Petition for the return of a press of his own invention for making hooks and watch chains, which has been impounded by the Mint on suspicion of being used for counterfeiting

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To the Right Honourable the Lords Commissioners of his Majesties Treasury

The humble Petition of Iacob Wallis

Humbly Sheweth

That Your Petitioner having by great Thought and Application and at his own Charges attained to the art of making Hooks and Chains for Watches farr exceeding all made by any other person before or since, being wrought by a Hand Wedge Press, invented solely by Your Petitioner but in no respect like unto those used in Coinage either in form or working, and used by him and his Apprentices only in making the said Hooks and Chains And the same being so generally received and approved of for their Curiosity and Vse by Persons of Quality back in England and Foreign parts, whither they have been exported Your Petitioner received Encouragement therein, and did thereupon comfortably subsist himself and Family.

That by two severall Acts of Parliament made in the 7th. and 8th, and 8th and 9th. years of his now Majesties reigne (both subsequent to Your Petitioners said Invention) It is (in effect) prohibited to any person whatsoever (other than the Officers of his Majesties Mints) to have in their Custody any Press or other Tools therein named that might be used for Coinage And it is therein directed to bring all such Tools into his Majesties Mint under very great Penaltyes (Except such as Your Lordshipps should permit and give leave to be used).

That upon Notice of the said Acts of Parliament And in obedience thereunto And for avoiding all Occasion of Offence, and not that Your Petitioner had any Apprehension that his said Press or Engine was any way practicable for Coinage, Your Petitioner did voluntarily carry the same into the Mint, where the same being viewed by the Officers of the Mint and found unfit for Coinage was redelivered back to Your Petitioner upon his giving Bond with Security to redeliver into the Mint the said Press when demanded.

But now so it is May it please Your Lordshipps that Your Petitioners said Engine is now lately called in and delivered to the Mint upon the occasion of some Petition of one Daniel Critchlow lately presented to Your Lordshipps whereby Your Petitioner is now wholly deprived of the use thereof for the carrying on his said honest Calling for the Maintenance of himself and Family and Imployment of his Servants.

Wherefore Your Lordshipps Petitioner humbly lays himself at Your Lordshipps feet And in as much as his said Press or Engine was Invented and Vsed before either of the said Acts of Parliament were in being, and was his own Invention and therefore justly (as Your Petitioner humbly conceives) intitled to have the sole Vse and benefit thereof, And therefore humbly hopes that he shall not suffer by so profitable an Invention by being deemed a President for Evill designed people And for that also as the said Engine hath been found by the Officers of the Mint to be Impracticable for Coinage, and was therefore delivered out with permission to Work therewith, Your Petitioner humbly prayeth that Your Lordshipps will be pleased to Order his said Press or Engine to be restored to him And upon Your Petitioners giving such Security as Your Lordshipps shall require to be pleased to Authorize or permit him (in such sort as Your Lordshipps shall think fit) to Vse the same according to the Power and Authority given Your Lordshipps by the said Actrs of Parliament. And that Your Petitioner may have Your Lordshipps Iudgment as to a Patent for the sole Vse and benefit thereof; Where Your Petitioner humbly submits himself to Your Lordshipps

And he shall pray &c.

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Petition of Iacob Wallis to the Lords Commissioners of the Treasury

Refer to Officers of Mint
Ents

<text in Unknown Hand begins>Cock Pit Treasury Chambers.

4th. Aprill 1699

The Lords Commissioners of his Majestys Treasury are Pleas'd to refer this Petition to the Warden Master + Worker + Comptroller of his Majestys Mint who are to consider the same + Report to their Lordships a true state of the matter therein contain'd together with their opinion what is fit to be don therein

Wm Lowndes

Iacob Wallis to Officers of the Mint