Detailed list of grievances against Lord Lucas (Lieutenant of the Tower) and his staff Isaac Newton c. 1,749 words The Newton Project Oxford 2016 Newton Project, University of Oxford

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 Before 27 July 1697, c. 1,749 words. Treasury

Printed in NC, 4: 242-6.

Asserts the traditional exemption by royal warrant of the Mint and its personnel from the jurisdiction of the Tower, and complains of the arrest on Mint territory of Mint labourer Philip Atherton by a constable of the Tower. Graphic account of a fight between a Tower guard and the son of a porter of the Mint, which nearly degenerated into a public riot. Lucas demands free access to all Mint properties including the workers' houses, and has twice, without consulting the Mint officers, searched the house of [former assistant engraver] James Roettier on the pretext that the exiled King James was said to have been seen there. The Mint cannot vouch for the security of its equipment and stocks of gold and silver if constables of the Tower are permitted to 'invade' it at will. The Tower guards 'begin to be rather a grievance then security unto us'. A lock on the press-room door was broken open, presumably with the guard's connivance. A drunken officer attempted to force entry into a Mint house and attacked a servant, while a Tower guard stood by. Lucas has authorised his soldiers to fire on Mint personnel if provoked, and forbidden food or drink to be brought into the Tower for Mint workers in the melting house or press-room. The workers have responded by cutting production by a third and are threatening to go on strike. Lucas claims he is acting within his authority, and the Treasury are requested to inspect the statutes and give a clear ruling on the respective rights and privileges of the Tower and the Mint.

 MINT 19/3/409-10, National Archives, Kew, Richmond, Surrey, UK UKSurreyKew, RichmondNational Archives MINT 19/3/409-10 Before 27 July 1697 England English Holograph Unknown Hand MintRights and Privileges of the Mint MintCorrespondence Catalogue information compiled by Rob Iliffe, Peter Spargo & John Young Catalogue exported to teiHeader by Michael Hawkins Transcribed by Will Scott Will Scott finished transcription

To the RtRight HonbleHonourable yethe LdsLords CommrsCommissioners of his MatiesMajesties TrearyTreasury.

May it please yoryour LopsLordships

We yethe Warden Master Worker & Controller of his MatiesMajesties Mints do most humbly represent ytthat his MatyMajesty doth will by orour Charter confirmed by many Kings for above five hundred years past thall the Officers Workers Moneyers & other Ministers of the Mints are incorporated throughout all England into one body under yethe Government of a Warden with freedome from Arrests & other great Privileges & without subjection of our Corporation to yethe particular Government or Iurisdiction of yethe Tower &of London or its liberties. And that the Kings of England have given us yethe ground & houses between the Lines in the said Tower not out of their royal favour & for orour greater security & not to deprive us of those their alsootherother royal grants above mentioned & bring us into subjection trouble & danger & strongstress. And also that his MatyMajesty by the Indenture made between himself & the Master & Worker of the Mint doth will & streightly charge all officers of the Tower that all yethe Officers of yethe Mint & their servants & all importers of gold & silver shall have free ingress & regress & issue by the Gates & through yethe same Tower & Franchises thereof inward & outward at all times without any arresting disturbance letting or gainsaying of the chief Governour Constable Lieuetenant or the Porter or any other Officer or Person whatsoever he be for any manner of debt matter or cause whatsoever it be & without any thing given to any of them or to any other to have such entry or issue.

And we further represent to your Lordships that we have at all times in every thing shewed due respect to my Lord Lucas as chief Governour of yethe Tower [& are not conscious to orour selves that any under Officer or Workman within orour jurisdiction has been any ways failinedg therein.] And therefore we are concerned that we should be now forced to represent to yoryour LopsLordships that on Satturday the third iInstant, Philip Atherton one of orour Labourers was apprehended in orour Melting house for debt by without the licence or knowledge of orour Warden by Roger Bayly a Constable by virtue of a Warrant of Robert Bateman Esqr one of his MayoryourtiesMajesties Iustices of yethe Peace for yethe Liberties of yethe Tower backt with another WarrtWarrant of my Lord Lucas & is now detained in New Prison from yethe Kings service. And that on the same day one of the Warders, to let out of the Mint some people wchwhich he had brought in, seized the Gate of yethe Mint & took yethe Porters son by the collarthroat; whence arose a fray between them wchwhich caused such a tumultuous concourse of people as rendred yethe money unsafe wchwhich was then coming down the street of the Mint in Trays & ytthat yethe said Warder threatens revenge upon the Porters son wherever 409he meets him & my Lord Lucas himself threatens further without any regard to orour Privileges to sue orour Porter for yethe same. (in opposition ofnotwithstanding his MatiesMajesties commands will & pleasure command to yethe contrary exprest in yethe Charter & Indenture of the Mint) to suesue orour Porter for the same, saying that orour Privileges do exempt us from law

And we further represent to yoryour LopsLordships that othe Centryinals lately appointed to guard the door of the Engravers working room where the Dies & Puncheons were are were seized & kept by the Warden had orders to permit entrance as well to my Lord Lucas as to yethe Warden And that orour Engraver Mr Harris having sollicited my Lord to turn Mr Roettiers family out of the Mint & my Lord having divers times prest the Warden to do it & threatned to apprehend Mr IJames Roettiers & at length an OathInformation being made by one of their acquantance that King IJames was theren seen in Mr Roettiers House, My Lord did thereupon seize the Gates of the Mint & search Mr Roettiers house two several days without giving notice to any Officer of the Mint of his intended search, & now demands a list of the names of all persons belonging to yethe Mint, in order to search their houses at pleasure, under pretence that they entertein such lodgers as belong not to yethe Mint & are dangerous to yethe Tower. Where as his MatyMajesty by yethe Indenture of the Mint places in the Officers of yethe us the care of enquirying after such as live or inhabit therein yethe Mint without our licence or other right & impowers us to turn them out, & military searches without us have not hitherto been used so far as we know, nor are necessary to yethe safety of the Tower the Mint being shut up on all sides by the Lines & we being ready to search either alone or wthwith his LopLordship upon notice of any danger, & if military searches without us should be now allowed & Constables let in upon us at pleasure we cannot undertake any longer the charge of the Dyes & Puncheons & Marking Engins & other coyning Tools & of the Gold & Silver wchwhich lyes scattered about in all the rooms apperteining to yethe coynage, nor will Merchants & other Importers think their estates secure in the Mint. We were placed in yethea TowerGarrison not that yethe Exchange & Treasury of yethe Nation might not be invaded by our Guards but guarded in our custody from all manner of invasion.

And we further represent that yethe Centinals begin to be rather a grievance then security to us. The Press-room about a fortnight ago was in danger of being robbed a Thief getting in & breaking open a lock to yethe money without being disturbed by the Centinalsone of yethe Locks of the door being broken, wchwhich makes a suspicion wchwhich makes a suspicion that he that yethe Centinal was at leastprivy to it, so that the Moneyers are now fain to lodge two Labourers in yethe Press room for their security wchwhich they never didthought necessary to do before. And about the same time two of our houses being greatly disturbed at Midnight by a drunken CaptainOfficer upon the Guards who drew his sword brake yethe window & would have forced himself into one of yethe houses & running after one of orour servants made a pass at him & ran him through yethe cloaths & a Centinal being called either to come to their assistance or to call his Corporall with a File of Musketeers, the Centinal would not stirnor call. And when a Corporal & File of Musketeers wasere called by another person, the Captain endeavoured to perswade a by-stander to beare false witness for turning the blame upon our men. And my Lord Lucas instead of being told the truth of such matters is only informed by the soldiers that our men get drunk & affront the Centinals, & being very forward to beleive & aggravate complaints against us, has thereupon such informations ordered the Centinals to fire at us. Whereas heretofore the Centinals used not to be set singly as now, but to walk yethe Mint-street all night in a body strong enough to apprehend any drunken or excess-graineddisorderly person without firing at him. And For why should we lose a good Artificer forupon pretence of his being drunk, when yethe best are most addicted to ytthat crime & it was never yet made death? Or why should every Centinal be impowered under any feigned pretence to shoot his enemy or any other man that complains, whereif such bloody discipline may safely be avoyded? Or why should yethe people who live in yethe Mint be so terrified as to in line their to leave their habitations in it to yethe neglect of yethe Kings service & insecurity of the treasure.

And we are further constrained to represent that the Warden on thursday last about these things telling my Lord Lucas the misedemeanours committed in the Mint by theis drunken CaptainOfficer, his LopLordship & the Deputy Governour together did the next day being Friday give strict charge to yethehis Warders not to suffer either meat or drink to be brought into yethe Tower to workmen in the Melting-house or Press-room, & that if any were sent for, they should take it away from the messengers & give it to the soldiers, his LordpLordship pretending that the workmen abused the same to excess & sell it to others, (which we never heard of) & ytthat his Warders have an unreasonable trouble in examining persons that go in & out.. And this b order being strictly put in execution gave so great discontent to yethe workmen, that but for yethe perswasion of the Officers of the Mint they would have left off their work that day & did not their full days work on Saturday& the two next days & yesterday instead of nine nine potts were not able to melt above six being obligd to do a necessity of drinking & say they (must leave off can none can willwork no more unless they may have speedy redress. But whether his LopLordship gave this order by way of recrimination or for any other reason we know not.

And we are further to acquaint yoryour LopsLordships that my Lord Lucas represents that he doth not invade the Privileges of the Mint but that yethe power wchwhich he useth over us is asserted by ancient Records & Court Rolls preserved in the Tower, as if orour Cooperation ought suit & service to them.

All wchwhich we most humbly praydesire yoryour LopsLordships according to your great wisdomes to take into serious consideration in order to orour releife & pray that for comparing these differences & the Records & Court Rolls alledged by wchwhich his LopLordship acts may be produced & compared with orour Charter & Indenture & with yethe reason of both constitutions & the rights between the Tower & the Mint thence adjusted stated & limited so that both parties may know their Duties Privileges & Powers in respect of each other for conserving a good correspondence & friendship between them for the future & that what has hitherto been done by mistake been done against us may not be drawn into precedent hereafter.

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