At the Kings Head 1649

During my research I came across this token stamped Kings Head in Deptford. Its a 1/4p Traders Trading Token. Could this refer to the Kings Head Public House which was on the corner of Church Street and Albury Street ? Trade tokens were issued in the 17th century, between 1648 and 1673, in response to a lack of low denomination being produced by the crown. To ease the monetary situation, boroughs and cities across the country, began producing tokens to be used within the locality; in London the situation differed, due to the scale of the population, needed to issue private tokens, rather than one accepted city wide.

Tokens were issued by tradesmen for their business, and would also be accepted by other traders in the locality, as long as they knew the issuer and were assured that they would be able to redeem the value of the token. In a period when people often lived their entire lives within a relatively small area, this system would rely on the trust of the businesses in the neighbourhood. Tradesmen would keep a tray below their counter, where they would collect tokens from other issuers, and then redeem their collected value with the issuer.

Trade tokens were most commonly issued, as farthing, half penny, and penny denominations. Tokens were only issued as farthing tokens until 1656, when half penny tokens began to be brought in to circulation. With the silver half penny of the crown going out of use in 1661, this will have further increased the need for a half penny token, and it was at this time that it became a more common issue than the farthing. Penny tokens, were also issued by traders, most commonly by coffee-houses, the goods they sold being of a higher value than may be common elsewhere. There are also a small number of instances where higher denominations of coinage were issued, including tuppence and sixpence. 

A variety of information would be represented on the trade tokens; this could include, the place of issue, the issuers name, their trade, the denomination, with the denomination, the farthing often was not marked, it was recognisable by its smaller size, but the half penny and penny tokens often had the denomination written on them, in text or numerically. Most commonly featured, was a triad of initials representing those of the issuer, and their wife (or sometimes son). Read on the token from left to right and the up, the middle initial would be that of the wife.

Throughout the period of issue for the trade tokens, there were often plans by the Crown to produce farthings, it was only in 1672, that the first was finally issued. On the 16th August 1672, a proclamation was made by the crown, ordering the minting of trade tokens to cease, a further proclamation was issued in 1673, but it was only with the issue of a third proclamation in 1674, that the issue of trade tokens, finally ceased. By this time the use of trade tokens had once again, begun to fall, so the latest dates for tokens, are relatively rare.

The Parrish Family Lamerton Street

I recently made contact with a gentleman by the name of Roy Parrish. He sent me this brief insight of his younger life whilst living in Lamerton Street. His description of the house and living conditions mirrors exactly the recollection I have of my grandmothers house in Albury Street, particularly avoiding using the outside toilet especially after dark!  Roy say's........ 

"My grandfather lived there from the mid 20th century when the street was still a fairly new. The house where my grandfather and father lived was very dark inside, and to a very young boy like myself then in the 1950s a very creepy environment to live in. There was another family who lived in their house and they resided on the ground floor with our Parrish family of eight living on the floor above, so you can see they were very cramped conditions to live in. The High street end of Lamerton Street backed on to the old post office in Creek Road and the yard had the usual outside toilet which I always managed not to use!   As a point of interest I did my family tree some years back and was fortunate to do my whole family in one afternoon as all the records from St Alfege's church showed their family had been living in Deptford since the 18th century".


Roy has a number of stories which he can recall from over the years and when he has passed them on to  me I will post them.

Lamerton Street.

Creek Road Bridge from 1820's to present day.



Looking West from Creek Bridge



  



As it is today



Deptford Station then and now

Mid 1920's

This old photo was sent to me by Trish Gage who was born in Deptford. It shows her grandad standing outside Borehams which was located in the High Street c1920's, I think.  It appeared on the TV documentary London's Secret Streets, Deptford High Street. My thanks to her for sharing this photo.

Andy