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| June 2. |
Petition from Sir Nicholas Crispe (on reference from the King, dated 1665, March 31). Sets forth that the King made a grant of two-thirds of the Customs of clove, mace, nutmegs and cinnamon, the other third part being reserved to the Customs Farmers, who claimed the whole as belonging to them by their general farm. That the merchants for the most part since the late loose times have made it their practice to steal the greatest part of the Custom of such fine, portable goods as these are, and taking advantage of His Majesty's late proclamation they steal in those goods more than ever. To prevent this the farmers started people in this trade to buy and import so as to be sure of the Custom, and then put them up to take a sub-farm of these spices at 2,000l. per an. rent. And to this end petitioner and the said farmers lent them money to assist them. Upon which they undertook it, went to Holland, and brought over great quantities thence, so that last year they traded for 20,000l. in those spices, yet the profit hereon was not 100l. after the rent and Custom paid. "So that by letting this thus to farme, the sume His Majesty was pleased to assigne to petitioner wilbe payd in 10 or 12 years, which otherwise would not have bin payd in lesse than 30 yeares." Prays that as he is to give an account of the premises in the Exchequer he may be charged with no more than two-thirds of the 2,000l. per an. rent. With Treasurer Southampton's minute. "The rest of the Farmers of the Customs having an interest in this business as well as Sir Nicholas Crispe I pray them to certifie me how they manage the same and what induced them to lease out the Customes of these spices at such under rates as this." John Dawes and Mr. Rumball to be called to this consultation on the King's behalf to certify their opinion of the way this business is now put into. [Ibid. X. pp. 311–2.] |
| June 4. |
The Lieutenant of the Tower's bills for keeping prisoners and for wages &c., read and entered. Ordered: to be paid out of the arrears of the firehearths before Sept. 29 last if said arrears will bear same. [Ibid. V. p. 334.] |
| June 8. |
The memorial of the 3rd inst. from the Excise Commissioners, read and entered, concerning the arrear of 48l. 15s. 4d. standing out at 1661, March 25, on Thomas Watson, late a Sub-Commissioner of Excise in the West Riding of Yorkshire: and proposing to remit same to him as he was a great sufferer in the late King's cause and is now in a very mean condition. Ordered: allowed of. [Ibid. XII. p. 172.] |
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Same of the 24th ult. from the Commissioners for the Arrears of Excise, read and entered, concerning the arrear of 501l. 15s. 3d. standing out at 1660, Sept. 29, on Edmund Peirce, Thomas Gough, Mark Davis, William Selfe and Thomas Fletcher, sometime Sub-Commissioners for Excise in Herefordshire, Shropshire, and Worcestershire: and proposing to allow them 281l. 15s. 3d. in
consideration of their extraordinary charges and the great opposition they met with in that business. Ordered: allowed of. [Early Entry Book XII. pp. 172–3.] |
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The memorial of the 24th ult. from the Commissioners for the Arrears of Excise, read and entered, concerning the arrear of 20l. 15s. 8d. standing out at 1655, March 25, on Bartholomew Helby, sometime one of the Sub-Commissioners of Excise in Essex: and proposing to accept 10l. in settlement thereof from Thomas Bostock, one of his securities; the said Helby being dead. Ordered: allowed of. [Ibid. pp. 173–4.] |
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Same of same date from same, read and entered, concerning the arrear of 3,008l. 12s. 4d. standing out at 1659, August 27, on William Hawkins and William Dodson, sometime Farmers of Excise in the 13 counties of Wales: the said farm having been re-assumed by the State on the said date; and proposing to accept of 400l. from them by way of composition for said arrear in view of their charges and the difficulties and opposition they met with there even to the wounding and maiming of several officers. Ordered: allowed of. [Ibid. pp. 174–5.] |
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Same of same date from same, read and entered, concerning the arrear of 327l. 12s. 7d. standing out at 1660, Sept. 29, on Adam Howes, sometime a Sub-Commissioner for Excise in co. Devon; and proposing to allow him towards the same 275l. 12s. 7d. for his extraordinary charges and services over and above the usual salary of 2s. in the £ on the receipt. Ordered: allowed of. [Ibid. pp. 175–6.] |
| June 10. |
Petition from Andrew Mullet for his arrears and salary for his care and pains about the Garden in St. James's Park. Ordered: as petitioner is lately dead that the Receiver of Bucks and Beds pay into the Exchequer moneys to meet said arrears. [Ibid. V. p. 370.] |
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Same from Henry Peeters concerning the ship "Mary," of Emden, Em hendricke master, seized by George Bolt in the port of Falmouth under the Navigation Act and before the Dutch War, but discharged by Ambrose Jennings, collector of Falmouth, contrary to the Act. Referred: to the Customs Farmers to strictly examine this information. [Ibid. X. p. 318.] |
| June 14. |
Petition from Clement Roch concerning some pieces of gilt leather hangings seized by an officer, Nicholas Parkes, on the supposition of their being prohibited goods according to the Statute of Edward IV.: whereas the Customs Farmers have in a like case certified that such leather is not prohibited. With Treasurer Southampton's minute. "Let the Farmers of the Customs in my name send for Parkes and this being a small thing and for a servant of the King's I would not have a trial thereupon; and therefore conclude it friendly." [Ibid. p. 319.] |
| June 16. |
The report of the 25th ult. from the Excise Commissioners, read, on the petition of John Boys and William Rook, Farmers of Excise for co. Kent, praying an allowance on their farm. Find that the settlement of said farm cost petitioners 3,500l., and that the profit
of the farm to the partners will not be above 500l. in all per annum. "Wee have objected to the said farmers the greate supposed advantage the supplying of the present Navy might bring unto them and thereby make them a compensation for their loss by the surrender of Dunkirk and the departure of the wool combers from Canterbury and parts adjacent. The said farmers have affirmed unto us that there hath not beene any one ship victualed from their county but on the contrary they have made it out by certificate that they have sustained loss and damage by the pressing of 4,000 seamen and watermen out of that county for His Mats. service besides those that went voluntiers and have absconded for fear of the press; which we cannot estimate at less than 1,000l. unto them." Propose that 400l. per quarter be remitted to the farmers. Minuted: "It is His Majesty's pleasure to allow the Farmers of the Excise for the county of Kent this 400l. per quarter according to this certificate." [Early Entry Book XII. pp. 179–80.] |
| June 17. |
The report of the 14th inst. from the Commissioners for the Arrears of Excise, read and entered, concerning the arrear of 72l. 19s. 8½d. standing out at 1654, Sept. 29, on John Downton, Samuel Bridger and Thomas Chase, sometime Sub-Commissioners for Excise in Portsmouth port, and the further arrear of 70l. 15s. 5d., likewise standing out on said John Downton and on Nathaniel Bull as Sub-Commissioners for the same place, viz. on their accounts ending 1656, Dec. 25: most of whom are long since dead: and proposing to remit to John Bridger the surviving surety of the above named Sub-Commissioners the balance of 63l. 15s. 3½d. remaining unpaid. Ordered: allowed of. [Ibid. pp. 176–7.] |
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The memorial of same date from the Excise Commissioners, read and entered, for allowance of the salary bill, detailed, of the Excise Office, London, for 1665, June 24 quarter. Ordered: allowed of. [Ibid. pp. 177–8.] |
| June 20. |
Lord Arlington's letter of the 14th inst., dated Whitehall, read, conveying the King's pleasure for the remission of 67l. 11s. 9d. due from Mr. Verbeck on wines imported for the Duke of Verneuil. Ordered: [the Customs Farmers] to observe the King's pleasure herein. [Ibid. X. p. 319.] |
| June 28. |
A certificate as follows, read and entered, from Sir Robert Long, Auditor of the Receipt, "The Lady Villiers patent not being payable out of the Receipt of the Exchequer nor to have any discharge from thence, wee cannot take notice of any payment made by the farmers of the Greenwax upon that patent, but are obliged to preserve the regularity of the Exchequer; which is, that when a patent is enrolled with us upon which an annual rent is reserved and made payable at certain feasts or days that wee must receive the oldest rent first and cannot give a tally for a latter payment when the rent due at a former day is still unpaid and not discharged with us. So that the two tallyes menconed in this certificate are regular and as they ought to be according to the rule of the Exchequer but the irregularity proceeds from patents of that nature and from the officers of the Pipe giving discharges without tallyes, contrary to
the ancient custom of the Exchequer. And how to help this I know not: but the like inconviencye will still fall out in this and many other cases." Two certificates of the Clerk of the Pipe also read and entered, relating to the payment of the said rent of the farm of the Greenwax by the Earl of Berkshire and Sir Robert Howard, farmers thereof, on which said rent there is charged an annuity of 500l. to Lady Barbara Villiers by royal letters patent of 1662–3, Jan. 6. With Treasurer Southampton's minute. "I desire the Lord Chief Baron or any of the Barons of the Exchequer to consider how this irregularity may be rectified, His Majesty in particular having made this grant." [Early Entry Book V. pp. 38–1.] |
