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Printed in NC, 4: 242-6.
Asserts the traditional exemption by royal warrant of the Mint and its personnel from the jurisdiction of the Tower, and complains of the arrest on Mint territory of Mint labourer Philip Atherton by a constable of the Tower. Graphic account of a fight between a Tower guard and the son of a porter of the Mint, which nearly degenerated into a public riot. Lucas demands free access to all Mint properties including the workers' houses, and has twice, without consulting the Mint officers, searched the house of [former assistant engraver] James Roettier on the pretext that the exiled King James was said to have been seen there. The Mint cannot vouch for the security of its equipment and stocks of gold and silver if constables of the Tower are permitted to 'invade' it at will. The Tower guards 'begin to be rather a grievance then security unto us'. A lock on the press-room door was broken open, presumably with the guard's connivance. A drunken officer attempted to force entry into a Mint house and attacked a servant, while a Tower guard stood by. Lucas has authorised his soldiers to fire on Mint personnel if provoked, and forbidden food or drink to be brought into the Tower for Mint workers in the melting house or press-room. The workers have responded by cutting production by a third and are threatening to go on strike. Lucas claims he is acting within his authority, and the Treasury are requested to inspect the statutes and give a clear ruling on the respective rights and privileges of the Tower and the Mint.
To the tbleedsrstiesary
May it please rps
We e
most humbly represent this by tyr
many Kings for above five hundred years
other Ministers of the Mints are incorporated throughout all England into one
body under e
great Privileges e
of e&e
ground & houses between the Lines in the said Tower not out of their
royal favour & for r
their & . And also that his ty
by the Indenture made between himself & the Master & Worker of the Mint
doth e
of e
the Gates & through e
outward at all times without any arresting disturbance letting or gain
saying of the chief Governour
Officer or Person whatsoever he be for any manner of debt matter
or cause whatsoever it be & without any thing given to any of them
or to any other to have such entry or issue.
And we further represent to your Lordships that we have at all times
in every thing shewed due respect to my Lord Lucas as chief Governour
of er
or Workman within rbeen any ways failing therein.
to rpsi
of rrfor debt by without
the licence or knowledge of r
virtue of a Warrant of Robert Bateman Esqr one of his r
ces of eeet
of my Lord Lucas & is now detained in New Prison from e
service. And that on the same day one of the Warders, to let out of
the Mint some people che
Mint & took ecollar
them che
money unsafe ch
& tewithout any (
regard to rrein opposition oftiescommands will & pleasure eersaying that r
from
And we further represent to rpsory
appointed to guard the door
were
my Lord Lucas as to err Harris
having sollicited my Lord to turn Mr Roettiers family out of the Mint
& my Lord having divers times prest the Warden to do it r
an Oathby one of their acquantance that King
Mr Roettiers House, My Lord did thereupon seize the Gates of the Mint
& search Mr Roettiers house two several days without giving notice to
any Officer of the Mint of his intended search, & now demands a list
of the names of all persons belonging to e
their houses at pleasure, under pretence that they entertein such
lodgers as belong not to ee
as his ethe Officer e
us the ytheree
or other right
used so far as we know, nor are necessary to e
the Mint being shut up on all sides by the Lines & we being ready to
search thp
searches without us should be now allowed
any longer the charge of the Dyes & Puncheons & Marking Engins
& other coyning Tools & of the Gold & Silver ch
in all the rooms apperteining to e
Importers think their estates secure in the Mint. eToweree
And we further represent that e
a grievance then security to us. The Press-room about a fortnight ago
was in danger of being robbed a Thief getting in & breaking open a lock
to eechche
neyers are now fain to lodge two ech
they never did
being greatly disturbed at Midnight by a drunken Captaine
window & would have forced himself into one of er
pass at him & ran him through e
nal being called either to come to their assistance or to call his Corpo
rall with a File of Musketeers, the Centinal would not stir
a Corporal & File of Musketeers wasCaptain endeavoured to perswade a by-stander to beare false witness for
turning the blame upon our men. And my Lord Lucas instead of
being told the truth of such matters is only informed by the soldiers
that our men get drunk & affront the Centinals, & being very forward to beleive & aggravate complaints against us,thereupon
dered the Centinals to fire at us. Whereas heretofore the Centi
nals used not to be set singly as now, but to walk e
all night in a body strong enough to apprehend any drunken or excess-grainedAnd For why should we lose a
good Artificer foret
crime
pretence to shoot his enemy or any where
bloody discipline may safely be avoyded? eeto to leave their habitations in it to ee
service & insecurity of the treasure.
And we are further constrained to represent that the Warden on
thursday last about these things telling my Lord Lucas the mis
committed in the Mint by then Captainp
Governour together did the next day being Friday give strict charge
to e
into e
that if any were sent for, they should take it away from the
messengers & give it to the soldiers, his p
the workmen abuse the same to excess
& t order being strictly
put in execution gave so great discontent to e
for e
left off their work that day & did not their full days work on
Saturday& yesterday instead of nine nine potts were not ablebeing
& say they leave offwork no moreBut whe
ther his p
any other reason we know not.
And we are further to acquaint rps
Lucas represents that he doth not invade the Privileges of the
Mint but that ech
ancient Records & Court Rolls preserved in the Tower, as if r
Cooperation ought suit & service to them.
All chprayrops
great wisdomes to take into serious consideration in order to r
releife & pray that for the Records
& Court Rolls his chpacts may be produced & compared
with r& with e
& the Mint thence adjusted stated & limited so that both parties
may know their Duties Privileges & Powers in respect of each
other for conserving a good correspondence & friendship between
them for the future & that what has hitherto been done by
mistake been done against us may not be drawn into precedent
hereafter.