Minute Book: March 1708 | British History Online

Calendar of Treasury Books, Volume 22, 1708. Originally published by Her Majesty's Stationery Office, London, 1952.

Citation:

'Minute Book: March 1708', in Calendar of Treasury Books, Volume 22, 1708, ed. William A Shaw( London, 1952), British History Online https://prod.british-history.ac.uk/cal-treasury-books/vol22/pp7-15 [accessed 24 November 2024].

March 1708



March 1, forenoon.	Present: Lord Treasurer.
	The Agents for Taxes are called in. They present a list of the Receivers General [of Taxes for the respective Counties & places] with [the state of their accounts &] an account of their payments into the Exchequer. The same is read & considered & minutes are taken [and margined] thereon.
	My Lord directs Mr. Borret to take care of the [forfeitable] estate of a coiner of false money who is to be tried at Reading this assizes.
	[My Lord orders] Mr. Palmer to have 10l. by way of [royal] bounty. Ibid., p. 169.
Eodem die, afternoon.	Present: Lord Treasurer.
	The Navy Commissioners are called in: and the certificates are read of the delivery of hemp by Mr. Hastwell, Sir Thomas Webster & Mr. Nisbet. My Lord desires the Commissioners to speak with the merchants.
	The Governors [Postmasters General] of the Post Office are called in. My Lord Treasurer on [next] Wednesday afternoon will advise with the Customs Commissioners & give his opinion in the matters between Mr. Trefuses & Mr. Killigrew as well with relation to the Customs as to the pacquet boats.
	Mr. Egerton & Sir John Crew are heard by their counsel upon their respective petitions, [concerning the fishing pools in Delamere Forest in Cheshire] and the reports of the Surveyor [General of Crown Lands] thereupon are read. Powys, of counsel for Mr. Egerton, insists on tenant right; says the Surveyor General reports only what was proved for Egerton & what was but alleged for Crew; the pools have been long in Egerton's family and there is a lease for about 2 years to come; Sir Rowland Egerton in 1639 had a lease and [it] recites a lease made to a steward of the family, John Brock [or Brook] 100 years ago, 4 James I; Mr. Egerton has a mill [which] will want this water & [counsel] concludes he comes in the ordinary course to renew.
	Montagu, Solicitor General, of counsel for Crew, insists that Mr. Travers reports there is no tenant right in a matter of [the Crown's] mere pleasure. Crew is Chief Forester of Delamere in fee granted by the Earl of Chester in 1121 & those pools were enjoyed all along by the Crews; as Chief Forester he has great expense & no profit & this is only a matter of pleasure; that Egerton got in possession when there was a dispute amongst the sisters coheiresses about 8 or 9 years in King James I's reign; Crew had a sign manual in 1661 by which he enjoyed [possession] until 1674 and then Sir Philip Egerton in 1678 obtained a lease by surprise; Crew asks as a matter of favour only & says there is no tenant right belonging to the other; & [counsel] concludes with Crew's merits for his affection to the Government.
	Parker, of [counsel for] the same side, insists on the proofs in the Surveyor General's report for Crew. There were 18 years' interval in which Crew had the possession & no lease was pretended; in 1674 Crew was at charge to make up the banks & make it a fish pool & then Egerton got a lease by surprise notwithstanding a caveat; tenant right is for improvements made by tenants whereas here the improvement was made at the charge of Crew; the water that would serve Crew's mill will also serve Egerton's; any one that has the pool may by cutting the dams do damage to his neighbours but there lies an action.
	Powys [for Egerton, says] the perquisites of the forester's office are 50l. a year besides this [pools' item]: the sign manual was not for these pools & if it be exhibited it will appear so; Crew pretends an inheritance, therefore a lease should not be granted him against the Queen's right; John Egerton had a lease of these pools in Queen Elizabeth's time & the auditor [in his particular of the premises] mentions a preceding lease in the particular for that lease; the banks were ruined in the time of [the Civil] war & the Egertons were sufferers: the sign manual was in 1661 & gives nothing but what the foresters had enjoyed; the banks were not made up till 1674 and in the meantime neither of them enjoyed it:
	My Lord Treasurer will inform the Queen & receive her Majesty's directions. Treasury Minute Book XVI, pp. 169–170.
March 2, forenoon.	Present: Lord Treasurer.
	Mr. Brydges is called in. My Lord directs the 40000l. which was issued to him on Jan. 24 last (on the order for the established Forces in Spain & Portugal anno 1708 & which was to await my Lord's directions) to be applied as follows viz: in the first place so much as is necessary for subsisting the Queen's own Troops as are effective; in the second place so much as is necessary for the subsistence of Foreign Troops; and the rest as the Commander in Chief shall find most pressing & necessary for the public service.
	Mr. Brydges is also to give the proper directions that the 5000l. ordered on the 9th January last towards the 4000 quarters of wheat bought by the Transports Commissioners be deducted out of the pay of the Troops to which it shall be delivered.
	[My Lord agrees with] Sir Henry Furnese to give his bills of exchange to Mr. Brydges this day for 25490l. for Lisbon at the rate of 5s. 6d. a milrei; & [he Furnese] is to be paid for the same out of the first money that shall come in on the next funds that shall be granted in the present session of Parliament after the sums already directed [to be charged on such funds]. Ibid., p. 171.
March 3, forenoon.	Present: Lord Treasurer.
	Get [from the Exchequer] an account by tomorrow morning what sums are unlent [& are still raisable] on the Land Tax & Malt anno 1708.
	[Write the] Navy Commissioners to attend my Lord (the next time they come down to the Admiralty) about the memorial from the Duke of Savoy's Envoy concerning the buying of clothing in England for his Highness's Troops. Ibid., p. 172.
Eodem die, afternoon.	Present: Lord Treasurer.
	The Solicitor General comes in; & Lord Bulkeley with Mr. Phips & Mr. Lutwich, his lordship's counsel, are called in. The report of Dec 5 last from Mr. Travers, the Surveyor General of Crown Lands, concerning embezzlement of the materials of Beaumaris Castle is read, with the affidavit of Humphry Roberts: then the answer of Lord Bulkley is read with a certificate from the Corporation of Beaumaris, an affidavit of Hen Thomas, a certificate of Humphry Roberts (being a person of no reputation), an affidavit of James Foster & an affidavit of John Langshaw plumber. Afterwards a reply of Humphry Roberts is read; it is not signed but Mr. John Taylor, deputy to the Surveyor General of Crown Lands, received it in a letter from his ma[ste]r: a certificate from John Sparrow et al is read; another signed by Thomas Williams et al; an affidavit of Humphry Roberts dated 12 Feb 1707; an affidavit of Ellis Morris; an affidavit of Thomas Hughs & an affidavit of Edw Williams & another of John Williams.
	Mr. Phips endeavours to make out that Roberts is a man of no reputation & under prosecution by Lord Bulkeley: some loose stones that fell from the battlements were taken by his lordship; his lordship has set a value on these stones double what they really were; no proof about timber; there never was an inch of lead taken by his lordship; there was some over a room that was rotting & falling; my Lord has preserved every inch of it in the Castle; tis there except some that was stolen by a person that broke into the Castle in the night; there never was any room there fit for anybody but what was fitted up by his lordship's ancestor, who was a prisoner there for his loyalty.
	Lutwich [of counsel for his lordship says] the first information of Roberts proceeded from malice & whereas he said he had his information from 5 persons 4 of them have certified & sworn the contrary & make the damage but 3l. or 4l. & we cannot find the name of the fifth in the country; the Government never assigned any ordnance or stores [to the Castle]; it is a ruinous place & has been so time out of mind, having with the other castles in North Wales been slighted above 40 years.
	The affidavits of William Griffith, mason, valuing the stones at 3l. at the most, was read as also that of William Hughs senr mason valuing them at 30s. & also that of Richard Owen.
	Mr. Roberts says about 40 years ago there was a garrison: the guns went for Ireland; they were 2 or 3 & were stranded; I do not think it is worse now as to strength than it was at that time; Carnarvon Castle is not in so good a condition; the Government never sent any stores; in 1661 there was an order for demolishing such castles; the guns were on the mount two bows shot from the Castle; he refers to Mr. Jessop who saw the Castle.
	Mr. Edwards [says] he was within the Castle & saw nothing but rubbish except some lead.
	My Lord Treasurer thinks the place is of no use for defence but my Lord Buckley should not take the materials though of small value to his own use. Lord Buckley says he is ready to make reparation if a survey be directed. Treasury Minute Book XVI, pp. 172–3.
March 5, forenoon.	Present: Lord Treasurer, Chancellor of the Exchequer.
	The Auditors [of Imprests'] report is read concerning Mr. Young's account. My Lord Treasurer directs that the accompts be made up according to the contract & states thereof are to be laid before him.
	The Lord Treasurer directs the Auditors [of Imprests] to prepare the privy seal for passing Mr. Foxe's accounts [as late Paymaster General of the Forces].
	Sir Theodore Janssen is called in & presents a proposal for remittances to Turin which is read & agreed to by my Lord as follows viz to give his bill on Turin for 100000 Crowns payable 60 days after date at the rate of 58 pence per Crown of 82 sols of money of Piedmont: to be repaid out of the first money arising by the next Annuity Bill.
	My Lord orders that the 24166l. 13. 4 representing the said 100000 Crowns be issued as in part of the order for 500000l. [for augmenting the forces] and to be accounted part of 100000l. thereof for extra-ordinaries to the Duke of Savoy infra p. 164. Ibid., p. 174.
March 10, forenoon.	Present: Lord Treasurer.
	Mr. Howe's memorial of the 9th inst for 29725l. 4. 2 is read & approved [& is ordered] to be paid tomorrow out of Contributions for Annuities on the Act [6 Anne c. 48] for 80000l. per an, in case the Act passes so soon.
	Mr. Bridges is called in; his memorial is read & minutes [of my Lord Treasurer's decisions are margined] upon it.
	[Send a] letter to Mr. Wilcox [Surveyor General of Woods] to forbear felling any more trees at Cranbourne [Chase] till further order.
	[My Lord directs] 100l. to Lord Poer; out of secret service money. Ibid., p. 175.
March 12, forenoon.	Present: Lord Treasurer, Chancellor of the Exchequer.
	My Lord directs the distribution of the rest of the Land Tax for the year, (being 258676l. 16. 4) in manner following	£	s.	d.
	by tallies to the Ordnance for sea services	20000
	to ditto towards making the wharf & storehouse at Portsmouth	10000
	to ditto for land services	30000
	to the Treasurer of the Navy for wear and tear	100000
	to Mr. Howe for offreckonings to clothiers	12000
	to the Treasurer [of the Transports service] for transports	47792	11	10½
	to Mr. Brydges for the Hessian Troops & to be for 3 months in advance on their pay	18731	8	11
	towards charge of horses for the King of Portugal	5000
	Memorandum: these [last] 2 sums are in lieu of extraordinaries actually paid out of the funds of former years, & so proposed by Mr. Brydges to be applied to offreckonings in arrear because of those extraordinary payments: viz. for clothing furnished by Mr. Robinson for the Forces in Spain & Portugal: being two thirds of the sum of 22729l. 3. 4	15152	15	6½
		£258676	16	4
	[My Lord directed issues as follows] out of the money of Contributions for Annuities in the Exchequer viz
		£	s.	d.
	to the Treasurer of the Navy in further part of 60000l. for wages for the ships' companies that were lost with Sir Cloudesly Shovell	10000
	to ditto to pay bills of exchange under the head of Wear & Tear	6000
		£16000
	to Mr. Brydges on the order for 586671l. 12. 6 for the Forces in Spain & Portugal anno 1708, to wit for 2 months' subsistence from 24 Feb last to the Officers of the Regiments which are to be new raised in lieu of those broke at Almanza	3780
	to ditto for the non commission officers & private men upon account of subsistence: at 400l. each Regiment	2800
	to ditto as in part of 500000l. for extra-ordinaries &c anno 1708: to wit, to be paid to Count [De] Fuencalada & to be returned as part of the 150000l. for the King of Spain & his Troops	300
	to ditto as in part of 894272l. 3. 6 for the 40000 men in Flanders anno 1708: to wit, as in part of 26965l. 16. 6¼ for a month's subsistence to April 23 next to the Subject Troops forming part of that body & to be paid over to the Officers that are here, for themselves & their recruits	8694	13	7½
	to ditto on any unsatisfied order for extra-ordinaries of the war: to be upon account of additional levy money to be paid for recruits pursuant to her Majesty's late Proclamation in that behalf	5000
		£20574	13	7½
	to Mr. Howe, Paymaster of Guards & Garrisons, as in further part of 419608l. 18. 6 for Guards & Garrisons anno 1708: to wit on account of 32 days' subsistence for the Troops & Regiments in England to April 24 next	9956	7	7
	to ditto in further part of 87125l. 10. 0 for 5000 men in sea service anno 1708: to wit for subsistence for the same time for the Regiments of Lieut. Gen. Erle & Col. Livesay	1581	1	4
		£11537	8	11
	(The total of the above 9 items is 48112l. 2. 6½.)
	[My Lord directs issues as follows] to Sir Thomas Littleton: out of [arrears] now in the Exchequer of moneys granted for public services in the respective years as follow [& to be charged] on the head of Wages as in further part of the quotas unpaid on that head in the said respective years & to be paid over to Mr. Whitfeild, Paymaster of the Marines, as follows: viz: as in part of 19577l. 15. 4½ demanded by him in a memorial of the 11th inst as well for pay & subsistence as for levy money for the Marines: the charge whereof is meant to be borne out of savings by respites.
		£	s.	d.
	in further part of 772086l. for seamen's wages for the year 1702	9450	4	6½
	in further part of 780000l. for ditto for the year 1703	24	7	4
	in further part of 731507l. 1. 2 for ditto for the year 1704	1681	6	0½
		£11155	17	11
	The respective arrears making up the aforesaid sums are as follows.
	anno 1702	£	s.	d.
	out of malt granted for that year; all loans thereon being satisfied	40	6	7
	out of the fifth 4s. Aid & Subsidies eodem anno; all loans thereon being satisfied	1	15	4
	out of the funds of subsequent years, being part of the moneys authorised by Parliament to be taken out of those funds respectively to aid deficiencies or to make good the services of former years & so accounted as in further part of the quota for wages anno 1702: to wit, out of Contributions for Annuities anno 1706 as in full of 2575761l. 16. 2 for the war:	2	4	9¾
	out of malt anno 1706 arisen after the loans unsatisfied thereon were transferred to the Duties on Malt anno 1708	4611	18	4½
	out of Contributions for Annuities anno 1707 to complete 1,120,000l. for the services of the war	4793	19	5¼
		£9450	4	6½
	anno 1703	£	s.	d.
	out of the Subsidies granted for that year: all loans thereupon being satisfied	24	7	4
	anno 1704
	out of the seventh 4s. Aid granted for that year: all loans thereupon being satisfied	623	6	10
	out of One Third Tonnage & Poundage granted for the same year: all loans thereupon being satisfied	937	3	5½
	out of Malt for the same year: all loans thereupon being satisfied	120	15	9
		£1681	6	0½
	Sir Theodore Janssen is called in and presented a proposal for remitting 100000 Crowns to Turin as follows, to which the Lord Treasurer agrees: to wit, to give his bill for Turin for 100000 Crowns payable at 60 days after date at the rate of 58½ pence per Crown of 82 sols each of money of Piedmont: to be repaid out of the first money arising by the [Deficiencies] Bill on the General Mortgage. Treasury Minute Book XVI, pp. 176–8. Disposition Book XIX, pp. 117–118, 119.
March 15, forenoon.	Present: Lord Treasurer.
	[Send to the] Customs Commissioners to be here this evening.
	Lord Halifax [the Auditor of the Receipt] comes in & afterwards the Duke of Marlborough.
	The Gentlemen of the Bank are called in. Upon discourse concerning the affairs of the Bank the gentlemen resolve to give 6 per cent upon sealed bills of the Bank and (if there be occasion) upon Bank notes.
	[My Lord Treasurer directs] 50000l. to be issued to Mr. Bridges on the order for the 40000 men [in the Low Countries]: for which the Bank will give bills payable in Amsterdam at 3 [months'] usance: at the rate of 34 sch[ellings] 4 groots per pound sterling.
	And Sir Hen Furnese will take like bills from the Gentlemen of the Bank for 50000l. more when he has to make the next remittances thither.
	Lieut. Gen. Erle, Commander in Chief of the Foot in England, (or the Commander thereof for the time being), Mr. Walpoole, Secretary at War (or the Secretary at War for the time being) and the Paymaster General of the Forces are to meet twice a week or oftener if they shall find it necessary in order to make such memorials for money for the service of the Guards & Garrisons & such other representations relating to the said Forces as they shall think proper from time to time, to be laid before the Lord Treasurer for his directions. Treasury Minute Book XVI, p. 179.
Eodem die, afternoon.	Present: Lord Treasurer.
	[The draft of a] letter [of direction] for 5350l. to Mr. Howe [as Paymaster General of Guards and Garrisons] is read & approved.
	Likewise the [draft of a] letter to said Howe for applying the sum of 25775l.
	Likewise the [draft of a] letter [of direction for the issue] of the remainder of 9600l. to Mr. Bridges [as Paymaster General of the Forces Abroad].
	[My Lord orders] 2000l. to Mr. Bridges for subsistence of Wyn's Regiment on account. Treasury Minute Book XVI, p. 180.
March 24, forenoon.	Present: Lord Treasurer.
	[Send word] to the Navy Commissioners to be here on Friday in Easter week about the demands of the hemp merchants.
	[Letter of direction signed for] 10000l. to the Navy for wages to the ships lost [with Sir Cloudesly Shovel].
	[Likewise] 5000l. to Mr. Brydges for Mr. Medina: out of Contributions on the second Act for Annuities: in lieu of the like sum to be detained out of the tallies on the Land Tax anno 1708 issued on or about Feb 27 last for Mr. Medina.
	[Send to the Principal] Commissioners for Prizes to make a presentment to my Lord of what part of the present expense relating to the Prize Office is proper to be immediately sunk & what to continue; & also a state of what arrears are standing out & what time they think may be fit to be allowed for bringing them in; & an estimate of the charge thereof. Ibid., p. 181.
1708. March 26, forenoon.	Present: Lord Treasurer.
1708. March 26, forenoon.	[Letter of direction signed for] 1000l. to Mr. L[owndes] for her Majesty's secret service. Ibid., p. 182.
March 29, afternoon.	Present: Lord Treasurer.
March 29, afternoon.	The Customs Commissioners are called in: their papers are read & minutes [of my Lord's answers & decisions thereon are endorsed or margined] on them. Ibid., p. 183.
March 30, forenoon.	Present: Lord Treasurer.
	[My Lord orders that the] 16625l. which was lately ordered by tallies on the Land Tax as part of the King of Portugal's subsidy & was intended to be applied to the payment of bills of exchange drawn by Mr. Mead for the said King of Portugal's Troops, is to be reserved for such uses as his Lordship shall direct: and his lordship intends that the bills of exchange for which the said tallies were struck shall be satisfied out of the money that shall be lent on the General Mortgage [the second Deficiencies Bill as by 1 Anne c. 7] in proportion with the 92884l. 15. 8 [which was] this day ordered on a memorial brought by Mr. Slooper for the service of the Troops in Flanders &c: that is to say one third of the money coming in on the said loans to be applied to the said bills of exchange till they are satisfied and the other two thirds towards the said 92884l. 15. 8.
	[My Lord directs] 100l. [see infra, p. 195]. Ibid., p. 184.
March 31, afternoon.	Present: Lord Treasurer.
	My Lord directs 3000l. to [Viscount Rialton] the Cofferer as in further part of 1707 Michaelmas quarter [for wages & board wages of the Household].
	[The draft of a] letter [of direction] for 8854l. 0. 6½ to the Earl of Seafield et al [Lords of the Treasury of Scotland and others] is read & approved.
	[Likewise the draft of a like] letter for 109504l. 15. 8 to Mr. Bridges [as Paymaster General of the Forces Abroad].
	[Likewise of a like] letter for 100l. to [James] Vesian [in part of arrears due to him in the late King's reign].
	The Auditors of Imprests & Mr. Dodington are called in.
	[The draft of a] letter to Mr. Walpole for Sir Robert Bradshaigh & Col. Gore is read & approved.
	[My Lord directs] 9000l. to [Sir Thomas Littleton] the Treasurer of the Navy: for the Ordinary of the Navy; to be issued out of Contributions on Annuities. Ibid., p. 185.