(Vol. vii., pp. 377. 433. 460. 530.)
The following humble petition will give an idea of the arbitrary power
exercised by the "Saltpeter maker" in the days of Good Queen Bess; and of
the useful monopoly that functionary contrived to make of his employment,
in defiance of county government:
"Righte honorable, our humble dewties to yo^r good Lordshippe premised,
maye it please the same to be advertised, that at the Quarter sessions
holden at Newarke within this countie of Nottingham, There was a
generall Complaynte made unto us by the Whole Countrie, that one John
Ffoxe, saltpeter maker, had charged the Whole Countrie by his precepts
for the Caryinge of Cole from Selsonn, in the Countie of Nottingham,
unto the towne of Newarke w^{th}in the same countie; beinge sixteene
myles distante for the makeinge of saltpeter, some townes w^{th} five
Cariages and some w^{th} lesse, or els to geve him foure shillinges for
everie Loade, whereof he hath Recyved a great parte. Uppon w^{ch}
Complaynte we called the same Ffoxe before some of us at Newarke at the
Sessions, there to answere the premisses, and also to make us a
propc[=i]on what Loades of Coales would serve to make a thowsand of
saltpeter, To thend we might have sett some order for the preparing of
the same: But the said Ffoxe will not sett downe anie rate what would
serve for the makeinge of a Thowsande. Therefore we have thoughte good
to advertise your good Lordshippe of the premisses, and have appoynted
the clarke of the peace of this countie of Nottingham to attend yo^r
good Lordshippe to know yo^r Lordshippes pleasure about the same, who
can further informe yo^r good Lordshippe of the particularities
thereof, if it shall please yo^r good Lordshippe to geve him hearings,
And so most humblie take our Leaves, Newarke, the viij^{th} of Octob^r,
1589.
"Your L^{pp} most humblie to Comaunde,
RO. MARKHAM,
WILLIAM SUTTON,
R[=AU]F BARTON, 1589,
N[=IH]S ROOS,
BRIAN LASSELS,
JOHN THORNHAGH."
The document is addressed on the back "To the Right Honorable our verie
good Lord the Lord Burghley, Lord Heighe Threasoro^r of England, yeve
theis;" and is numbered LXI. 72. among the Lansdowne MSS., B. M.
The proposal quoted below has no date attached, but probably belongs to the
former part of the seventeenth century:
"THE SERVICE.
"1. To make 500 Tunne of refined Saltpetre within his Ma^{ties}
dominions yearely, and continually, and cheaper.
2. _Without digging of homes or charging of carts, or any other charge
to the subject whatsoever._ {226}