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[See Westfall, 754, who suggests these documents may have been collected by Newton as master in reference to a dispute about control over melting with Craven Peyton, warden from 1708-1714. No documentation relating to such a dispute now survives, but there is ample evidence that Newton and Peyton disagreed about almost everything.]
Described in entries 65(a) - 66(a) of the Appendix to the Eighth Report of the Royal Commission on Historical Manuscripts (London, 1881).
Diuerse cases that the warden is
not to ouerse rers meltinge
ll endenture & afore forms ramt if put pro rate.er Indenture hathe Lymitted any forme
or maner howe the potte sholde be rated but the r
libertie to rate his potte at his pleasure because he made the moneyes at
his oune will and when the moneyes were made tryed & founde to be in erbn a son will./r
Wherfore the nowe r
sclanderous sketches of his aduersaries whose reposte is that the m nor to the Subriette
First the bullion brought into the Tower is in diuerse greate Ingotts of
diuerse quallities and of diUse finesses some of xioz ij ch weight fine some xj oz
iiij ch wght
is layed to gether to be molten in one pott and that the warden according
to his office hathe entred the wght
ledger booke and after in his meltinge booke The r
make his computacon and put to the bullion suche quantitie of copy as is
nedeful to be put into the potte th
to suche state of finesse as that he maye make moneyes therof accordinge to
his Indenture for otherwise it is not possible to make moneyes in order
This is the ratinge of the potte wherein no man ought to deale but by e
masters appointtemente bicause the moneyes are made at his onely will/
eer dassayer
caste oute the warden and saie r
it be sufficiente to make moneyes or no / And then being caste oute of e
potte in smale ingotts the warden and saie r
and maketh a nother assaie and tryall of the finesse thereof ch
whole masse is rated and accompted to be of suche finesse as that ingott
beareth / As if the Ingott be founde to be of xjoz jch wght
masse is likewise accompted to be of xjoz jch wght
called by thindenture the pott assaie Artcile / 20 / And hereby e
curious desire to see the ratinge of the pott and meltinge of the
bullion maye appere verry vaine For he hauinge entred the wghtettbnboke and meltinge booke as before
is saide and nowe seinge what finesse it bereth at the potte assaie
maye easelie finde what copy is in the masse molten & howe muche is
due to her tietch
founde of euery masse by the potte assaie her tie
eī remedie in finesse and not otherwise And albe it the rery potte put to meltinge at xjoz fine
pr under yett ys the masse molten in the same pott be founde by the pott
assaie to be of xjoz ich wght
be but of xjoz fine as the warden pretendeth For if that be reason then
if by the potte assaie the masse were founde to be xjoz ijd wght
iid wghtrtie
eī remedie in finesse when notth
finesse in her moneyes then sholde be and so the r
doble or treble charge ch
Moreouer when the potte is rated but at xjoz fine to the fier the bullion
nuerthelesse dothe continuallie rise at xjoz jd wght
Yf it be rated at xjoz jd wght
com̄onlie rise at xjoz ijs wght
Beside all other his charge not yet spoken of/
And so it is to be noted that when the rs heretofore were bounde to make
theire moneyes full standerd vix at xjoz ijd wghter
bounde to rathe there potte at xjoz ijd wght
or colde theye so doe excepte they wolde haue undone them selves biceause t
by suche ratinge of the potte they sholde haue ben continuall losers
by the ouerplusse in finesse as is afore saide foe that by the forme of
there Indentures they were not to be allowed for any ouerpluasse in finesse
excepte so muche lacke of finesse sholde happen at a nother tyme ch
in suche ratinge wolde new haue ben/
Neither dothe the r
therefore he new ratess his potte better or worse in
greiues but accordinge to thassaies reporte of the Ingott ch
awaies made th
Againe the Subiecte Ingotts are often tymes verry deceiptefullye
molten and are formde to be finer at e
neuerthelesse moste tymes thassaiers reporteth the whole Ingott accordinge to
the fynesse of the better eande & so the r
but often tymes a whole / 0£ wghtd wghtery pounde wght
Ingott /
It is further to be noted that if no odde greuies at all fall oute to be in
the subiecte bullion at thassaie of their Ingott yett if by the potte
assaie there rise v. odde greiues in the whole masse as often tymes
there fothe those v. odde greiues the r
are now reported for the r
benefitt onelie / By the losse of ch
at er
tenne meltinge by thodde greiues in the Subiecte bullion/
againe yf the saie re
C £ wghtd. ijd. iijd oz iiijd wghtry pounde wght
as diurese tymes he hathe don then bothe the moneyes & er
by the missereporte of one suche Ingott then they get by the odde greives
in xl. Ingotts /
Here it maye be obiected that as the saie r
the Subiecte bullion better then it is wherby the r
so maye he some tymes reporte it worse then it is wherby the r
a gainer and then the one beinge sett againste thother er
Loser /
That it is nothinge so for the Subiecte com̄onlie knoweth the finesse of
his bullion before he bringeth it into the mynte So t
assaie thereof better then it is to the Subiecte gaine e
it th
it is the subiecte knowinge the finesse of his siluer before hande will
have his saye made againe till it rise as good as he thinketh it to be / And
if it will not rise so good then he will saye his siluer is not well molten
and therfore will haue it home againe to melte it better / So that the
subiecte is sire neuer to lose but many tymes to gaine by the missereporte
of the finesse of his Ingotts and thus bothe the moneyes and the r
tymes gretelye
Item the rerse tymes founde half an ounce or iij. fes of an
ounce of water in an Ingott ch
answered so muche wghter for it /
And many other defaults and deceiptes have ben and maye be founde in
the Subiecte Ingotte to the rs grete hindraunce /
So that the odde greiues supposed to be gotten by the Subiecte bullion
beinge well considered and counternailed thrs losse that hapeneth
by the seuerall meanes aforesaide they will not mounte to one score of all
the thousande ers and warden to be gotten by
the master /