Letter

Samuel Wood (Hopley) to Sir John Trevor: concerning his employment in Liverpool collecting the duty on coal shipments - ' As for my personal presence in the service this winter yourself isprivy where I was enforced to spend the time till Christmas … The first journey I made after my return was to Liverpool staying 3 or 4 days and found so small doing (as indeed every winter is) that there were neither many coals to lade nor barques come to lade them had they been there, the reasons I find to be the daily raising of the price (only in carriage to the waterside through foul ways) and the roughness of the sea in those parts and (as this year fell out) the loss of very many barques by Lancashire men, for Scotchmen come not at all in winter. And until now of late the ways remained still unpassable almost. This made me think it not very needful for me to go to lie at Liverpool to do nothing, especially having my deputy lying there on my charge constantly … he undertakes to make it appear that he hath advanced the entires of most of the barques of Lancashire side many more chaldrons more than when he came to the place and (there being no warranted measurer there settled) I cannot conceive how he should take a better course than he doth, which is to give hire to a man and his wife to give him speedy intelligence what lading each barque takes in and then doth question them at their return by the town and brings many to part entries and many others (which would not) he hath their names ready that they may be questioned when you and your partners shall think fit for I remember you gave me a caution concerning that, and the not present sending down a measure which now I perceive you are pleased to send down. And many both of the owners of the coals and the merchants that sell them to the owners of the barques are or pretend at least that they are glad of it … But the owners who carry them to Ireland will be like to do what they can to withstand it because of the largeness of the Irish measure and the Co. deputy's price (and many others here command them at the same rate) being such as they are not able to afford, they forbear to carry as well in the Welsh coast as in Lancashire so that in all likelihood at the first putting them to the King's measure there will be some fewer chaldrons transported than are and therefore I doubt not but we shall receive with, or soon after, the sending of the coals both directions and authority for assistance in the using of the measures for the lading. I cannot apprehend that after the barques be laden once they can be measured or their quantity tried without much charge and difficulty, but the best way will be to keep things right at the beginning by measuring the barque at the lading in my poor opinion …'; suspects his partner has made accusations of neglect of duty against him because he wants to oust the writer from his post or at least confine him to the Lancashire part of it 'which in the whole year will not bear the charge of one to be continually there attending it and is more difficult than Wales by much to perform...'

Please order documents using the alternative reference number (where provided).