Holograph draft report on the investigation of the Alva mine, in response to a petition for payment from James Hamilton

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1 {illeg}In Scotland December 1714 Sr Iohn Erskin in a Moutain {sic} neare his house at Alva in Scotland beyon ye frith, in December 1714 met with a vein of Lead Ore holding some s{illeg}ilver, & in Iuly & August 1715 the vein began to appear more promising, & in September Sr Iohn left his house & went into the Rebellion, & his LAdy pursuing the vein they melted down part of the Ore & buried the rest in Casks near Sr Iohn's house And in February following they left off working & filled up the Mine with earth. And Iames Hamilton, who had been imployed in smelting the Ore brought some of it to London & in March or April (1716) & made the Lord Maior acquainted with the richness of the Mine, & Mr Haldane the brother in law of Sr Iohn made the matter known at court.

2 It was at first proposed to send down Sr Isaac Newton to examin the Mine, but he represented himself unacquainted with such matters, & declined recommending any body else in poit {sic} of skill, saying that it would be better to send down somebody of skim{illeg}ll {sic} from the kings {illeg}silver Mines in Germany. Whereupon Dr Iustus Brandshagen was proposed by others.

3 And his R. Highness the Prince (then Regent) signed a Warrant Aug. 20 1716 to the Commrs of the Treary directing them to pay or cause to be paid to Iustus Brandshagen 60li & to Iames Hamilton 30li to enable them to go down to Scotland to work or try the working of theis Mine, & further to pay or cause to be payd to I. Brandshagen 20s per diem & to Iam. Hamilton 10 s per diem from the day or says they should respecively {sic} arrive at Edinburgh for & during their stay in Scotaland upon the said work, or so long as the said Commrs should see cause to pay the said repective {sic} allowances to them or either of them in consideration of their or either of their service & application to the said work, & the testimony they should receive thereof. And Brandshagen & Hamilton by an Order from the Treary dated Aug 27 received their advance money at the Exchequer Aug. 31.

4 The Prince also signed (3d Sept. 1716) a Paper of Instructions to be observed by them in the survey & tryal of the Mine in the presence & with the assistance of Mr Haldane aforesaid, Mr Drummond Warden of his Mats Mint at Edinburgh & any other persons whom the General Earl of Lauderdale General of the said Mint should send thither, & to make a return of all their in writing of all their proceedings therin to the Commissioners of his Mats Treasury with the utmost expedition. In this Paper Iames Hamilton is stiled Assistent to Iustus Brandshagen, & the buisiness of watching the Mine is no{illeg}t among the Instructions.

5 After this, Iames Hamilton knowing his own insufficiency, was averse from going without his brother Tho. Hamilton, & thereby put the government to the expence of 109li to send his brother T{illeg}homas down with him. And without Thomas they could not have gone through the business. See Mr Drummonds Letter to Sr I. N. dated Feb. 17 16717. Thomas therefore was promised the same allowance with his brother. And Sr Is. Newton by Order advanced the to him the 30li & {illeg}by Warrant of the Commrs of the Treary dated Sept. 5. 1716 was repaid at the Exchequer.

6 The Hamiltons arrived at Edinburgh Sept. 14 & Brandshagen Octob. 13th. And tho Iames Hamilton had pretended to know the Mine, yet they loitered still at Edinburgh some weeks till Sr Iohn Erskin came down to shew them the Mine. By the Princes directions they were to make hast, & yet they were above five months in Scotaland in executing their Commission. tho they might have done it in less then half the time. They loitered so much that the Earl of Lauderdale Mr Haldane & Mr Drummond de{illeg}clared themselves asha{illeg}med of the delays, as appears by Mr Drummonds aforesaid Letter to Sr I. N. dated Feb. 16 1697 1717. And all this negligence the Commers of the Treary were impowered by the Prince's Warrant to consider.

7 When they had finished the work of surveying the Mine, & were preparing to drawing up the Report, they receiver a L{illeg}etter from Sr I. Newton (written by order & dated Ian. 31) that Tho. Hamilton Sr Is. Newton received two Letters dated Ian. 8th & Ian. 24 & signed by the Earl of La{illeg}uderdale, Mr Haldane & Mr Drummond describing the form & bigness & richness of the {illeg}vein or Ore, the in the first of wch they described the form, bigness & richness of the {illeg}vein of Ore, & in the second moved that he should <246v> acquaint the Lords of {illeg}the Treary that theis survey was over & that the Report was preparing: {illeg}& in the second that every thing was then in readiness & that they intended to have sent up the Report that night (Ian. 24) with the Assays & Ore by by Express that nigh{illeg}t (Ian 24,) but were stopt by Brandshagen & the two Hamiltons, a sudden resolution of Branshagen & the two Hamiltons (directly contrary to the Princes Order) that the {illeg}Reports should not come up before them but they would bring it up themselves. And after this they loitered at Edinburgh till Feb. {illeg}19 & so {illeg}put the g{illeg}overnment to the superfluous charge of {illeg}40s per diem for the space of 26 days more, wch is as much money as Hamilton now sues for wanting only 10s.

{illeg}8 I{illeg}n {illeg}the said second Letter a Question was insinuated whether Branshagen {sic} & the two Hamiltons should all of them leave Edinburgh without order, & Sr I. Newton Ian 31 by Order wrote back that Tho. Hamilton should stay to to {sic} w{illeg}atch the mine & see that no Ore be carried away till the Kings pleasure should be known. But the said three Commrs at Edinburgh, having found Thomas much more skilful {illeg} in the business they were sent upon then his brother Iames, sent Thomas to L{illeg}ondon to give an Account of the Report & of the whole affair, & deteined Iames to watch the Mine. See Mr Drummonds above-mentioned Letter of Feb. 16, 1717. It was not therefore by Sr Isaacs order that Iames Hamilton staid in Scotland to watch the Mine. And there is no reason that Sr Isaac should pay the wages of a man whom he did not imploy.

After Brandshagen came to London he loitered till April 29 before he gave in the Report & till May 17th before he petitioned for the money due for their services. And there is no reason that Brandshagen Sr I. N. should pay {illeg}10s pay 10s per diem to Iames Hamilton during the two {illeg}three twelve weeks months wch were spent by Brandshagens loitering

Iames Hamilton demands 10s per diem for watching the Mine. 145 days. It is not certain that he watched it so long before he had notice to come away. The whole business after Feb. 19 might have been dispatched in a third part of that time. And Sr Isaac Newton was not the {illeg}occasion of any delays.

On April 29th Brandshagen gave in the Report to the Commrs of the Treary

The Earl of L{illeg}auderdale, Mr Haldane, & Mr Drummond, who were joyned in Commission with Branshagen {sic} & Hamilton to survey the Mine & see the Ore cut of from it & assayed, accounted their Commission by the Princes Warrant at an end when they finished their Report & sent it away to London, as appears by their Letters above mentioned to Sr Is. Newton dated Ian 8 & Ian 24, 1717. Brandshagen delivered the Report & Assays & Ores to the Comm̄ers for the moneys due to him & the two Hamiltons for that service representing that it ended Apr. 29. {sic}. On Iune 17 the said Commers referred the said Commers Petition to Sr Isaac Newton directing him to state the case of Brandshagen & the two Hamiltons, & report his opinion what was fit to be done thereupon for discharging the Princes Warrant & putting an end to all further demands of any of them on this account. On Iune 27 Sr Isaac gave in his Report of what was due to all three till Feb. 19th, the day on wch their Commission ended, & left it to the Commrs of the Treary to allow to Iames Hamilton what they should think fit for watching the Mine after Feb. 19. And on Iuly 24 the Commrs of the Treary issued their Warrant to the Ea{illeg}rl of Halifax to pay to Dr I. Fr. Fauquier, the arrieres due to the two Hamiltons & the said Brandshagen & the two H{illeg}lamiltons according to the said Report., {illeg}& further added a round summ of 20li tfor {illeg} be allowed to Iames Hamilton for watching the Mine after Feb. 19. And The Dr received & paid them their arrieres.

Sr I. Newton neither received nor paid any moneys for or to Iames Hamilton or on account of the Princes Warrant {illeg}nor had any benefit by that business. He acted all along by order & had nothing to do in that matter after Iune 27 the day on wch he gave in his final Report. The Commrs in Scotland. Sr Is. Newton, & the Commrs of the Treary all agreed that the Execution of the Princes Warrant was finished Feb. 19. Brandshagen petitioned for the allowance of 120s per diem to himself & 10s {illeg}per diem to the two Hamiltons till Apr. 129 the day on wch he delivered the Report to the Commrs of the Treary but was over-ruled by the said Commers & submitted. For they were appointed Iudges of this matter by the Princes Warrant.