Royal warrant of 3 July 1669 appointing the brothers John, Joseph and Philip Roettier (Rotier) engravers for life, specifying their duties and salaries and conferring a monopoly on engraving Mint coin
Charles the second by the Grace of God of England, Scotland, France and Ireland King Defender of the Faith &c. To all to whome these presents shall come greeting, Wee haveing had long experience of the great skill and knowledge of Iohn Roettiers, Ioseph Roettiers and Phillip Roettiers Bretheren in the art of graveing and cutting in stone as also in divers other arts, and for that they have att our instance and desire quitted their native Countryes and are willing to settle themselves in this our Kingdom and to emply their whole tyme in the said Arts for our Service, Know yee therefore that Wee of our especiall grace certaine knowledge and meere mocon Have given and granted And by these presents for us our Heirs and Successors Doeconstitute ordayne, appoint and grant, that the said Iohn Roettiers, Ioseph Roettiers and Phillip Roettiers and the Survivors and Survivor of them dureing their naturall lives and the life of the longer liver of them shall have full power and authority forby him or themselves or his or their workemen to make frame and engrave the designes and effigies of our Image in such sizes and formes as are to serve in all sorts of Coynes, gold or silver together with all meddalls of all sorts and mettalls representing both our owne and our dear Consorts efigies as also all other coyned peeces of the nature aforesaid that may convey to prosperity any marke or character of prosperous or mostly successes Accidents or great actions and to the intent the said Iohn Roettiers Ioseph Roettiers and Phillip Roettiers may ahve and enjoy such benefitt or profitt as shall or may arise come or accrew by the use fo the said Meddalls, Our will and pleasure is, And Wee doe by these presents for us our Heirs and Successors streightly charg prohibit and com̄and all and singular person and persons whatsoever <137v> of what Estate, degree or Condicon. Soever they or any of them be or shall be that none of them other then the said Iohn Roettiers, Ioseph Roettiers and Phillip Roettiers without our speciall and expresse commandment, attempt presume or goe about to make frame or engrave or to counterfeit imitate cast melt sell or sett to sayle any of the said meddalls whatsoever which by the said Iohn Roettiers, Ioseph Roettiers and Phillip Roettiers or any of them have been heretofore or shal be hereafter framed, made and perfected in any sort upon such paines and penaltyes as by the Lawes and statutes of this our realme or by our prerogative royall can or may be inflicted upon the offenders, for their contempt and breach of our royall commandment in that behalf; And Wee doe by these presents give and grant unto ye said Iohn Roettiers, Ioseph Roettiers and Phillip Roettiers and the survivors and survivor of them full power licence priviledge and authority to have in his and their custody and the sole keeping of such Engines, instruments and devices whatsoever to be used in the frameing of the said meddalls peeces and Coynes, And know yee further that wee weighing the service heretofore done and from henceforth to be performed in the premisses, Wee doe by these presents for us our heires and successors declare and grant that the said Iohn Roettiers, Ioseph Roettiers, and Phillip Roettiers shall have and receive at the receipt of the Exchequer for the Exercise and Execution of the said service and place of makeing of the first designes of our Image belonging to our minte and meddalls of all sorts as aforesaid the wages, fees or allowances herein after menconed; (that is to say) the yearely sum̄e of fouer hundred and fifty pounds of Lawfull <138r> money of England dureing their Ioynt naturall lives and after the decease of any one of them the Two survivors of them shall have and receive the yearely sum̄e of Three hundred and fifty pounds of like money dureing their Ioynt naturall lives, and after the decease of any two of them the said Iohn Ioseph and Phillip then the survivor of them shall have and receive the yearely sum̄e of two hundred and fifty pounds of like money dureing his life, the first payment of the said fouer hundred and fifty pounds per annum to be accompted and made payable from the feast of the birth of our Lord Christ which was in the nineteenth yeare of our Plague, and all other or subs{illeg}equent payments of the said severall wages or fees to be made at the feasts of the Anunciacon of the blessed Virgin Mary Saint Iohn the Baptist Saint Michaell the Archangell and the Birth of our Lord Christ by equall porcons at the receipt of the Exchequer of us our heirs, and successors out of the Treasure of us our heirs and successors from tyme to tyme there to be or remaine by the hands of the Treasurer Commissioners of the Treasury Chancellor undertreasurer and other Officers of the said Exchequer and of the receipt thereof now and for the tyme being And to that end Wee doe hereby for us our Heirs and successors require and Command the Treasurer Commissioners of the Treasury Chancellor, undertreasurer and other officers and ministers of the said Exchequer, and the receipt there for the tyme being; That they and every of them respectively to whome it doth or shall apperteyne doe not only from tyme to tyme well and truly pay or cause to be payd unto the said Iohn Roettiers, Ioseph Roettiers and Phillip Roettiers or their assignes the wages and fees aforesaid out of the said Exchequer together with the arreares thereof for the tyme past according to the purport and intent of these presents, and but doe also make <138v> and give full allowances of and concerning the same, And these presents, or the Enrollment thereof shal be unto them and every of them respectively a sufficient warrant and discharge for the doeing and executeing all and singular the premisses, without any other authority to be sued for or obteyned in that behalfe; Although expresse menncon of the true yearly value or certeynty of the premisses or of any of them or of any other Guifts or Grants by us or by any of our progenitors {illeg} or predecessors heretofore made to the Iohn Roettiers, Ioseph Roettiers and Phillip Roettiers in these presents is not made or any statute, Act, Ordinance, provision proclamacon or resticcon heretofore had made, enacted, ordeyned or provided or any other matter cause or thing whatsoever to the contrary thereof in any wise notwithstanding; In Witnes whereof we have caused these our Letters to be made patents Witnes our selfe at Westminster the third day of Iuly in the one and Twentyeth yeare of our Raigne.
By the King Pigott.
Irrotalatur in Thesaurar. Recept. Sxij Dni Regis Caroli sedi xxvijino. die Iuly anno rni sui cice sum prima
Rob Long.
Irrtur. inter Record. Dni. Regis Car. Sedi infra recept. Sxxys remanen in offc. Elici. Thesaurar at Clici pellin. Pertio die augusti 1669. Anno. regui dieti Regis Vicesimo primo.
Wm. Wardour
Sealed with the Great Seale of England.
This is a True Copy of the Originall
to me produced, and after Examination
redelivered: Its post collavnem Attestor
Rogatus Londim dernier guinto &c
Augusti Anno Dni 1698
Ang: ddrioht Nots PuNeus
Aug: 15: 1698
<139r>To the Warden MAster & Worker and Comptroller of her Mats. Mint.
These
Source
MINT 19/1/137-9, National Archives, Kew, Richmond, Surrey, UK15 August 1698, c. 1,248 words.