Tag Archives: London

19/06/2013 · 7:51 pm

William Minshew of Rosemary Lane, Whitechapel

A farthing token issued in the name of William Minshew of Rosemary Lane in Whitechapel

The above copper farthing token measures 16.3 mm and weighs 1.12 grams. It was issued in the name of William Minshew of Rosemary Lane in eastern London in 1659.

The design of the token may be formally described as follows;

Obverse: (star) WILL.MINSHEW.IN, around the depiction of a swing plough facing left.

Reverse: (star) ROSEMARY.LANE 59, around the depiction of a still mounted on a masonry hearth with flames issuing from the top right side and distillate being collected in a receiving vessel located on its left side.

The “59” in the token’s reverse legend is an abbreviated issue date, i.e. 1659.

Near contemporary depictions of similar stone hearth mounted stills to the one shown on William Minshew’s farthing Token (c.16 to 17th century woodcuts)

Rosemary Lane (originally Hog Lane, or Hoggestrete) was the continuation of what is now Cable Street, running from the junction with Dock Street and Leman Street towards the Tower of London. Rosemary Lane was renamed Royal Mint Street in 1850. It crossed the parishes of Aldgate (in the west) and Whitechapel (in the east).

The section of Rosemary Lane which passes through the Parish of Whitechapel (c.1720)

The section of Rosemary Lane which passes through the Parish of Whitechapel with St. Mary’s Church in the top right on Whitechapel Street (c.1720)

I have been unable to find any conclusive evidence of where and when William was born. However, he could well be one of the following individuals who are recorded in their respective parish baptism records;

1) William Minshawe – Baptised in the parish church of Garlickhithe on 1^st September 1630. The son of Randall and Ursley Minshawe

2) William Mynshawe – Christened in the parish church of St. Andrew by the Wardrobe on 26^th July 1630. The son of Edward Mynshawe

3) William John Minshaw – Christened in the parish church of St. Benet Paul’s Wharf on 18^th May 1637.

By 1659, the date of issue on his tokens, we know that William Minshew was resident in Rosemary Lane. In isolation the presence of only his initials on the reverse side of his tokens suggests that at the time of their issue William was unmarried. If married it would was usual for tradesmen to apply a triad of initials to the reverse side of their tokens. These typically comprised the side by side initials of the couple’s two Christian names below that of their common surname. However, a search of local parish registers indicates a William and Alice Minshew living in the parish of St. Mary’s, Whitechapel from at least 1654. The parish baptism records the couple having the following children;

Sarah Minshew; baptised on 11^th January 1654/5
John Minshew; baptised on 13^th October 1658
Mary Minshew; baptised on 16^th June 1661
William Minshew; baptised 7^th June 1663

Further analysis of the parish registers of St. Mary’s, Whitechapel indicates the following relevant entries for the family;

William Minshew; buried on 9^th August 1664
Alice Minshew; buried on 20^th January 1688/9 ₍₁₎

It is not clear if the burial of William Minshew recorded above is that of the token issuer or his infant son.

A further search of Hearth Tax returns for 1666 from the districts of Whitechapel and Aldgate has failed to return any entries for either a William or Alice Minshew.

The association of the Minshew family with St. Mary’s, Whitechapel potentially narrows down the stretch of Rosemary Lane on which the family may have lived (i.e. the eastern section which lay within Whitechapel).

A depiction of a Rag Fair in Rosemary Lane, East London (late 18th century print by Thomas Rowlandson)

From the mid-17^th century Rosemary Lane gained strong associations with the second-hand rag/cloth trade. However, like in other areas of London the occupations of the tradesmen and women who lived and worked in the lane were far more diverse. At least 29 tradesmen living on Rosemary Lane during the mid-17^th century are known to have issued tokens. Their trades are varied and include an ironmonger, a cheesemonger, a pastry cook, a fruitier, a cable maker, a blacksmith, a fishmonger, a tobacconist, a brewer plus several victuallers. While not a fellow token issuer there was at least one other “tradesman” living on Rosemary Lane around the same time as William Minshew who is worth noting. This individual was a Hangman by the name of Richard Brandon, a trade which he had inherited from his father, Gregory Brandon, who had been an Axeman or executioner. Richard died in 1649. While his burial register entry in the parish registers of St. Mary’s Whitechapel is in itself unremarkable, “1649. June 2. Richard Brandon, a man out of Rosemary Lane” the note next to it is not, “This R. Brandon is supposed to have cut off the head of Charles I”. The historical content of this note is supported by several contemporary anecdotes.

Based on the information contained on his token William Mishew’s occupation is unclear. The token’s obverse depicts a plough while its reverse depicts a still. In London the sign of the plough was adopted from the 16th century onwards by several taverns but was by no means exclusive to that trade. The image of a still suggests a possible inference that William may have been a distiller, although this again is by no means a certainty. The sign of the still was used by some taverns and possibly some members of the Apothecaries’ Society who, for a period in the 17^th century, viewed the Worshipful Company of Distillers as partial rivals to elements of their trade.

One interpretation of the emblems on this particular token is that William Minshew was a distiller operating from premises in or near the building occupied by a tavern which went by the name or sign of the Plough. A review of the 30 token types known to have been issued from traders in Rosemary Lane indicates a degree of commonality with respect to the emblems used on their tokens. These include;

1) Sam Crisp, cheesemonger at the sign of the still.

2) Mr. C.W. and Mrs. F.W. at the sign of the plough (possibly keepers of a tavern by the name of the Plough).

3) P. H. Doe on Armetage Bridge _(2). This token bears the emblems of a wheat sheaf on its obverse and a plough on its reverse (possibly a trader in grain or cereals operating at or close to a tavern by the name of the Plough).

Notes:

1) Rather confusingly there is a second burial register entry for an Alice Minshew the day before that listed above (i.e. 19th January 1668/9) in the adjoining parish registers of St. Botolph’s, Aldgate.

2) As yet the author has not been able to identify this exact location on Rosemary Lane.

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Filed under Tokens from East of the City Walls

Tagged as 17th century, 17th century token, Aldgate, Cable Street, Hearth Tax, History, London, London History, Paranumismatics, Richard Brandon, Rosemary Lane, token, Whitechapel, Worshipful Company of Distillers

15/06/2013 · 3:31 pm

The Fleece in Covent Garden

A farthing token issued in the name of the Fleece Tavern in Covent Garden, Westminster

The above copper farthing token measures 15.6 mm and weighs 0.94 grams. It was issued in the name of The Fleece Tavern in Bridges Street. This now lost street lay off the eastern side of Covent Garden in Westminster.

The design of the token may be formally described as follows;

Obverse: (mullet) AT.THE.FLEECE.TAVERNE , around the central depiction of a sheep’s body facing left and suspended in a harness around its middle.
Reverse: (mullet) .IN.COVEN.GARDEN. , around twisted wire inner circle, letters W.C within.

This is one of two undated tokens, a farthing and a half penny, of similar design which were issued from the Fleece Tavern in Covent Garden and which bear the issuer’s initials W.C. The slightly larger half penny tokens also carry the issuers name in full, William Clifton, so there is no doubt who was responsible for their issue.

Although not a common inn sign today the emblem of the Fleece or Golden Fleece was not uncommon in the 17th century. As well as being a common inn sign it was also adopted by tradesmen working in branches of the wool trade.

A plan of Covernt Garden (c.1720) showing the approxiamest location of the Fleece Tavern

A plan of Covent Garden (c.1720) showing the approximate location of the Fleece Tavern

Immediately after the Restoration the taverns of Covent Garden, notably the Rose and the Fleece taverns on Bridges Street, gained an unsavoury reputation as places of licentiousness and violence which included several murderous assaults that took place on their premises.

The establishment of the Fleece tavern dates to the building of Bridges Street in 1632. According to one early token researcher, Henry Beaufoy,₍₁₎an entry in the 1651 rate book for the Covent Garden area notes the Fleece tavern as being located six houses down from the corner of Bridges Street and Russell Street, an area later taken up by the Drury Lane Theatre. The same rate book also confirms that William Clifton was then the tavern’s landlord. The location of the Fleece on the south-west side of Bridges Street is confirmed by later authors. However, John Aubrey ₍₂₎writing in 1696 claims it to have been in York Street. This may allude to the tavern having a back entrance, no doubt a very convenient resource for such a dubious establishment.

Prior to 1633/4 William Clifton was landlord of the Goat tavern in nearby Russell Street before moving to the Fleece where he took over from the previous landlord, Thomas Gough ₍₃₎ . After arriving in his new premises in Bridges Street he soon appeared to have issues with William and Mary Long, who ran the neighbouring Rose tavern which was located on the corner of Bridges Street and Russell Street. The Fleece seems to have been a more prosperous establishment than its neighbour. According to one previous study ₍₁₎ in the local rate book of 1657 William Clifton is assessed at 26/- whilst William Long at the Rose was assessed at only half that amount. This relative prosperity bias may be down to the comparative size of the two establishments. In the 1666 Hearth Tax return from the Covent Garden district the entry for William Clifton is for a sizeable premises with 24 hearths while that for Mary Long (at the Rose) is for on 14 hearths. Despite running a large tavern such as the Fleece it appears that William Clifton still found time to undertake additional responsibilities within his local parish (St. Paul’s, Covent Garden). In 1644 he is reported as being an overseer of the poor _(4).

The churchwardens’ accounts for St. Paul, Covent Garden contain several references to the Fleece;

1657 – refer to a payment of 26/- “for mending the grate over the sewer by the Fleece Tavern”.

1658 – payment on 12^th April to “Mr. Clifton £3-13-0 for wine for the last yeare”‘.

There is a further mention of William Clifton in an issue of the Kingdom‘s Intelligencer of December 1661. A public announcement refers to the loss of a looking-glass and some gilt leather hangings. Anyone who knew of their whereabouts and who reported the matter to “Mr. Clifton at the Fleece Tavern” was to be rewarded with 40 shillings.

In the original research undertaken into this token issuer by Henry Beaufoy he mentions that he was unable to discover Clifton’s name in the burial registers of St. Paul’s, Covent Garden although there were interments recorded for the following related or associated individuals;

12^th November 1658 – Mr. Clifton’s man

21^st March 1661 – Thomas, son of William Clifton

13^th September 1672 – Amey Watts, Mr. Clifton’s servant

26^th February 1675 – Widow ………… More, from the Fleece – The parish clerk had left a blank in the register and added a footnote that he did “not lerne her christian name”

St. Paul’s Church, Covent Garden – Much as it would have appeared when originally built in 1633

Clifton was vintner at the Fleece from 1633/4 until at least 1672. According to one source William died in 1672 and his wife, Martha, continued as landlady. The current researcher has not been able to find any records of the marriage of William and Martha Clifton. The farthing and half penny tokens issued in the name of the Fleece only bear William’s initials, instead of the a triad of token issuer’s initials which are usually displayed if the primary issuer is a married man. On the basis that neither of the token types issued by William Clifton from the Fleece probably date to no later than c.1660 it would be reasonable to assume that William and Martha weren’t married until after this time.

The seal of William Clifton of the Fleece tavern in Govent Garden. The bottle is of the shaft and globe variety (1650-80) and was found by MOLA (Museum of London Archaeology) during excavations on St. Helen’s Place, Bishopsgate in the City of London. Photograph by Nicholas Major and supplied by Nigel Jeffries (MOLA).

While it is not known when he died a foot note in a manuscript copy (held in the library of the Royal Society) of John Aubrey’s earlier sited reference to the Fleece tavern states “Clifton the master of the house, hanged himself having perjured himself”. This being the case it fully explains why no burial record can be found for William Clifton in the parish register for St. Paul’s Church in Covent Garden or for that matter any other parish burial records. As a suicide victim Clifton would have not been eligible for burial in consecrated ground and hence his death will have gone unrecorded in church records.

According to one source ₍₃₎ the Fleece burnt down in 1688 and was rebuilt as a private house. This building was still standing in 1722 as an advertisement in the Daily Post for 22 January 1722 relates “To be let furnished or unfurnished a very good house in Bridge Street, two doors from the Play House, the corner of Vinegar Yard at the Green Raith which was formerly the Fleece Tavern“. The former location of the Fleece, like the Rose, must have been engulfed in the extensions to the Drury Lane Theatre in 1766.

Despite its reputation the Fleece Tavern was a popular haunt of Samuel Pepys . Between the period 1660 to 1669 he visited the tavern on at least 4 separate occasions which he records in his famous diaries. The associated entries are listed below chronologically.

1^st December 1660

“I went to my Lord St.Albans lodgings, and found him in bed, talking to a priest (he looked like one) that leaned along over the side of the bed, and there I desired to know his mind about making the catch stay longer, which I got ready for him the other day. He seems to be a fine civil gentleman. To my Lord’s, and did give up my audit of his accounts, which I had been then two days about, and was well received by my Lord. I dined with my Lord and Lady, and we had a venison pasty. Mr. Shepley and I went into London, and calling upon Mr. Pinkney, the goldsmith, he took us to the tavern, and gave us a pint of wine, and there fell into our company old Mr. Flower and another gentleman; who tell us how a Scotch knight was killed basely the other day at the Fleece in Covent Garden, where there had been a great many formerly killed.”

The “Scottish knight” referred to above confuses two facts regarding this actual occurrence. The knight in question was in actuality Sir John Godschalke of St. Martin in the Field, and the murderer reputed to be one Scotsman named “Balenden”.

9^th October 1661

“This morning went out about my affairs, among others to put my Theorbo out to be mended, and then at noon home again, thinking to go with Sir Williams both to dinner by invitation to Sir W. Rider’s, but at home I found Mrs. Piece, la belle, and Madam Clifford, with whom I was forced to stay, and made them the most welcome I could; and I was (God knows) very well pleased with their beautiful company, and after dinner took them to the Theatre, and shewed them “The Changes” and so saw them both at home and back to the Fleece tavern, in Covent Garden, where Luellin and Blurton, and my old friend Frank Bagge, was to meet me, and there staid till late very merry.”

25^th November 1661

“Having this morning met in the Hall with Mr. Sanchy, we appointed to meet at the play this afternoon. At noon, at the rising of the House, I met with Sir W. Pen and Major General Massy, who I find by discourse to be a very ingenious man, and among other things a great master in the secresys of powder and fireworks, and another knight to dinner, at the Swan, in the Palace yard, and our meat brought from the Legg; and after dinner Sir W. Pen and I to the Theatre, and there saw “The Country Captain,” a dull play, and that being done, I left him with his Torys¹ and went to the Opera, and saw the last act of “The Bondman” and there found Mr. Sanchy and Mrs. Mary Archer, sister to the fair Betty, whom I did admire at Cambridge, and thence took them to the Fleece in Covent Garden, there to bid good night to Sir W. Pen who staid for me; but Mr. Sanchy could not by any argument get his lady to trust herself with him into the tavern, which he was much troubled at, and so we returned immediately into the city by coach, and at the Mitre in Cheapside there light and drank, and then yet her at her uncle’s in the Old Jewry.”

31^tst December 1666

“Rising this day with a full design to mind nothing else but to make up my accounts for the year past, I did take money, and walk forth to several places in the towne as far as the New Exchange, to pay all my debts, it being still a very great frost and good walking. I staid at the Fleece Tavern in Covent Garden while my boy Tom went to W.Joyce’s to pay what I owed for candles there.”

Acknowledgements:

I would like to thank Nigel Jeffries of Museum of London Archaeology (MOLA) for drawing my attention to the existence of glass bottles (1650-80) in their in their collection with seals bearing the details of William Clifton of the Fleece in Covent Garden.

References:

1) Burn, H.B. – A descriptive catalogue of the London traders, tavern, and coffee-house tokens presented to the Corporation Library By Henry Benjamin Hanbury Beaufoy. (London, 1853).

2) Aubrey, J – Miscellanies Upon Various Subjects (Forth edition, London, 1857).

3) Sheppard, F. H. W.(General Editor) – Survey of London. Volume 36 – Covent Garden. (London, 1970).

4) Latham, R.C. – The Diary of Samuel Pepys. Volume 10 – Companion. (London, 1995).

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Filed under Tokens from Pepys' London, Tokens from West of the City Walls

Tagged as 17th century, 17th century token, Bridges Street, Covent Garden, Fleece Tavern, Hearth Tax, History, London, London History, Paranumismatics, Samuel Pepys, token, William Clifton

01/06/2013 · 9:03 pm

The White Horse in Stable Yard, Westminster

A farthing token issued in the name of the White Horse in Stable Yard, Westminster

The above copper farthing measures 16.3 mm and weighs 1.20 grams. It was issued in the name of a tradesman operating from premises marked by the sign of the White Horse in Stable Yards, St. Margaret’s Parish, Westminster.

Obverse: (rosette) AT.THE.WHITE.HORSE , around the depiction of a horse running left.

Reverse:IN. STABLE.YARD.WESTMIN. , around twisted wire inner circle, a triad comprising I | (rosette) N (rosette) | (rosette) I , within.

Part of the Parish of St. Margaret’s, Westminster showing the location of Stable Yard (c.1720)

Since before the 17th century the sign of the White Horse was commonly used by inns and taverns and it is highly likely that the token in question was issued by such an establishment located in Stable Yard off Kings Street. The token’s issuer (i.e. Mr. and Mrs. I. or J. N.) have not as yet been identified. An examination of the Hearth Tax returns for Stable Yard from 1666 indicates no residents with initials which fit those in the triad on the token’s reverse. On stylistic grounds it is likely that the farthing token in question was most likely issued several years before the mid 1660s so it is possible that its issuers had moved on by the time of the 1666 Hearth Tax assessment.

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Filed under Tokens from West of the City Walls

Tagged as 17th century, 17th century token, Hearth Tax, History, London, London History, Paranumismatics, token, Westminster

31/05/2013 · 5:51 pm

George Carter in St. Albans Street, Westminster

A half penny token issued in the name of George Carter in St. Alban‘s Street, Westminster

The above brass token measures 21.2 mm and weighs 1.51 grams. Based on it size alone it arguably best fits into the category of a penny token although that lack of it carrying a mark of value (as most penny token of the series do) probably means that it is more likely to be a half penny token. It was issued in the name of George Carter who was possibly a tavern owner operating from premisses in St. Alban’s Street, in the Parish of St. James, Westminster.

Obverse: (rosette) GEORG. CARTER. AT. YE. ST. ALBAN , around twisted wire inner circle, within the depiction of a standing figure (presumably St. Alban) facing and wearing a crown or peer’s coronet and holding a cross in its left hand and a sword in its right. What appears to be an open book on top of a draped alter or lectern is visible to the right of the figure.

Reverse: A legend in six lines reads IN .ST / ALBANS / STREET / NEERE. ST. / IAMES . / MARKET

It is possible that the George Carter recorded on the token was one and the same as the similarly named individual in the 1664 Hearth Tax return who is noted as occupying premisses with 15 hearths in Garndner Lane, St. Margret’s Parish, Westminster. While Hearth Tax returns were recorded for the eastern side of St. Albans Street in 1666 there are as then no occupants with the surname Carter.

St. Alban’s Street, Parish of St. James, Westminster (c.1720)

St. Alban’s Street took its name from its developer and one of the area’s principal earliest inhabitants, Henry Jermyn, the 1^st Earl of St Albans, a man sometimes refered to as the “Farther of the West End”.

In the 1650s the open space west of the Haymarket and north of Pall Mall, known at St. James’ or Pall Mall Fields was considered ripe for development but hitherto such had been forbidden by the Crown. In March 1661/2 the Earl of St Albans was granted a lease of much of this area by the Queen Mother. Development of the area was given further impetus in July 1662 when a meeting of commissioners for reforming the streets and buildings of London ordered the “paving of the way from St. James’, north, which was a quagmire, and also the Haymarket about Piqudillo”. A further Act of that same year also made provision for the paving of Pall Mall, the Haymarket and St. James’ Street. By September 1663 the development of St. James’s Fields by the Earl had begun. By April 1665, despite strong opposition, especially from the Lord Southampton who was a rival developer, Earl St. Albans obtained a freehold grant for over 11 acres (approximately half) of St. James’ Fields. On this land and his adjacent leaseholds he proposed a piazza, or square, of 13 to 14 houses, with subsidiary streets and plus a large covered market. This proposed development was similar to that of the Earl of Southampton’s estate of Bloomsbury. Despite some opposition and difficulties in 1665 Earl St. Albans had begun construction on his own house on his piazza, St. James’ Square. Completion of the square followed over the next decade or so.

Henry Jermyn, 1st Earl of St. Albans

By September 1665 a covered market (St. James’ Market) had been opened between the newly founded St. James Square and the Haymarket. The southern entrance to the market was connected to the west side of St. James’ Square via a short street (St. Albans Street) leading off King Charles Street. All of these streets were part of Earl St. Albans development of the area which the diarist Samuel Pepys comments on in his diary entry for the 1^st April 1666;

“Up and down my Lord St. Alban his new building and market-house, looking to and again in every place building.”

In the 1666 Hearth Tax returns for St. Alban’s Street there are only entries for the eastern side of the street and some of these indicate that at that point in time several of the houses were recorded as newly built and still un-occupied. It is possible that by 1666 the western side of the street was still under construction and/or still comprised empty plots.

In Volume I of J.T. Smith’s 1846 publication “An Antiquarian Ramble in the Streets of London: With Anecdotes of Their More Celebrated Residents” reference is made to a mansion-house (supposedly once the residence of Earl St. Albans himself?) on the western corner of St. Albans Street at the junction with King Charles Streets which supposedly became a tavern and remained so until the building was demolished as part of improvements made to Reagent’s Street in 1820 and 1821. The same author associates this tavern as being the premises from which George Carter issued his undated trade token. As yet I have found nothing to confirm this one way or the other. That Early St. Albans took up residence in St. James Square c.1667 does not preclude him from living at the alternative address at a slightly earlier date of his development of this general area of St. James’ Fields.

There are several indicators that point to this token being issued relatively late in this mid-17^th century series. These include;

1) The token’s reverse legend style

2) The identification of the token as possibly being of a penny denomination

3) The construction completion date of its street of issue

All of these factors point to a date of issue in the period 1667 to 1672.

At the time of this token’s issue the wording on its reverse side could be taken to indicate that many Londoners may not have known whereabouts its place of issue in the city was. Presumably while many people may not have heard of relatively new and obscure road by the name of St. Albans Street most of them will have been much more familiar with the neighbouring location of St. James Market.

While this token issue is the only one known from St. Albans Street there are over twenty types recorded from the neighbouring area of St. James Market-place. The earliest of these is dated 1664.

Roger Price at the Black Boy in Wapping

A farthing token issued in the name of Roger Price at the sign of the Black Boy, Wapping.

The above copper farthing token measures 15.2 mm and weighs 1.09 grams. It was issued in name of John Price of Wapping, a district in eastern London which runs along the north bank of the River Thames.

The design of the token may be formally described as follows;

Obverse: (mullet) BLACK.BOY.IN.WAPIN, around twisted wire inner circle, depiction of what is most probably a young negro boy holding a clay pipe in his right hand (away from his mouth) and a beer mug or serving jug in his left hand (For an alternative interpretation of the latter object see note 1 below).

Reverse: (mullet) BLACK.BOY.IN.WAPIN, around twisted wire inner circle, a triad comprising R | .P. | .I , within.

The Parish of St. John’s Wapping with inset map indicating its relative location within Eastern London (c.1720).

A burial register entry for a Roger Price may be found within the registers of St. John’s Parish Church, Wapping for 3rd October, 1663. Roger is recorded as the husband of Jane Price. This would fit with the triad of husband and wife initials on the reverse of this token, i.e. Mr. R.P and Mrs I.(i.e. the Latinised form of J). P. Furthermore the will, witnesses on 25th September 1663, of a Roger Price of St. John’s Parish, Wapping exists in the London Metropolitan Archives. In it Roger is described as a merchantaitor (i.e. a mechant) and the husband of Jane Price, brother of John Price plus father and father-in-law to John and his wife Sarah Price respectively.

I have located two possible marriage records for Roger Price. These are;

1) Roger Price Spouse Jane Gay. Marriage 22 Aug 1636 in the church of St. Dunstan and All Saints, Stepney, Middlesex

2) Roger Price Spouse Jane Pugget. Marriage 26 Apr 1641 in the church of St. Andrew Undershaft, London

There exists several east London christening records after 1636 for children with parents by the name Roger and Jane Price. These include;

Anthony Price – 1638, St. John’s Parish, Wapping

William Price – 1640, St. John’s Parish, Wapping

Jane Price – 1643, St. John’s Parish, Wapping

John Price – 1645, St. Andrew Undershaft, London

Further research is required in this area to determine if we are looking at two separate east London Price families or the possible re-marriage of a single Roger Price to a second wife (also names Jane, as per his first wife) in 1641.

As yet I have found no records for a Roger Price in east London Hearth Tax returns from the 1660s. The only Prices recorded in the 1666 return for Wapping are those for a Richard Price and a William Price. This observation is not surprising given the probable assumption that Roger Price, the token issuer, is one and the same as the Roger Price (husband of Jane Price) who we know died in Wapping in late September or early October 1663.

It is generally believed that Roger Price was the publican at a tavern by the name of the “Black Boy” in Wapping. There sign of the Black Boy was common in London during the 17th century and later. According to Bryant Lillywhite’s book “London Signs” the first example of such a sign in the metropolis is recorded as early as 1541. The sign was commonly adopted by tavern and coffee-house owner plus tobacconists and other sundry tradesmen. As a tobacconist sign the first example appears in 1614, only 45 years after the introduction of tobacco into Britain. Thereafter the sign continues in use by tobacconists well into the 19th century.

A tobacconist is recorded as having a shop upon Wapping Wall in 1667 and trading under the sign of the “Black Boy and Pelican”. As a tavern sign there are further examples of the “Black Boy” in Wapping. An example is recorded close to the Thames in the late 1760s. This example may or may not be a later reference to a further example close to Wapping Stairs. Lillywhite records this latter examples as early as the 1650s to 60s. A further example is known in Wapping High Street from at least 1802 up until at least 1906.

Notes:

1) In Volume 8 (Middlesex) of the Norweb Collection of “Tokens of the British Isles 1575-1750” the description given by Thompson and Dickenson of the item under the left arm (?) of the figure on the obverse of this token is stated as being a tobacco roll. The tobacco roll was a sign commonly used by tobacconists from earliest times in Britain as an instantly recognisable emblem of their trade.

A rare survival of a tobacconists sign in the form of a suspended tobacco roll (New Cross Road, South London)

The combined items of a tobacco roll and clay pipe in the hands of the figure on the reverse side of this token could very much be taken to suggest that Roger Price was a tobacconist. However, examination of further specimens of this token, including the one illustrated below from the Museum of London collection, clearly indicates that the object in the left hand of the figure is a large moulded hide beer mug (i.e. a jack) or jug (bombard) which were in common use in the 17th century and later.

A further example of a Roger Price farthing indicating a jack or bombar in the left hand of the Black Boy

A further example of a Roger Price farthing indicating a jack or bombard in the left hand of the Black Boy

The combination of a clay pipe and beer mug would favour this particular image as a “Black Boy” as being suggestive of Roger Price having been a publican.

Moulded hided bombard (left) and jack (right) similar to those used in the 17th century

The Wind Mill in Temple Bar Without, Westminster

A farthing token issued in the name of the Wind Mill, Temple Bar Without, Westminster

The above copper farthing measures 15.5 mm and weighs 1.00 grams. It was issued in the name of a tradesman operating from premises marked by the sign of the Wind Mill in the district of Temple Bar Without, Westminster.

Obverse: (star) AT.THE.WINDE.MILL , around twisted wire inner circle, within the depiction of a open-trestle post mill.

Reverse: (star) WTHHOVT.TEMPLE.BARR: , around twisted wire inner circle, a pair of initials I . P , within.

The Strand & Temple Bar Without, Westminster

The exact location of the business which issued this token is not know but presumably it lay off The Strand. The token’s issuer (i.e. Mr. I. or J. P.) or his precise trade have not as yet been identified. However, as the sign board of the windmill was often adopted by inn-keepers, brewers, taverners and occasionally bakers and mealmen (i.e. a dealer in meal or grain) it is likely that this token’s issuer had an association with one of these trades.

In his book “London Signs” Bryant Lillywhite’s lists over 50 historic examples of sign boards bearing the name of the windmill, the first of which appear in the early 16th century. While the sign may have been adopted by certain tradesmen over time it is possible that in some cases its original use may have signified the earlier site of an actual windmill.

The windmill depiction on the token’s obverse clearly shows an open-tresel type post windmill. Like the one illustrated below.

Open-trestle post type mill (Nutley Windmill, Sussex)

Such type of mill would have been common throughout Britain in the 17th century and earlier. Today there are only a handful of examples of this type still remaining in England.

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Tagged as 17th century, 17th century token, History, London, London History, Paranumismatics, Post mill, Temple Bar London, Temple Bar Without, token, Windmill

16/05/2013 · 5:04 pm

The Golden Lock in Temple Bar Without, Westminster

A farthing token issued in the name of the Golden Lock, Temple Bar Without, Westminster

The above copper farthing measures 15.9 mm and weighs 0.96 grams. It was issued in the name of a tradesman operating from premises marked by the sign of the Golden Lock in the district of Temple Bar Without, Westminster.

Obverse: (star) AT.THE.GOVLDEN.LOCK , around twisted wire inner circle, within the depiction of a door lock escutcheon.

Reverse: (star) WTHHOVT.TEMPEL.BARR: , around twisted wire inner circle, a triad comprising I | .M. | .E , within.

The Strand & Temple Bar Without, Westminster

The exact location of the business which issued this token is not know but presumably it lay off The Strand. The token’s issuer (i.e. Mr. I. or J. M and Mrs. E.M.) have not been identified. It is likely that their business was that of an ironmonger, locksmith or smith as such tradesmen often operated under the sign of the lock.

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Tagged as 17th century, 17th century token, London, Temple Bar London, Temple Bar Without, token

13/05/2013 · 7:15 pm

The Tun in Aldersgate Street

A farthing token issued in the name of the Tun in Aldersgate Street

The above copper farthing measures 15.6 mm and weighs 0.92 grams. It was possibly issued by the landlord of a Tun Inn or Tavern in Aldersgate Street, London.

Obverse: (star) AT.THE.TVNN.IN , around depiction of a barrel (or tun) on its side.

Reverse: (star) ALDERSGATE. STREET , around a triad comprising T | .A. | .E

Aldersgate Street (c.1720)

Aldersgate Street ran north from the Aldersgate in the city wall through the Ward of Aldersgate Without.

Based on the style of this farthing token it is likely to date to the 1650s. With only the triad of the token issuers’ initials to work on (i.e. Mr. T.A. and Mrs. E.A.) it is very difficult to attribute it to named individuals. Trading under the sign of the tun (i.e. barrel) it is very likely that the token’s issuers were inn or tavern keepers as the symbol of the “tun” is synonymous with that of vituallers of the time. A review of Hearth Tax returns for Aldersgate Street in 1666 indicates only one male individual with initials that fit those on the token. These belong to a Thomas Apsley who is recorded as a single man occupying a property having 2 hearths. If this is the same person as the Mr. T.A. mentioned in the token (of which there is only a possibility) it has to be assumed that by 1666 Thomas Apsley had become a widower and was no-longer a publican as such a small number of hearths is not typical for a tavern or inn.

Edward Shrawley at The Crown in Creechurch Lane

A penny token issued in the name of Edward Shrawley of Creechurch Lane, London

The above copper penny token measures 24.1 mm and weighs 4.95 grams. It was issued in 1669 in the name of Edward Shrawley who operated his business at the sign of the Crown in Creechurch Lance in the Aldgate Ward of the City of London. The design of the token may be formally described as follows;

Obverse: (rosette) EDWARD. SHRAWLEY . AT . YE . CROWN , around twisted wire inner circle, a crown within.

Reverse: (rosette) IN. CEEECHVRCH . LANE . 1669, around twisted wire inner circle, legend within three lines reads HIS / (rosette) I D (rosette) plus triad below comprising E |(rosette) S (rosette) | (rosette) I.

A similar design of half penny token is also recorded with the issue date of 1666.

Creechurch Lane, Aldgate Ward, London (c.1720)

Based on a review of surviving London parish registers plus the apprenticeship registers of the Worshipful Company of Vintners it appears highly likely that Edward Shrawley was born in 1644 and baptised on 3rd November of that same year in the church of St. Mary at Hill, Billingsgate . His parents were Thomas and Sarah Shrawley. Thomas Shrawley was a grocer and citizen of London.

At the age of fifteen Edward was bound apprentice by his father to Brian Appleby, a London Vintner. It is likely that Edward served a typical seven-year apprenticeship before gaining his freedom and becoming a Vintner in his own right at the age of twenty-two.

Edward obviously had ambitions and a new what he wanted from life. Within less than a year of striking out on his own he was married and within three years it appears he was the proprietor of the Crown (we must assume a tavern) in Chreechurch Lane in the Aldgate Ward of the city of London.

On 4th April 1666/7 the parish register of St. James Dukes Place show Edward marrying Josinah Minshull. The initial I/J in the triad of issuers’ initials on the above token’s reverse is obviously that of his wife’s christian name.

A year after their marriage Edward and Josinah had their first child, a son who was baptised Edward at the neighbouring church of St. Katherine Cree, located on the corner of Leadenhall Street and Creechurch Lane. This part of the city was spared from destruction during the Great Fire of London in early September of 1666 and property prices and associated rents in the area at this time must have been at premium levels.

In 1681 Edward and Josinah had a second son. He again was baptised as Edward at the parish church of St. Katherine Cree. In the parish register the baby’s farther is recorded as Captain Edward Shrawley. It is possible that Edward had become a member of the local city militia or “trained bands”. As will become apparent later this is a title that Edward appears proud to have used until at least the early 1683.

The Parish Church of St Katharine Cree at the junction of Chreechurch Lane and Leadenhall Street in the Aldgate Ward of the city.

A copy of Edward Shrawley’s Last Will and Testimony exists in the collections of the Metropolitan Archives and Guildhall Library (London) and is dated 6th August 1690. The cover of the Will bears the note that it had passed probate by 5th February 1694/5. His Will confirms the name of his wife still as Josinah, and his profession as a London vintner. It also confirms the then existence of two surviving children, a son Edward and a daughter Martha.

The signature and seal of Edward Shrawley, taken from his Last Will & Testimony of 6th August 1690.

As yet the current writer has found no references to a Crown Tavern in Creechurch Lane or any reference to Edward Shrawley in the city Hearth Tax returns of the 1660s. In the 18th century there is a recorded trade sign in Creechurch Lane of “Three Sugar Loaves and Crown” which may have been related to a nearby Crown Tavern? To the south-west of Creechurch Lane on the southern side of Leadenhall Street (see location 20 on the above plan) there was a “Crown Tavern” but again there is no reference to a Mr. Shrawley in that street in the Hearth Tax returns of the 1660s.

Over the course of his career Edward took on apprentices of his own. At least two indentures exist prepared under the seal of The Worshipful Company of Vintners and dated 1672 and 1674 contracting two separate boys to the terms of seven and eight years respectively as apprentices to Edward Shrawley.

A vintner by the name Edward Shrawley was buried in St. Saviours parish church in Southwark on 2nd November 1694. Given the deceased stated profession in the burial register plus the close proximity of his burial date compared to the probate date on the Will of Edward Shrawley the token issuer, we must assume they are one and the same person and that Edward died a day short of his fiftieth birthday.

According to the apprenticeship records of the Worshipful Company of Vintners, Edward Shrawley’s surviving son, Edward, followed in his farther’s footsteps. Two years after his father’s death young Edward was bound as an apprentice to Thomas Harris, a London vintner.

It is not clear what became of Josinah after Edward’s death. However, listings exist of a widow Shrawley living in the district of Cripplegate Within in 1703 and 1704 and a further record of the burial of a Mrs. Josina Shrawley at All Saints Church, Edmonton. It is almost certain that the latter was Edward’s widow as there is a least one other know link between the Shrawley family and this area of Middlesex. In the churchyard of what was once Weld Chapel, a former chapel of ease to the church of All Saints, Edmonton and now the site of Christ Church, Southgate, can be found the grave marker illustrated below. It records the death of Rebecca Shrawley, the daughter of Captain Edward Shrawley, who died on the 9th September 1683, at the age of 4 months and 6 days. It appears that the Shrawley family has strong connections with the Edmonton area and may even have had a second home there. It was not uncommon in the 17th century for wealthier trades and business men to have a second home in rural Middlesex within easy communication with the city.

The 1683 grave marker of Rebecca Shrawley in the churchyard of Chrish Church, Southgate, Middlesex.

The 1683 grave marker of Rebecca Shrawley in the churchyard of Christ Church, Southgate, Middlesex.

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Tagged as 17th century, 17th century token, Billingsgate, Creechurch Lane, Edward Shrawley, Great Fire of London, Hearth Tax, History, Leadenhall Street, London, London History, Paranumismatics, token, Worshipful Company of Vintners

20/04/2013 · 11:52 am

The Blue Boar’s Head, King Street, Westminster

A farthing token issued in the name of the Boar’s Head in King Street, Westminster

The above copper farthing token measures 15.7 mm and weighs 0.94 grams. It was issued in the name of Blue Boar’s Head tavern which was located on the west side of King Street in St. Margaret’s Parish, Westminster. The design of the token may be formally described as follows;

Obverse: (star) THE.BORS.HEAD.IN.KINGS, around twisted wire inner circle, boar’s head looking left within.

Reverse: (star) STREETE.WESTMINSTER , around twisted wire inner circle, triad comprising I |.W.|(rosette) D within.

The initials of the couple that ran The Blue Boar’s Head tavern at the time the token was issued, a Mr. “J/I.W.” and his wife Mrs.” D.W.” as yet have not been identified.

The style of this farthing token would suggest an early date in the series, possibly 1650 to 55.

The location of Boar's Head Yard off King Street, Westminster (c.1720)

The location of the Blue Boar’s Head Yard off King Street, Westminster (c.1720)

The Blue Boar’s Head was of the oldest established tavern in the Parish of St. Margaret’s, Westminster. It dated back to the late 14th Century. Extensions in 1396 and 1401 gave it 16 bedchambers which were sumptuously furnished. It was located adjacent to a yard which bore its name and which connected the narrow and congested King Street on its eastern side with De La Haye Street to its west.

Oliver Cromwell, the Lord Protector, gave a suite of apartments in King Street to his mother. She lived here until her death in 1654. These apartments are understood to have been located on the north side of the Blue Boar’s Head Yard adjacent to the tavern.

Owing to its narrowness and want of light and air, and the crowded courts by which it was hemmed in on either side, King Street was among the first parts of Westminster to suffer from the plague in 1665. On its appearance, so close to the gates of the royal palace, Charles II and his courtiers, left Whitehall for the comparative safety of Oxford.

The Blue Boar’s Head – A mid 19th century view of the inn post its re-building in the mid 18th century

The construction of Westminster Bridge and Great George Street in 1750 led to the demolition of the old Blue Board’s Head tavern and its stable yard, which were rebuilt a short distance to the north at what was to become 34, Kings Street, Westminster. It was finally demolished, along with what was left of King Street, in 1899.

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Filed under Tokens from West of the City Walls

Tagged as 17th century, 17th century token, History, London, London History, Lord Protector, Oliver Cromwell, Paranumismatics, Pepys, Samuel Pepys, token

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Tag Archives: London

William Minshew of Rosemary Lane, Whitechapel

The Fleece in Covent Garden

The White Horse in Stable Yard, Westminster

George Carter in St. Albans Street, Westminster

Roger Price at the Black Boy in Wapping

The Wind Mill in Temple Bar Without, Westminster

The Golden Lock in Temple Bar Without, Westminster

The Tun in Aldersgate Street

Edward Shrawley at The Crown in Creechurch Lane

The Blue Boar’s Head, King Street, Westminster

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