Copy of Privy Seal renewing warrants granting the personal property of coinage offenders to the Mint warden, and authorising the disposal of their real estate by the Treasury for rewards to informers
William and Mary by ye Grace of God King and Queen of Engld, Scotld, France & Irld, Defr. of ye Faith &c. To Our Comrs. of the Treary now being, and to the Trear and under Trear of Our Excheqr. or Comrs. of Our Treary for ye time being, And to the Warden of Our Mint now and for ye time being, and to all Others whome this may concern Greeting. Whereas Our Late Royall Vncle King Charles the second, and the Late King Iames ye Second, by severall Ltres under ye Privy Seal did give Encouragemt. for ye discovery and Prosecuteing the offences of Coyning and Clipping, and other Crimes wch are frequently com̄itted in relacon to ye Coyn or Money of this Realm; which Lres of Privy Seale are determined. But Wee being nevertheless gratiously disposed to administer all fitting means tending to the suppression of ye said Offences, wch abound to ye unsufferable dam̄age of {illeg}Vs, and Our People, Have thought fit to give and grant, And do hereby give and grant, to you ye Warden of Our Mint, now, or for ye time being, and to such Deputies or Agents, as You ye sd Warden now or for the time being shall constitute for this purpose under yor hand and Seale, full Power and Authority (in Our Names) to take, seize, ask, demand, sue for, recover & receive all Clippings Clipped, and false Money, and also all Tools, and Materialls belonging to Clippers, Counterfeiters Debasors of Our Coyn, and other Offendrs. Against our Laws relateing to Our Coyn or Money or Money of this Realme, Which are or shall be found or discovered, in Our Kingdome of Engld, Dominion of Wales, or Town of Berwick upon Tweed; of or from any Sheriffs Officers or other Persons whtsoever haveing, or who shall name the same in Custody, or wheresoever they or any of them may be found, For which you ye said Warden shall render an Accot. to Vs, from time to time, upon yor Corporall Oath: And Wee doe hereby declare and appoint, that these Presents and ye Acquittance or Acquittances of you the sd Warden, now or for the time being, or of ye said Agents, or Deputies under You, acknowledging ye Rect. or Rects. of ye said Clippings Clipped, and False Moneys, Tooles and Materialls aforesd. or any of them, shall from time to time be good and sufficient discharges to the said sheriffs, or any others delivering the same, agt. Vs our Heres {sic} & Successors. And wee doe hereby Impower you, ye said Warden, now, or for ye time being, out of, or with such Clippings Clipped, or false Money, Tooles, or Materialls, or the Vallues or Proceeds th{illeg}ereof, from time to time, to satisfie such Persons as shall be instrumentall from time to time, in discovering or ꝑsecuteing the said Offendrs. for their Charges there in, with such allowances or Rewards for their Good Service, as you the Comrs. of Our Treary or ye Chancellour or under <428v> Trear of Our Excheqr now being, or Trear or Comrs. of Our Treary, or ye Chancellour or Vnder Trear of Our {illeg}Exchequer for ye time being, in ye discrecon shall think fitt; for which you are hereby Authorized to issue yor Warrants, or Orders, from time to time. And You the said Warden of the Mint now or for the time being, Are hereby directed and required from time to time, to give Accots. of yor doeing in ye performance of ye sd service to the Comrs. of Our {illeg}Treasury, Chancellour & Vnder Trar of Our Excheqr., now being and to the Trear or Comrs. of Our Treary, Chancellour and Vnder Trear of Our Excheqr for ye time being, and to observe such Orders, as they shall at any time think fit to make therein, for Our Service. And wee doe further by these prsents give full power and Authority to you the said Commrs of Our Treary now being, and to the Trear of Comrs of ye Treary for ye time being to cause any other Estate, or Ready Money, Goods, Chattells, Plate, debts, specialties or other Matters, or things belonging to such Offenders as aforesaid, which are or shall be found or discovered within Our Kingdome of Engld, Dominion of Wales, or Town of Berwick upon Tweed, to be delivered or paid over from time to time upon the respective Convicons of such Criminalls or Offendrs. by the sheriffs or by any Debtrs or others haveing or yt shall or may have ye same in Custody or be Chargeable therewith, unto ye Warden of our Mint, or (in case you shall otherwise appoint) to such Persons or Persons, as you shall think fit to entrust them with for Our Vse and upon Account before rendered to be rendered to Vs, for the same And also to cause such Goods, Chattells, Plate, Debts, Specialties, or other Matters, or things, or by or any of the proceed to be sold for ye most yt can be made thereof, and by or out of the said ready Money, Goods, Chattells, Plate, debts, Specalties or other Matters, or things or by, or out, of ye proceed ariseing by Sale of them or any of them as aforesaid, to satisfie ye said Wardens of Our Mint or any other Person or Persons, who have bin or shall be instrumentall in the discovery or prosecucon of such Offendrs. as aforesaid, Or Employed, or used, in or about the same, all such Charge and Expences, wch they or any of them have disbursd or layd out, or shall or may disburse or lay out, for or in Order to such Discovery or prosecucon, or any way relateing thereunto with such, Allowances, or Rewards for their Good services performed or to be performed to Vs in the premisses as to you in yor discretions or shall seem meet, the same Charges Expences Allowances or Rewards to <429r> be paid and allowed from time to time by Warrts. of you the said Comrs. of Our Treary now being, or the Trear or Comrs. of ye Treary for the time being, which you are hereby Authorized to issue in that behalfe. And Lastly in case any such Offenders Convicted, or to be Convicted, as aforesaid within our said Realme of Engld, Dominion of Wales, and Town of Berwick upon Tweed, or any Person or Persons in Trust for or to the use of such Offender {sic}, is or shall be seized or Possessed of any Mannors. Lands Tenemts. Annuities Rents or other Hereditamts. or of any Estate Right Title Interest Trust Terme or Proffitt whatsoever of, in, to, or out of any Mannors. Lands Tennemts. Anuities Rents or other Hereditamts., wch are, shall, or may be forfeited unto Vs, by or upon Such Convicon, That then and in every such Case, We do hereby Invest you ye said Comrs. of Our Treary, Chancellour and Vnder Trear of Our Excheqr, now being, And ye Trear or Comrs. of Our Treary Chancellour and Vnder Trear of Our Exchequer for ye time being, with full power And Authority. And you are hereby Impowered, and Authorized to cause Leases or Grants, under Our Excheqr seale or otherwise, to be made and passed to such Person or Persons as you shall judge fitt. And all mMoney Rents, or Proffitts ariseing thereby, to be disposed off {sic}, to such discoverers and Prosecutors of the said Offences, in such Manner and Proporcon, as you shall think reasonable, for the Encouragemt. & Compensacon, of his, her or their Charge and good service herein. Given under Our Privy Seale at Our Pallace of Westmr. the sixteenth day of February, in the fifth Year of Our Reigne.
I Mathew
Iunij 16°. 1696
Irrotutitur hoc Bre do privato sigillo in, Memorand, turjus Sccij
Rx pte Remem Thes.
Ed: Ward
Irr in Mem Dis Sccij Rex apud Westmr. Stilt inter Cora de tertio Ste Teinit Anno viij RRx Guliolnn tertij ex pte Remem Tlies 1696
I. Tayleure.
<429v>Coppy of his Maties. Lres Privy Seale to ye Warden of the Mint &ca. dat 16 Feb. Anno Rin 5°.
Source
MINT 19/1/428-9, National Archives, Kew, Richmond, Surrey, UK16 February 'in the fifth year of our [William's and Mary's] reigne' [i.e. 1694], c. 1,369 words.