Halifax

HALIFAX:
The Coiners of Halifax

Although coins had been "milled" since 1662 to deter the clipping or filing of silver and gold coins it was not sufficient to prevent the practice. The clippings were melted down and poured into dies to make new coins, often Portuguese and other currencies which were still legal tender in Britain. In 1561 it was made "Misprision of Treason" [contempt of treason] to forge foreign coin. For the forging of coin of the Realm, however, the charge was High Treason, the punishment for which was:

1. that the offender be drawn to the gallows, and not be carried or walk
2. that he be hanged by the neck and then cut down alive
3. that his entrails be taken out and burned while he is alive
4. that his head be cut off
5. that his body be divided into four parts
6. that his head and quarters be at the king's disposal

This punishment was later considerably modified and in most of the instances listed below the offenders were executed by hanging at Tyburn. Some were taken down after execution and put into "chains" and hung on Beacon Hill, Halifax, for all to see - the bodies remaining there for months. The following is an index of the coiners of Halifax, their punishment, and witnesses and victims of their crimes, during the years between 1767 and 1774.

ARDELL/ORDEL, Bob of Halifax - coiner 
BARKER, John of Stansfield - coiner - York Castle
BARKER, Peter of Stansfield - coiner  
BARKER, Wm of Soyland/Erringden - coiner
BARRATT, John of Huddersfield - witness against coiners 
BARRETT, Wm - witness against coiners  
BARROWCLOUGH, Jonathan - coiner  
BATES, James of Soyland - suspect  
BATES, John  of Halifax - coiner - York Castle
BOLTON, John of Erringden,  - coiner 
BOLTON, Jonas of Erringden - coiner  
BOLTON, Jonathan of Sowerby - coiner  
BROADBENT, James of Wadsworth - informer and coiner 
BROADBENT, Joseph - witness  
BROADBENT, Thomas - charged with rescuing John SUTCLIFFE
BROOK, James of Collingbob, Turvin - coiner  
CAWTHREY, John - witness  
CLAYTON, Thomas of Turvin [Sowerby] - coiner - escaped on way to York Castle
CLAYTON, William of Sowerby - coiner 
CLEGG, Charles of Turvin  - coiner  
CLEGG, Richard of Turvin - coiner  
COCKROFT, John of Marsh Lane - coiner - York Castle, execution reprieved,
 transported to Africa
CRABTREE, James of Inspector of Worsted Yarn 1769 - informer  
CRAMPTON, Thos of Soyland - coiner - York Castle
CROSSLEY, Abraham - coiner - York Castle
CROSSLEY, Ely - coiner  
CROSSLEY, Father and son of Booth Town - coiner - custody at Bradford
CROSSLEY, John of Westfield - coiner 
CROSSLEY, ?  of Halifax - coiner - gaoled in Lancaster Gaol Jan.1769
DEWHURST, Isaac of Luddingden Dean Warley - coiner 
DEWHURST, Luke of Turvin - coiner  
DEWHURST, Thos of Highgreens, Erringden - coiner  
DOWIES, William - coiner  
EASTWOOD, Jonas of Erringden  - coiner  
FEATHER, John of Roughhead Denholme - absconded
FOLDS, William of Errenden - accessory murder Dighton 
GASSED, James of Soyland - coiner 
GELDER[T], Joseph of Hx - coiner  
GOMERSALL, Thomas of Leeds - disclaimer  
GREENWOOD, Daniel of Wadsworth Banks - coiner - York Castle
GREENWOOD, Daniel of Turvin - coiner - custody at Bradford
GREENWOOD, David of Hilltop, Erringden - High Treason  
GREENWOOD, John -  -  - murder of A.INGHAM - acquitted
GREENWOOD, Thomas of Wadsworth Banks - coiner - York Castle, discharged
GREEN, Jas. of Halifax - coiner 
GREEN, Walter of Lighthazles - coiner  
HALEY, William of Norton - informer  
HANSON, Joseph of Halifax - coiner - escaped - wanted notice 
HARPUR, William of Lee Bank - coiner - custody at Bradford
HARTLEY, David of Bell House, Errenden - coiner - gaoled York castle  executed
 Tyburn 28.4.1770
HARTLEY, Isaac of Erringden - coiner  
HARTLEY, Wm of escaped - coiner  
HEAP, John,  of Lod., Westfield - coiner 
HEAP, John, Turley of Westfield - coiner  
HELLIWELL, Daniel of Lighthazles - coiner  
HELLIWELL, James of Lighthazles - coiner 
HEPWORTH, Matthew of Ovenden - coiner  
HILL, Ely - coiner  
HILL, John - coiner  
HOLDSWORTH, Sam of Westfield - coiner  
HOLMES, Joseph - coiner 
HORSFALL, Nathan of Saltonstall Warley  
HOULDSWORTH, Joseph -   informant  
IBBETSON, John of Ovenden - coiner  
INGHAM, Abraham -  murdered  
IREDALE, Robert of southowram - forgery, High Treason - executed Tyburn 1776
JAGGER, James of Sowerby - coiner - gaoled York castle - murdered A.INGHAM 
KERSHAW, Abraham of Wood, Turvin - coiner  
KERSHAW, Alexander - witness  
KERSHAW, James of Wood, Turvin - coiner  
LAW, John of Erringden - coiner  
LAW, Mark of Turvin - coiner  
LAW, William of Turvin - coiner  
LILEY, Richard  of Soyland Mill - coiner 
LISTER, John of Bent, Turvin  - coiner  
LISTER, Joshua of Hx - coiner  
LUM, Abraham of Turvin - coiner  
MARTON, Stephen of Elland - coiner - gaoled York Sep 1769 
MILNER, James -  informant  
MORTON, Stephen - coiner - York Castle
MURGATROYD, Thos.  of Haley - Found in possession of gun which killed Dighton  
NEWALL, Mary of Heptonstall - charged murder Abra. INGHAM - acquitted  
NORMANTON, Mathew of Sowerby - murder of Dighton  - Executed Tyburn 1775, chains
 Beacon Hill
OLDFIELD, James of Warley - coiner - gaoled York Sep 1769 executed Tyburn
 28.4.1770
ORDEL/ARDELL, Bob of Halifax - coiner  
o'SMITH, George of Soyland - suspect  
PARKER, John  of Shackleton, Stansfield - 
PICKLES, John of Wadsworth Row - coiner - gaoled York Sep 1769
PICKLES, Thomas of Wadsworth Bank - witness 
PICKLES, wife of John - coiner - county gaol
PROCTOR, James of Blue Ball - Soyland - coiner  
PROCTOR, Wm.  of Maiden stones - Soyland - coiner  
RADCLIFFE, John jnr of Lighthazles - coiner  
RADCLIFFE, John snr of Lighthazles - coiner  
RADCLIFFE, Thos. of Lighthazles - suspect  
RADCLIFFE, Wm [s.John] of Lighthazles - suspect  
ROBERTS, William of Bacup - coiner - Lancaster Castle
RUSHFORTH, James of Bradford - witness  
SALTONSTALL, Js.,  of Westfield  - coiner  
SALTONSTALL, Mark - coiner - executed  1783
SHARP, Joshua of Turburwin - witness  
SHAW, James of Bradshaw - coiner - county gaol 
SHAW, Joseph - coiner - imprisoned Bradford
SHAW, Joshua of Hx - coiner  
SHIPLEY, George  -  accessory murder Dighton,  - York Castle 1774
SLADDIN, John of Wadsworth - coiner 
SMITH, Josias  of Bradford - coiner 
SPENCER, John of Lee Bank  - coiner - custody at Bradford
SPENCER, Thomas of Warley, weaver - murder of Dighton - hanged
STANCLIFFE, Joshua of watchmaker - threatened [re D Hartley]  
STANSFIELD, Thos. of Booth Town - coiner - custody at Bradford
STELL, Joseph  - coiner - 1768 executed  
SUNDERLAND, Thos - coiner  
SUTCLIFFE, Anthony of Swamp, Turvin - coiner  
SUTCLIFFE, Benjamin  of HX - coiner  
SUTCLIFFE, John of Lighthazles - coiner - York Castle
SUTCLIFFE, Richard of Erringden - coiner  
SUTCLIFFE, Thos of Erringden - coiner  
SYKES, Wm of Watson Mill, Sowerby - coiner  
TATHAM, John of Wadsworth - coiner  
TAYLOR, Paul,  - coiner - custody at Bradford
THOMAS, Robert of Wadsworth Banks - charged murder Dighton - executed Tyburn,
 hung in chains Beacon Hill, Hx. 1774
THOMAS, William of Lighthazles - coiner  
THOMPSON, George of Halifax area - coiner - Newgate prison Newcastle
TILLOTSON, Jonas  of Mixenden - coiner - gaoled York on suspicion
TOMMIS/THOMAS, Robert of Wadsworth - charged murder Dighton - executed Tyburn,
 hung in chains Beacon Hill, Hx. 1774
UTTLEY, John of Luddenden - coiner  
VARLEY, Thos [s.Wm] of Warley - coiner - acquitted
VARLEY, William of Warley - coiner - sentenced to death
WAID, Thomas - coiner - York Castle
WALSH, Robert - coiner  
WESTERMAN, Thos of Leeds - coiner - gaoled York on suspicion
WHITELEY, Jas. of Erringden - suspect  
WILCOCK, John of Keelliam, Erringden  
WILCOCK, William of Erringden - coiner  
WILDE, Israel of Deerplay, Sowerby  - suspect  
WILKINSON, Abel of Midgley - Witness  
WILSON, Thos. of Leeds - coiner - gaoled York on suspicion
WOOD, John - coiner - execution reprieved, transported to Africa