Then is the Clerk of the Ordnance general; sometimes stiled also Clerk of the Armoury.

This Office is ancient. The Fee per Ann. was 12l. 3s. 4d. that is, 8d. by the Day. William Painter was in this Office when Queen Elizabeth first took the Sceptre. Anthony Painter and John Bagnal enjoyed this afterward in Queen Elizabeth's Reign. And before them Mr. Pelham, Anno 13. Elizabeth.

The next Officer is the Keeper of the Stores. The first Patent was to one Richard Bowland in the 14. Elizab. His Fee was 54l. 15s. per Ann. that is, 3s. by the Day. Before that Time, he had the Room of a Gunner at 12d. per Diem.; and he did this Service. Humphrey Bowland was in this Office Anno 1584. The Queen allowed 6000l. per Ann. for buying in Stores.

The Keeper of the small Guns was the next. The first that had a Patent for this Office was E. Partridge in the 2d and 3d of Queen Elizabeth, and next to him Nathaniel Partridge, his Son. And no Office before. His Fee by the Year was 15l. 4s. 2d. that is, 10d. by the Day. Afterwards Richard Powel succeeded in this Office under Queen Elizabeth.

Then came the Clerk of the Deliveries. Fleming and Anthony, Anno 7 Edward VI. were the first appointed to this Office; but not in Patent, till about the 16. Elizab. when Brian Hxgg had a Patent for this Place. The Fee both under King Edward and Queen Elizabeth was per Ann. 18l. 5s. at 12d. by the Day. The next that succeeded in this Place was George Hxgg.

So that the Sum Total of the Fees of these Officers amounted Yearly to 203l. 10s. 10d.

But besides these first and ancient Fees, they had these Fees and Allowance moreover granted them by the Queen, for their Diet, Riding Charges, Boat-hire, Wood, Coals, Ink, Paper, Keeping of Books, Wages of Clerks, &c. that is to say;

Besides these principal Officers, the Master of the Ordnance had his Deputy; (in which Place served Tho. Sharples, - Hocknel, and Geffery Turvell.) The Lieutenant had his Deputy, (in which Place served Harman Harrison and Will. Horne) and Clerk: The other Officers also had their Clerks. The Surveyors Clerks were Henry Walton, John Pavy, and James Cudner, or Codener. These were such as were daily attendant upon the Receipts and Issues of the Office, and for the keeping and engrossing of Books, appertaining to the same. These also had Allowances, but not in Precedent. Which were generally to each Clerk 18l. 5s. per Ann.

In the Year 1584, and the Month of June, the Officers petitioned for Augmentations of their Salaries, and for the Establishment of the Allowances of their Clerks. Whereupon these Sums seem to be granted as Additions, viz.

Now to take Notice of certain Transactions and Occurrences happening in or concerning this Office of the Ordnance in some Part of Queen Elizabeth's Reign.

The Surveyor of the Ordnance, the Keeper of the Stores, and some others in Office, were somewhat tardy in their Doings; having upon Occasion, taken the Liberty to advance their own private Interests in the Queen's Wrong. But about the Year 1591. N. Rainberd, one belonging to that Office, as it seems, privately gave the Lord Treasurer Information by a Letter; discovering their Shift; and Devices, in drawing of Books and Proportions for their own Gain and Commodity; overcharging her Majesty with excessive Prices of Provisions brought into the Store from Time to Time. He informed also of a Book of Debts presently to be exhibited unto his Honour; wherein they purposed to demand Allowances for some Things already paid for by the Queen; as upon due Examinations thereof by the Officers, generally would appear. As divers Emptions for the Ships were demanded in the same Book; which the Keeper of the Stores would alledge to be due to him, albeit her Majesty had already paid for the same. Also, a Quantity of Iron Shot, lately brought into the Store; which in Truth, upon due Examination would appear to be her Majesty's, being an old Remain returned from the Seas at the Time of the Spaniards being here. There was a Bargain of 30000 Pound Weight of Copper Plate, and 20000 Pound Weight of Match. Of the Copper, there was brought into her Majesty's Stores 13000 Pound Weight. And all at 4l. 13s. 4d. the Hundred Weight. But inded the same was bought for betwixt 50s. and 3l. the Hundred. So the Queen lost in every Hundred 33s. and 4d. at the least. This Informer offered, when the Lord Treasurer should command him, to draw a Brief of the whole Deceit, he was ready to perform the same.

In the Year 1578, there was another Discovery of embezzling the Queen's Gunpowder and Salt-Petre. Which Abuse had been practised for some good while before. And one of the Clerks, or otherwise belonging to the Stores, privately signified it to the Lord Treasurer. By which he went in danger of his Life, were it known: Desiring therefore it might be taken Notice of some other way. In order to which he secretly delivered this Paper to the said Treasurer, which way the Queen might find out the Abuses within the Office of the Ordnance, and no Suspicion grow to the Revealer of the same. Which Course was accordingly taken by the Lord Treasurer.