Letter to the Earl of Godolphin (Lord High Treasurer) regarding the Chester Mint

To the R^t Hon^ble Sidney L^d Godolphin L^d High Treasurer
of England

May it please yo^r Lord^p
The Petition of M^r Cha. Fryth for an allowance in his Acc^ts now depending of 370.8.9 upon two Tickets of the M^r & W^r of Chester Mint w^th y^e Report of the Comm^rs of Excise upon it we received 30 March 1702 & in obedience to the Order of y^e then L^ds Comm^rs of y^e Treasury upon them we have enquired\examined/ into y^e matter & humbly conceive the true state of it to be as follows

M^r Fryth imported into Chester Mint several parcels of hammered money w^ch were all before Lady day 1702|697| for all w^ch he received \back/ new moneys at 5^s p^r oz & cancelled\in new monies & endorsed all/ the Tickets before y^e end of Iuly following. In May he imported two other parcells for w^ch at 5^s p^r oz he was to receive back 807^£. 10^s & in part thereof received in August of Williams (M^{r Neales Clerk} 400^£ & afterwards of \Lewis/ another Clerk 300^£ more & then recconing w^th Lewis concealed the 400^£ p^d by Williams & deducted only the 300^£ & took Lewises Note for the remaining 507^£. 10^s & cancelled \endorsed/ the Tickets: whereas he should have deducted also the 400^£ & taken a Note only for 107^£. 10^s \the true deficiency./. And this misreconning is y^e grownd of y^e Petition.

After these Importations there were two others in Iuly & August for w^ch at 5^s p^r oz he M^r Fryth was to receive \back/ 370^£ 8^s. 9^d. And in October November & December following he \did/ received of Lewis at 4 payments 500^£, w^ch \if the recconing be set right/ makes up the aforesaid deficiency of 107^£ 10^s & discharges \pays of y^e 370.8.9./ |due upon| these last two Tickets for w^ch an allowance is now petitioned & leaves 22^£ .1^s .3^d in M^r Fryths \his/ hands in part of the 8^d p^r oz \w^chhe is \was/ further/ to be allowed him by her Maj^ty in his Acc^ts now depending. For the 500^£ was paid for \out of the Treasury of y^e Mint/ \in satisfaction for/ silver imported \by Mr Fryth/ & therefore ought to be set off upon y^e Tickets & \the surplus/ deducted |in his Acc^ts| from y^e \allowance of/ 5^s 8^d p^r oz in his Acc^ts now depending according to y^e words of y^e Act of Parliam^t w^ch run thus. And that all & every such Receivers Geveral |"| & Collectors in their respective Acc^ts to his Maj^ty shall be allowed the deficiency |"| occassioned by the recoyning of the said hammered money that is to say the differ|"| ence between the summ of the hamm^d money brought into y^e Mint computed at |"| 5^s 8^d p an ounce & the summ in tail of the new money w^ch he or they do receive |"| back from y^e Mint for the same.

\Therefore instead of allowing \granting/ the Petition we are humble of opinion that M^r Fryth be further charged to her Ma^ty w^th 22.1.3 in his Acc^ts now depending./All w^ch is most humbly submitted to yo^r Lord^ps great wisdome.

Vpon All his importations at 5^s 8^d \p^r oz/ b amount unto            he received out of the Mint in new monies by tale            & in his Accompts now depending is to be further allowed

All w^ch .