'Articles made the 25th day of ffebruary [...] 1701 Between Isaac Newton Esqr Master and Worker of his Maties Mint of the one part And Phillip Shales of London Gen. on the other part'
Articles made the 25th. day of February in the Fourteenth yeare of the Reigne of Our Lord William the Third by the Grace of God of England Scotland France and Ireland King defender of the faith etca annoque Domini 1701 Between Isaac Newton Esqr. Master and Worker of his Majesties Mint of the one part And Phillip Shales of London Gentleman of the other part
Whereas the said Isaac Newton hath entertained the said Phillip Shales as Melter to his Majesties Mint Now these present Articles doe Witnesse And the said Phillip Shales for himselfe his Executors and Administrators Doth by these presents covenant undertake and agree to and with the said Isaac Newton his Executors and Administrators that the said Phillip Shales his Executors or Assignes at all times hereafter (dureing such time as the said Isaac Newton shall entertain the said Phillip Shales as Melter to his Majesties said Mint) shall and will at his own proper costs and charges will Sufficiently and workmanlike Melt and cast into clean Barrs fitt to be made into money all such Standard Gold and Silver Ingots Allay and Scissell as at any time or times hereafter shall be delivered unto him or his assignes by the said Isaac Newton or his Assignes by Weight at the Ballance in the Offices of his Majesties said Mint And also shall and will at like own like proper costs & charges at all times hereafter dureing such time as the said Isaac Newton shall entertain him the said Office of Melter remelted or cause to be remelted and cast into Like clean Barrs fitt to be made into money as aforesaid All the Gold and Silver Scissel which shall at any time or times be made in the makeing of money out of the said clean Barrs and shall be returned by the Provost and Corporation of the Moneyers of his Majesties said Mint unto the said Isaac Newton or his Assignes And by the said Isaac Newton or his Assignes returned and delivered unto the said Phillip Shales or his Assignes to be remelted as aforesaid and shall and will continue soe to doe untill the same be made into money And that neither the said Phillip Shales nor any person or persons by or under him to be employ'd in or about the premisses shall at any time or times add unto diminish from or in any manner or measure whatsoever embest the weight or fineness of the mettle of Gold Silver allay or Scissell which shall be delivered to him as aforesaid to be melten and that the said Phillip Shales at his own proper cost and Charges shall and will buy and provide all melting potts both for Gold and Silver And all Shashes Charcoale Sand Patterns and all other necessarys whatsoever used or to be used in and about the said Melting of the Gold and Silver and casting the same into Clean Barrs fitt to be made into money as aforesaid and shall and will pay and Satisfie all Moulders Labourers and other Artificers employ'd in and about the said Worke And that he the said Phillip Shales his Executors or assignes shall and will from time to time and at all times hereafter well and finely returne and redeliver or cause to be returned + redilvered unto the said Isaac Newton or his Assignes All the said Ballance by weight the same full and entire Weight and quantity of standard Gold and Silver cast into such Clean Barrs as aforesaid as shall be delivered to him or his assigned by the said Isaac Newton or his Assignes in Gold and Silver Ingots Allay or Scissell to be melten as aforesaid And also shall and will from time to time and at all times hereafter dureing the Continuance of these presents bear Susteyn and make good unto the said Isaac Newton or his Assignes all Losse or Wast of Standard Gold or Silver that shall be or come by meanes of the Melting and casting the same into such cleane Barrs as aforesaid And that he the said Phillip Shales his Executors or assignes shall and will monthly upon the last Wednesday of every Callendar Month dureing the continuance of these presents State and make up his Acompts unto and with the said Isaac Newton or his Assignes as well of all Standard Gold and Silver Ingotts allay and Scissel which by him or his Assignes shall be received from the said Isaac Newton or his Assignes as of all Standard Gold and Silver by him or his Assignes melted and cast into clean Barrs as aforesaid + by him or them delivered and returned unto the said Isaac Newton or his assignes at the said Ballance And at the same time shall and will give satisfaction and make payment unto the said Isaac Newton or his assignes for all the Wast of Gold and Silver that shall be made as aforesaid or shall be found wanting of the entire weight of Gold or Silver delivered him or his Assignes as aforesaid.
And the said Isaac Newton for and in Consideration of the Covenants Articles and agreements herein before contained which on the part and behalfe of the said Phillip Shales his Executors and Assignes are to be kept done and performed doe by these present Covenant to and with the said Phillip Shales That he the said Isaac Newton or his assignes shall and will monthly upon the Stateing and makeing up of such accompts and aforesaid And upon giveing and makeing such Satisfaction for Wast as aforesaid dureing his continuance of such employment of the said Phillip Shales in the premisses content and pay unto the said Phillip Shales or his Assignes the full summe of one shilling and a penny of lawfull money of England for every pound weight Troy of Gold moneys that shall be made coyned and delivered unto the said Isaac Newton or his assignes by the said Provost and Corporation of Moneyers or their Assignes at the Ballance in the said Office, And threepence half penny of like lawfully coined money of England for every pound weight troy of Silver moneys that shall be made coined and delivered as aforesaid And also shall and will soon after the ensealing and delivery of these Presents permitt and Suffer him the said Phillip Shales to take into his Custody and use for the employment aforesaid the Melting Potts tooles utensills and Materialls mentioned and expressed in a Schedule and Apraisement thereof hereunto annexed MWN{illeg}th said Melting potts tooles Vtensills and Materialls the said Phillip Sales doth by these presents for himself his heires Executors and Administrators Covenant with the said Isaac Newton his Executors and Administrators to returne and redeliver unto him or his Assignes at the end or at the determination of his being Master Worker of the said Office of the Employment of him the said Phillip Shales in the premisses which shall first happen in as good Condition as now they are or else shall and will make full Satisfaction for the same according to the said Inventory and Apraisement here unto annexed.
And further the said Isaac Newton doth Covenant to and with the said Phillip Shales by these Presents that he the said Isaac Newton shall and will likewise soon after the ensealing and delivery of these presents assigne unto the said Phillip Shales or permitt him to have the use of such Houses Roomes and Offices within his Majesties Mint as are now used for the performing and doeing of the said Worke of Melting and Casting and for keeping of Charcoale Sand and other Materialls used in or about the said Worke and shall and will at all times hereafter dureing the Continuance of these Presents as often as need shall be and require cause the same to be repaired and amended at his Majesties proper Costs and Charges And further that the said Phillip Shales doth for himself his Heires Executors and Administrators Covenant with the said Isaac Newton his Executors and Administrators at the end or determination of his being Master Worker of the said Office or of the Employment of him the said Phillip Shales in the Premisses which shall first happen quietly and peaceably to yield and deliver up the said Houses Roomes and Offices unto the said Isaac Newton or his assignes.
Provided alwaies and it is agreed by and between the said Partys that if at any time or times hereafter dureing the Continuance of these presents it shall happen that any Potts or Potts of Gold or Silver prove eager or not Standard being duely and truely melten by the said Phillip Shales or his Assignes as they ought to be that the same shall be remelted at his Majesties proper Costs and Charges In Witnesse whereof the Partys abovementiond to these present Indentures have intermanagably let their hands and Seales the day and year first abovewritten.
The Inventory and Appraisement of Tooles and Vtensills belonging to the Melting Houses in his Majesties Mint in the Tower of London Appraised by Edward Silvester and Peter Johnson the Eighth of December 1681
In the Silver Melting house | ||||||||
li | s | d | li | s | d | |||
Impres | One Large Silver Melting pott | 29 | 0 | 0 | Two Casting Ladles with handles | 0 | 4 | 0 |
One Cast plate of Iron | 2 | 15 | 2 | One Ingott to cast the assay in | 0 | 1 | 8 | |
One wrought plate of Iron | 1 | 0 | 8 | One Iron rodd to hang the beame and Stale on | 0 | 4 | 4 | |
One Iron barr Sweepe and two Potts of Iron | 1 | 6 | 0 | |||||
One Cross Crane and Chain of Iron | 3 | 8 | 0 |
In the Gold Melting house | ||||
Four Doggs and four feet of Iron | 5 | 10 | 0 | Two white Melting Potts | 0 | 1 | 6 | |
Four Iron Barrs | 1 | 10 | 0 | One Iron Counter Cover | 0 | 3 | 0 | |
One Ring of Iron | 1 | 8 | 0 | Two Iron Covers for small potts | 0 | 1 | 0 | |
One Iron Bottome | 0 | 6 | 0 | One pair of Large Sheirs | 1 | 0 | 0 | |
One Iron Frame for a furnace | 5 | 14 | 0 | Forty two Pott Lidds | ||||
One Iron Coale Keepe | 4 | 10 | 0 | One hundred and Fifty Sturrers | ||||
One Iron Counter Cover | 0 | 7 | 0 | Light Iron Barrs | 0 | 6 | 0 | |
One Iron Bottom Ring | 2 | 6 | 4 | Three pair of bow Tongs | 0 | 9 | 0 | |
Two uncovering Irons and Iron Coale Rake | 1 | 3 | 6 | One pair of Grasphing Tongs | 0 | 3 | 0 | |
Two Iron Stems for a Ladle | 0 | 12 | 6 | One fending Iron for the back | 0 | 4 | 6 | |
To Iron Ladles | 0 | 4 | 0 | One fending Iron for the Loggs | 0 | 3 | 6 | |
One other bottom Ring | 0 | 3 | 0 | One Cover for the Furnace | 0 | 10 | 0 | |
One upper Iron Ring | 1 | 18 | 8 | Two Chargeing Ladles | 0 | 1 | 6 | |
Two pair of Tongs | 0 | 15 | 0 | One Rake | 0 | 3 | 0 | |
One large pair of Sheirs | 2 | 8 | 0 | One Padlock for the Chest | 0 | 1 | 0 | |
Fifty Cases of Molds | 48 | 0 | 0 | One great Chest | 0 | 1 | 6 | |
Sixteen Patternes for Crowns of Brass | 4 | 1 | 0 | One Wooden Trough | 2 | 0 | 0 | |
Sixteen Brass Patternes for half Crowns | 3 | 4 | 0 | Two pott Lidds | 0 | 2 | 0 | |
Two great wooden troughs | 2 | 0 | 0 | |||||
One great Copper pann | 10 | 0 | 0 | |||||
One Iron Fender for the Back | 10 | 6 | 0 | |||||
One Crane of Iron | 0 | 14 | 2 | |||||
One tilting Iron | 0 | 13 | 4 | |||||
One Iron Pott Hooke | 0 | 6 | 6 | |||||
One Prokeing Iron | 0 | 1 | 6 | |||||
One pair of bow Tongs | 0 | 5 | 0 | |||||
Three Chargeing Ladles | 0 | 4 | 6 | |||||
One pair of tongs to take the Silver out of the Molds | 0 | 3 | 0 | |||||
Two Rakes | 0 | 2 | 0 |
Isaac Newton
Source
MINT 19/1/202, National Archives, Kew, Richmond, Surrey, UK25 February 1701 [= 1702], c. 1,875 words.