Indignant denial of the charges levelled in MINT00813 (Mint 19/3/409-10)

<386r>

My Lords

I have by yor. Lopps: orders had a Copy of a scandalous and untrue paper delivrd to yor: Lopps: Containing the Complaint of ye Warden, and Mastr Worker of the Mint agt: me and my administracon of the Governmt: of the Tower, wch: if true, I should have been ashamed to have made any Answer or Iustification of my selfe, But as every mttr: of fact Concerning me, herein is grosely untrue, and many of their Scandalous, and such as I believe, were never before, (to groundlessly) presumed to be Offer'd to yor. Lopps: agt: any man whatsoever so (besides the other reparacon wch: I am advized to seek for) I hope Yor: Lopps will as much, as in you Lyes, Iustifie and redresse me agt: those untrue Callumnies.

1th. They pretend that they and theire Officers are exempted from all Arrests, as well Criminall as for debt, and that one Atherton (one of theire Labourers) was on the third of Iuly instant, taken upon a Warrant from a Iustice of the peace of the Tower back'd by my selfe. Whereas time out of mine, and by many antient Records and books, his Maties: Court of Record of the Tower (wherein all accons whatsoever are try'd) hath Iurisdiction in the Tower and Liberties there of, and the Officers have alwayes Arrested in the Tower, by the process of that Court (as Appeares by Affidts: annexed) wch: can be deny'd to no <386v> man And Atherton was taken (for a Criminall mattr) by the Iustices Warrant, by the direction of the provost of the Mint, who sent an Officer to see it executed, wch: was with out my knowledge, or backing the Warrt, as is most untruly Suggest'd, and disprovd by the Affidt: annex'd

2ly: They pretend that on the 3d: day of Iuly instt: one Sturton (a Warder) who came into the Mint, to shewe it to two Strangers, seized the Gate, and took ye portrs: Sonn by the Throate, & occasion'd a fray wch: caus'd the mony to be unsafe and the Warder threatens revenge on the porters sonn, and I had caus'd the porter for be Sue'd for the same Whereas it appeares by sevrll: Affidts: annxd: that the Warder went wth: 2 persons (as is usuall) to shew the Mint where they paid 6d: at ye press roome, and well afterwards refused to be Lett out at the Gate by the Porters Sonn, and Wife, tho they offer'd 2d: a piece (when nothing was due), But was refused unless they would pay Silver, whereupon the Strangers were forced to goe another way out of the Mint, who being gonn, the Warder ask'd, if they would Stopp him, and he going to putt back the Lock, the Porters Sonn Struck, and pu{illeg}sht him, and declared that neither I nor the Warder, had any thing to do there, and the Warder Iust touching his Coate, to come out of the <387r> Tower (as they talk) the Porters Sonn, Struck the Warder on the face, and he, his father, mother, and sister, fell upon and beate the Warder who about 2 hours afterwards, told ye porter, that if he had recd: such an abuse out of the Tower, he would have {illeg}Kic'kt his Sonn, wch was all the threatning words us'd But the Warder did not take ye portrs: Sonn by ye throat, nor seize ye Gate, nor make any fray, as appears by 3 Affidts, Nor have I order'd the port to be su'd, nor can hinder ye Warder, Indicting the persons for ye assault and battery.

3dly: They pretend that ye Centinell Lately appointed to guard the doore of ye working Roome, had Orders to permitt my entrance, as well as ye Warden Whereas no such ordrs: were ever given, or executed, Nor did I knowe of any SCentinall being Appointed, untill sevrll: hours after it was done, wch: was directed by ye Deputy Governr. (in any absence) at ye request of the Warden and Masts r. Worker whose Orders the SCentinall was expressly commanded to observe as appeares by affidt: Annxd:

4thly The prtend that I twice search'd in the Mint, and seized the Gates (without notice to any of the Officrs) and millitary searches are dangerous to them and that I demand a List of ye names of all persons there, Whereas upon informacon that ye Late K: Iames was seene in Mr: Roteer's house, wch: was <387v> about 7: a Clock in the Evening. I stay'd 2: hours in which time I sent thrice, To speake wth: any of the Officers of the Mint, but Could fine none, nor the porter or any of his fammily, whereupon about 9: a Clock, my selfe, the Deputy Governr:, and a Iustice of the Peace, went into and search't Roteer's house, & 3: or 4: days after, by order of theire Excellencies ye Lords Iustices, I went again to Roteers house, & took the examinacon of all his fammily, wch: is all the Millitary or other searches that were made. And it's usually & Incumbant, & highly necessary for all ye Inhabitants in the Tower, to take the oaths to the Governmt: and for service of the Tower, at the court see{illeg}te, wch tho: often required by the Chiefe Steward, yett I have excused the Mint, they being fully employ'd. But think not fitt to doe the same any Longer, to ye prejudice of ye Antient Iurisdiction of the Tower, wch: I am sworne to obpreser{illeg}ve. Besides I have ye Lords Iustices Command to demand an Accot: of ye Inhabita{illeg}nts.

5thly: They prtend that about a fortnight since, Two of theire houses wasere disturb'd at a midnight by a Drunker Officer of the Guard, who made a pass at one of theire Servts: & endeavord to make ye bystanders {illeg} believe that the Servt: was in ye fault, and that I was (untruly) inform'd, that theire Servt: gott drunk and Affront the Centinell, & had order'd the Centinells to fire at ye Minters, And that the Centinells are not sett as Vsuall and why should they Looke a good Officer, for pretence, of his being <388r> Drunk, wch: was never yett made Death nor Centinells Impower'd to shoot his Enemy, or any others who complains of such bloody discipline, Or why should they be terrified in the Mint. Whereas I did not knowe nor ever heard of the drunken Officer, untill I was Lately inform'd by the Warden who {illeg} {illeg}could not tell me, nor Can I find out who it was, Nor have I any reason to believe the truth of the Complaint in that matter, most of ye other allegations being Scandellous Groundless and untrue. And theire prsence that Centinells are not Sett (as usually) & that I gave Orders for ye Centinells to fire at the Minters, or any others (save Genrll: Orders as have been alwayes) or allow of any bloody discipline or terrifie any Body, is most scandellous and Grosely false (as appears: by Affidts:) and for wch, and all the other abusses I doubt not but yor. Lopps will direct such measures as I may have reparacon:.

6thly: They prtend that upon Complaint to me Agt: the Drunken Offier {sic} I and the Deputy Govrn: did the next day giver Orders, not to suffer meat or Drunk to be Carried to workmen in the Mint, And to take away what should be sent to them & give it to the Soldiers, I prtending that theire workmen sell the meate and drink to others. Whereas upon Complaint made to me by ye Suttlers, That drink was brought into the Tower in potts and pitchers, and sold to the Solldiers, who were very Considerably indebted to the Suttler in ye time when theire Subsistance was not paid, and that the Soldiers now having Money, now Lay out and spend the same in drink wch: is prtended to be brought for the <388v> workmen In the Mint to prvent wch: I did Order that no person should be suffere'd to bring drink into the Tower in potts or pitchers, or to sell Virtually to the Solldiers (save the Suttlers Appointed) Besides there are Suttlers in the Mint, for supplying theire Workmen who were never hindred from brining what Meate and drink they thought fitt: And I have hear'd that the Workers in the Mint use greate disorders in drinking to excesse & selling to others, wch. ought not to be allow'd in the Tower. But I did never restraine ye Carrying of Meate or drunk to the Suttlers in the Mint, nor order the same, or any Others to be taken away, or given to the Solldiers, as is most untruly suggested in the said paper.

7thly: And such are the Insolencyes and disorders of some of the Offiers {sic} and workmen in the Mint (incouraged by their Porters and his Sonns going unpunishe'd that on Satturday ye 24th: day of Iuly: Innt: about 5: of the Clock in the afternoone, one of theire horse keepers (being almost drunk) came on a Gallop wth: 2: horses in the Sentinells Posts, at the Deputy Governours doore, and ridd agt: and thrust him to a post, and call'd him many foule Names, without any manner of provocation or reason, And the Sentinells endeavouring to keepe his Post, the horse keeper was encouraged + directed, (by one Fowles a Clerk in the Mint) to dragg the Centinell by the Eares from his Post, and shoot him through the <389r> Head, and Others of the Horse Keepers in Like maner threatened the Centinell, and in all probability had not the Deputy Governrs. Lady hear'd the Noise, and call'd to send for a Guard, they had Murther'd the Centinell, (as appeares by 2: Affidts: annxd:) But this happening whilst the Matter of the said Complaint Lyes before Yor: Lopps: I thought it not decent to doe any thing therein, untill Reprsented to Yor: Lopps. especially at to the Porter and his Sonn, and the Clerk and Horsekeepers,

And now (My Lords) haveing fully answer'd and disprov'd that Libell (wch. I think) had it not beene deliver'd to Yor Lopps; deserved no Answer in this manner. And I do submitte to Yor: Lopps whether I am obliged, upon such a Libell (so full of untruths and Scandalls) to sett forth any of the Records Roll's or Iurisdictions of the Tower, Which are as antient as any in the kingdome.

I am

[1]

My Lords

Yor: Lopps: Most

humble Servt:

Lucas