Catalogue Entry: MINT00814

Indignant denial of the charges levelled in MINT00813 (Mint 19/3/409-10)

Author: Robert Lucas (Baron Lucas of Shenfield)

Source: MINT 19/3/386-9, National Archives, Kew, Richmond, Surrey, UK

[Normalized Text] [Diplomatic Text]

Contents

Atherton was arrested on criminal charges and without Lucas's knowledge. The guard's fight with the porter's son arose because the porter's family demanded bribes to open the gate. After hearing of the alleged sighting of King James in Roettier's house, Lucas tried three times to find a Mint officer to consult before searching the house, but without success. All inhabitants of the Tower are obliged to take oaths of loyalty at the Tower's court of record, and though this has hitherto been waived in the case of Mint employees, Lucas is no longer prepared to permit this infringement of the Tower's jurisdiction. Suspects the story of the drunken officer is as untrue as the claim that Lucas authorised his men to fire on Mint workers. He did forbid drink to be brought into the Tower for Mint workers, or food sold by them to the soldiers, following a complaint that the soldiers spent their cash on food and drink from the Mint workers though in debt to their own victuallers. Counters with charges that the Mint workers are habitually drunk and provoke the Tower guards: a sentry was recently almost murdered by a drunken horsekeeper and other Mint personnel.

Extracts printed as a footnote in NC, 4: 245, n.2.

[1] Tower
27th: Iuly 1697

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