Letter to the Earl of Godolphin (Lord High Treasurer) regarding the Chester Mint

To the Rt Honourable Sidney Lord Godolphin Lord High Treasurer
of England

May it please your Lordship
The Petition of Mr Cha. Fryth for an allowance in his Accounts now depending of 370.8.9 upon two Tickets of the Master & Warden of Chester Mint with the Report of the Commissioners of Excise upon it we received 30 March 1702 & in obedience to the Order of the then Lords Commissioners of the Treasury upon them we have examined into the matter & humbly conceive the true state of it to be as follows

Mr Fryth imported into Chester Mint several parcels of hammered money before Lady day 1697 for all which he received back 5s pr oz in new monies & endorsed all the Tickets before the end of Iuly following. In May he imported two other parcells for which at 5s pr oz he was to receive back 807£. 10s & in part thereof received in August of Williams (Mr Neales Clerk 400£ & afterwards of Lewis another Clerk 300£ more & then recconing with Lewis concealed the 400£ paid by Williams & deducted only the 300£ & took Lewises Note for the remaining 507£. 10s & endorsed the Tickets: whereas he should have deducted also the 400£ & taken a Note only for 107£. 10s the true deficiency.. And this misreconning is the grownd of the Petition.

After these Importations there were two others in Iuly & August for which at 5s pr oz Mr Fryth was to receive back 370£ 8s. 9d. And in October November & December following he did receive of Lewis at 4 payments 500£, which makes up the aforesaid deficiency of 107£ 10s & pays of the 370.8.9. due upon these last two Tickets for which an allowance is now petitioned & leaves 22£ .1s .3d in his hands in part of the 8d pr oz whichhe was further to be allowed . For the 500£ was paid out of the Treasury of the Mint in satisfaction for silver imported by Mr Fryth & therefore ought to be deducted in his Accounts from the allowance of 5s 8d pr oz according to the words of the Act of Parliament which run thus. And all & every such Receivers Geveral " & Collectors in their respective Accounts to his Majesty shall be allowed the deficiency " occassioned by the recoyning of the said hammered money that is to say the differ" ence between the summ of the hammered money brought into the Mint computed at " 5s 8d an ounce & the summ in tail of the new money which he or they do receive " back from the Mint for the same.

Therefore instead of granting the Petition we are humble of opinion that Mr Fryth be further charged to her Majesty with 22.1.3 in his Accounts now depending.All which is most humbly submitted to your Lordships great wisdome.