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Full letter in PRO, T1/67, no.34.
Numerous extracts from old decrees and statements by Ordnance employees in support of this contention.
Extract of a Letter form the Board of Ordnance
dated the 13th. of February 1699 to the tble
the Lords Comi
Treasury
My Lords
As to our Title to the Master Smiths
house in the Mintm it is very probable it has belonged to the
Ordnance ever since 'twas an Office, But the annext Papers
will fully satisfy y of above 120 years uninterrupted possession, r Lordps
and that the Office have from time to time repair'd it; and
We can't imagine the Officers of the Mint can give rps
tollerable reasons that 'tis at this time for his t yes
for them to have the Smiths house &ca
successfully carry on the last vast Coinage without them, & in all probability
there never can be the like occasion for Room & Conveniency, and We will
Venture to say, they have Twice as much Room as ever they can
make use of for e
of their Houses stand Empty & others rented by persons no ways concern'd
with them, and We are informed one of the Master Smiths of e
has now a House & several Forges sufficient for all their busine
Touching the Master Smiths house
It appears by an Old Book remaining in the Office
of Ordnance. That an Estimate was made the
14th of Feb ry 1577 by the Officers of the same for
several Repairs necessary to be done to er
with an t
Employ'd in that service.
I the 9th Year of Queen Eliz a dated the 3d of May
A Grant was made to William & Martin Hopkins to
be r.e
16 th of Iuly 1606, to Enjoy the Fee of 8d
Mansion Domibus proficuisa
In the 43d of Queen Eliz a 18th of Iune, Letters Pattents
were granted to Thomas Pdasso for er
of all the Iron Works within e
hold the same during his Life at 8d
Mansion Domibus proficuisa
King r Patents dated eth of Novr
in the 21st: year of his Reign, grants to Lewis Tayte
the said place of r
within ee
his lifen Domibus proficuis, Emolumentisa.
King Charles the 1st By his Letters Patents eth of Augt:
in the 16th Year of his Reign, grants to Thos: Hodgskins
the said place of Master Smith within e
at the Fee of 8d n Domibus proficuis
Emolumentisa
Mr William Smith aged 58 years Clerk to Thomas Hodgskinns re
that Mr Hodgskinns lived & inhabited in ee
wherein Mr Silvester lately dwelt, as also he served Mr
Silvester in the like capacity, & during his continuance
there He Iustifyes, the said House was always reputed
and Esteem'd to be belonging to the Office of Ordnance
and was always repaired upon any defects or wants of
Reparation by er Hodgskinns own'd
his tenure from no other but the said Office, & that he
had possession given him by the Officers of the same, where
first he took possession of e
that in the year 52 being then about 11 years old, he knew
that M r Hodgskinns then Lived in the said House & workt to
the Office of Ordnance.
Thomas Shillingford Master of the Office Barge hath belonged
to the Office ever since the years 1666 or 1667, & saith that some
time since then he remembers that Prince Rupert & several
Lords of the Council or Nobility came down to the Tower
to View the Smiths house in the Mint, as he conceives
upon a dispute for e
Ordnance & the Mint, & remembers that Mr Ball the
Messenger & Mr Merry a Labourer then & for above 20 years
before in the Ordnance were called for & Examined about
what they know thereof, who declared that it had been
for their time & before belonging to the Office of the
Ordnance & that he the said Merry had been
concern'd in weighing Double headed hame
of Iron &ca & fetching them & other stores into e
stores of the Ordnance, & that it was always looked
on to belong to the Office of Ordnance.
Matthew Bateman late Master Wheelwright to the Office
of Ordnance saith, that the Night before my Lord
Strafford was beheaded which was abou
he lay in Mr Hodgskinns's house in the Mint, who
then & several years before to he remembrance was
Master Smith to the Office of Ordnance & Lived in the
same house that Mr Silvesters his successr
few years since, which was always looked on to
belong to e
by the Office of the Mint or any other.
Robert Bennet rr
Office aged about 70 years saith, that for abou
he hath known that the Smith to the Office of Ordnance
Lived in the House in the Mint in the Tower, ch
claim'd by the Officers of the Mint, and that it was
always Esteem'd to belong to the Office of Ordnance.
Edw d Snapes now Messenger but before Labourer
in Ordinary to this Office from the year 1665 or 1666
saith, that when he was a Labourer he was com
to go to the Smiths of this Office in the Mint in
Tower to assist in Proving & weighing Double headed
hamea for his tys
and this He did as well in the shine of Mr Hodgskinns
as Mr Silvesters late r
that the a were always Esteem'd to belong
to the Office of Ordnance.
Robert Fitch aged about 50 Years Master Bricklayer to
this Office, saith that ever since the year 1671 he knew
the Smith of this Office dwelt in e
now claim'd by the Mint, & did several works for
repairing ee
the Office of Ordnance, who paid him for the same
and that for any thing he knew, it was always
Esteem'd the Right & Property of the Office of Ordnance.
He saith also that he remembers about 20 or 21 years
since, that Prince Rupert, the Earl of Shaftsbury
and several other Lords of the Council or Persons of Quallity
came to e
Tower might be found for the Smith of this Office as
convenient, as that upon occasion of Esqr Slingsby
who was the r
the Smith of this Office out from thence
Resolution was taken he knows not, But the Smith
of this Office still continued there without any
distu