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

<65r>

[1]

William Chaloner's Letter to the Warden of the Mint

I have been close Prisoner 11 weeks and no friend suffered 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 Sir You are greatly displeased with me about the late buissines in Parliament but if you knew the truth you would not be angery with me for it was brought in by some persons against my desire

Sir I presume you are satisfyed what ill men Peers and your 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 against me for I have suffered very much so I wholy throw my self upon your great Goodnes I am

Sir

your most humble + obedient servant

W Chaloner

Sir

In obedience to your Worshipp I will give you the best account I cann 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 the Pistols some hundreds of them one Blackford put most of them away Gravener 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 per 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 Gravener. 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 when he was going to work it was for these men he also worked for Blower Master 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 Merchants in the countrey I hear that these persons are carrying on a great Coyning Trade now Abbot swore false against me to send me out of the world that he might go on with the Goldsmiths as he used to do that is when silver is under 5s 2d per ounce to buy up all the silver in the Tower for the Great Goldsmiths and when silver was above the Price of 5s. + 2d. 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 Gravenr. and one Timothy halet a Tellor in the Bank of England There was a great many more but I have not time to give you a whole account of but I should be glad to do any service to the Government that 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 Government 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 Government 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 against me but I shall be too hard for said he and so he has for I am murdered by this wicked woman Davis comes to Newgate to Carter very often and bids him stand to what he has said and said if we can hang Chaloner I shall get 500li of the Government 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 against one Need 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 Government a Plot made by himself like or Robison did latly only to get money

W Chaloner

This Letter directed to Justice Railton

A Coppy of Chaloners Letter 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 what 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 that 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 what God Allmighty knowes as I desire to have mercy from him Sir I know very well that I used to signify that I could grave and I hope I shall have mercy of your Worshippe in this world if not I shall be murtherd O Sir I doubt your Worshipp 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 your great goodness be known to the world by being mercifull to me

W. Chaloner

A Coppy of a Letter directed from Will Chaloner to

Justice 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 Justices who signed an Instrument between the said Bank and them that if William Chaloner discovered the persons that had so cheated the said Bank they would grant the said Will Chaloner a generall Pardon

The said Chaloner accordingly did make discovery of the persons who were apprehended sett in the Pillory and fined then the said Bank returned the said Instrument with their hands to it That the said Chaloner had to their full satisfation discoverd all the persons that were concerned in cheating them as appears by the said Pardon whereof I have sent your Worshipp a True Coppy all this is recorded in the Duke of Shrewbury's office now my pardon being signed upon this service and lay in the office my Lord Chief Justice and the Recorder sent for the said Chaloner and told him till he discovered what 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 account of what he knew to the Duke of Shewsbury of the Mint vizt. that they coyned false money and gave out Stamps and likewise gave an account of all persons he ever had to do with Imediatly after the Parliament sent for him to give them the said Information and promised to Indemnify him in what he should discover against himself so they adressed the King by my Lord Coningsby accordingly while the said Chaloner was doing the said service in obedience to the Lord Chief Justice and the Recorder the Newgate Pardon was pleaded you Worshipp may please to observe that the King saith he discovered other matters of great concern to the publick to be known,

That I discovered near Thirty persons that were acting Traiterous matters against the King vizt. the authors Printers, Publishers of the late King James his Declaration 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 with Justice be taken from me allthough I have not pleaded to it because my Lord Chief Justice and the Recorder obliged me to do further service before I could take it out

Now Sir 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 endeavour (clandestinly) to insinuate to the Government that I would be concerned about Mault Tickets with Carter and that his wife hath sworn against me I was the cause of Carter's being put in the pillory before I discovered where Carter and his wife were coyning the officers taking them in the fact this made him and his wife so revengefull against me that they strove all wayes immaginable to do me a mischiefe to effect which I understand she has sworn against 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 severall dwelt with and is a common evidence

Now after I had discovered this Carter and his wife I leave it to your worshipp 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 stitch graving nor no man in England can ever say I did allthough they would make the Government believe that I should grave a Plate for Tickets but it is alltogeather false for I cannot grave Flatt stitch for Printing

Pray Sir consider that these persons that thus accuse me are those formerly convicted for Crimes and hope your worship nor the Court will believe the suggestions of such evill persons against me

W Chaloner