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 James I, followed by Charles I, ordered the
production of copper farthings under licence
in order to meet the needs of traders for
small change. This approach was adopted because
it was not thought proper for the king to
lower himself by issuing copper or brass
coins instead of gold or silver. The licences had expired by the time of the Civil War and as a result the supply ceased. However, the need fo such small change remained and so from 1648 to 1670, large numbers of copper and brass halfpenny and farthing tokens were issued mostly by individual traders operating in many different towns and villages. Lavendon proved to be no exception and traders in other nearby villages such as Olney and Warrington also issued their own tokens in the 17th century. In Lavendon a Baker, Edmond Baltswell, issued a farthing token, the appearance of which is shown below. The 17th Century Farthing Token Issued c1655
by Edmond Baltswell, a Lavendon Baker
Obverse: EDMOND · BALTSWELL + Bakers’ Arms & Rose emblem Reverse: IN · LAVENDON · BVCKE + E · A · B · & Cinquefoil emblem The device shown on the token is that traditionally used to depict a Baker: this consists of a balance between three wheat-sheaves, and an arm issuing from clouds between two anchors, holding a balance. The following is an extract from: History and Antiquities of the Newport Hundreds by Oliver Ratcliff, published in 1900 by the Cowper Press, Olney, Bucks: XVIIth Century Token The village during the XVIIth Century, like several others in the Hundreds, possessed its private, though illegal, mint or coining apparatus worked by one named Edmond Baltswell, who was evidently a baker, by the emblematical arms upon the reverse of the coin issued under his name. The description of this farthing, made of brass, is: The obverse has the legend EDMOND . BALTSWELL and in the centre the bakers’ arms. The reverse legend is IN . LAVENDON . BVCKE with larger letters (E.A.B.) in the centre. It is a rare token and was lost sight of until very recent years, and is noticed in Boyne’s second edition of the work on this subject as a hitherto unpublished token. The better class of tradesmen in those days when there was no copper coinage, being sorely taxed to find small change (other than the small silver half-pennies and farthings which were practically useless) were compelled in order to save barter, to take the law into their own hands and thus, in spite of the threats from the Government, used this "Money of Necessity," which is now known as the XVIIth Century Tradesmen’s Tokens. When the various tradesmen had accumulated a large quantity of these small pieces, they would return them to the issuer whose name was shown upon them, and he would give their equivalent in the coinage of the realm. The issue of this trade token at Lavendon, about the year 1655, is really the last historical item of importance connected with this once important village of North Bucks. This Edmond Baltswell was a married man, as will be noticed by the inscription on the brass farthing showing two initials, that of himself, and his wife. He was probably the son of Henry Baltswell who was buried on the 15th June, 1635. By what can be gleaned from the Parish Registers he had three brothers: William, Lewis, and John, and by the frequent entries from 1635 to 1655 they must have been an important family in the village. From this latter date there are no more entries of the family, and as there have been several leaves neatly cut from this ancient record, which might probably have shown the decline of the family, it is surmised that they took their departure to a place of safety when the plague raged so fiercely in the parish. The following gives the lineage of Edmond Baltswell, the issuer of the trade token, and his family, as gathered from the Parish Registers. HENRY BALTESWELL, June 15, 1635. Buried. JOAN BALTSSWELL, widow, April 18, 1649. Buried. _____________________________|______________________________ | EDMUND Married Alice..... | | | | | William, married Alice Thornton, He had 1 son and 2 daughters. | Lewis, Married. He had 3 sons and 2 daughters. | John, whose wife, Katherine, was Buried, December 31, 1655. |__________________________________________________________ | Mary, daughter of Edmund & Alice Bolteswell, July 21, 1639. Baptised. | Mary, daughter of Edmund Balteswell, May 29th, 1642. Baptised. | Edmund, son of Edmund Baltswell, June 5, 1642. Baptised. | Alice, daughter of Edmund Bolteswell August 2d, 1652. Buried. | |||||
