William Chaloner's Letters to the Warden of the Mint, to Justice Railton, to Isaac Newton, and to Justice Railton

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William Chaloner's Letter to the Warden of the Mint

I have been close Prisoner 11 weeks and no friend sufferd to come near me but my litle child I am not guilty of any Crime and why am I so strictly confined I do not know. I doubt Sr. You are greatly displeased with me abot. the late buissines in Parliamt but if you knew the truth you would not be angery with me for it was brought in by some ꝑsons agt. my desire

Sr. I presume you are satisfyed what ill men Peers and yr Holloway are who wrongfully brought me into a great deal of trouble to excuse their villainy Therefore I begg you will not continue your displeasure agt. me for I have sufferd very much so I wholy throw my self upon your great Goodnes I am

Sr

yor. most humble + obedt servt

W Chaloner

Sr

In obedience to your Worpp I will give you the best accot. I cannnot remember

I never was concerned with any but Gravener Coffee + Hitchcock they desired me to get Taylor to make some stamps which I gave to and for that service I was allowed a share they made ye Pistols some hundreds of them one Blackford put most of them away Gravenr drove a great Trade in Clipping and Coyning and kept many at work for him as abbot Peck Vnct Collins who now belongs to one of the Mints I think Chester he used to clip and coyn a 1000l ꝑ week he was prentice to Mr Tylor at the ship in Grace Church street a Goldsmith and most part of his apprenteship he used to clip Spanish pieces of Eight for him and other money Sherriff Sweetaple is brother in Law to Tylor as I remember and Gravenr. used to have the mony <65v> to clip from Tylor to clip for Sweetaple one Monger in Lumbard street he used to work for also these men kept him in work at clipping and taking off what false money he could make himself and get from other they gave him money to set up with and took for him a Great Jewe's house in mark Lane had it made all with Iron barrs and very strong Door on the staires strengthened with Iron and another to the Garrett so that no men could not get in under an hour he having allways a Furnace hot to melt down all and now wn. he was going to work it was for these men he also worked for Blower Mastr of the Kings Bench. Now I knew of all these thinks he being my brother but I did not act but he allowed me 40s a week not to desire to go share with him he used to deal with one Meser and one Cooms and one Thomas Wooll Merchts. in the countrey I hear that these ꝑsons are carrying on a great Coyning Trade now Abbot swore false agt me to send me out of the world that he might go on wth the Goldsmiths as he used to do that is when silver is under 5s 2d ꝑ ounce to buy up all the silver in the Tower for the Great Goldsmiths and wn. silver was above the Price of 5s. + 2sd. he used to melt down the Milld money when silver was at 6s or 6s. & 6d he melted down 50000li of Mill'd money and this Trade he would follow as he has said many a times but that I should discover him. There is one Mr. Packer that was a great Dealer with with {sic} Gravenr. and one Timothy halet a Tellor in the Bank of England There was a great many many {sic} more but I have not time to give you a whole accot of but I should be glad to do any service to the Governmt yt is in my power

I have sent the Plate as I cut it and if I intended to have any thing to do in counterfeiting of Malt Tickets then I desire God Allmighty may never receive my soul

But I understand by Carter that Davis gave Carter a Ticket to do it by and then goes to the Governmt and discovers that such a thing was going and got money to make a further discovery now Carter in a fright <66r> having it with me and I cutting it put him out of his making a great Plott of it so that it may plane appear to any Impartiall man that Davis made this Plott to get money out of the Governmt. because he gave Carter the bill to grave it by as Carter told me when I was in Newgate with him I askt him why he said I graved why said he you knew I had stood in the Pillory and my evidence not be taken so you need not brought this Outlawry agt. me but I shall be too hard for said he and so he has for I am murderd. by this wickd woman Davis comes to Newgate to Carter very often and bids him stand to wt he has said and said if we can hang Chaloner I shall get 500li of the Governmt is so imposed on by Davis he stood in the Pillory in the countrey for laying clippings in a man's house and then came to search and got money of the men Carter a litle while ago hyred a man swear false agt. one ReedNeed for a robbery which was proved and the Court acquit him I have been guilty of no Crime these 6 years as I desire to see God so that if I die I am murthered or I desire God Allmighty to shew me no mercy so that I beg for God allmighty's sake you will not let me be murthered

I can planely make that these Ticket buissines is a piece of roguery and forgery of Davis himself to get money out of the Governmt. a Plot made by himself like or Robison ded {sic} latly only to get money

W Chaloner

This Lettr directed to Iustice Railton

A Coppy of Chaloners Lettr. to Isaac

Newton Esqr.

I remember I have said to you that I understand graving but what ever I have said no man in the world can say I can or could grave flatt stitch I can chase a litle but what I may have writt or wt Sence you may take it in I do not know but I never graved a letter of flatt stitch no otherwise but to play the fool with a Graver as any man may do since if I could some body would know it This is true a I desire to see God Allmighty I remember I said to you once yt allthough I can grave and coyn I do not but it was but in jest or all speaking because I know the wayes of graving stamps from Taylor but pray examin Taylor if I can do any thing in <67v> [Editorial Note 1] flatt stitch and if I did not lately employ him to greave a Tobacco Plate for God Allmighty's sake do not take notions and suggestions for reall Truths. If I dye I am murtherd this is wt. God Allmighty knowes as I desire to have mercy from him Sr. I know very well that I used to signify that I could grave and I hope I shall have mercy of your Worppe in this world if not I shall be murtherd O Sr. I doubt yor Worpp cannot forgive me indeed it was not my fault in so much offending you O for God's sake do not for suspitions and sugestions seem reall truth and so let me go murtherd out of the world o let yor. great goodness be known to the world by being mercifull to me

W. Chaloner

A Coppy of a Letter directed from Will Chaloner to

Iustice Railton

you were pleased to order me when latly with me to write my case but I am so very ill I cannot hold my pens but I have set my hand to it as you directed

The Bank of England being cheated of severeall thousands of poundes they went to the Lords Iustices who signed an Instrumt. between the said Bank and them that if William Chaloner discoverd the persons that had so cheated the said Bank they would grant the sd Will Chaloner a genll Pardon

The sd Chaloner accordingly did make discovery of the persons who were apprehended sett in the Pillory and fined then the sd Bank returned the sd Instrumt with their hands to it That the sd Chaloner had to their full satisfaīon discoverd all the ꝑsons that were concerned in cheating them as appears by the sd Pardon whereof I have sent your Worpp a True Coppy all this is recorded in the D of Shrewbury's office now my pardon being signed upon this service and lay in the office my Lord Chief Iustice and the said Recordr sent for the said Chaloner and told him till he discoverd wt he knew relating to some ill practises in the Mint that they were satisfyed he were acquainted with he should not have his Pardon of the office <68r> though he gave a full accot. of wt he knew to the D of Shewsbury of the Mint vizt. that they coyned false money and gave out Stamps and likewise gave an accot. of all persons he ever had to do with Imediatly after the Parliamt. sent for him to give them the sd Informaīon and promised to Indemnify him in wt. he should discover agt. himself so they adressed the King by my Lord Coningsby accordingly while the sd Chaloner was doing the sd service in obedience to the Lord C Iustice and the Recorder the Newgate Pardon was pleaded you Worpp may please to observe that the King saith he discoverd other matters of great concern to the publick to be known,

That I discoverd near Thirty persons that were acting Traiterous matters agt. the King vizt. the authors Printers, Publishers of the late King Iames his Declaraīon and other Lybells, Two Printing Presses and 4 Cart Load of Lybells the persons sentenced to dye stand in the pillory and outlawed as more fully appears two persons lyeth now in Newgate condemned for the same so that I humbly conceave this pardon so merritted cannot wth Iustice be taken from me allthough I have not pleaded to it because my Lord C Iustice and the Recorder obligd me to do further service before I could take it out

Now Sr. these persons I so discoverd and convicted sought out all means and endeavours to be revenged laying their mallicious snares and Traps for me but I think God I allways rejected them and all overtures of that nature since my pardon yet their mallice is so great that they endeavr. (clandestinly) to insinuate to the Governmt. yt. I would be concerned about Mault Tickets with Carter and yt. his wife hath sworn agt. me I was the cause of Carter's being put in the pillory before I discoverd where Carter and his wife were coyning the officers taking ym. in ye fact this made him and his wife so revengefull agt. me that they strove all wayes immaginable to do me a mischiefe to effect wch. I understand she has sworn agt. me in the name of Matthews allthough now she keeps a Baudy house by the name of Carter and has so done severall yeares she is an Irishwoman and goes by the name of Mackman and diverse other names she hath had sevll. dwelt with and is a common evidence

Now after I had discoverd this Carter and his wife I leave it to yor worpp to consider whether they would trust me or I them is for the Tickets Davis, Carter + his wife <68v> do falsly accuse me for I never did grave a letter of flatt stich graving nor no man in England can ever say I did allthough they would make the Governmt believe that I should grave a Plate for Tickets but it is alltogeather false for I cannot grave Flatt stitch for Printing

Pray Sr. consider that these persons that thus accuse me are those formerly convicted for Crimes and hope yor. worp nor the Court will believe the suggestions of such evill persons agt. me

W Chaloner