Postby dognose » Fri Oct 07, 2011 5:49 pm
I agree with agphile, Richard Gosling, and indeed the marks do appear to be counterfeit.
Court of Assistants - 5th August 1742
This Company being informed by the Clerk that, pursuant to the directions of the Standing Committee, he had prosecuted, tryed, and convicted Richard Gosling and Lewis Larothe for counterfeiting the marks of the Company used in the Assay Office.........
And the Clerk likewise informed this Court that £100 penalty having been recovered against Mr Gosling, and costs being taxed thereon at £23, he had received of Gosling £50 for the prosecutor's moiety of the penalty, with the £23 costs; and thereupon it was proposed that the £50 received should be given to the witnesses, but the proposal being opposed, it was ordered that the £50 received be placed to the account of the Assay Office.
After which appeared the said Richard Gosling, complaining that the Clerk had been very importunate with him for the remaining £50 fine, and desired six weeks time for payment; but the Court told him it was the publick's money, with which they had nothing to do, nor could they intermeddle therein, so that unless he should pay the money immediately he might blame himself for any bad consequences attending his default.
Trev.