Draft of MINT00044 (Mint 19/1/121)

<117r>

To the Right Honourable the Lords Commissioners of his Majesties Treasury.

May it please your Lordships

Vpon your Lordships Reference of the 7th of August last concerning the qualifications of the Petitioners for the Weigher & Teller's place I humbly conceive it not remote from our business as Officers of the Mint to give your Lordships what light we can into the matter by laying before your Lordships faithfully & according to the best of our knowledge or information the qualifications & services of the Petitioners in Mint affairs: in which respect one of them at least deserves in justice a particular character. Mr Haynes has been in the Mint about 14 yeares except two short intermissions & while he acted there had a general reputation amongst us for integrity, sobriety good humour & readiness in business. He has a steady hand, writes very fairly, is a very good Accomptant &skilled in all the business of the Mint, & in the Recoynage instructed the Officers and Clerks of the five country Mints, & did other great service. For these reasons the Officers of the Mint (Mr Neale Mr Hall & my self) then recommended him earnestly to the Lords Commissioners of his Majesties Treasury as a fit person to execute the Office of Comptroller under the two late Comptrollers in that time of great business, & when the Comptrollers insisted on Mr Berisford a stranger, Mr Haynes was appointed to take care of the Comptrollers business till Mr Berisford could qualify himself. Since the Recoynage Mr Haynes has been imployed in the Excise Office about two years by Mr Hall above mentioned who is able to give a further character of his abilities & behaviour in both Offices. Yet Mr Neale in recompence of his services & of his examining & setling the Accompts of the five country Mints continued him his Clerk with a salary of 100li per annum duly paid till his death December 99: which salary being now ceased Mr Haynes has nothing remaining in lieu of a setled business which as he represents was of more profit & which at the instance of some of the principal Officers of the Mint he quitted to serve the Publick in the Recoynage in hopes of being further considered when there should be an opportunity, so that at present he accounts himself a loser by that service and his Clerk's place in the Excise Office should be recconed into the bargain. By reason of his abilities I have ever since wished for him back into the Mint and if he be not now brought <118r> back, as he has been once already when we could not be without him, he may be so engaged in other business that we cannot have him when we may want him. If any of the principal Officers or their Clerks or Deputies should at any time dye or leave the Mint, Mr Haynes is qualified to assist till the place can be supplied anew that the business of the Mint receive no stop, & upon any extraordinary occasion to help in our accompts or other business of the Office of Receipt: For we want men of skill. He is a stranger to me but Exact weighing the credit of the Mint & good dispatch of business is my interest.