 24.	5. Letter of Mr. Burchett to Mr. Lowndes, secretary to the Lords of the Treasury, sending copy of a letter received by the Lords of the Admiralty from the principal officers of the navy, representing their extraordinary difficulties for want of money. Dated 24 Dec. '96. Also the copy of the letter. 2 pages.
Dec. 24.	6. Report of Mr. Alan Brodrick, Solicitor-General for Ireland [to the Lords Justices], on the petition of Capt.Henry Rice, respecting the two plough lands of Lisapooka, Kilnamaul, and Maulikinahane, and the three plough lands of Gortnohorna, Garrindrooge in the barony of Carbury, and county of Cork, which had belonged to Walter Copinger, who, together with Dominic Copinger his son, had become bound for 484l. to the petitioner, and upon his failure in his bond had been outlawed by the petitioner, and a custodiam obtained of the lands by the petitioner; representing that the petitioner was one of the first Protestants that was persecuted in the late King James's reign; that he was barbarously used and kept in prison, to make him accuse the Protestants of Ireland of a plot; that soon after he fled for England, and thence to Holland, to the loss of most of his substance; advising that by law he was remediless to obtain the remainder of his debt, but that he deserved to have the balance of the same, together with 208l. claimed by him. Dated 24 Dec. 1696. 3 pages.
Dec. 25.	7. A pamphlet entitled, “A secrett survey of the revennue of Ireland, from the 13^th of August 1691 to y^e 25^th December 1696.” It is an exposure of the proceedings of the Com^rs of the Revenue of Ireland, and more particularly directed against Mr. Christopher Carleton, one of that board. The pamphlet was written by John Richardson, a landing waiter at Derry. 46 pages (quarto).
Dec. 26.	8. Letter of Mr. Burchett to Mr. Lowndes, secretary to the Lords the Treasury, sending copy of a paper received from the Commissioners of Victualling by the Lords of the Admiralty, stating that the whole service would be at a stand unless they were furnished with money. Dated 26 Dec. '96. The above paper entitled:—“A state of the victualling affairs.” In the Minute Book, Vol. VII., p. 53, 30 Dec. 1696, is:—“The Com^rs of Ad^lty & Victuall^rs called in. The state of the victualling presented per the victuallers is read, & another paper, demanding 20,000^li per week presently, till the parliamentary fonds are settled; and then a good sum in exchequer bills or notes, and 20,000^li creditt in the outports per Comm^rs of Excise. Mr. Chancellor said, as to the weekly payment, there is no prospect, and the Com^rs of Excise will not give the creditt; but tallys may be struck for the vict. on the 600,000^li creditt, given per y^e Parliament. The King recommends it to the Comm^rs of y^e vic[tualling], to do their utmost; and my Lords of the Trea[su]^ry will supply them w^th as much money as they can. The King orders the ships ordered for the West Indies to be first provided for.” 4 pages.
Dec. 28.	9. Letter from the same to the same, docquetted:—“From the Adm^lty, signifying His Majesty's pleasure that the Com^rs of the Admiralty and Com^rs for Victualling do attend His Ma^ty the next Treasury day at Kensington.” Dated 28 Dec. '96. ½ page.
Dec. 29.	10. Report of the Com^rs of Customs to the Lords of the Treasury, on the petition of John Upton, of London, merchant, praying for the benefit of his debentures for certain yarn shipped for Rotterdam. Dated 29 Dec. 1696. Minuted:—“4^th May 1697. Rejected.” Also the petition and an affidavit. 3 pages.
Dec. 29.	11. Letter, signed Wm. Wolseley, to Mr. Richard Powis at the Treasury Chamber, stating he had arrived in Dublin after a tedious journey, and found several persons getting his lands, especially Lord Rochford, who had the estate of Christopher Chivers, in the county of Lowth, &c. Dated 29 Dec. 1696. 1 page (quarto).
Dec. 31.	12. An Order in Council for impresting 8,100 seamen for the fleet out of the customs and excise. Dated 31 Dec. 1696. Minuted:—“Read 9 Mar. '96. The customes & excise are all appropriated.” Accompanied by a list of counties and the Lords Lieutenants and Custodes Rotulorum of the same. 4 pages.
Jan. 1695–6 to Dec. 1696.	13. A collection of papers showing the monthly amounts received for fees by various officers at the Treasury. These include also fees for payments out of secret service moneys. 58 pages or parts of pages.
[1696.]	14. The case of Henry Nash and Joel Burford, officers of the customs in the port of London; praying an order to the Receivers of the Exchequer to take the sum of 223l. 16s. 7d. in clipt money, being the King's moiety of certain goods appraised which they had not opportunity of paying in before the 4th of May. On the dorse it states that they were chiefly India goods, which had fallen a third in value by the arrivals of the last India ships. Undated, but compare the Act 7 & 8 Will. III. ch. 1. § 5. 1 page.
[1696.]	15. A proposal on the part of some persons, not named, who designed to buy up plate to be coined, viz., that the 6d. per ounce allowed by the Act [7 & 8 Will. III. ch. 19.] should be paid them in money out of the Exchequer, and that a melting house should be forthwith made, and a mill and one of the presses then at work in the Mint should be set apart for coining plate only, under the inspection of an officer; they could thus make 15,000l. in money weekly; the King could then, with the other six mills, have 90,000l. instead of 60,000l. per week. Undated, but compare the Act referred to. 1½ pages.
[? 1696.]	16. Proposal of Peter Floyer and Charles Shales, addressed to the Lords of the Treasury, made under the sanction of Thomas Neale, Esq., master and worker of the Mint, to facilitate the business at the Mint arising out of the “Act for further remedying the ill state of the coin of the kingdom.” The direction of the Act was that all hammered silver moneys, whether taxes, revenues, loans, or otherwise, should be carried to the next adjacent mint to be recoined, and so much thereof as should be brought in for taxes, revenues, or loans should be recoined before any charge was made into the Exchequer thereof; and the offer of the proposers is to undertake the whole charge and risk upon themselves in all or so many mints as their Lordships thought fit, and to receive all the silver hammered money, and deliver the full weight in standard silver, being allowed eight grains out of every ounce troy-weight. [Undated, but query 1696 from the recoinage.] 1 page.
[1696.]	17. Petition of the sheriff of the county of Southampton to the Lords of the Treasury, for the re-payment of 160l., disbursed by him for apprehending certain highway robbers and counterfeiters of the coin. Four certificates on parchment and one on paper relating thereto. The last dated one is 2 July 1696. 2 sheets and 2 pieces of parchment.
1691 to 1696.	18. Reports, petitions, &c. relating to claims made by Charles Balfour, Esq., for 800 bars of iron and nine sheets of lead taken for the garrison and forces at Inniskilling. Dated between 1691 and 1696. In his petition he complains that his estate lying near Inniskilling was damaged above 8,000l. by the burning of his town of Lisnaskey, &c. The last one minuted:—“To Lord Deputy, that my Lords think this a compassionate, & to know if he can propose anything proper for the pet^rs reliefe,” and in another place: “Read 30 Mar. '96. The King cannot pay the pretencions of this kind.” 20 pages or parts of pages.
[? 1695 or 1696.]	19. Petition of Patrick Lambe, contractor for victualling the hospitals in Flanders, addressed to the Lords of the Treasury, complaining of his disappointment in not receiving the 1,000l. assigned him by their Lordships in money, and that he had been forced to take up money at a considerable loss; proposing to subscribe the whole 5,000l. upon the credit of the Exchequer. Without date, but see Vol. XXXII., No. 37, and Minute Book, Vol. VI., p. 322, 12 June 1696, and p. 367, 14 Aug. 1696, where he is mentioned in connexion with these hospitals. 1 page.
1696.	20. Estimate of several works to be done for His Majesty in Hyde Park in the year 1696; chiefly about ditching and fencing. 1½ pages.
1696.	21. “Docquetts at the Privy Seale, being abstracts of grants and warrants, in favour of various persons, in the months of January, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, and November 1696. 33 pages or parts of pages.
1696.	22. “A list of the land forces which His Maj^tie has now in his pay, and which he thinks necessary to be continued & maintai^d in England and beyond seas for the service of y^e year 1696.” The total amount of the estimate was 2,709,713l. 12s. 10d. 1 large page.
1696.	23. A comparison of the produce of His Majesties' revenue in Ireland for two years ended at Christmas 1696. With this note at the foot: “This abstract is taken from the collector's accounts current for the year 1696, and examined by W. Burgh, Accomp^t Gen^ll.” 1 page.
1696.	24. A tabular view of “Payments made to the Earle of Ranelagh at the Exchequer between Michaelmas 1696 and Xmas following.” 1 page.
[1696.]	25. Report of the Rt. Hon. Sir Robert Howard, Knt., auditor of the Receipt of the Exchequer, on the petition of the officers and clerks of the Tally Court in the Receipt of the Exchequer, who sought payment of 1,663l. 8s. for tallies levied without fees; certifying that at the former allowances their claim would amount to that sum. Undated, but the tallies were passed between Easter 1695 and Easter 1696. Accompanied by the petition. 3 pages.
[About 1696.]	26. Petition of the Mayor, Aldermen, and other citizens of Bristol to the Lords of the Treasury, showing that sixpences and lesser silver money, being then taken only by weight, occasioned an extraordinary want of change, greatly obstructed the markets, and caused many clamours among the poorer sort, which was increased by the scarcity of copper halfpence and farthings, of which they had but few, by reason of the trouble and charge in buying them in, and the carriage from London; praying an order for their mint to coin the same. Without date, but probably 1696, as the coinage was then under revision, and one of the persons signing was Robert Yates, who was concerned about the coinage, as appears by the letter dated 17 Aug. 1696, Vol. XXXIX., No. 40. Numerous signatures. 1 page.
[About 1696.]	27. “An account from the several indentures of the tale and weight of the clipt monys, with the number of ingots they were cast into.” Without date, but the years '95 and '96 mentioned. 1 page.
[About 1696.]	28. Certain particulars as to a patent for the office of Treasurer or Receiver General of Jamaica, granted to Thomas Martin and Leonard Compere, leather-seller, with three queries at the end, — (1.) As to the per-centage on the fees; (2.) As to whether the patent was not void by the death of Tho. Martin; and, (3.) As to the propriety of a woman, to whom the right in the patent had been bequeathed, disposing of Their Majesties' revenue, and deputing whom she pleased to the office. On the dorse is:—“The last lett^r of ye 5^th Dec. '95 was given to M^r Blathwayt 19 March foll.” 1 page (quarto).
[About 1696.]	29. Petition of Peter De Lanoy, Esq., and Richard Richmond, gent., and others, the owners of the Green Glass Houses, near St. Saviour's, Southwark; stating that since the Act for new coining the money they had taken considerable sums of clipped and impassable money, and that without some relief it was impossible to pay the tax and keep their works going with new money, it being so scarce; praying their Lordships to consider a way for their relief. Without date, but supposed to be 1696, from the new coinage and the tax on glass. 1 page.
[About 1696.]	30. Warrant to the Attorney-General to prepare a grant to Nathaniel Phillips, gent., of the property of Sir John Friend [or Freind], convicted of high treason. Part of the property consisted of a share in the Phœnix brewhouse, situate in or near the Minories, St. Botolph's, Aldgate. Without date, but Sir John Friend's conviction was in the year 1696. 1 page.
About 1696.]	31. Memorial of Abraham Elton, of Bristol, merchant, to the Lords of the Treasury, offering to coin at the mint of the city of Bristol a quantity of copper which he had, into farthings and halfpence, of which there was great want, and to allow 10l. per ton for the privilege and 2d. per pound for making the blanks, and 3d. per pound for coinage, &c. Without date, but the coinage was then under revision. 1 page (quarto).
[? About 1696.]	32. Petition of Edw. Bellamy, gent., to the King, stating that he fitted out and kept at sea a privateer, named the “Resolution” galley, which did great service against the enemy and took a French ship near St. Vallery, laden with bay salt, &c., which was condemned as prize, but seized by a Custom House officer at Dover, on the pretence that the Act to prohibit trade with France gave no encouragement to privateers to take prizes from the enemy; praying in consideration of his losses (which amounted almost to 5,000l. sterling) that he might be paid, out of seizures or forfeitures in the Customs or otherwise, such a sum as the King thought fit. Accompanied by copies of five other papers in connexion therewith, the last dated 15 Feb. 1695–6. 8 pages and 3 halves.
[? About 1696.]	33. Petition of the artisans and tradesmen attending the extraordinary service of the King's gardens for payment of what was due to them at Lady Day 1696, for work done and goods delivered, amounting to 22,872l. 13s. 1½d., the greater part of which had been owing above six years, Accompanied by a list of the debts. 4 pages.
[? About 1696.]	34. Memorial of William Strickland to the Lord Treasurer of Great Britain as to the time of the commencement of his salary as one of the Commissioners of the Revenue in Ireland; praying that it might commence from the date of the warrant. Undated, but a warrant referred to was dated 1 May 1696. Minuted:—“Agreed to.” 1 page (quarto.)
[? 1696.]	35. Abstract of estimates of the army and navy since 1689. They are only totals, and the last estimate noticed was on 4 Nov. 1696. 1 page.
[? 1696.]	36. Petition of Sir Charles Meredith to the King, for a custodiam of the chapel built on a piece of a ground in Osmontown, Dublin, by the Jesuits, subject to an annual rental of 5s. Minuted:—“Granted.” Indorsed in modern hand:—“Forfeited estates 1696.” 1 page.
[?1696.]	37. Representation of the case of the Provost and Corporation of the Moneyers in the Mint in the Tower of London to the Lords of the Treasury, showing that they had delivered to their Lordships six weeks before a petition concerning their grievances by reason of the late Coinage Act; the master-worker had said they were then agreed, but that was not so, and their oppression still continued; they craved to be heard, or that their case might be referred to the city goldsmiths, that they might enlighten their Lordships. Accompanied by what appears to be the petition referred to, in which they state that they had been a corporation above 300 years, and had been obliged to coin silver money at 9d. per pound, but it could not then be done at that rate, as one half was to be in shillings and sixpences, besides the small moneys, which according to indenture were 18 ounces in groats, threepences, twopences, and pence on every hundred weight, which would be the utter ruin of the corporation, as the labour was double, and they employed 120 labourers and 33 horses, besides being answerable for waste and embezzlement. Undated, but ? 1696 from the state of the coinage. 2 pages.
[? 1696.]	38. “An estimate for the building of severall work-houses and stables according to a desine drawn for that purposs, with other nesesary things belonging to y^e coyning of the sillvar in is M^ats mint within y^e Tower of London.” Also an estimate for a mint to be built in the country. Undated; probably 1696 from the increased duties in the mint in that year. 3 pages.
[? About 1696.]	39. Petition of William Sutton and others to the Lords of the Treasury, showing that they had disposed of their commodities for white halfpence and farthings, not doubting that when the copper halfpence and farthings came out, they should have them exchanged; that they then had upwards of 400l. worth of them, and the patentees refused to exchange the said white money; praying for order to be given for their relief. Undated, but perhaps about 1696, as there were contractors for farthings in that year. See Minute Book, Vol. VI., p. 294. 1 page.
[? About 1696.]	40. “Isaac Bobin's most humble representation, tending to repeal the Act of Prohibition which was on Flanders goods, and in order to settle that trade on a better foot for the advantage of England.” The indorsement states that it was approved by Sir W. Trumball and Wm. Bridgeman, Esq., who “advised Bobin to give a copy of it to several members of Parliament, and he did it.” Between 1695 and 1697. [Sir Willm. Trumball, Secretary of State.] 1¼ pages.
[? 1695 or 1696, or earlier.]	41. Petition of Robert Mackarrell, merchant, owner of the ship “Endeavour,” of Belfast, Josiah Leathes master, and the “Defence,” of Bristol, John Rosse master, addressed to the Lord Godolphin, showing that the petitioner's two ships were pressed at Carrickfergus into Their Majesties' artillery service in Ireland, whereby there is due to him 211l. 17s. 10d.; that others have received their pay, but that the petitioner was at the time they received it a prisoner in France; praying that as he had made his escape from France with his whole family, and had to begin the world again, their Lordships would get his petition speedily called on towards his relief. 1 page (quarto).
1696.	42. Petition of David Williams, gent., to the King, showing that his ancestors, &c. were great sufferers for their loyalty to King Charles I.; that King Charles II., being sensible thereof, ordered the petitioner to be employed in his chemical laboratory at Whitehall, under Sir Thos. Williams, Bart., his chief chemical physician, at 50l. per ann., and 10s. weekly board wages, till something better was found for him, and that 370l. remained unpaid for five years' service; praying that Mr. Lownds might be ordered to read to the King the petition and certificate annexed, and that the Lords of the Treasury might be ordered to minute the next King's waiter's place to him in London, and that his arrears might be paid. The petition is accompanied by another from him addressed to the Com^rs of Their Majesties' Treasury, and a certificate as to the employment of Nicholas Williams as a tidesman in the port of London, with a memorandum that he was unfortunately drowned in the Thames in Their Majesties' service, 4th June 1691. In the year 1696, as these papers are very exactly referred to in the letter numbered 53, Vol. XLI. 3 pages (1 parchment).
[? 1696 or 1697.]	43. An estimate of the charge of coining 25,000l. per week. Undated; but probably 1696 or 1697, from the coining then going on. 1 page.
[? About 1696 or 1697.]	44. Petition of M. Salomie de la Farre to the Lords of the Treasury, praying payment of 144l. 6s. 4d., due to him as engineer and lieutenant in Brigadier Belcastle's regiment up to 7 Dec. 1694; which service he quitted the 18th of March 1695–6. Undated. Accompanied by a copy of the state of the account (decayed). 1 page (quarto) and 2 pages (folio).
[Perhaps about 1696 or 1697.]	45. Proposal of Peter Floyer and Charles Shales to the Lords of Treasury, offering to receive all the hammered money, and deliver the full weight in standard silver into the mint at 9d. per pound weight to be allowed for waste, worseness, refining, and all other charges in receiving and reducing the same to sterling. Signed. Minuted:—“Speak w^th officers of mint ab^t this.” [See also No. 16.] 1 page.
[? 1696 or 1697.]	46. Petition of John Bingham, Inspector for the King at the melting house in the Exchequer, showing that he had been appointed to melt down the hammered money, and had discharged his duty, though with much difficulty and danger, by many interruptions and threats; he conceived a great fraud or embezzlement, amounting to 200 lbs. weight, had been perpetrated, and prayed that Mr. Jett might attend their Lordships to answer such charges as might be alleged against him. Undated, but the Act about hammered money passed 1696, (chapter II.), and Mr. Jett was in treaty with the Mint on 12 May 1696. See Minute Book, Vol. VI., p. 294. 1 page.
[? About 1696 or 1697.]	47. An answer (signed) by the Com^rs appointed to carry out the Act for granting an aid of 4s. in the pound in the county of Brecknock, made to misrepresentations in a certificate of Sir Edward Williams and other Com^rs who refused to join with them in the discharge of their duties. Undated; the last Act for 4s. in the pound was passed 7 & 8 Will. 3., and there is mention of the signing the “Association,” which took place in 1696. 2 pages.
[? 1696 or 1697.	48. Copy of a petition of the shipwrights, caulkers, &c. belonging to His Majesty's yard at Kinsale, complaining of the exorbitant rate of provisions from the scarcity of money and the late coming in of the harvest, and that the persons who usually gave them credit had then such apprehensions of peace that they would not trust them, but had arrested some, and unless paid would speedily imprison the rest of them; praying their honours to order such measures for the yard's payment, as to prevent these evil consequences. 1 page.
[Before 1697.]	49. A draft (apparently in Mr. Lowndes handwriting) of certain estimates in connexion with the army, for seven months and 12 months, entitled “Computation of 7 months' pay for the foreigners, part of the body of 40,038 men.” And further down: “The like for those in the body of 10,000 men.” Undated; but before the disbanding the troops in 1697. Docquetted:—“Computac[i]on of the savings.” 1½ pages.
[? 1696.]	50. Letter of Mr. Isaac Newton to the Lords of the Treasury, stating that he had lately received information of certain forfeitures of clippers and coiners in the possession of Simon Rolfe, of Lyn-Regis, Esq., (taken upon Edw. Pamphilon and others, tried and convicted at the Assizes for Norfolk,) in the hands of Joseph Host, Esq., Justice of the Peace there, and in the hands of the Sheriff and Under-Sheriff of Yorkshire; praying warrants for delivery of the same. It further mentions a process commenced four years since against the Sheriffs of London and Middlesex. Undated, but query 1696, as the process referred to seems to have been in 1692. See entry 14 Aug. 1696. 1 page.
[? 1696.]	51. A printed paper, entitled:— Part of the Illegal and Evil Practices of His Majesty's General Post Office that hath been proved by divers affidavits, and at several hearings, vivâ voce, before their Excellencies the Lords Justices of England. They relate to the doings of,— Mr. William Brockett, “the present Comptroller of the Outland Office.” Mr. William Gosling, a clerk of the said office. Mr. Adam Francko, of the said office; and, Mr. Edmund Sawtell, Clerk of the Irish and Chester Road. It was a case in which there was a prosecution. Undated; but there is mention of the late “damnable conspiracy,” which makes it probable that it was in 1696. 1 page.
[? About 1696.]	52. The proposal of Francis Eyles, merchant, and others, to the Lords of the Treasury, to give bills of exchange, payable at “2 usance” in Amsterdam, for the value of 100,000l. st., at the rate of 10 guilders and 8 stivers, Holland's money, for each pound sterling, on certain conditions. Undated, but probably about 1696, as Mr. Eyles was then much engaged in such transactions. See Minute Book. 1 page.