The Coiners of 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