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| Feb. 17. Afternoon. |
Present: ut supra.
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Send to Sir John Fleet to be here to-morrow night. |
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Send to the Attorney General to be here to-morrow night about the Bill concerning the Honor of Tutbury and the estate of Wykes Parker. |
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[Ibid. p. 148.] |
| Feb. 18. Afternoon. |
Present: Lord Godolphin, Sir Stephen Fox, Chancellor of the Exchequer, Mr. Smith. |
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The Earl of Montagu is called in. My Lords [read his memorial for money and inform him that they] will consider his demands for the Wardrobe. |
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The Attorney General and Mr. Berry [are called in] about Wyke Parker's estate. Mr. Berry says Mr. George Parker bid
him offer [that] in case he have the King's grant of the Crown's right he will pay 1,000l. and will give security for 3,000l. more to be paid in case the King's title appear to be good against the several persons that claim the personal estate of the said Wykes Parker. He says that if the agreement between the two brothers were set aside the King's title would not be worth so much, because the estate of Wyke Parker would be found to lie dispersedly in several Corporations and manors where the forfeitures would be claimed. |
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My Lords are of opinion that Mr. George Parker should make an absolute proposal of an entire sum to be paid down for the King's right without any other conditions. |
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Send to Aaron Smith to know what composition hath been offered at any time for Wyke Parker's estate, for how much and by whom, and who were present and when such composition was offered. My Lords will speak with Mr. Smith on Friday afternoon. |
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Sir John Fleet attends. He desires my Lords to order 3l. 10s. 0d. a barrel for 6,000 barrels of powder agreed for in Holland; which will be about 21,000l. Send a letter to the [Principal] Officers of the Ordnance to be here on Friday afternoon. |
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[Send word] to Mr. Neal to be at Kensington to-morrow at five of the clock. |
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[Treasury Minute Book VIII. p. 149.] |
Feb. 19.
Kensington. |
Present: The King, Lord Godolphin, Sir Stephen Fox, Mr. Smith. |
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Mr. Neal is desired by the King that the gold brought into the Mint, though it be melted, shall not be preferred in coining before the silver that was brought into the Mint before it. |
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Mr. Harris shows the King two puncheons for crowns and half crowns which he thinks better than those of Roteieres. |
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They go out and the King [says he] thinks Mr. Neale should have an assistant at the King's charge, but not to take away any part of Mr. Neale's profit; and Mr. Hall to be the assistant. |
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[The King directs] Mr. Robinson's 800l. bill [of exchange drawn] from Stockholm to be paid by the Earl of Ranelagh. |
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[The King directs the payment of] 91l. for the ransom of 350 Scots taken by a privateer. |
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[Likewise of] 516l. for 43 recruit horses for Eppinger's Dragoons. |
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[Ibid. p. 150.] |
| Feb. 21. Afternoon. Treasury Chambers, Whitehall. |
Present: Lord Godolphin, Sir Stephen Fox, Chancellor of the Exchequer. |
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Aaron Smith is called in concerning Wyke Parker's estate. He says Mr. Bury did own the title was good for 8,000l. to Wyke Parker's estate and that he (as Mr. Smith understands him) offered it again and again, particularly at the Attorney General's;
but the Attorney General did not think well of it till the answers were put in; and that 2,000l. was due for interest of that 8,000l. He said Mr. Bury made the like offer at his (Mr. Smith's) house; that Mr. Bury told him t'other day that Mr. Parker's answer should be put in forthwith. |
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My Lords tell Mr. Smith they cannot give him [Bury] any time pursuant to the King's order beyond Lady day next. |
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[My Lords order the Clerk of the Signet] to prepare a warrant for Mr. Thomas Hall to be assistant to the Master and Worker of the Mint with power to inspect and give information to the King and Treasury Lords for the better carrying on of the work of recoining the clipt moneys: [the grant to be] during the King's pleasure with the salary of—per an. payable out of the moneys appointed or to be appointed for defraying the charge of coinage in or for making of new moneys. |
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[Send] a letter to the Warden, the Master and the Comptroller of the Mint that the King intends this and that they give him [Hall] all due assistance in the performance of his trust. |
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The Attorney General and Rupert Browne attend. Mr. Browne demands interest of 7,000l. paid and repaid for the Honor of Tutbury and Needwood Forest from 21st November, 1683–4, to 23 February, 1686–7, and [on] 3,300l. lent on a mortgage of part of the premises. He says wood may be felled to pay him or he will have a further term in Heylin's Park. He further demands 2,376l. for interest of 3,300l. and 800l. for charges. |
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[My Lords decide that] Mr. Browne is to make some proposal against Monday next which may be most easy [for the King and at the same time] for his own satisfaction. |
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Send to the [Principal] Officers of the Ordnance and Mr. Bertie to be here on Monday about paying for the saltpetre bought in Holland. |
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[My Lords direct their Secretary] to complete the proportion of [the sum directed to the Navy Treasurer for] the Wear and Tear, out of the Land Tax. |
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The Excise Commissioners and Mr. Duncomb attend. He says whether his [surety] bond as Excise Cashier be lost or not he'll take no advantage of that and for the money that Mr. Reynoldson run away with he submits himself to my Lords and will pay it if they order it so. |
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My Lords think it very reasonable that the present Commissioners of Excise have security from Mr. Duncombe by a new bond and articles; and when the accounts are passed my Lords think he should have a discharge against the bond that is lost. These [new] articles and this [new] bond must relate to the time he has acted and shall act as Cashier to the present Commissioners. |
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Sir Robert Cotton and Mr. Frankland, [the Postmasters General, attend and] propose [that an additional postal charge of] one penny to the twopenny letters and one penny to the three-penny letters and [also] making some amendments of defects would raise 25,000l. or 30,000l. a year. |
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They are [directed] to attend the Attorney General about the defects. |
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[My Lords direct] the taxes of the officers of the Post Office [on salaries] not exceeding 60l. per an. for the third 4s. Aid to be repaid. |
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The Contractors for [Copper] Farthings are to change the white [or tin] farthings remaining at the Post Office [into copper farthings; the same] amounting to 250l.
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[Treasury Minute Book VIII. pp. 151–252.] |
| Feb. 26. Kensington. |
Present: Lord Godolphin, Sir Stephen Fox, Chancellor of the Exchequer, Mr. Smith. |
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Send to Mr. Hall to be at the Treasury on Friday night. |
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Acquaint the Speaker of the Commons that my Lords were under a pre-engagement to give the place of a landwaiter (now vacant) to Mr. Daniel Dobbins; but to assure him that Mr. Carpenter shall not fail to have the next [vacancy]. |
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My Lords direct the issue of 10,000l. for sea service of the Office of Ordnance: out of loans to be made by Mr. Bertie on the fourth 4s. Aid. |
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My Lords direct Lord Ranelagh and Mr. Blathwayte to be at the Treasury on Friday about the clothing of Sir Mathew Bridges' Regiment. |
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The King [comes in]. |
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[The King reads the Earl of Ranelagh's weekly memorial for money for the Forces and thereon directs as follows:] |
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that towards the 26,411l. 12s. 4d. for subsistence of the Forces in England the rest of the tallies on the fourth 4s. Aid be applied; |
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that 993l. be issued [to the Earl of Ranelagh] for the Forces in general: 693l. thereof out of purchase money for Annuities, and 300l. out of the rent of Hackney Coaches; |
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that the Transport Commissioners' demand be answered by 2,000l. a week and Mr. Burton is desired to advance 2,000l. to-morrow, to be repaid out of the credit on the Continued Impositions as soon as [the said credit be] passed [in the House of Commons]. |
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[The King directs] Mr. Heyford 100l.; |
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likewise 100l. a week to John Robins for 10 weeks; |
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likewise 300l. for the harbour at Newhaven; out of the brandy seized in Sussex. |
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Major Powers' petition is read. The King not knowing him [directs] that Lord Coningsby do give his Majesty an account of him. |
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[Ibid. p. 253.] |
| Feb. 28. Treasury Chambers, Whitehall. |
Present: Lord Godolphin, Sir Stephen Fox, Mr. Smith. |
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Lord Sherrard, Mr. Ashby and other members [of Parliament for the county of Leicester apply] for Mr. Woodcock to be Receiver of Leicestershire. |
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[My Lords decide that] Mr. Thomas Woodcock be the Receiver. |
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Mr. Hely to be considered on the first vacancy in the Customs. |
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[Send] to Mr. Neal to be here on Monday evening and to bring an account what gold is in the Mint and on what particular days it was received. |
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[Send] to the Excise Commissioners to direct their officers in the country to send up [to the Exchequer] their moneys in specie under sufficient guards and that they place the charge thereof, being reasonable, to the account of incidents. |
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[My Lords direct] Mr. Lowndes to speak to Mr. Burton to furnish the Transports [Commissioners] with 1,000l. more this week. |
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[My Lords direct Mr. Lowndes to] speak to Mr. Burton to discount the Judges' tallies. |
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[My Lords wish] to speak with Lord Ranelagh and Mr. Blathwaite on Monday. |
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[Treasury Minute Book VIII. p. 254.] |
