Oppose [Gabriel] le Clerk's petition to succeed Harris as engraver: would like to take him on as third engraver under Croker and Bull, but not until summer 1705, due to the cost of repairs occasioned by last year's storms [see MINT00063 (Mint 19/1/170-71)]
To the Right Honourable the Lord High Treasurer of England
May it please your Lordship
In obedience to your Lordships Order of Reference of Mr Le Clerk{s} Petition to succeed Mr Harris in the place of Graver to her Majestys Mint we have considered the same, and are humbly of opinion that Mr Le Clerk is a skilfull & expeditious Graver fit to be received into her Majestys Mint in the third place, that is, next after the two Gravers Mr Croker & Mr Bull who were imployed under Mr Harris, & that he be upon the same foot with those two Gravers with a salary of eighty pounds per annum & the Lodgings appointed the third Graver in our former Report. But by reason of the charges which the Mint has been at by the dammages done by the great winds last Autumn, we are humbly of opinion that for saving money to defray those charges his salary do not commence till next Midsummer.
All which is most humbly submitted to your Lordships great wisdome
Is. {Newton}
In Ellis
