This metadata is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.
Printed in NC, 5: 186-7.
The last smith [Thomas Sylvester] was paid £50 p.a., plus piece work. At Newton's request (following differences with the smith), this salary was stopped when the post became vacant [through Sylvester's death, c. December 1710], pending formulation of a new contract. Newton now requests funding for a new salary with confirmation of his power of dismissal.
To the tble
Mortimer d
Britain.
May it please rp
The Smith of the Mint being my servant by the
ancient constitution of the Mint, & being paid by me after
the rate of one penny per pound weight of gold coined &
one farthing per pound weight of silver coined, & having
also a salary of 50 pounds per an appointed by the late
& present Indentures of the Mint: the last Smith for the
sake of that salary was imposed upon me & behaved
himself to me & others of the Mint with great insolence.
Whereupon a clause was inserted into the schedule of
salaries at the end of the Indenture of the Mint, for
the voidance o ceasing of that salary upon the next
voidance of the place; and the place becoming void before
last Christmas, the salary is now ceased in order to a
new settlement. I humbly pray therefore that such a
new salary may be setled as your p
fit & in such a manner that I may have power over the
Smith as my servant for carrying on the coinage & dismiss him
if he be not of good abearing according to the meaning of the
Indenture of the Mint. Which may be done by appointing
the Salary to me for a Smith.
All chps
great wisdome.
I