'Draught of a Memoriall by the Officers of the Mint relateing to the Mint privileges' Isaac Newton c. 1,269 words The Newton Project Oxford 2017 Newton Project, University of Oxford

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 17 June 1699, c. 1,269 words.

[See also the related memorandum to the Treasury of 16 June 1699, possibly a variant draft of this, in PRO, Works 3/1, ff.12v-13r (printed in NC, 7: 410-11 and The Wren Society Report, 18 (1941), 151-2).]

On encroachments since 1660 by soldiers of the Tower on property assigned to the Mint. In particular, they have demolished the house of the smith [Thomas Sylvester] (probably with his connivance) and begun building a new one. Sentries continue to be posted within the Mint despite two cases of sentries being caught stealing silver. Request a clear ruling on boundaries, suspension of the building work, control over the Mint gates, and the expulsion from Mint territory of all people not connected with it.

 MINT 19/3/416-17, National Archives, Kew, Richmond, Surrey, UK UKSurreyKew, RichmondNational Archives MINT 19/3/416-17 17 June 1699 England English Clerical Hand MintRights and Privileges of the Mint Catalogue information compiled by Rob Iliffe, Peter Spargo & John Young Catalogue exported to teiHeader by Michael Hawkins Transcribed by Will Scott
416

Draught of a Memoriall by the Officers

of the Mint relateing to the Mint privileges.

May it please

By yethe Wisdom & minificence of diverse of his present MajtysMajestys royall progenitors, there has been granted & confirm'd to yethe use and service of yethe Mint in yethe Tower; that parcell of ground situate on yethe left, at yethe entrance into yethe Tower: beginning about 30 Foott from yethe Warders Lodge & reaching to a gate sett up in yethe East part of yethe Tower at yethe end of yethe Irish Mint, near a building call'd Divell's TowerTower; conteining yethe ground lying & situate between yethe outward Well of yethe Tower, & yethe Wall of yethe Inner Tower: All which tract of ground was designd & intended for Work houses. Dwelling-houses, & other convenient Lodgings & Buildings for the OFficers, Clerks, Monyrs.ers Artificers & Labourers belonging to yethe Mint.

But since yethe Restauration of Kg.King Ch. yethe 2d, a building has been erected, call'd Leg's-MountMount, at yethe North-west corner of yethe Tower, faceing Tower-hill, within yethe Libertys of yethe Mint before describ'd, & barraques made therein for lodging souldiers.

And another building adjoyning thereunto, erected in or about the year 169 for a dwelling-house for one of yethe Clerks of yethe Ordnance, within yethe Limitts aforesaid.

And on yethe North-side of yethe Tower within yethe Limitts aforesaid, diverse shedds were erected at or about the time of yethe 2d. Dutchq War, in yethe Reign of King Ch. yethe 2d. being ever since used by yethe Smiths of yethe Ordnance for making ddouble-headed short iron-work for Carriages, & other materialls for his Majtys.Majestys office ofof Ordnance

Memoriall

And on yethe East side of yethe Tower within yethe limitts aforesaid, houses have been built; 'tis yethe late great Coynage, were in the q.occupation of yethe officersq of his MajtysMajestys works: And were claim'd by Sr.Sir Christopher Wren & others yethe 10th of Iune 1699, by virtue of a contract made, as is said, between yethe Master & Workr.er & them, made at yethe beginning of yethe grand coynage.

And a house lately standing on yethe Northside of yethe Tower within yethe limitts of yethe Mint aforesaid, & in yethe occupation of Thomas Sylvester Smith to yethe Mint, is now demolished, but order of yethe Officers of the Ordnance, as is said, to rebuild it for yethe use & service of yethe Ordnance

And the Mint-streett is now become, & made a great thorough-face, by yethe Soldiers in Garrison, by strangers living in it, And by people, whome yethe Warders being to see yethe Mint, & shew them yethe tower: which ill practice very much exposes yethe gold & silver monys, that must be carryed from one Workhouse to another, to perfect yethe CCoynage

And besides all yethe aforesaid encroachments upon our bounds & invasion of yethe rights & limitts of yethe Mint: since Kg.King Ch. yethe 2d plac'd a garrison in yethe Tower (which was never practic'd, or remember'd to be done before his reign) the Lieutenants or Chief Goverours of yethe Tower have caus'd diverse Centinells to be posted within yethe Mint at diverse places, who together with yethe Labourers, Smiths, & other Artificers belonging to yethe Ordnance, in great numbers, at some times, resort to yethe Mint, to yethe great & apparent hazard of divulging yethe mystery of yethe Coynage; by insinuating themselves into yethe acquaintance of our monyrs.ers Labourers & Artificers; by taking patterns of yethe tools, utensills, & Engines used in yethe Coynage, by corrupting the persons employd in yethe workmanship of yethe Gold & silver coynes, & hereby exposing yethe reputation of them, which would be a matter of very dangerous consequence to yethe trade & credit of yethe Nation And this intrenchment upon Vs, has allready, as Wee have very good reason to suspect, given an Opportunity to Memoriall To a Burglary & robbery committed, as is supposd, by a Centinell, who being posted on yethe line, on yethe back part of our assaymasters Officeq did about 6 years since take-out thence an Ingott of silver of qvalue; and there being a qquantity of Gold lying in yethe same room a day or two before, it might have provd a far greater Loss to yethe King. And AAnother robbery was attempted about two years since, but was prevented, as is thought, by an Alarme

And during yethe great coynage, Wee have good cause to belivebelieve, that great quantitys of silver wrought & unwrought into monys were imbezilld: some having been since found in yethe Tower ditch, and good numbers of blanks in yethe Thames at Low water; to yethe great detriment both of Melter & Monyers.

And Wee humbly presume further to represent, that the Mint is not only very unsafe by being expos'd to Soldiers & foreign Labourers: but yethe discouragements to both Officers & Clerks, Artificers & all other persons concernd in yethe Mint are become equally grievous, & in a manner insupportable. These Evills every day grow upon us, and yethe consequence will be, if not timely prevented, ytthat no Officer or any other person concernd in yethe Mint, shall have any dwelling-house left him, tho' as expressly granted him in yethe King's Patents, & by diverse Antient Charges, as Words can make it.

qAll the Clerksq in yethe Mint had heretofore dwelling-houses assign'd them, ytthat they might attend yethe service thereof: And by yethe Charters, or antient practice, no person was to be admitted as a Lodger must less and Inhabitant within yethe Mint without a Written License qsignd by yethe Warden & Principallq officer of yethe Mint: but as matters are like to be, if yethe aforementioned encroachments be not forthwith remedyed, yethe Officers & others belonging to yethe Mint will be obligd to become Tenants in their own houses, and to take out a License for dwelling in yethe Mint from yethe Chief Governour of yethe Tower, of officer of yethe Ordnance

Now yethe properest expedient to remedy these very great inconveniences, in all humility Wee presume to be as follows.

Memoriall

q.That, by his MajtysMajestys direction, a newq. Charter be granted to yethe Mint, the bounds & Limitts between yethe Mint & yethe Ordnance be exactly adjusted, that All Labourers, Artificers & others that are foreigners, & are not in yethe service of yethe Mint, & all Lodgers and inhabitants, ytthat are now in yethe Mint, but do not belong thereunto, be Oblig'd to withdraw forthwith; That strong gates be erected at each end of yethe Mint, & one upon yethe Wall near divells tower & another by yethe Sallyport, which may be shutt-up every night, & open'd by day, at such times as yethe Warden of the Mint shall direct. That yethe Officers, Clerks, Monyrs.ers & Artifrs.icers have such houses assign'd them, as their predecessors have enjoyd for many ages; or oif now demolished, others in their stead. That those Clerks be oblig'd to live in those houses, for yethe better security of the Mint, & dispatch of business; And such Artificers also, whome it may be neither expedient nor safe to suffer to live abroad. That the Officers of the Ordnance & Chief Governour of yethe Tower for the time being, be strictly oblig'd by a clause in their patents nicely to observe such Regulations, & others that may be thought necessary, in all time to come. Which as Wee belivebelieve to be highly requisite to be made with all convenient expedition so Wee most Humbly submitt yethe matters here suggested to Your Lordshppsipps great wisdom & Experience

Tower Mint Office 17. Iune 1699.

H. H.