Minute Book: February 1715 | British History Online

Calendar of Treasury Books, Volume 29, 1714-1715. Originally published by Her Majesty's Stationery Office, London, 1957.

Citation:

'Minute Book: February 1715', in Calendar of Treasury Books, Volume 29, 1714-1715, ed. William A Shaw, F H Slingsby( London, 1957), British History Online https://prod.british-history.ac.uk/cal-treasury-books/vol29/pp250-254 [accessed 24 November 2024].

February 1715



Feb. 1.	Present: Earl of Halifax, Sir William St. Quintin, Mr. Wortley, Mr. Methuen.
	[My Lords countersign a royal warrant dormant for] 3,500l. per an. to the Earl of Nottingham, President of the Privy Council, by way of pension [payable] at the Exchequer during his Majesty's pleasure (over and above the usual allowance of 1,500l. per an. as President), to commence from the time of his being sworn into that office.
	[My Lords countersign a like warrant for] 2,000l. per an. to Lord Somers [payable as] from Xmas last: during pleasure.
	My Lord Halifax acquaints the Board with his Majesty's pleasure concerning the payment of the [marriage] portions to her late Majesty's Maids of Honour, viz. Mris. Kingdon and Mris. Wyvell, to be paid in the first year; Mris. Forester and Mris. Warburton in the second year and Mris. Yelverton and Mris. Slingsby in the third year.
	Memorandum: because Mris. Forester and Mris. Warburton are continued in their service as Maids of Honour to the Princess they are to be allowed no interest. And also in regard Mris. Forester by her seniority in the late Queen's service is entitled to receive her pension before Mris. Wyvell ‘tis agreed that Mris. Forester be paid in the first year: and [my Lords] do allow to Mris. Wyvell 150l. per an. till she is paid in the second year. In the margin: Mris. Kingdon, Mris. Forester paid: Mris. Warburton, Mris. Wyvell paid.
	Two memorials of the Duchess of Hamilton concerning her fees as Heretable Keeper of his Majesty's Palace of Holyrood House “and [concerning] the repairs of the said palace” are read and ordered to be referred to the Barons of the Exchequer, Scotland. Ibid., p. 61.
Feb. 3.	Present: Earl of Halifax, Sir William St. Quintin, Mr. Wortley.
	The Earl of Carnarvon comes in. He presents a memorial, which is read, relating to his accounts as late Paymaster of the Forces Abroad. My Lords recommend it to his Lordship to use all possible care and application towards the perfecting and passing his accounts of the said Forces; which his Lordship promises to do and then withdraws.Ibid., p. 62.
Feb. 4.	Present: Earl of Halifax, Chancellor of the Exchequer, Sir William St. Quintin, Mr. Wortley.
	A petition is read from Mr. Lancelot Burton and others, Receivers of the 807,000l. part of 2,000,000l. contributed for the advantages of Class [Lottery] Orders anno 1711 [10 Anne, c. 19], praying that their bonds may be delivered up in regard they have passed their accounts and obtained their Quietus ests: which quietus being produced [my Lords] ordered their bonds to be delivered up accordingly.
	[Request] some of the Board of Ordnance to be here next Tuesday morning in relation to some old guns to be bought by the Officers of the Mint in order to be coined into copper farthings.
	The Duke of Argyll [his memorial is read and my Lords order a] warrant for half a year on his pension of 3,000l. per an.
	[My Lords order a] dormant warrant to be drawn for the Earl of Grantham's pension (lately payable by the Receiver of the Duchy of Cornwall) to be paid by the Excise Commissioners according to the purport of his grant. Ibid., p. 63.
Feb. 8, forenoon.	Present: ut supra.
	Lord Mark Kerr and Mr. Sloper [are] called in. A paragraph is read out of the general report of the [Army Debts] Referees relating to a memorial for the pay of himself and Officers [of his Regiment] from 22 Feb. 1712–13 to 25 Nov. following, amounting to above 3,000l. My Lords [inform them that they] will consider the matter and do what they can for the ease of the Officers.
	[Send a] letter to the Commissioners of the Revenues in Ireland for [them to send to my Lords] a state of the said revenues. Ibid., p. 64.
Feb. 9.	Present: Earl of Halifax, Chancellor of the Exchequer, Sir William St. Quintin.
	[Send a] letter to the Victualling Commissioners to prepare and lay before my Lords such a scheme as they shall think proper to receive proposals upon for victualling the Garrison of Gibraltar and that this be done with all possible expedition [so] that no time may be lost in making publication [of requests for tenders for victualling] thereof.
	[My Lords order] the said Commissioners to attend next Tuesday morning about the bills drawn by Mr. Conduit and other matters.
	The Customs Commissioners [are to be] put off till six o'clock next Friday afternoon.
	Sir Robert Child and Sir C. Nightingal from the East India Company are called in. They acquaint my Lords that the Company have with some difficulty been prevailed upon to take off 150 tons of tin at the current price to dispose of in the Indies and they hope that the readiness the Company shew on all occasions to serve the public will recommend them to my Lords’ favour and protection.
	[Send a] letter to the [Principal] Officers of the Mint with this [abovesaid] agreement and to direct them to give all possible despatch to the delivery thereof [of said tin] when called for. Ibid., p. 65.
Feb. 11, forenoon.	Present: Earl of Halifax, Chancellor of the Exchequer, Sir William St. Quintin, Mr. Wortley.
	Mr. Hewett, the Surveyor [General] of the Woods [Trent North], [is to be ordered] to attend on Tuesday next at 10 of the clock concerning his Majesty's woods blown down in the north by the late hurricane.
	Mr. John Edwyn, Deputy to the Usher of the Receipt, [is] to attend then.
	Mr. Merryll [is] called [in]. Mr. Howe's memorial is read. [Thereupon my Lords] ordered that a direction be now sent to the Exchequer signifying my Lords’ pleasure that 50,833l. 10s. 8d. shall be issued to him, the said Howe, as late Paymaster of the Guards and Garrisons out of the money arising for [from] the last payment on the subscriptions for the purchase of South Sea Stock: the same being intended to be applied and paid over by him to the clothiers for the offreckonings on the respective Regiments, Troops and Companies which were under his care of payment to the 24th Dec. 1713 in lieu of so much formerly ordered for the clothiers out of South Sea Stock then in his [Howe's] hands which was afterwards directed to be subscribed or transferred to Trustees for disposing of all the said stock for the service of the public.
	[My Lords] also ordered 19,939l. 5s. 8d. to be issued to the said Mr. Howe on account of clearings for the year ended at Xmas 1714, [being] the complement [or completion] to the credit given on the Malt Duties for the service of this year.
	Mr. Hawes [is] called in. The Navy [Treasurer's] memorial is read. [My Lords thereupon] ordered 28,000l. to the Navy Treasurer out of money in the Exchequer arisen by the sale of South Sea Stock: [to be placed] on the head of [Navy] Ordinary. Thereof 5,000l. is to be for last Xmas quarter's salary to the Commissioners of Admiralty, Navy &c., and 23,000l. is to be as in part of 26,536l. for the Yards at Portsmouth and Plymouth for Midsummer and Michaelmas quarters 1713. Treasury Minute Book XXII, p. 66.
Eodem die, afternoon.	Present: Earl of Halifax, Sir William St. Quintin, Mr. Wortley.
	[My Lords direct] 40 guineas out of the money in Mr. Lowther's hands to be paid pursuant to the King's direction, as a bounty to the Lady Dorothy Areskine.
	The Customs Commissioners [are] called in. Their memorial relating to the accounts of the Receiver General of the Customs is read. My Lords will take [the matter] into further consideration.
	Some other of the [said] Commissioners’ reports and presentments are read and minutes [of my Lords’ decision thereon are] taken upon them [and are endorsed thereon]. Ibid., p. 66.
Feb. 15.	Present: ut supra.
	State what is due to Mr. [Samuel] Edwyn, Usher of the Receipt, [for his deliveries of stationery &c. to the Offices of the Receipt] and how his payments have been made of late years.
	Prepare a new contract upon the foot of the proposal of Sir John Lambert and Mr. Gibbon for the disposal of his Majesty's tin at Hamburg.
	[My Lords direct] 350l. to the Master of the Great Wardrobe [which sum is] to be paid over pursuant to my Lords’ warrant to the Lord Great Chamberlain in lieu and compensation for the furniture of the King's Bedchamber delivered out of the Removing Wardrobe on the day of his Majesty's Coronation.
	Mr. Hewet, Surveyor of the Woods, is called in. He presents a memorial praying that the windfall wood and trees blown down in Sherwood Forest in the late hurricane may be allowed to him as his predecessors have had the same. My Lord [Halifax] says he doth not know what right he has and therefore directs him to take a particular care of the same for his Majesty till such time as his [the Surveyor's] pretensions can be examined.
	The Victualling Commissioners [are] called in. They present a scheme for proposals [or tenders] for victualling the Garrison at Gibraltar, which is read; but there being several blanks therein my Lords direct that without loss of time they would speak with some of the proposers, or such others as they think fit, to enable them to fill up the said blanks and [thereupon the Commissioners are to] make publication for proposals to be brought in thereupon as soon as possible.
	Mr. Dummer and several New England merchants [are] called in. Their memorial is read relating to their bills drawn on account of the Canada Expedition. My Lords direct that the Rep[or]ts referred to in the said memorial be looked at and [then my Lords] will consider the matter. The petitioners withdraw. Ibid., p. 67.
Feb. 16.	Present: ut supra.
	The Judges of Wales [are] called in. They present a memorial addressed to the King for some increase to their present salaries and pray my Lords’ favour therein; which my Lords promise to lay before the King. They withdraw.
	[My Lords direct a] letter to the Exchequer for the salaries to the Judges for last Hilary term (being in all 5,125l.). [Likewise they direct] another for 12,250l. to Mr. William Borret [for Crown Law charges] et al. [viz. Mris. Forrester and Mris. Kingdon].
	[Write a] letter to the Lord Lieutenant for an account of the [Civil and Military] expenses of Ireland as they now stand warranted by any Establishments or other proper authorities: and for an account or estimate. Ibid. p. 68.
Feb. 18.	Present: ut supra.
	Mr. Boscawen [is] called in [concerning the tin contracts]. My Lord acquaints him that they will do what they can towards paying for the tin of the last Xmas [Stannary] coinage. Mr. Boscawen thanks my Lords and says he hopes when the matter is considered it will be found that the doing of it will be for the advantage of the Government and the late Queen's servants [in the matter of paying their arrears out of Civil List moneys] by keeping up the price of tin in hand, as well as [tending to] the ease of the tynners [of Cornwall and Devon].
	Mr. Sloper [is] called in. In the absence of Robert Walpole he presents a memorial [for money for the Forces], which is read. Ibid., p. 69.
Feb. 22.	Present: Earl of Halifax, Chancellor of the Exchequer, Sir William St. Quintin.
	A letter [is read] from Lord Townshend for such allowance to Carnaby, a prisoner in Newgate, as shall be thought reasonable. My Lords thereupon think fit to allow him 8s. a week from the date of the said letter, being the 10th inst., [which is to be paid] by the hands of Mr. Borret.
	[Write a] letter to the Board of Ordnance to prepare and transmit to my Lords an estimate of the charge in that [Ordnance] Office for the present year 1715. Ibid., p. 70.
Feb. 23.	Present: ut supra.
	[My Lords decide that] a representation [is] to be made to the King of what the additional salaries and pensions already granted by his Majesty do amount to.
	[Desire the] Trustees for the Sale of South Sea Stock to attend next Friday morning.
	[The Principal] Officers of the Ordnance come in. They represent the great wants their Office is in. My Lords direct that the Treasurer of the Ordnance or his Deputy do attend the Bank and desire them to advance 10,000l. for the service of the Ordnance upon a deposit of the tallies and orders as follows: viz.
		£
	on hops anno 1711 [9 Anne, c. 13]	3,262
	on candles anno 1710 [8 Anne, c. 5]	4,900
	on the fifteenth 4s. Aid [10 Anne, c. 1]	3,900
		£12,062
	and if the Bank will lend the same my Lords agree that they shall be repaid the said 10,000l. within three months of the day of lending to the day of repayment, together with interest for the same after the rate of 5 per cent. per an.
	Some of the Directors of the Bank [are to be] desired to be here to-morrow morning. Treasury Minute Book XXII, p. 71.
Feb. 24.	Present: Earl of Halifax, Chancellor of the Exchequer, Sir William St. Quintin, Mr. Wortley.
	The Lords of the Admiralty come in. The Commissioners of the Navy are called in. My Lords read over the estimate of the charge of the Navy for the ensuing year as prepared by the Navy Commissioners and consider and reason upon the several heads therein contained. Ibid., p. 72.
Feb. 25.	Present: ut supra.
	The Trustees for Sale of South Sea Stock [registered] for the uses of the public [are] called in. Lord Halifax acquaints them that for some pressing occasions of the Navy (mostly for putting ships out of pay) they are desired by my Lords to advance a further sum of 50,000l. upon [credit of] the money to arise by the sale of said stock.
	They promise to lend the same.
	They present a memorial for about 1,800l. for disbursements in relation to the subscriptions [for sale of said stock]. My Lords promise that the same shall be speedily paid.
	[Desire the] Attorney General and Solicitor General to attend next Tuesday morning in relation to [Messrs.] Como and Cortogelli's demands on Genoa.
	The Secretary at War [is] called in. He presents an estimate of the charge of the Guards and Garrisons anno 1715, which not being particular enough my Lords desire him to send them a distinct account of the several articles that compose each head. Mr. Pulteney says he has a draft of an Establishment prepared agreeable to the said Estimate which contains the particulars and that he will send it for my Lords’ perusal. Ibid., p. 73.