Westropp — Money Weights and Foreign Coin in Ireland. 61 



with the Chief Baron of His Majesty's Court of Exchequer, during our will 

 and pleasure, hereby strictly commanding that no other person whatsoever do 

 presume to make, adjust, or sell any of the said money weights to be used in 

 this kingdom, upon pain of being proceeded against as makers and publishers 

 of false weights. Of which all persons are required to take due notice. 

 (" Dublin Gazette," September 18th to 21st, 1736.) 



This proclamation was issued on account of the death of Yincent Kidder, 

 the following notice appearing in the "Dublin Gazette " of August 17 to 21, 

 1736: — "Vincent Kidder, goldsmith and regulator of our money weights and 

 grains, was yesterday interred in St. Werburgh's Church." 



A proclamation by the Lords Justices and Council for regulating the value 

 of gold coins current in this kingdom, dated August 29, 1737. Whereas His 

 Majesty has been pleased to signify his royal pleasure that a proclamation 

 should issue for regulating the gold coins current in this kingdom, and for 

 that purpose His Majesty's order in Council, bearing date at his Court at 

 Hampton Court the 21st day of July, 1737, has been transmitted to us, setting 

 forth that whereas the Lord Lieutenant and Council of this kingdom have repre- 

 sented to His Majesty that there is at present a great scarcity of silver coin 

 in this kingdom, occasioned by persons being tempted to carry it out of this 

 kingdom to make an advantage thereof, and that the greatest part of the gold 

 coins current here is in the two larger pieces of Portugal gold, one of which 

 passing for four pounds and the other for forty shillings, great inconveniences 

 and difficulties daily arise in the obtaining change for the same ; and there 

 being a disproportion between the value of the said pieces and the lesser 

 pieces of foreign gold coin, to the advantage of the larger, the same has 

 occasioned likewise a scarcity of the lesser pieces of gold coin, by means 

 whereof great distress has been brought upon the trade, and particularly the 

 linen manufacture of this kingdom ; and also upon His Majesty's forces here ; 

 and therefore humbly prayed that the gold coin, both English and foreign, 

 current here might be rated at the quantity of English silver they usually 

 pass for in England, with an allowance of some small advantage to the lesser 

 pieces. And whereas the Lords Commissioners of His Majesty's Treasury (to 

 whom His Majesty thought fit to refer the consideration of the said represen- 

 tation) have reported to His Majesty in Council that they had taken the 

 opinion of the late master- worker and the rest of the principal officers of His 

 Majesty's mint thereon, who proposed that a reduction should be made in the 

 value of the gold coins current in this kingdom, at least as low as they are in 

 Great Britain ; and that the disproportion between the larger and lesser pieces 

 should be rectified, which said proposal being agreed to by the Lords Commis- 

 sioners of the Treasury and approved of by His Majesty in Council, His 



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