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Manuscript letter, dated 22 February, 1643, containing an Order of the Committee of Revenue to Thomas Fauconbridge, Receiver of Crown Revenues, to pay 'the poore Pewterers or Hammer men' of London the sum of £100, due to them by virtue of an Act of Parliament. The letter is signed by members of the Committee for Revenue, including Sir Henry Vane, Sir Henry Mildmay, Francis Rous, William Ashhurst, Thomas Hoyle and Dennis Bond. With a receipt dated 27 February 1643, bearing 56 signatures or marks and the signature of Robert Leeson, Warden of the Worshipful Company of Pewteres.

Letter from John Woodrow of the Cannon Hotel, Cockspur Street to [Patrick] Colquhoun, 26 May 1818. Covering letter sending a copy of his pamphlet on savings banks and friendly societies.

Written in another hand and signed by Woodrow.

Letter from Sir Charles Wood, Chancellor of the Exchequer, of Hickleton, [near Doncaster] to an unspecified recipient, 19 Oct 1849. 'Dear Sir, It is unlucky that the D.G. [i.e. Dei Gratia (by the grace of God)] was left out [from the inscription on the new florin (2 shilling) coin] - people attach more importance to such matters now a days. Yours truly C. Wood'.

Autograph, with signature.

Collection of manuscripts relating to the wine trade, comprising:

1. Indictment made by Edmond Trimer at the Middlesex Quarter Sessions held at Hicks Hall, 7 Jul 1658, to the effect that George Taylor, victualler of South Mimms, Middlesex, had sold 60 pints of wine (French, white, and Spanish sack) since 7 Aug 1657, contrary to the Act. Taylor had forfeited £600, and was to appear in court to answer the charge. Trimer claimed half the fine.
2. Letter from John Hunter, British Consul at Seville and San Lùcar, 16 Mar 1790, to Henry Dundas, Treasurer of the Navy, enclosing a 'Proposal for a supply of wine for the British Navy to be shipped in San Lucar, and delivered in Portsmouth', and a 'Proposal for a deposit of wines in the Isle of Wight'. Both proposals are signed by John Hunter, 16 Mar 1790.
3. Two letters from James Rannie, written at Leith, Scotland, including a covering letter dated 9 Mar 1795 to Henry Dundas, then Secretary of State for War and the Colonies, for a petition from the 22 'merchants, importers and dealers in foreign wines in Leith', against the proposed retrospective increase of duties on stocks of wine held by merchants on 24 Feb 1795 (wanting); and a letter from Rannie to Dundas dated 9 May 1795 concerning wines shipped to Dundas and wines reserved for him. (Rannie is spelt 'Rennie' in the endorsements.)
4. Memorandum endorsed 'Attorney General's [Sir John Willes] opinion...Wine imported in flasks or bottles, whether the officers may accept the duties where no fraud appears', dated 29 May 1736.
5. Draft of a bill to repeal the Acts of 1727 and 1745 setting duties on wine, endorsed 'A clause about wine imported in flasks or bottles'.

Letters and accounts, mostly concerned with the cloth and clothing trade, between 1755 and 1763. The material was created by both Benjamin Wilson and Jonathan Dickinson, who appear to have been business partners.

Three holograph receipts, 1679-1706, of Gilbert Whitehall and two receipts of assignees of Whitehall.

Letter from John and Richard Wheen of the Soapworks, Ratcliffe Highway, St George in the East, [London] to Lieutenant-Colonel C N Fox, 17 Mar [1846]. Covering letter enclosing 'a statement of the case of the soap trade for the repeal of the duty'; they hope that Fox will accompany the deputation to Sir Robert Peel.

Autograph, with two signatures.

A rent and account book, 1700-1712, for the estates of Sir John Wentworth in Yorkshire.

Letter from Henry Warburton to Francis Place, 27 Apr 1821. Discussing the bill on usury laws and asks Place to find 'small tradesmen' who support the bill to give evidence before the House of Lords Committee which the government has undertaken to consider their reform.

An essay on paper credit and banking, c1758.

An account book, 1802-1819 of mixed farming and general nature, probably kept by Richard Walker of Bradmore, Notts, whose name appears inside the covers of the volume, and who is probably the addressee 'dear brother' in a letter enclosed signed 'J. Walker.'

Letter from Cornelius Walford of 86 Belsize Park Gardens, London to Professor [Herbert Somerton] Foxwell, Cambridge, 14 Sep 1882. The J P Esqre referred to in the preface is James Postlethwayte. He is supposed to have calculated the table of probability contained in the work.

Autograph, with signature.

Manuscript tract on taxation entitled 'Observations sur l'impôt territorial en nature proposé à l'assemblée des notables', written by Donat Vosgien at Épinal in 1787.

Manuscript volume written by Pierre Vordoni entitled 'Essai sur le rétablissement du crédit public et sur l'amortissement de la dette de l'état', 1820, giving his observations on the financial problems of European states and the need to reduce national debt and re-establish public credit. The manuscript is written in parallel text in French and German.

Accounts of Henry Vane's land estate from March 1736 to March 1737.

Manuscript 'Valuation of Pickton tithes to Michaelmas 1835', giving the property values of 9 farmers and the amounts for which they were liable. Includes 'Parish rates and cesses paid as per voucher to Michaelmas', and totals received from Kirk [Leavington] and Castle Leavington tithes to the same date.

Manuscript volume containing treatises on French finance, 1714-[1783], namely instructions on the general compatibility according to the custom established by the Chambre des Comptes, [1770], including treatises on the accounts of the estates and woods, expenditure and the poll-tax; a paper on foreign exchanges, 1714, with a table of exchange rates for England and Holland; a historical account of the banking reform program of John Law, 1720, including an account of rulings related to finance for 1720 and the preceding years; a treatise on the program of John Law, [1720], presenting arguments for and against Law's operations; studies on the finances of England and France, [1783], attributed to Dr [Richard] Pryce; a paper on the actual state of the finances of Great Britain, 1755. The general title page and table of contents are in a handwriting of later date than the treatises themselves.

Volume mainly containing treatises on French financial administration, [1581-1610], namely a report by Maximilien de Béthune, Duc de Sully, Director of the Council of Finance, on the finances of France, [1607]; a paper on the Estates General of France, [1583]; a history of royal taxation in France up to the reign of King Henry III, ending with a statement of the revenue in 1581, [1581-1589]; and a paper giving instructions on the powers and authority of the officers of the French Chambre des Comptes (Chamber of Accounts), [1589-1610]. The manuscript also contains papers relating to diplomatic negotiations during the Thirty Years War, comprising a speech on a peace assembly at Cologne, Italy, [1636], and a letter from the Swedish Chancellor Count Axel Greve Oxenstierna to the English Ambassador, Sir Thomas Roe, on the alliance between England and Sweden, 1638.

Treatise on coinage in Saxony headed 'Lunenburgischer Krays abescheidt Ihn der vorhen nach Quasimodogeniti anno [15]69 [a]usgerustet. So viel die Munze belangedt', 1569.

Contemporary copy of a treatise, 1603, by Sir Richard Martin, Master of the Royal Mint, on matters relating to the Royal Mint and solutions to the problems of coinage at the beginning of the reign of King James I. With a dedicatory epistle to King James I. Martin's Indentures for the coining of new monies, which are largely quoted in this treatise, were renewed by James I on 21 May 1603.

Manuscript volume containing a transcript of a treatise by Comte Goswin de Wynants, [1739], on the public charges made on the revenue of the provinces of Brabant and Limburg, Belgium. The treatise ends abruptly in the third chapter of a section on the role of the judicature in public charges. A table of contents was added in the late 18th century. There are some manuscript additions to the text, including a late 18th century table of contents.

Manuscript volume containing a transcript of a treatise by Comte Goswin de Wynants, [1739], on the public charges made on the revenue of the provinces of Brabant and Limburg, Belgium. Includes a section in Flemish added after Wynants' death, headed 'Projecten van de setboekers gedruckt ende gepublieert met den placcaerte van den 12 Augusti 1749', and an appendix of extracts from documents dating from the 15th century to 1708, with marginal notes in the hand of the transcriber and notes, running titles and a table of contents added in a later 18th century hand.

Manuscript volume containing a treatise on the organisation and management of Her Majesty's Customs, [1713-1748], giving details of the roles of officers. The manuscript was largely based on a draft by William Dickinson, formerly one of the Commissioners, which was updated, according to the Sotheby's sale catalogue, by Bryan Fairfax, Commissioner of Customs in the reigns of Kings George I and II.

Manuscript volume containing a treatise by Sir James William Morrison, First Clerk and Deputy Master of the Royal Mint, entitled 'Memoirs and observations on the melting and casting of silver for the coinage at his Majesty's Mint', 1807. The manuscript discusses previous techniques in melting, especially experiments made by his father James Morrison, Deputy Master of the Mint from 1787-1799, based on his papers, and his own experiments made with the help of Robert Mushet, Third Clerk to the Master of the Mint, and Robert Bingley, the Assay Master (1798-1836). There are some pencil notes in the margin.

Manuscript volume containing a memorial concerning proposed alterations to the laws relating to bankruptcy and the ranking of creditors in Scotland, [1716], protesting against the adoption of English laws in Scotland.

Manuscript volume containing a paper entitled 'Proposal of a new bank', possibly by James Armour, c1699-1700, probably concerning the Scottish banking. James T Bell assigned this manuscript to 'J.A.', though there is now nothing on the document to justify this - part of the title seems to have been lost during binding repairs. 'J.A.' is probably James Armour (fl 1699-1721), who made proposals about the Bank of Scotland in 1722. He also published A proposal to supply the defect of money and relief to the poor (1696). This manuscript seems to be another version of the same proposal.

Manuscript volume containing a copy of 'Noyes Projects: being a declaration or description how the King of England may support and increase his annuall revenues, being collected out of the records of the Tower, the Parliament Rolls and the Close Petitions...1634', written by William Noy, Attorney-General. This copy of Noy's work was written in the mid 17th century. A shorter version was printed in 1715 as A treatise of the rights of the crown; the text is substantially that of MS 581 except that folios 29-31, in the section on 'bullion', are not printed. The volume is inscribed by Nathaniel Atcheson, with an unaddressed presentation letter in his hand inserted at the front. With an engraving by Henry Meyer of a portrait of Noy.

Manuscript volume, 1795, entitled 'The European negotiator or Exchange operations elucidated. Containing the denominations and values of the monies of accompt. - The course of exchange, the usances and days of grace of all the commercial cities in Europe and the reciprocal reduction of their monies into those of every place with which they have established exchanges...Also arbitration of exchange...Tables of foreign monies, weights and measures equated and compared with those of England. A table of duties on goods passing the sound...'. There is a note adding additional information, 1799, on f.53r.

Manuscript treatise on the Italian method of book-keeping, possibly written in the early 18th century by William Forbes, entitled 'Book-holding. In two parts. The first, ane explanation of the severall books with the manner of bringing the accompts into them. The second a praxis upon trade'. The manuscript was apparently unpublished. The Italian method is defined by the author as 'a method for keeping accompts to shew & rightly distinguish betwixt meum and tuum, or my affairs & interest, and those of the persons dealing with me in them as also in ane instant the condition of ones estate & at one view at what posture it is in at the time'.

Manuscript volume containing a treatise by Jacques Angrand, Vicompte de Fontpertuis, on French finance, [1740], comprising a treatise on the benefit of public credit, entitled 'L'Utilité du crédit public', demonstrated in four parts. The manuscript includes an allegorical drawing in pen and ink on folio 8.

Manuscript volume containing papers relating to the offices of the Exchequer, 1642-1712, namely a treatise by Lawrence Squibb, Teller of the Exchequer, headed 'A book of all the severall offices of the Court of the Exchequer, together with the names of the present officers, in whose gift and how admitted', 1642; instructions, warrants, bills and notes on the offices of the Exchequer, 1690-1692; and a memorandum by Lionel Herne, addressed to the Rt Hon Thomas Mansell, 1st Baron Mansell of Margam, on his appointment as Teller of the Exchequer, relating to the offices and procedure in the Exchequer, [1712].

Manuscript volume, 1554-1720, containing nine transcripts relating to the public coinage of France, notably a transcript of letters patent by King Henry IV setting out regulations for the coinage, 3 Mar 1554; a judgment of the Chambre des Comptes, 25 Nov 1690; miscellaneous transcripts giving details of the cost of equipment for minting, possibly for the coinage of Orleans, France; various formularies for the process of casting gold ingots and counterfeit gold coins, drawn up on behalf of Pierre François Guerin, Juge Garde de la Monoye d'Orleans, 30 Apr 1728; memorandum on the establishment of the coinage of Orleans following an edict of Oct 1716, consisting of 24 articles for regulating the work of the officers of the Mint; two treatises on the administration of coinage in France; summaries of judgements concerning coinage, 23 Dec 1719-26 Dec 1720, with a commentary on each; a description of various French coins, [1718-1728].

Manuscript volume containing a tract relating to usury by a Mr Sanderson, and a reply by Mr [John] Cotton, 1626. Reginald Rye, Goldsmith's Librarian of the University of London, stated that the former may have been written by Sir William Sanderson.

Manuscript volume containing tracts on coinage by Leon Lee, [1628-1633], namely proposals on the coinage addressed to Richard Weston, 1st Earl of Portland and Treasurer of England, a paper outlining methods of preventing abuse of the coinage, and an explanation of the exchange. The volume also contains a [presumably unrelated] account of the reception of Princess Elizabeth of England, at Frankenthal, for her marriage to the Elector Palatine Frederick V, later King of Bohemia, Jun 1613.

Manuscript volume containing transcripts of two tracts [by Sir Thomas Culpeper], [1673], mainly concerning banking and usury, entitled 'A familiar conference between three friends, Civis, Rusticus and Veridicus, concerning the late practice of the bankers and our present rate of interest for money', and 'The familiar conference continued between three friends concerning the present deadnesse of our markets'. These works were attributed to Culpeper by Halkett and Laing.

Manuscript volume containing an anonymous tract relating to the income tax proposed by William Pitt the younger, Prime Minister, 13 Dec 1798, entitled 'An humble attempt at removing one serious objection to Mr Pitt's new (intended) tax upon income', with particular reference to Bristol (where the manuscript is dated). The author counters the objection of many business men to disclosing their financial situation to commissioners, by suggesting that it should be optional for any person to elect to disclose his affairs to a Court composed of members not belonging to his district.

Letter from Henry Tolcher of Plymouth to 'Most honble. Lord' [Peter King, Chief Justice of Common Pleas], 2 Sep 1720. Suggesting that 'unless a speedy method is taken to prevent the melting of the silver coin of this kingdom it is very likely that its scarcity so much of late complain'd of will be follow'd by a totall consumption of the same ... not less than fifty pounds sterling is to be gott by melting a thousand pounds of English silver coin which is easyly effectected [sic] and with security by almost any person in the space of an hour or two'.

Autograph, with signature.

Holograph drafts of speeches, 1765-1784, to be made in the House of Commons (but apparently not delivered) on subjects including American internal taxation, trade with Canada, the window tax and defence of the current administration.

A bill, 1677, for materials supplied and made up by a dressmaker, totalling over £14.

Two volumes of account books, for rent and general purposes, kept between 1783-1795 by a member of the Tayler family. Includes details of stocks and bonds such as Battersea Bridge tolls, and income from property in London, as well as household accounts.

Manuscript volume containing three documents relating to communal tolls/taxation of the Italian city states of Florence and Pisa, 1554-1579.

Manuscript volume, 1573, containing documents and tables relating to the Royal Mint, including papers on the prevention of counterfeiting and clipping of coins, and methods of replenishing the circulation of silver coins.

Manuscript volume containing tables of the tolls for Argenta in the province of Ferrara, Italy, 1423-1444.

A collection of letters, printed circulars, etc, mainly addressed to William Blackwood, of Messrs Stuart and Blackwood, Peebles, Scotland, 1859-1901. The topics covered reflect the firm's business activities: requests for legal advice or legal action; requests to act as agents or trustees; and legal advice or legal action on insurance, assurance and debts. A signficant proportion of the letters concern the Symington extension of the Caledonian Railway Company (1861).

Manuscript account of expenses occurred by Dr Thomas Hume for the printing by John Stockdale's firm of Odes of Anacreon, translated by the poet Thomas Moore, 1800. The discharged account bears a note 'Settled in full November 11th 1800', and the signature of Thomas Hume. With a duplicate receipt for £181.18.0 signed by John Stockdale.

The Cobden Club prize winning essay for 1912 The taxation of the "unearned increment" by Josiah Charles Stamp.

Letters of attorney given by holders of South Sea stock in Amsterdam, The Hague and Geneva to London merchants respecting their stock, 1731-1739.

A bill, late 17th century, for services rendered and items supplied by a saddler.

Letter from William Collingwood Smith of Wyndam Lodge, Brixton Hill, London [the printed address of the Society of Painters in Water Colours, Pall Mall East, London SW, has been struck through] to Augustus De Morgan, 8 Dec 1870. Asking him to assess the depreciation in the Society's assets.

Letter from Richard Smith of 'Bordeaux River', [France] to Seth Barton, merchant, Baltimore, [USA], 1794. Giving the terms of a charter party between James Swan and Co and Thomas Harris, on the London Packet (c 260 tons), which was to take on a cargo of wines and brandy at Bordeaux, to carry to Baltimore; discussing expenses and asks Barton to take out £400 insurance for him.

Autograph, with signature.