Report on two coinage offenders

Author: Isaac Newton, Comptroller

Source: MINT 19/1/466-7, National Archives, Kew, Richmond, Surrey, UK

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- Revision History
  - 1 January 2001
    - Catalogue information compiled by Rob Iliffe, Peter Spargo & John Young
  - 29 September 2011
    - Catalogue exported to teiHeader by Michael Hawkins
  - 23 August 2016
    - Transcribed by Will Scott
  - 22 September 2016
    - Will Scott finished transcription
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<466r>

S^r

Last Saturday\On Saturday Sep 16^th Instant/ we received a Letter from M^r Secretary Boyle dated the day before & directed to y^e Officers of her Maj^ties Mint in y^e Tower signifying |that her Maj^ty having been pleased to reprieve Iane Housden | her Maj^ts pleasure that we should |& Mary Pitman who were condemned last Sessions at the old| to know from us if had any objections |Baily for high Treason in counterfeiting the coyn of this| against the pardon of two women Iane |kingdom, & \that/ there having been some circumstances represented| Housden & Mary Pitman convicted the last |w^ch might induce her Majty to pardon them, he was| sessions at the old Baily of {illeg} counterfeiting |directedcommanded to inform himself of {illeg} the said Officers| the current coyn of this kingdom there being {sic} |what objections they might have in relation to their being| some things offered to her Majty in their favour. |pardoned.|

Last Saturday\On Saturday Sep 16^th Instant/ we received a Letter from M^r Secretary Boyle dated the day before & directed to y^e Officers of her Maj^ties Mint in y^e Tower signifying her Maj^ts pleasure that we should|that her Maj^ty having been pleased to reprieve Iane Housden | to know from us if had any objections|& Mary Pitman who were condemned last Sessions at the old| against the pardon of two women Iane|Baily for high Treason in counterfeiting the coyn of this| Housden & Mary Pitman convicted the last|kingdom, & \that/ there having been some circumstances represented| sessions at the old Baily of {illeg} counterfeiting|w^ch might induce her Majty to pardon them, he was| the current coyn of this kingdom there being|directedcommanded to inform himself of {illeg} the said Officers| some things offered to her Majty in their favour.|what objections they might have in relation to their being| |pardoned.|

|We| |the Mr & Com|And\{illeg}\ptroller of the Mint// in the\in the/ absence of the Warden of the Mint |whose buisiness it is to prosecute such Offenders) have therefore| we have accordingly enquired into that matter & find that Jane Housden was committed to prison \by the name of Jane Newstead/ {in} |in| \alias Housden in {sic}/ the year 1696 for clipping the current coin\coin of this kingdom/ & that one Iohn Newstead h a warrant was \also then/ issued out against at y^e|t| same time against one \Tho./ Iohn Newstead her pretended husband for y^e same \crime/ & {illeg} information was soon after |against the {same} {illeg}| given \that the said Tho. Newstead used indirect practises/ about indirect practices \{were}/ used by the said IohnTho Newstead to stifle\stifle/ y^e said warrant & procure y^e liberty of the said Jane Newstead.

And in the|We the M^r & Comptroller of the Mint in the| absence of the Warden of the Mint we have accordingly|whose buisiness it is to prosecute such Offenders) have therefore|enquired into that matter & find that Jane Housden was committed to prison {in}\by the name of Jane Newstead/ |in| \alias Housden in {sic}/ the year 1696 for clipping the current coin\coin of this kingdom/ & that one Iohn Newstead h a warrant was \also then/ issued out against at y^e|t| same time against one \Tho./ Iohn Newstead her preten ded husband for y^e same \crime/ & {illeg} information was soon after given about indirect practices \{were}/ used by the said IohnTho|against the {same} {illeg}| \that the said Tho. Newstead used indirect practises/ Newstead to stifle\stifle/ y^e said warrant & procure y^e liberty of the said Jane Newstead.

About two years after, the said Iane Newstead was again\again/ committed to prison for putt by the name of Iane Newstead alias Housden for putting of counterfeit money & upon suspicion of coining the same, & three pounds\about four pounds/ of counterfeit money being\were/ then taken upon her & three files with some sand \for casting {& dying also}/ found in her house|, &| she confessed that she had\received/ the {illeg}|the| {sic} \said/ counterfeit money \& y^e three files/ of one Mr D|T|uck <466v> whom she knew to be a coyner & that the files were\the sand was/ his & the sand belonged to one who had|left in her custody by another man who had brought her| brought her into y^e acquaintaince of the said Tuck {Duck}.

Aftwerderd {sic}s in the years 1702 she was again committed to prison & convicted of counterfeiting the current coyn of this kingdom & pardoned by her Ma^ty in order to be transported, & \was/ set at liberty upon bail giving security to transport herself within a\& therefore being now found in England she is/ {carte} {but never performed} {&} did, & therefore is \still/\but did not transport her self/ liable to be called {executed} upon her forme\called down to the barr & executed upon the/ judgment then given against her

And in the Trial of her & Mary Pilman the last sessions at the Old Bayly \for counterfeiting the coin/, tho the credit of y^e principal witness agaisnt them {illeg} was but of slender credit \{alone}/, yet the circumstances against them were for for confimring that evidence \were convincing/ was such as convinces us of the trial of the Verdict against them was such as convinces us of the truth of the Verdict against them |were convincing this {comm. too being found} {illeg} Mary Pitman \at whose house the {illeg}/ & a parcel of counterfeit money being\to coin/dropt into the Thames {illeg}|by| Iane Housden when she was apprehended.| But against Mary Pitman we know nothing older then\meet with nothing antecedent to/ the fact for w^ch she was\stands/ now condemned.

And {been}

And {illeg}\whereas/ she & Mary Pitman being\were/ accused \the last Sessions at the old Baily/ of coining together & the last sessions convicted by the finding of the coining Tools & counterfeit money, \we observe that/ {th}is is the second conviction of Iane Housdens{,}|;| b|B|ut against Mary Pitman we meet w^th nothing antecedent to the fact of w^ch she now stands convicted

These things we pray you to lay before her Maj^ty |[|in answer to the Letter wch M^r Boyle was {illeg} wrote to us by her Maj^ties order.|]| We are|]| & remain

{I} S^r

Your most humble
& most obed^t Servants.

<467r>

And this present year being again accused of high Treason in counterfeiting the coi|y|n of this kingdom at the time of her being\when she was/ apprehended she dropt a parcel into the Thames w^ch was found to be a parcel of counterfeit money & the coining Tools were found in y^e house of Mary Pitman where these two weomen was|er|e said to coine together, & by these circumstances she stands now convicted a second time. But against Mary Pitman we know\meet with/ nothing antecedent to the fact of w^ch she now stands convicted/{illeg}\.

<467v>

To the R^t Hon^ble Henry S^t John Esqr her Maj^ties
Principal Secretary of State.