Lead Trading Tokens

found by Ged Dodd and Johnny StormCrow near West House Mill and The Apprentice House

#

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REVERSE

NOTES

1P

01

Ring &

 Pellet

22x18x3

The consensus is that those tokens with rings and pellets are possibly 15/16th century medieval trading tokens while the others are 18th century. This may well be but with the

location of the tokens being outside the back door of the mill, and the woods around the Orphan House I am led to think the tokens were for rewards for the orphans for work well done. After all the trade token probably had very little value.

Orphan Children at the Mill.

Orphan children and Paupers were brought from (or rather bought in) London to work in the remote West House Mills. The orphans were housed in the Apprentice House and the Pauper families went to the Workhouse on Hardistry Hill.

 All were probably well fed, albeit on porridge or bread.

Some times the children got to go to church and had an education, of sorts as shown

but by the same token on the down side the mill was like a prison with repetitive hard work for sixteen hours a day from 5am until 9pm with perhaps an hour for a midday meal and rest.  

There was no such thing as "political correctness" or any "health and safety" so many workers suffered the loss of limbs in dreadful conditions.

 Broken cog wheels attest to machines run to destruction.  ----------------

 A small bronze stylus found near the Apprentice House was used to keep a tally of pieces of linen cloth in the bleaching fields of the mill on a pocket sized wax tablet.

----------------

A small lead trading token to buy a few sweets or a small lead toy would have been a welcome reward.

12th-13th century designs but most

probably made in the 18th century.

----------------

----------------

The tokens were found primarily in two locations  .. the first on a small patch of grass to the rear of the mill in the bleaching fields. These tokens were in very good condition, presumed newly made when dropped in good neutral soil.

  

 The second site was near to the Apprentice House in & around the wood where the tokens were in bad condition and worn very smooth with years of constant use making some totally blank on both sides. Also the very acid soil in the wood caused by the leaf mold has corroded the lead and the tokens were very fragile and crumbly to the touch & were mostly unreadable

So near yet so far.

-------------------------

  The most heart rending find at Apprentice House was a tiny 17mm diameter marble, hand carved from a banded clay stone which must have been the prized possession of a motherless child in those dark days.

-------------------------

A large 9oz medieval lead trade weight found on the big hunt by JetSkiJohn.

-------------------

This account of conditions in  the Leeds Workhouse in 1797 would show conditions here.

 

     There are 154 inmates in the Leeds Workhouse, of whom 42 are old and infirm men or lunatics, 56 women, many of them soldiers' wives, and 56 children mostly under 12. There are a few cripples or idiots between 12 and 20. Children are generally bound apprentices at 9 or 10. The Workhouse is an old building, in the town, with accommodation for 200 persons. There are about 20 beds in each room, chiefly of flocks and provided each with 2 blankets and a rug. Some beds have sheets. The dormitories and other apartments are kept with great neatness, and the Poor are well dressed, clean and orderly. The house is whitewashed and the bedclothes scoured once a year.
Table of diet: Breakfast—every day, milk pottage and bread. Dinner—Sunday, mutton, potatoes, broth, bread and beer; Monday, Friday, rice milk, bread and beer; Tuesday, flour dumplings and beer; Wednesday, bread, cheese and beer; Thursday, potatoes, broth, bread and beer; Friday, rice milk, bread and beer; Saturday, drink pottage and bread. Supper—Sunday, bread and broth; Thursday, bread and broth or beer only; other days, milk pottage and bread. Of wheaten cake 3lbs. are divided into 8 parts, viz., 2 parts of 7oz. each for 2 men, 4 of 6oz. for 6 women, and 2 of 5oz. for 2 children. 1lb. of rice, with 10oz. of sugar, with cloves, pepper, salt, etc., are allowed to 20 persons. Each adult has 14oz. and each child 8oz. of paste for dumplings. 20 persons have 1 gallon of milk for milk pottage, and each person has one-third of a quart (ale measure) of beer at dinner except on Saturdays. Adults have 6oz. of cheese each, children 4oz. The cheese is worth about 4½d. per lb. At Easter and Whitsuntide veal and bacon are provided for dinner and roast beef at Christmas, and at each of these seasons each pauper receives 1lb. of spiced cake. The prime meat is purchased for the house; every person finds his own knife and fork, and is served with dinner in the dining room. In general, the stores when delivered are carried up to the lodging rooms. No.24, however, of the rules observed in the Workhouse, adopted on May 9th, 1771, requires "that all the Poor in this house who are able to attend prayers, sit decently at their meals, avoid talking and make no attempt to go out of the dining-room till thanks are returned; and, in default of any of these particulars, to lose their next meal"; and No.29 provides for the punishment of any person carrying any bread, cheese, or other provisions (without leave from the master) out of the common dining-room. It is but justice to add that Mr. Linsley, the master of the Workhouse, is in every respect highly qualified for the very arduous and complicated duties of his important office, in the discharge of which he has happily been able to render those under him contented, without permitting them to be idle, and to provide for their wants without losing sight of economy. His humane disposition, and firm, even temper, make him beloved, respected and obeyed with cheerfulness, and (what is seldom to be met with in houses of this description) the Poor under his care live in perfect harmony among themselves. Their earnings amount to about £150 a year, exclusive of work performed for the immediate use of the house. The following other persons also receive relief, viz.: Regular Out-Poor, 415; casual Out-Poor, 251; militia men's families, 158.

 

1812 Leeds Workhouse Silver Shilling.

-------------------

 

 

 

  There was real poverty in that era.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

     But by the same token the inner workings of a 1750's Fusee gold and silver pocket watch found near to the Apprentice House, gives an idea of the affluence of Yorkshire Mill Owners.

 

 

The Outer Sterling Silver case had been removed and the less valuable inners discarded

 

- - - - - -- - - - - - - - - - - -

A silver clog clip with Tulip design

- - - - - -- - - - - - - - - - - -

Silver Christening Spoons

1804 (H) George III customs tax paid

 

1807 (M) George III customs tax paid

- - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Tokens found in April 2015

 

 

tokens found on 22nd August 2017

 

 

An 1806 George III halfpenny found at the Apprentice House next to a tree root, hence the  excellent condition

 

 

A silver thimble found in the far upper paddocks below the workhouse

 

02

 Pellet

23x16x4

03

 Pellet

21x18x3

04

 Pellet

22x19x5

05

 Pellet

Blank

21.6 grams

31x23x5.5

06

 Pellet

21x19x3

07

 Pellet

21x19x4

08

 Pellet

22x17x5

09

 Pellet

21x21x5

10

 Pellet

25x20x5

11

 Pellet

22x22x8

12

 Pellet

23x20x4.5

13

 Pellet

23x20x4.5

+

01

+ Cross

4 pellets

Blank

11.7 grams

23x20x4

02

4 pellets

Blank

8.1 grams

22x20x2.5

03

4 pellets

+

04

+ Cross

4 pellets

05

4 pellets

06

 + Cross

5 pellets

07

 + Cross

4 pellets

worn smooth

08

worn smooth

09

worn blank

10

4 pellets

Blank

5.0 grams

23x19x2.5

11

4 pellets

Blank

7.0 grams

19x17x4

12

4 pellets

Blank

16.2 grams

26x23x5

13

4 pellets

Blank

12.8 grams

26x22x4

14

4 pellets

Blank

17.4 grams

25x24x4

15

5 pellets

Letters

9.3 grams

20x19x5

16

4 pellets

Blank

27.0 grams

27x26x6

17

4 pellets

Blank

10.8 grams

20x19x5

18

4 pellets

Blank

5.1 grams

15x15x4

19

4 pellets

Blank

7.3 grams

19x18x3.5

20

4 pellets

Blank

8.2 grams

18x17x4

21

4 pellets

Blank

12.5 grams

22x22x4

22

4 pellets

Blank

14.4 grams

20x19x5.5

23

4 pellets

Blank

7.2 grams

18x16x4

24

4 pellets

Blank

In the safe

keeping

of JetSkiJohn

25

4 pellets

Blank

15.0 grams

20x19x5.5

26

4 pellets

Blank

21.2 grams

28x25x5

27

4 pellets

Blank

5.5 grams

22x19.5x2

28

4 pellets

Blank

14.2 grams

22x21x5

29

4 pellets

Blank

5.9 grams

21.5x21x2.5

30

4 pellets

Blank

10.1 grams

18.5x17.5x5

31

4 pellets

Blank

12.1 grams

18.5x18.5x5

32

4 pellets

Blank

3.6 grams

14x12.5x4

33

4 pellets

Blank

7.0 grams

18x16x4

34

4 pellets

Blank

9.2 grams

22x20x4

35

4 pellets

Blank

19.6 grams

25x25x5

36

4 pellets

Blank

16.3 grams

23x23x4.5

37

4 pellets

Blank

21.8 grams

30x26x4.5

38

4 pellets

Blank

8.1 grams

25x25x3

39

4 pellets

Blank

8.8 grams

19x19x7

01

5 pellets

Blank

7.3 grams

18 x 17.5 x 4

02

5 pellets

Blank

13.7 grams

22 x 21 x 6

01

5 pellets

Blank

20.3 grams

23 x 22 x 7

L1

Very Large

 Eyed Cross

Embossed

45.8 grams

38x33x6.5

L2

Large Cross

very worn

Blank

20.4 grams

28x26x5

L3

Very Large

with single hole

Blank

67.6 grams

28x28x6.5

01

Blank

16.0 grams

22x21x5

02

Blank

8.1 grams

21x20x2.5

03

Blank

11.9 grams

21x21x4.5

04

6 pellets

crude heavy design

Blank

18 grams

24x22x6

05

Blank

5.8 grams

19x19x2.5

06

6 pellets

crude heavy design

Blank

21.8 grams

23x22x8

07

6 pellets

badly corroded

Blank

7.9 grams

20x16x5

08

6 pellets

crude heavy design

Blank

19.6 grams

21x21x7.5

09

6 pellets

crude heavy design

Blank

14.8 grams

20x20x6.5

10

6 pellets

crude heavy design

Blank

14.8 grams

20x20x6.5

01

5 Petal

Flower

Blank

12.8 grams

23x20x4.5

02

13 Armed

Spiral

2 small eyeholes

Blank

19.9 grams

25x25x4

03

Pizza

8 slice

Blank

10.9 grams

26x26x3

04

Pizza

8 slice

Blank

17.7 grams

25x25x4.5

05

Petal Edge

13 petals

Blank

26.3 grams

31x29x4.5

06

Blank

25.7 grams

28x28x5

07

Blank

12.2 grams

23x19x5.5

08

Blank

5.9 grams

21x21x2.5

09

5 Petal

Flower

Blank

13.8 grams

23x22x4.5

01

Hallmark

Young king's head

02

Pseudo

Hallmark

Letters

Embossed

18.5 grams

23x21x7

03

Pseudo

Hallmark

Letters

Embossed

23.9 grams

23x23x6.5

04

Pseudo

Hallmark

Letters

Embossed

26.4 grams

28x26x6

05

Fantasy

Embossed

21.2 grams

28x25x5

06

Royal

Crown

Embossed

27.0 grams

27x25x6

07

Royal

Crown

I.M

35.9 grams

30 x 30 x 7

08

Royal

Crown

Embossed

15.6 grams

27 x 28 x 4

09

Royal

Crown

Blank

35.1 grams

29 x 27.5 x7

10

Royal

Crown

Blank

34.9 grams

28.5 x 28 x 7

11

Royal

Crown

Blank

26.7 grams

32.5 x 31.5 x 6

#1

Checks

 A similar token was

ODOO7

Blank

12.2 grams

21x20x4

#2

Blank

18.2 grams

22x22x6

#3

Blank

11.3 grams

23x23x4

#4

Blank

9.5 grams

21x20x3.5

#5

Blank

11.0 grams

20x20x4

#6

Blank

11.0 grams

19x19x5

#7

Checks

Blank

22.3 grams

22x22x7

#8

Checks

hole for cord

Blank

6.0 grams

18x18x2.5

#9

Blank

13.5 grams

29x26x3

10

Blank

15.8 grams

21x20x5.5

11

Blank

12.8 grams

25x25x4

12

Checks

2 small holes

Blank

12.1 grams

34x30x3

13

Blank

16.0 grams

20x20x6

14

Blank

4.9 grams

18x16x2.5

15

Blank

10.8 grams

20x18x5

16

Blank

15 grams

21x21x5.5

17

Blank

11.2 grams

24x21x4

18

Blank

15.5 grams

24x19x5

19

Image

16.9 grams

23x21x5

20

Blank

13.6 grams

21.5x20x5

21

Checks

small hole

Blank

15.1 grams

26x25x4.5

22

Checks

Blank

13.4 grams

23x22x4.5

23

Checks

thick & heavy

Blank

26.5 grams

23x23x8

24

Checks

Blank

14.7 grams

22x21x5.5

25

Checks

Blank

6.6 grams

17x17x4.5

26

Checks

Blank

8.0 grams

21x20x3

27

Checks

Blank

8.6 grams

19x18x4.5

28

Checks

Blank

14.5 grams

28x25x4

29

Checks

Blank

17.5 grams

25x25x6

30

Checks

Blank

12.1 grams

20.5x20x5

31

Checks

Blank

16.1 grams

25x23x5

32

Checks

Blank

10.3 grams

26x23x3

33

Checks

Blank

11.2 grams

19x18x5

34

Checks

Blank

13.6 grams

20x20x5.5

35

Checks

Blank

12.6 grams

20x20x5

36

Checks

Blank

5.8 grams

17x15x3

37

Checks

Blank

30.2 grams

35x31x5

38

Checks

Blank

16.0 grams

23x21x5

39

Checks

Blank

10.9 grams

21x20x4

40

Checks

Blank

21.6 grams

23x22x7

41

Checks

Blank

6.1 grams

20x15x4

42

Checks

Blank

8.6 grams

25x24x3.5

43

Checks

Blank

16.9 grams

22 x 22 x 6.5

44

Checks

Blank

3.6 grams

18 x 16 x 3

Hybrid Pellet and Checkers

H

01

3 pellet

checker

hybrid

blank

8.8 grams

23x23x2.5

H

02

3 pellet

checker

hybrid

blank

11.6 grams

25x24x3

H

03

3 pellet

checker

hybrid

blank

18.9 grams

27x23x5

M

01

Embossed

4.7 grams

19x17x2.5

M

02

Blank

14.1 grams

22x20x5

M

03

Embossed

10.2 grams

24x20x4.5

M

04

Faint Letters

Embossed

6.7 grams

23x20x3

M

05

Unreadable

Found at

Little Patrick Mill

Blank

11.9 grams

23x22

M

06

Unreadable

Found at

Little Patrick Mill

Blank

14.5 grams

25x25

M

07

Faint Letters

Embossed

11.3 grams

19.5x19x4.5

M

08

Faint Letters

Embossed

5.8 grams

24.5x20x2

M

09

Unreadable

Found at

West End Mills

Blank

11.7 grams

22x20x3.5

AN

01

Anchor

Blank

13.7 grams

21x21x4

AN

02

Anchor

Blank

17.1 grams

24x22x4.5