Draft of MINT00044 (Mint 19/1/121)

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<text in Clerical Hand begins>To the Rt Honble the Lords
Comrs: of his Maties Treary

May it please yor: Lordsps

In obedience to your Lordps order of reference signified to Vs by Mr Lowndes the 7th Instant upon the severall annexed Peticons for the place of Weigher and Teller of the Mint now vacant, Wee think it Our Duty first to lay before your Lordsps the Nature of the employmt t'is a Patent Office wth a salary of 90ll a year and 10ll for a Clerk the duty is to weigh in firstly all Gold and silver brought dayly into the Mint to compute the standard value and when tis coyned to pay out to the severall Goldsmiths and Merchants their Iust weight, so that the qualifications for it are not onely great honesty & constant attendance but also skill in rating and standarding, & a readiness, as well as exactness, in handling the weights, upon wch Account Wee are humbly of Opinion that such as have not been bred up to some Knowledge of the business of the Mint, can not be so well qualifyied to it, tho' otherwise very deserving persons. Mr. Brattell has liv'd long in the Mint, & assisted his Brother during some part of the recoynage in his Office of Assaymaster for wch Mr Neale allowed him a sallary of 100li ꝑ Ann. he was alsoe sometimes Employed as first Teller & weigher of ye hammered Money wth an allowance of 10s a day. The Peticonrs Mr Ford and Mr Haines Wee beleive {sic} very well qualified, & the allegations in the severall <123v> Peticonw true, Mr Haines served in the Mint, dureing the time he was Employed there very well & was two years preferr'd from there to the Excise Office, where he is at present. Mr Ford has no other employmt but in the Mint, where he now serves very carefully and honestly. As to a further Character of Mr Haines Mr Newton the Master and Worker of the Mint who knows him More particularly is better able to give your Lordshipps an Account