2nd s. No 58., Fes. 7. '57.] 



NOTES AND QUERIES. 



101 



LONDON, SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 1857. 



8IE WILLIAM DBTTON COLTS EXPENSES AS AM- 

 BASSADOR. 



Among our public documents there is a class of 

 papers which 1 believe have been but very little 

 consulted, though they contain much curious and 

 interesting matter, and form valuable illustrations 

 of the history of this country. I allude to the 

 bills of expenses incurred by the various ambas- 

 sadors and envoys during their sojourn in the 

 states or countries whither they were sent as re- 

 presentatives of this nation. . These documents 

 are to be found among the Records of the late 

 Pell Office, now deposited at the Public Record 

 Office ; and as a specimen to lay before your 

 readers, I have made selections from the accounts 

 of the expenses of Sir William Dutton Colt, who 

 was Envoy Extraordinary to the Dukes of Bruns- 

 wick and Lunenburgh during the reign of Wil- 

 liam III., of which period Macaulay is now 

 treating. 



In the year 1683, Sir William Dutton Colt was 

 convicted of calling the Duke of York a popish 

 traitor, and fined in a large sum. (Hume, ch. 69.) 



The next reign, that of James II., was spent 

 by him without preferment, but, being a staunch 

 Protestant, he was taken into favour by William 

 III., from whom he received the order of knight- 

 hood, and was constituted Envoy Extraordinary 

 to the Dukes of Brunswick and Lunenburgh. 



By a Privy Seal dated May 9th, 1 W. & M., 

 500Z. was ordered to be paid to Colt for his equip- 

 age, and 51. per diem for his ordinary entertain- 

 ment, to commence from the day of his depar- 

 ture out of the royal presence and to continue 

 until the day of his returning to the same. And 

 further, to pay him all money for intelligences, 

 expresses, and other extraordinary expenses, as 

 by bills under his hand, subscribed and allowed 

 by one of the principal secretaries of state, should 

 appear to be due to him.* 



The Instructions which were furnished to him 

 on his departure are to be found among the papers 

 of William Bridgeman, Esq., Under Secretary of 

 State to the Earl of Sunderland in the time of 

 James II., and Secretary to the Board of Admi- 

 ralty in the time of William III. (Lansdowne 

 MSS., Brit. Mus., 1152. vol. ii. fol. 140.) 



By an entry in the Treasury Money Book, 

 No. 10, p. 154., it appears that Sir William Dut- 

 ton Colt kissed his Majesty's hand and departed 

 to his employment on May 28, 1689. 



On the 28th November following was issued a 

 Pell Warrant to pay to Sir William Dutton Colt 

 202Z. 7s. for his extraordinary disbursements from 



* Auditors' Privy Seal Book, Public Record Office. 



May 28 to Aug. 28, 1689, according to the bill 

 signed by him, of which the following, taken from 

 the Pell Warrant Book, No. 29. p. 444., is a copy : 



"Expended by Sir William Dutton Colt, Knight, En- " 

 voy Extraordinary to ye Dukes of Brunswick and Lunen- 

 burg and to ye Langrave of Hesse, from 3'e 28*'> day of 

 May to ye 28"> day of August, 1689, being three moneths, 

 whereof he humbly craves allowance : 



£ s. d. 

 For passing a privy seale - - - 26 07 OG 



Exchequer Fees for £955 advanced - - 22 19 06 



In Gratuityes to the Yacht that transported 



me to Holland - - - - 15 00 00 



In Gratuityes to Trumpitt?, Drums, the whole 

 Journey, and Carriage through Holland of 

 my Family and Goods - - - 12 00 00 



Laid out on my Journey for Carriage of my 

 Family and Equipage from Holland to Cell, 

 and from thence to Hanover and Wolfen- 

 bottle and back to Cell - - - 36 00 00 



Charges at these Courts to the Pages, Drums, 

 Trumpitts, Stables, Footmen, Coaches and 

 Attendance at my three severall Audiences 45 00 00 

 Paid for my Lodging att Hanover and att 

 Brunswick and Wolfenbottle, haveing taken 

 a house att a greate Rate att Cell and for 

 Gratuityes for ye servants of the severall 

 houses - ' - - - - 26 00 00 



Paid for postage of Letters, Pamphlets and 

 other printed papers and for sending them 

 from London, and papers, wax, and paper, 

 books and other things - - - 14 00 00 



A gratuity to a person att the Hage to receive 

 my Letters and send them forward - 05 00 00 



202 07 00 



" Will. Dutton Colt. 



"At the Court at Whitehall, September 13'h 1689. 

 This bill of extraordinaries containeing severall expences 

 laid out by Sir William Dutton Colt in his Journey and 

 att his Audience I doe by his Majesty's particular com- 

 mand allowe the same, except the second article for fees 

 paid in the Exchequer, which I leave to j'e Consideration 

 of the Right Honourable the Lords Commissioners of the 

 Treasury, to whose cognizance the same does properly be- 

 long. 



" Nottingham." 



The next account, from 28 August, 1689, to 

 28 February, 1690, is for 239Z. 2s., and contains 

 an item worthy of remark, where Sir William 

 Dutton Colt complains of the ill accommodation 

 afforded by the public inns ; indeed, a similar 

 item will be found in all his accounts. It is as 

 follows : 



" Expended by Sir William Dutton Colt, Knight, En- 

 voy Extraordinary to ye Dukes of Brunswick and Lunen- 

 burgh, and to ye Landgrave of Hesse Castle, from the 28* 

 day of August," 1689, to 28* day of February, 1689, being 

 six moneths, whereof he humbly craves allowance : 



Laid out on a Journey to Cassell, the Resi- £ s. d. 

 dence of the Landgrave of Hesse, From Cell 

 and back againe with my Famely and Equi- 

 page - - - - - 30 04 



Charges for presents to a Gentleman, Page, 

 Drums, Trumpetts, Stables, Footmen, and 

 attendance at my Audience - - 20 11 



Given to severall Officers of the Court at my 



