Copies of two broadly similar petitions requesting a hereditary post in the Mint at £1,000 p.a. in perpetuity in exchange for revealing his new coining method

Author: John Rotherham

Source: MINT 19/1/490, 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
  - 4 February 2017
    - Transcribed by Will Scott
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<490>

To the King's most Excellent Maj^ty. in Council

The Peticon of Iohn Rotherham of Barnet in Hartforshire Gen^t.

Most Humbly Sheweth

That on y^e 2^d Iuly 172{5} Yo^r. Pet^r. p^rsented to Yo^r. most sacred Majte a Peticon humbly setting forth That Y^r Pet^r. had long considered y^e many Inconveniencyes w^ch. arise from Counterfeiting y^e Currant Coin of y^e Kingd^m. {&} It wou'd very much conduce to y^e Hon^r. & Interest of Y^r Sacred Ma^ty: & yo^r Realms if y^e ꝑnicious practice were p^rvente{t}|d|

For y^e affecting whereof Yo^r. Pet^r. has w^th. much study pains & long Experience in y^e Nature of Metals found out an effectuall Methods &to put y^e same in Execucon he is ready to propose a suff^t. Fund or Fund to support y^e Charge w^th.out affecting Land or Trade.

Yo^r. Pet^r. Therefore most humbly prays y^t his said Peticon may be Read in Council, & y^t Y^r most Sacred Majtie will be graciously pleas'd to Constitute him Controuler or Inspector of y^e Dyes, That Post being necessary for Executing and P^rserving his Sector, y^r Pet^r. humbly Hopes will not be deny'd him As also to settle One Thousand pounds ꝑ Ann on him & his Heirs for ever Vpon Condition he ꝑforms w^t he proposes to make full proof of. And he most humbly Prayes That y^e Controuler, Mast^r. Worker, Mast^r. Melter, & Mast^r. Engraver of Yo^r. Ma^ts. Mint Office may be also p^rsent to make w^t Objections may Accrew to them w^ch he undertakes to {Ans^r}. Or y^t Y^r Pet^r. may have Y^r Ma^ts. leave to go w^th his Secret to any Forreign Country.

And Yr Pet^r. shall every pray &c

A true Copy — Temple Stanyon

To the King's most Exell^t: Ma^ty: in Council

The Peticon of Iohn Rotherham of Barnet of Hertford Shire Gent.

Most humbly Sheweth

That Y^r Pet^r. has long consider'd y^e many Inconvenciencyes w^ch arise from y^e Currant Coin of y^e Kingd^m. being Counterfeited, & y^t it wou'd very much conduce to y^t Hon^r. & Interest of Yr Sacred Majte & Yr Realms if the Counterfeiting thereof was p^rvented.

For y^e Effecting of w^ch. Yr Pet^r. hath w^th. much pains study & long Experience in y^e Nature of Metalls found out an Effectual Method whereby also to render y^e Currant Coin far more durable than now it is.

For all Goldsmiths Iewell^rs {illeg}|&| other Workers in Gold by reason of such Duty on all their ready made Goods will be apt to keep less Stock or Quantity of Wrought Gold & Silver by them, than they us'd to do w^ch. will occasion y^e Merch^t. Importing Gold or Silver to send most of it to y^e Mint to be Coin'd rather yⁿ want a quick retun {sic}, & so will by y^t means Increase Our Coin, & y^t fair Dealers if they rightly m{illeg}|a|nage y^e Working part will make greater Advantage in Trade then before — Besides if all Goldsmiths Iewellers & Workers in Gold had a penalty laid on y^m who would work Gold of less Value than 4^li. ꝑ Ounce, or Iewell^rs. y^e 3^li – 15^s as well as on such who work Silver of less Value than sterling, It wou'd not only advance the Royall Revenue, but p^rvent very great Imposicons on y^e Subjects as well as be a means to keep our Gold & Silver at Home, And y^e Benefit to y^e Publick will be proportionable to y^e Wrought Silver, & w^{t}. falls short of y^e Expence for Coinage, he has an addiconall Fund{s} ready to Supply y^e Same, & if not large enough another y^t will raise Ten Millions in one Year w^th.out Charging y^e Land or {Barshening} the Publick Trade Excise Customes &c.

Yr Pet^r. Therefore humbly prays Yr Sacred Ma^ty. wou'd be graciously pleas'd to referr y^e Examinacon of y^e several Makers herein before set forth in Ord^r. to y^e leaving an Act of Parl{m}^t. in such man^r. as Yr Ma^ty: in Y^r great Wisd^m. shall think fitt. And y^t if y^e same be found absolutely necessary & of Great Vse and Advantage & also a great Hon^r. for Yr Ma^ty: & Yr Kingd^ms. Yr Pet^r may have {sui}table Encourgm^t. and a Rew^d. as desir'd in his form^r. peticon Condi{c}onally if he ꝑforms y^e same; Or else Yr Ma^ts. leave to go w^th. his Secret to any Forreign Country

And Yr Pet^r shall ever Pray &c

Atrue Copy Temple Stanyan