Martha, wife of Anthony Collins, Esq., were likew deposited in the same vault.

Hitherto it has always puzzled us to know how it w that the banking-house or, more correctly speaking, t goldsmith's firm of Blanchard and Child was never or mentioned by Samuel Pepys in his diary; more especia as upon referring to ledgers lettered R S and T of 16 to 1671 we find the accounts of that diarist.

Pepys was not the kind of man to pass over maki note that he went to his goldsmiths or that he kept mon with Blanchard and Child at the Marygold, if he rea did so.

We were never able to account for this singular circu stance until we showed the old ledger T to Mess Praeds, bankers in Fleet Street, descendants of the Ba wells, who threw a great light upon the subject by su gesting that that old ledger was not one of Child & Co at all, but was in reality one of the old books of Ald man Edward Backwell, goldsmith and banker of Lomba Street*. This Mr. Backwell was one of the many gol smiths ruined by the closing of the Exchequer by Char the Second on the 1st January 1672: the Crown th owed Mr. Backwell as much as £295,994 16s. 6d., lieu of which the King gave him an annuity

* Mr. John B. Martin, of the old firm of Martin & Co., of the Gra hopper, 68 Lombard Street, states that he has reason to believe t their back office occupies the site of Backwell's Bank; but I think t is doubtful, and that he may have mistaken the name for that Blackwell, who are put down on an old map of London as being bank on that spot in 1743.

one well worth preserving, we give it below.

CHARLES R.

Our Will and pleasure is that you forthwith prepare a Bi for Our Royall Signature to pass Our great Seale in thes words or to this effect.

CHARLES THE SECOND by the grace of God of England Scotland Ffranc and Ireland King Defend of the faith &ca To all to whom these pre sents shall come Greeting Whereas since the time of Our happy Res toracon We have been involved in great Forreigne Warrs as well fo the Safety of Our Government as for the vindicacon of the Right and privileges of Our Subjects In the prosecucon whereof we hav been constreyned for some years past contrary to Our Inclinacons to postpone the paymt of the moneys due from Us to Several Goldsmiths & others upon Tallys Struck and Orders Registred on & payable out of Severall Branches of Our Revenue and otherwise And although the present Posture of Our affaires cannot reasonably spare so greate a sum as must be applyed to the Satisfaction of those debs Yet considering the great difficultys which very many of Our Loving Subjects (who putt their moneys into the hands of those Goldsmiths & others from whom We received it) doe at present lye under almost to their utter ruine for want of their said moneys We have rather chose out of Our princely care & compassion towards Our people to suffer in Our owne Affaires then that Our Loving Subjects should want soe seasonable a Releife And having seriously considered of the way & means effect this Our present purpose We could not find any more effectuall & less prejudiciall to Us in the present posture of Our Revenu" then by granting to each of them the said Goldsmiths & others to whom We are indebted as aforesaid respectively and to his & their respective heires & Assignes an annuall sum or paym* answerable in value yearly to the Interest of their respective debts at the rate of Six pounds Cent Annum for all such moneys as are due unto them The consideracõn

January One thousand Six hundred Seauenty Six W accordingly cast up and Settled, it appeares thereby & owing by Us unto Our trusty and wel beloved Subje well of London Esq ye Sum of two hundred ninety fi hundred ninety foure pounds sixteen shillings and six faction whereof according to Our intent in these p We have resolved to grant unto him the sum of Seav seauen hundred ffifty nine pounds thirteene shillings annum Out of that part of Our Revenue of Excise w unto Us Our heires and Successors for ever by an made in the twelveth yeare of Our Reigne Entituled A away the Court of Wards & Liverys & Tenures in Capit Service & Purveyance and for Settling a Revenue upor thereof Know Ye therefore that We for the consi and in Satisfaction or Lieu of the said debt or sum ninety five thousand nine hundred ninety foure poun ings & sixpence by Us owing to the said Edward B of Our especiall grace certaine knowledge & meer mo and granted & by these presents for Us Our heires & grant unto the said Edward Backwell Esq' his heire Annuall or yearly Rent or sum of Seauenteene thousan ffifty nine pounds Thirteen shills and Eight pence of England to be yearly had received & taken by the sa well Esq' his heires and Assignes for ever Out of th Profits Perquisites Emoluments and Payments reserved or coming or that hereafter shall or may be received become due or payable unto Us Our heires & succ's reason of the duty of Excise upon beer ale & other L Kingdome of England Dominion of Wales or Towne Twede by vertue of the said Act of Parliam'. The sai teene thousand seauen hundred ffifty nine pounds thi Eight pence P annum to be payd Quarterly at the ffeasts in the yeare (that is to say) at the ffeasts of of the blessed Virgin Mary the Nativity of St John B the Archangell and the birth of Our Lord God comm mas by even & equall Porcons In trust for such of the said Edward Backwell Esq' as within one yeare date hereof shall upon notice of these presents deliver

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shall amount unto, and in the meanetime shall not sue or prosecute said Edward Backwell his heires Exec's or Admrs for such their del and the residue and overplus of the said yearly sum of Seavente thousand seaven hundred ffifty nine pounds thirteene shills and ei pence to remayne & be to and for the proper use and benefit of said Edward Backwell his heires and Assignes without any Trust acco whatsoever The first paym' of the said sum of Seaventee thousand seaven hundred ffifty nine pounds thirteene shills & eig pence to comence from the feast of the birth of Our Lord God 16 And We doe for Us Our heires and succ's authorize direct and appoi Our High Trear Chancellor & under Trear Chamberlaines & Barons Our Excheq. and the high Trear & Com's of the Treary Chancell" und Trear Chamberlaines & Barons of the Excheq' of Us Our heires a succrs that hereafter shall be and all other Officers & Ministers of t said Court and of the Rec' thereof now being or that hereafter sha be, that they and every of them in their respective places do from tin to time upon the request of the said Edward Backwell his heirs Assignes respectively performe all Acts necessary for the constant due paym of the said yearly rent or sum of Seaventeene thousan seaven hundred ffifty nine pounds thirteene shills & eight pence to th said Edward Backwell his heires or Assignes as the same shall gro due & become payable & of every such part & parts as the said Edwar Backwell his heires or Assignes shall grant or assigne to any person o persons from time to time according to ye Trust & agreem in tha behalfe herein conteyned And as occasion shall be Levy or Strike o cause to be Levyd or Stricken in the Receipt of the Excheq' of Us Ou heires and sucers from time to time Tallys of Pro or Assignemen or other Tallys as the case may require and as shall be desired upon the Com Treas Receivers Collectors or ffarmors of the said duty and Revenue for the time being or upon such other person or Persons as ought to be charged or chargeable therewith or accomptable to Us Our heires and successors for the same, Who are hereby required and directed from time to time to make due paym1 thereof accordingly soe that the said Edward Backwell his heires and Assignes respectively of all or any part or parts thereof may certainly and duely and on every of the said Quarterly ffeast dayes afore mencõned for ever hereafter have and

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be sued for had or obteyned from Us Our heires and su behalfe and without any accot Imprest or other charge the said Edward Backwell his heires or assignes or any same And if it shall happen at any time hereafter that and profits of Our said Revenue shall be payd into the Exheq' or else where to the use of Us Our heires or s the Levying of such Tallys or before paym1 be made to Backwell his heires or assignes respectively of the said ye of Seauenteene thousand Seauen hundred ffifty nine P shillings and eight pence or any part thereof accord intent of these Our Lres Patente Then and in such ca Will and pleasure is, and We doe hereby of Our furthe certaine knowledg and meer mocon for Us Our heire authorize and require the high Trear and Com's of the Under Trear Chamberlaines and Barons of the Excheq and successors for the time being and all other Offic the Excheq* and of the Rect thereof That they or such it apperteynes doe from time to time as often as need s truly pay or cause to be payd to the said Edward Bad and assignes respectively out of such moneys as shall Our Excheq or else where to the use of Us Our heir such or so much of the said yearly rent or sum thousand Seauen hundred ffifty nine pounds thirteen Eightpence as shall from time to time be in arreare or ffeast dayes and times of paym1 aforesaid or any of the further or other Warrant to be sued for had or obteyned and without any Accot Imprest or other charge to be se said Edward Backwell his heires or Assignes for the sa thereof And these Our Lres Patente or the Exempli Enrollm* thereof shall be unto the high Trear Com Chancellor and under Trear Chamberlaines and Barons of Us Our heires and succ's and all other Officers and said Excheq' and to the Com's Trears Receiv's Coll and all other Officers and Ministers of Our said Reve good and sufficient Warrant and discharge for all and or any of them respectively shall do or cause to be done premisses pursuant to Our Will and pleasure herein And Our further Will and pleasure is and We doe