Report on gold from the West Indies brought to the Mint by the South Sea Company

Author: Hopton Haynes

Source: MINT 19/1/108, 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
  - 19 August 2016
    - Transcribed by Will Scott
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<108r>

Sir

The Southsea Company have lately received from their Agents in the West Indies 6 or 7 parcels of Gold, which they intend to have Coyn'd: and accordingly have imported 2 parcels, & have part of a 3^d. parcel now in the Assay office, ready to be weigh'd.

Vpon a view of the aforesaid parcel I {inspected}{suspected} the Gold —& when all the Ingots were assayd, I causd 4 to be returned to the Company to be refin'd. In a 2^d. parcel I found 7 which I {suspected}{inspected} to be of a bad mixture; & therefore orderd M^r. Whitaire to acquaint M^r. Utbert, the Companys Agent, & M^r. Blatchford, their Refiner, that those 7 suspected Ingots should be taken back & refind, unles they wou'd indemnify the Office. They both gave M^r. Whitaire strong assurances that there was no bad mixture in them, upon which they were all taken in, before I had heard their answer. Whereupon I caution'd M^r. Vanderesh not to sett them out for melting, Intending to apprize You of the Affaire, <108v> that the said Suspected Ingots might be further examined before their delivery to the Melter. A timely caution being necessary to make us safe, for the future.

I have taken all the Care I cou'd in examining what has already been assayd, at the Cutting, hammering, sheering, appearance on the Copples, & after nealing: but because this may'nt be sufficient, I would further propose that all the suspected Ingotts be broke in {your}{their} presence, the Companys Refiner & Agent attending, & also {your}{their} Melter, when We may be better assur'd of the Nature of the Mass by a careful inspection of the breaches, than we can be, by an Assay taken off at one Corner.

The Companys Agent & Refiner prest the admittance of the Gold now in the assay office: but I conceive it altogether reasonable that the office in general & the Matter in particular shoud be safe, & indemnifyd. Howeve the whole is submitted to Your consideration that this affair may be settled upon a good foot to secure us for the future. If you please to Appoint to morrow being Wensday, or thursday morning, I will attend in my place

I am Honoured Sir

your most Obedient Humble Servant

H. Haynes

Tuesday 6. Sept^br. 1726