Draft of MINT00858 (Mint 19/2/481)

<483r>

To the Rt Honble the Ld High Treasurer of England.

May it please yor Lordp

In obedience to yor Lordps Reference of 23 November l{illeg}ast we have enquired into the Case of Mr Antony Redhead late Master & Worker of the Mint at Norwich & find it truly stated in the annexed paper on wch the said Reference is endorsed. And particularly by the Daybooks of theat Mint & the Cash books of Mr Redhead & his Clerk and another book composed & signed by the Warden of that Mint we find that Mr Redhead upon the breaking up of that Mint was indebted 2497li. 16s. 3d to Mr Blofeld for hammered money at 5s ꝑ oz.

In discharge of this Debt Mr Redhead produces three Receipts for 2500li paid to Mr Blofelds Order out of that Mint, the one dated Aug 26 1697 for 500li the other two dated Aug 30 & Sept 1 1697 for 1000li each. To wch Mr Blofeld & his friends answers that whatever summs were paid {illeg}to him or his Order out of that Mint upon such private Receipts, were intended upon the next accounting to be brought to account & set off upon the Printed Mint Tickets then payable in course & accordingly were all of them faithfully accounted for brought to account as he is ready to make oath. But the Rece{illeg}ipts were not always taken up & cancelled as they should have been, the endorsement on the printed Mint Tickets, as they conceived, imploying according to ye order & course of the Mint tha{illeg}t all summs paid untill the day of the endorsement were then accounted for & set off upon ye printed Tickets & thereby all private Receipts of such summs untill that day discharged & made voyd, wch made him & his Agents less carefull to take them up. And They say also that about three weeks after the date of the said three Receipts vizt on 22th Sept 1697 he Mr Blofeld account wth Mr Redhead & {illeg}endorsed 14922li on two Mint tickets including all summs paid to him untill that time & that is three so short a time as three weeks so great a summ as 2500l could not be forgot & yt again in December following he accounted again & endorsed 6443li. 13s. 9d on two other Mint Tickets including all further summs paid untill that day. By which Accountings & Endorsements the said three Receipts (if they be true ones) being, as they conceive, supposed to be looked upon as discharged they were not mentioned any further by Mr Redhead while that Mint stood nor for a long time after but lay neglected till he thought fit to produce thiem, as he did also some other Receipts of the same kind wch the Importers neglected to take up & cancell., & wch have bee since produced also by Mr Redhead but are no allo{illeg}wed to be voyd. &

In examining this matter we find therefore that † < insertion from the bottom of f 484v > † for preventing misrecconings an account was taken every two or three days or oftener of the monies new coyned & paid away & what remained in ye Treary whereby a misrecconing of 2500 might soon edge->ha {sic} have been discovered; that † † Mr Redhead did pay several summs of money to Mr Blofeld & some other Importers upon private Receipts without endorsing the summs upon the printed Mint Tickets unitll they camme to a general recconing upon the next Ticket or Tickets payable in course & that th{illeg}e Importers did sometimes upon such a recconing neglect to take up their Receipts: that Mr Blofeld did endorse 154922 on two Tickets 22 Sept 1697 & 6443. 13. 9 more on two others in December following as is alleged & ☉ < text from f 483r resumes > Mr Blofeld did endorse 14922li on two Tickets 22 Sept 1697 & 6443li 13s 9d mroe on two others in December following as is alleged & that Mr Redhead did not produce the said three Receipts against Mr Blofeld till afterbout Michaelmas 1699 which was two years after ☉ < insertion from the top of f 484v > ☉ & {sic} we humbly conceive those endorsements by the cuourse of the Mint {illeg}to be in full of all moneys paid upon those Thickets, so as to v{illeg}oyd ye Notes paid three Receipts unless {illeg}Mr Redhead can positively prove the payment of {illeg} more moneys {illeg} by 2500li upon the two first of those Tickets then was endorsed upon them, wch proof is wanting & would infer the crime of undue preference. We find also that those after the End{illeg}orsements those three Receipts lay neglected till {illeg}about Michaelmas 1699 wch was two years after, Mr Redhead representing that eh then found thedm amongst his papers. The Officers of that Mint for preventing misrecconings took an account every two or three days & sometimes dayly of all the moneys new coyned & paid away & of what remained in the Mint Treasury, whereby a misrecconing of 2500li would soon have been discovered: Whereas after the endorsement of 22 {illeg} Sept 1697 those three Receipts lay neglected till about Michaelmas 1699 wch was two years after Mr Redhead representing that he then found them amongst heis papers. About the same time he found also & produced {sic} < text from f 483r resumes > The monies could be overpaid upon the two first of them. Tickets without the crime of undue difference. That he <483v> representing that he then found them amongst his papers. That aAbout the same time he found also & produced also a Receipt of 1858li left in that Mint by Mr Dashwood another iImporter of publick money, but by an Affidavit of Mr Tho. Allen Clerk to the Warden of that Mint made before my Ld Chief Baron Ward on ye 3d of Iuly 1701 & by other circumstances {illeg}it appears to us that Mr Dashwood did account for that money & neglect to take up & cancell the Receip{illeg}t, as he should have done, & this is now acknowledged also by Mr Redhead. That aAbout the same time he the said Mr Redhead produced also two other Receipts of the {illeg}aforesaid Mr Blofeld besides the three above mentioned both dated in the same month of August 1697 the one for 500li & the other for 1000li, but by the afore{illeg}said Affidavit of r Allen {illeg}these summs were accounted for upon the sa{illeg}me 22th of Sept. 1697 & Mr Redhead insists no further upon them. And the said Mr Allen in the same Affidavit affirms further that he hath heard & beleives that Mr Redhead hath another Note of Mr Blofeld for 1000li & beleives that Mr Blofeld forgot to take up that Note when he accompted for ye money & signed the printed Receipt or Ticket as above: wch Note we take to be one of the three Receipts now produced by Mr Redhead. And we hear that the said Mr allen is positive that all Mr Blofelds Receipts were accounted for. And we find also that for preventing misrecconing an accoutn was taken by the Officer of that < insertion from f 484r > Mint every two or three days or oftener of the monies new coyned & paid away & what remained in the Treasury, whereby a misrecconing or deficiency of 2500li might mightwould soon have been discovered, had not those Receipts been forgotten {illeg} brought to accounted for. < text from f 483v resumes > And Mr Redhead himself affirms nothing further of their said three Receipts then that he found them amongst his papers sometime after theat Mint boke {sic} up & believes them to be truly signed by one Mr C{illeg}rowne the Age who w{illeg}as impoyed by Mr Demee the Agent of Mr Blofeld out considering all circumstances he insists not peremptorily upon them but submits them to yor Lordps wisdome. The Officers of that Mint for preventing misrecconings took an account every two or three days of all the moneys new coyned & payd away & what remained in the Treasury whereby a < insertion from f 484r > misrecconeing of {illeg} {illeg}2500li would oon have been discovered had there been money not bringingmade not those receipts bearinaccount accounted for. < text from f 483v resumes > They are in the form of private receipts so that without Mr Blofelds consent they cannot be allowed by the Auditors in discharge of Mr Blofelds Redheads debt {illeg}eitehr in Mr Redheads Acct or in that of Mr Blofelds Acct wch is now passing. And all things being considered we are < insertion from f 848r > humbly of opinion that therey have already been accompte{illeg}d for & ought not to be insisted upon any further & Mr Redhead insisted upon any further. himself does not any loger insist peremptorily upon them but submits them to yor Lordps {illeg}wisdome. < text from f 483v resumes >

We further lay before your Lordp that Mr Redhead at the conclusion of the Mint at Norwich was indebted to one Mr Chaplain a Receiver of the Land Tax for 2573oz. 5dwt of hammered money at 5s ꝑ oz the summ of 642li. 6s. 3d, & that in Mr Chaplains Accompt wch is past & declared & Quietus obteined, Mr Redhead is set insuper for thatis debt at 5s 8d ꝑ oz. And for so much as Mr Redhead < insertion from f 483r > is overcharged in this Acct we are humbly of opinion that he have allowance b{illeg}y yor Lordps Warrant in his own Acct now ready to be laid before yor Lordp. < text from f 483v resumes >

The said Mr Redhead was also indebted to Mr Briggs a Receiver of                  for 3529oz 10dwt of hammered money at 5s pr oz the summ of 882li. 7s. 6d. But the Administrators of the said Mr Briggs have passed his Accompts & obteined a Quietus without charging Mr Redhead with this debt & thence it is presumed that they haev either mislaid or lost Mr Redheads Tickets., & thereby have been dammaged in the said summ 882li. 7s. 6d

<484r>

The said Mr Redhead was indebted al{illeg}so to Mr Fendal a Receiver of Excise for 5111oz 5dwt of hammered money at 5s ꝑ oz the summ of 1277li. 16s. 3d & the Mr Clark another Receiver of Excise the same of for 1724oz 10dwt of hammered money at 5s ꝑ oz the summ of 431li. 2s. 6d & to Mr Thorowgood a Receiver of                for 161oz 5dwt of hammered money & Plate at 5s ꝑ oz the summ of 40li. 6s. 3d. For all wch summs his printed Notes Tickets stand out against him.

These are the Particulars of Mr Redheads debts for silve{illeg}r Importerd amounting in the whole to, 5777l.

All wch is mist humbly submitted to yor Lordps

great Wisdome.

seing therefore that Mr Bl upon accounting 22 Sept 97 Mr Blofeld did ne{illeg}glect to take up some of his Notes receipts then accounted for, it may be suspected that ye three now produced were of that number. he neglected to take up the rest amongst wch are the three now produced. For the said Mr Allen in

The said Mr Redhead was also indebted to three other Receivers Mr Fendal Mr Clark & Mr Thorowgood in the respective sum{illeg}ms of 1277li. 16s 3d. 431li. 2s. 6d & 40li 6s 23d for all wch his printed Tickets stand out against him. And all these & all the other debts above mentioned for silver Imported amount to 5772li. 15s. 0d. part of wch debt has arisen from the application for the Importers money to other services of that Mint for wch h{illeg}e is to {illeg}have allowance in his Acct now ready to be laid before yor Lordp.

<484v>

☉ & {sic} we humbly conceive those endorsements by the course of the Mint {illeg}to be in full of all moneys paid upon those Thickets, so as to v{illeg}oyd ye Notes paid three Receipts unless {illeg}Mr Redhead can positively prove the payment of {illeg} more moneys {illeg} by 2500li upon the two first of those Tickets then was endorsed upon them, wch proof is wanting & would infer the crime of undue preference. We find also that those after the End{illeg}orsements those three Receipts lay neglected till {illeg}about Michaelmas 1699 wch was two years after, Mr Redhead representing that eh then found thedm amongst his papers. The Officers of that Mint for preventing misrecconings took an account every two or three days & sometimes dayly of all the moneys new coyned & paid away & of what remained in the Mint Treasury, whereby a misrecconing of 2500li would soon have been discovered: Whereas after the endorsement of 22 {illeg} Sept 1697 those three Receipts lay neglected till about Michaelmas 1699 wch was two years after Mr Redhead representing that he then found them amongst heis papers. About the same time he found also & produced

× And that {illeg}a payment of 2500li could not be forgot in three weeks time, & if it had been forgot in ye recconning 22 Sept. {illeg}so great a deficiency made at once in the Treasury of the Mint could not have escaped the observation of Mr Redhead & his Clerk & ye other Officers & Clerks of that Mint who took a frequent acct of ye paymts & money remaining in the Treary.

† for preventing misrecconings an account was taken every two or three days or oftener of the monies new coyned & paid away & what remained in ye Treary whereby a misrecconing of 2500 might soon ha {sic} have been discovered; that † † Mr Redhead did pay several summs of money to Mr Blofeld & some other Importers upon private Receipts without endorsing the summs upon the printed Mint Tickets unitll they came to a general recconing upon the next Ticket or Tickets payable in course & that th{illeg}e Importers did sometimes upon such a recconing neglect to take up their Receipts: that Mr Blofeld did endorse 154922 on two Tickets 22 Sept 1697 & 6443. 13. 9 more on two others in December following as is alleged & ☉