The smith's house has probably belonged to the Ordnance since the latter's creation

<429r>

Extract of a Letter form the Board of Ordnance dated the 13th. of February 1699 to the Rt Honble the Lords Comissioners of his Majesty's

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 yr Lordps of above 120 years uninterrupted possession, and that the Office have from time to time repair'd it; and We can't imagine the Officers of the Mint can give yr Lordps any tollerable reasons that 'tis at this time for his Majtyes service for them to have the Smiths house &ca — when they did so 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 ye— And it is very well known, that several 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 ye Mint has now a House & several Forges sufficient for all their busine{illeg}ss.

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 Febry 1577 by the Officers of the same for several Repairs necessary to be done to ye Mar Smiths house, with an Acct of the Men & Materials that were to be Employ'd in that service.

I the 9th Year of Queen Eliza dated the 3d of May A Grant was made to William & Martin Hopkins to be Mr. Smiths to ye Toer, the said Martin dyed the 16th of Iuly 1606, to Enjoy the Fee of 8d ꝑ Diem, ac Mansion Domibus proficuis &ca

<429v>

In the 43d of Queen Eliza 18th of Iune, Letters Pattents were granted to Thomas Pdasso for ye place of Mar Smith of all the Iron Works within ye Tower of London, to hold the same during his Life at 8d ꝑ Diem, ac Mansion Domibus proficuis &ca

King Iames by his Lettr Patents dated ye 25th of Novr in the 21st: year of his Reign, grants to Lewis Tayte the said place of Mar Smith of all the Iron works within ye Tower of London, to hold ye same during his lifeac Mansion Domibus proficuis, Emolumentis &ca.

King Charles the 1st By his Letters Patents ye 17th of Augt: in the 16th Year of his Reign, grants to Thos: Hodgskins the said place of Master Smith within ye Tower of London at the Fee of 8d ꝑ Diem, ac Mansion Domibus proficuis Emolumentis &ca

Mr William Smith aged 58 years Clerk to Thomas Hodgskinns Mar Smith to ye Tower in the years 1665 & 1666, saith, that Mr Hodgskinns lived & inhabited in ye in ye Mint 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 ye said Office, & that Mr 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 ye said Place. He further saith that in the year 52 being then about 11 years old, he knew that Mr Hodgskinns then Lived in the said House & workt to the Office of Ordnance.

<430r>

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 ye same, between the Officers of the 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 hamered short, Crows of Iron &ca & fetching them & other stores into ye 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{illeg}t 60 years ago 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 did till few years since, which was always looked on to belong to ye said Office & claim'd, as he heard of by the Office of the Mint or any other.

Robert Bennet Mar Purveyr for sea service to this Office aged about 70 years saith, that for abou{illeg}t 40 years he hath known that the Smith to the Office of Ordnance Lived in the House in the Mint in the Tower, wch is now claim'd by the Officers of the Mint, and that it was always Esteem'd to belong to the Office of Ordnance.

<430v>

Edwd 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 comanded to go to the Smiths of this Office in the Mint in Tower to assist in Proving & weighing Double headed hamer'd Shott, Crows of Iron &ca for his Majtys service, and this He did as well in the shine of Mr Hodgskinns as Mr Silvesters late Mar Smith to this Office, and that the {illeg}House, shop &ca 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 ye house in the Mint now claim'd by the Mint, & did several works for repairing ye House & Ships thereunto for ye service of 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 ye Tower to View whether another place in the Tower might be found for the Smith of this Office as convenient, as that upon occasion of Esqr Slingsby who was the Mar Worker of the Mint & wou'd have the Smith of this Office out from thence_ what Resolution was taken he knows not, But the Smith of this Office still continued there without any distubrbance