John Williams: 'Considerations Relating to the Advancing the Price of Tinne'

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Considerations Relating to the Advancing the Price of Tinne
1705
per I:W:

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The great objection

Should we advance tinne too high it will putt other places upon Getting of Tin and wee shall have Tinne brought from other countryes & wee shall let them into a trade From which wee shall neaver be able to beate them out againe.

Answered

Wee have lost many Millions by this one objection in the sale of our Tinne but could neaver hear of the fixt places so that it must be from the world in the Moone for it hath ben allwaise comeing but Neaver comes.

The Dutch are not afraid to advance their spice for feare that wee should plant spice Trees in England & spoyle their Trade.

Five burnes ad Vltimu Water overflowes ad ultimum Miners Digge & search for Tinne to the uttermost of their power and if they could possibly with all their witt mony & strength gett more they would. And all the Tinne in the world is yearly Consumed. And if it should be brought from the places where it is now Consumed in the Indies it would be wanted there. And as for finding of Tin in New places No one Man in ten thousand doth know Tin in the Oare the Tinners are forced to {Banne} it seaverall times a daye to prevent casting it a waye among the {Kelloes}, that is the other earth for the greatest part of it is soe mixt with other earth that the Tinner doe not know it. And as it is hard to be known so it is difficult to be founde & more difficult to be followed that it be not lost againe for the Vaynes often strike out & they loose them and they must be experienced Artists to fine it againe. there is also greate Art & skill in the Manadging of the Oar & dressing it when they have it they must first bring it to a fine sande like putty & it must passe through a greate many operations to come to that.

before Smelting

Wee are loath to you out of our old waye thats all that can be said. And the Notion of too Deare must be above 20^l: the hundred {f}or I have {and} that it will beare 20^l: the hundred.

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Considerations relating to the Advancing the price of Tinne

1 Itt evidently appeares that as great Quantityes of Tinne are raised out of the Earth every year so there are great quantityes yearly consumed and the Consumption is as great as the production, for that in some thousands of years there is noe stock before hand, other than what is Occasiond by Impediments stoppidge of Trade, by meanes off the warre so that what is in her Majesties handes is wanted in Germany & Hungary for Tinning of Lattin plates which are wanted all the world over. Were they supplyed in the Straights it would Make a great hole in her Majesties tinn or were the Tradesmen in Generall stockt as they will be if it be five pounds the Tun dearer in the Warehouse than att Landing they would have a half a years Tin before hand when they have not 20 dayes Tin amonge them all over this Citty or in Holland: or other places where her Majestie hath any Tinne. so that there is noe more Tinne before hand now than formerly only itts hinderd from goeing its rounde and what ever is too Much in one place is wanted in another. and there is noe feare of Tinne lyeing on her Majesties hands for as the trade hath required it and consumed it for thousands of yeares, so there is noe dainger of its noncontinnuance so to doe, for that there is noe more Raised than formerly.

2 Another Consideration for advancing the price of Tinne is that it must be had for all the uses by which it is Consumed if it were 20^li: the hundred waight viz. a Copper Kettle of 60^l: waight att 20^d: the pounds come to 5^l: & half a pounde of Tinne will Tinne it tho it shall not be 2 ounces the heavyer but the rest is wasted & this half pounds of Tinne cost 4^d: but if Tin were advanced to 20^l: the hundred the half pounde would cost 21^d: & can it be supposed that if the Tinne did cost 21^d: for Tinning a Kettle of 5^l: price that there would be one Kettle the lesse Tinned in a year. There are hundreds of Tunns used & Consumed by Tinning of Copper yearly.

The Tinne plates consume hundreds of Tunnes yearly and a farthing worth of Tinne will Tinne a plate & <581r> if Tin were advanced to 20^l: the hundred & this plate did take five farthings worth of Tinne they must be had & without Tinne they are of noe use.

They cannot glaze earthen ware without Tin & if not Glazed tis nothing worth. The Masons cannot Pollish Marble without putty & Putty is Made of Tinne the Iewellers Glasse Grinders, Glasiers, Ioyners, Iapanners, and divers other Trades use Putty which must be had if Tinne be 20^l: hundred 100 sortes of smale Iron are whitened with Tinne I will instance in sterrops or Bridle bitts which take not up half a farthing worth of Tinne canne it be thought if Tin were five times the price that there would be a pair of sterops the lesse made in a yeare in like Manner should you goe over all the perticulers by which Tin is Consumed as this all Consumed except a smale Matter in Pewter which is noe Consumption Neither is it other than the Dust in the Ballance in Comparison of what hath been Consumed. I saye if I goe over all & every perticuler by which I could ever fine Tin Consumed there will be noe lesse made use of if Tinne were 20^l: the hundred.

How reasonable can it then be thought to bringe it to 5^l: 5^s

Another consideration is the People who pay this advance and they are 4 partes in 5 foraighners. by the Custome house bookes there is not Much above 1200 been a year exported but sea Men boyes & Passengers carry a little of Tinne or half a dossen of Plates each that doth neaver come to the Cusstom house & many a Score blocks are Runne in Cornwall if they are not belyed but it cannot be lesse than 4 partes in 5 exported & then the Nation getts 4^d: for every penny they paye & the higher Tinne is advanced in Reason the More is gayned & that smale parte that is paide by the Nation is not felt for the Consumption doth not feell the price & if any one goine dearer for Pewter there is for but are furnished in England, only a master of a ship on a good Voyadge a sea Man on {Bredth} of his pay a Farmer after a good Market for his Castle will now & then geive their {weids} a New {Nach} of Pewter

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And at such a time they doe not feel it. besides Nothing is dear bought that cost noe more than it is worth.

Another Consideration should be who are Gaynors

1 Her Majestie will gayne Freedom from trobule.

2 Her servants will gayn their Wages.

3 The Nation will save a base For it her Majesties mony doth not hould out the Parliament must raise more.

1 After 5 yeare Cornwall will gayn Considerably and Devon but it will be a very greate Advantage in Bringinge in Treasure to the Nation

Six Remarkes Incoraginge the Advance

1 That all Tinne in the world is in her Majesties handes or by Manadgment as safe.

2 All Tinne hath ben Consumed hitherto and will be Consumed if neaver to dearer.

3 Itt enrichest the Nation in Generall as above

4 Itt will as above Add to her Majesties Revenue.

5 Her Majestie hath absolute Power and Right to advance it

6 she is Necessitated to doe it or else she cannot Comply with her Farme &c.

By In^o Williams

Sep^t: 3^d:

1705.