Indignant denial of the charges levelled in MINT00813 (Mint 19/3/409-10)

<386r>

My Lords

I have by your Lordshipps orders had a Copy of a scandalous and untrue paper delivered to your Lordshipps Containing the Complaint of the Warden, and Maser Worker of the Mint against me and my administration of the Government of the Tower, which if true, I should have been ashamed to have made any Answer or Iustification of my selfe, But as every matter of fact Concerning me, herein is grosely untrue, and many of their Scandalous, and such as I believe, were never before, (to groundlessly) presumed to be Offer'd to your Lordshipps against any man whatsoever so (besides the other reparation which I am advized to seek for) I hope Your Lordshipps will as much, as in you Lyes, Iustifie and redresse me against those untrue Callumnies.

1th. They pretend that they and theire Officers are exempted from all Arrests, as well Criminall as for debt, and that one Atherton (one of theire Labourers) was on the third of Iuly instant, taken upon a Warrant from a Iustice of the peace of the Tower back'd by my selfe. Whereas time out of mine, and by many ancient Records and books, his Majesties Court of Record of the Tower (wherein all actions whatsoever are try'd) hath Iurisdiction in the Tower and Liberties there of, and the Officers have alwayes Arrested in the Tower, by the process of that Court (as Appeares by Affidavits annexed) which can be deny'd to no <386v> man And Atherton was taken (for a Criminall matter) by the Iustices Warrant, by the direction of the provost of the Mint, who sent an Officer to see it executed, which was with out my knowledge, or backing the Warrant, as is most untruly Suggest'd, and disprovd by the Affidavit annex'd

2ly: They pretend that on the 3d: day of Iuly instant one Sturton (a Warder) who came into the Mint, to shewe it to two Strangers, seized the Gate, and took the porters Sonn by the Throate, & occasion'd a fray which caus'd the mony to be unsafe and the Warder threatens revenge on the porters sonn, and I had caus'd the porter for be Sued for the same Whereas it appeares by severall Affidavits annexed that the Warder went with 2 persons (as is usuall) to shew the Mint where they paid 6d: at the press roome, and well afterwards refused to be Lett out at the Gate by the Porters Sonn, and Wife, tho they offer'd 2d: a piece (when nothing was due), But was refused unless they would pay Silver, whereupon the Strangers were forced to goe another way out of the Mint, who being gonn, the Warder ask'd, if they would Stopp him, and he going to putt back the Lock, the Porters Sonn Struck, and pusht him, and declared that neither I nor the Warder, had any thing to do there, and the Warder Iust touching his Coate, to come out of the <387r> Tower (as they talk) the Porters Sonn, Struck the Warder on the face, and he, his father, mother, and sister, fell upon and beate the Warder who about 2 hours afterwards, told the porter, that if he had received such an abuse out of the Tower, he would have Kic'kt his Sonn, which was all the threatning words us'd But the Warder did not take the porters Sonn by the throat, nor seize the Gate, nor make any fray, as appears by 3 Affidavits, Nor have I order'd the port to be su'd, nor can hinder the Warder, Indicting the persons for the assault and battery.

3dly: They pretend that the Centinell Lately appointed to guard the doore of the working Roome, had Orders to permitt my entrance, as well as the Warden Whereas no such orders were ever given, or executed, Nor did I knowe of any Centinall being Appointed, untill severall hours after it was done, which was directed by the Deputy Governor (in any absence) at the request of the Warden and Master Worker whose Orders the Centinall was expressly commanded to observe as appeares by affidavit Annexed

4thly The pretend that I twice search'd in the Mint, and seized the Gates (without notice to any of the Officers) and millitary searches are dangerous to them and that I demand a List of the names of all persons there, Whereas upon information that the Late King James was seene in Mr: Roteer's house, which was <387v> about 7: a Clock in the Evening. I stay'd 2: hours in which time I sent thrice, To speake with any of the Officers of the Mint, but Could fine none, nor the porter or any of his fammily, whereupon about 9: a Clock, my selfe, the Deputy Governor, and a Iustice of the Peace, went into and search't Roteer's house, & 3: or 4: days after, by order of theire Excellencies the Lords Iustices, I went again to Roteers house, & took the examination of all his fammily, which is all the Millitary or other searches that were made. And it's usually & Incumbant, & highly necessary for all the Inhabitants in the Tower, to take the oaths to the Government and for service of the Tower, at the court seete, which though often required by the Chiefe Steward, yett I have excused the Mint, they being fully employ'd. But think not fitt to doe the same any Longer, to the prejudice of the Ancient Iurisdiction of the Tower, which I am sworne to preserve. Besides I have the Lords Iustices Command to demand an Account of the Inhabitants.

5thly: They pretend that about a fortnight since, Two of theire houses were disturb'd at a midnight by a Drunker Officer of the Guard, who made a pass at one of theire Servants & endeavoured to make the bystanders believe that the Servant was in the fault, and that I was (untruly) inform'd, that theire Servant gott drunk and Affront the Centinell, & had order'd the Centinells to fire at the Minters, And that the Centinells are not sett as Vsuall and why should they Looke a good Officer, for pretence, of his being <388r> Drunk, which was never yett made Death nor Centinells Impower'd to shoot his Enemy, or any others who complains of such bloody discipline, Or why should they be terrified in the Mint. Whereas I did not knowe nor ever heard of the drunken Officer, untill I was Lately inform'd by the Warden who could not tell me, nor Can I find out who it was, Nor have I any reason to believe the truth of the Complaint in that matter, most of the other allegations being Scandellous Groundless and untrue. And theire presence that Centinells are not Sett (as usually) & that I gave Orders for the Centinells to fire at the Minters, or any others (save Generall Orders as have been alwayes) or allow of any bloody discipline or terrifie any Body, is most scandellous and Grosely false (as appears by Affidavits) and for which, and all the other abusses I doubt not but your Lordshipps will direct such measures as I may have reparation.

6thly: They pretend that upon Complaint to me Against the Drunken Officer I and the Deputy Governor did the next day giver Orders, not to suffer meat or Drunk to be Carried to workmen in the Mint, And to take away what should be sent to them & give it to the Soldiers, I pretending that theire workmen sell the meate and drink to others. Whereas upon Complaint made to me by the Suttlers, That drink was brought into the Tower in potts and pitchers, and sold to the Solldiers, who were very Considerably indebted to the Suttler in the time when theire Subsistance was not paid, and that the Soldiers now having Money, Lay out and spend the same in drink which is pretended to be brought for the <388v> workmen in the Mint to prevent which I did Order that no person should be suffered to bring drink into the Tower in potts or pitchers, or to sell Virtually to the Solldiers (save the Suttlers Appointed) Besides there are Suttlers in the Mint, for supplying theire Workmen who were never hindred from brining what Meate and drink they thought fitt: And I have heard that the Workers in the Mint use greate disorders in drinking to excesse & selling to others, which ought not to be allow'd in the Tower. But I did never restraine the Carrying of Meate or drunk to the Suttlers in the Mint, nor order the same, or any Others to be taken away, or given to the Solldiers, as is most untruly suggested in the said paper.

7thly: And such are the Insolencyes and disorders of some of the Officers and workmen in the Mint (incouraged by their Porters and his Sonns going unpunished that on Satturday the 24th: day of Iuly: Instant about 5: of the Clock in the afternoone, one of theire horse keepers (being almost drunk) came on a Gallop with 2: horses in the Sentinells Posts, at the Deputy Governours doore, and ridd against and thrust him to a post, and call'd him many foule Names, without any manner of provocation or reason, And the Sentinells endeavouring to keepe his Post, the horse keeper was encouraged + directed, (by one Fowles a Clerk in the Mint) to dragg the Centinell by the Eares from his Post, and shoot him through the <389r> Head, and Others of the Horse Keepers in Like manner threatened the Centinell, and in all probability had not the Deputy Governors Lady heard the Noise, and call'd to send for a Guard, they had Murther'd the Centinell, (as appeares by 2: Affidavits annexed) But this happening whilst the Matter of the said Complaint Lyes before Your Lordshipps I thought it not decent to doe any thing therein, untill Represented to Your Lordshipps especially at to the Porter and his Sonn, and the Clerk and Horsekeepers,

And now (My Lords) haveing fully answer'd and disprov'd that Libell (which I think) had it not beene deliver'd to Your Lordshipps; deserved no Answer in this manner. And I do submitte to Your Lordshipps whether I am obliged, upon such a Libell (so full of untruths and Scandalls) to sett forth any of the Records Rolls or Iurisdictions of the Tower, Which are as ancient as any in the kingdome.

I am

[1]

My Lords

Your Lordshipps Most

humble Servant

Lucas