Holograph draft of MINT00063 (Mint 19/1/170-71)

<164r>

May it pl. yo^r L^p

In obedience to yo^r Lo^ps Order of Ref. signified to us {by M}^r Lowndes {his Letter} of {illeg} Iuly     we have considered the Petition of Coll Pars{on}s & M^r Croker {and} \{for} to succeed M^r Ha/ discoursed the Petitioners & also spoke w^th M^r Rose & we find that \Coll. Parsons doth not grave {himsel} himself but imployes {illeg} good workmen {&} {has} the best workmen {and} has a good fansy & judgment in these matters & that M^r Rosse/ M{^r Rosse} {sic} desires at {illeg}|o|nly to succeed M^r Harris in his place of Graver of Seales for\to/ he{r} M^ty & by a seale w^ch he has graved for the Dutchy of Lanc{illeg}|a|ster he seems to be a good workman & well enough\for seales & sufficiently/ qualified for that place. But as for the place of Graver to y^e Mint \M^r Harris'es other places of Graver for the money & for Medals/ we humbly lay before y^e Lord^p that the Master of the Mint & upon {illeg}|c|onsidering what in{illeg}|c|onveniency the Mind {had}\did|had|/ lately suffered|ed| & might\may/ again suffer by taking in Cutters of seales who into the chief Gravers place, {he} did upon his succeeding M^r Neale put a clause into the Indenture \then/ made between the Crown & himself, whereby the Gravers salary of 325^li per annu upon y^e next voydance fo the place should cease in order to a new establishm^t \for the {illeg} advantage of the Coynage/ For M^r Harris being a cutter of Seales & not skilled in that sort of graving w^ch is proper for the money, i{m} imployed \that M^r {Roetier} Iames Rotier & afterwards/ Mr Croker to do all the|a||t| work for an allowance of 175^li per an & retained y^e remaining 150^li p{^r}|e|r an to himself w^thout doing any thing for it, & that M^r Croker not being bred up in the service of y^e Mint was did not understand {illeg} it when he first succeed|ed| M^r Roetier by was necessitated for {illeg}two|r| {sic}\three/ or three\four/ years to copy after M^r Roetiers work, till by & \tho/ now by long practise \he/ works very well, & we are humbly of opinion that he is the fittest person to be first graver of the Mint. & It is humbly proposed therefore that no new Gravers for the security of |the| coyne against counterfeiting that there should be a set of Gravers constantly brought up in the Mint who having once attained to perfection in the|ir| way may {to} \keep {such} Art amongst themselves &/ propagate it to the their Appren{illeg}|t|ices or Probationers & be succeeded by them & that no new Graver be taken into the Mint unless as an Apprentice or Probationer. For w^ch end we humb{y}|l|y propose that M^r Croker be made the first Graver of the Mint w^th such an augmentation of his salary \as yo^r Lord^p shall think fit/ for maintaining himself & a servant to file & polish the Dyes, & that M^r Bull who is now a Probationer \& works very well/ be made the second Graver w^th {illeg} w^th {such} a salary to be \also/ appointed by yo^r Lord^p, & a {illeg} new Probationer taken into the third place so soon as fit person shall be met with.

And as for M^r Harris his other place of Graver of Medals to her Maj^ty we are humbly of opinion that the Gravers of the Mint \for y^e time being/ are \the/ fittest \persons/ to execute it, & that whenever the Master of the Mint receives any directions about Medals {illeg} making of Coronation Medals or others, they be obliged to assist him according & have no power \without his leave/ to {illeg} use any of the Presses without his leave \or {Pr} Mills for coynage/ /in the Mint or to\ {doe} work upon Medals in any of th{i}|e| rooms without his leave\w^ch/ belongi|s|ng to his Office for y^e coynage of money.

All w^ch &c