W8: Dorsetshire, Bere Regis (Farthing): (Date Unknown)
O
T S conjoined
THOMAS SPEARE T S
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T S conjoined
OF BEEARE REGES T S
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On 7th April, 1626, occurs the marriage of "Thomas Spere and Christian Woods (vid.)."
On 15th November, 1671, the burial of "Thomas Speare, of Andaerston" (Anderson, formerly part of Bere Regis, but now a distinct parish).
The family of Speare has been resident in the parish for three centuries or more, and, until recently, were yeomen farmers in Bere Regis, and their house on Rye Hill is still occupied by a descendant bearing the name of Thomas Speare.
I may here mention that Hutchins, in his plates of Dorset tokens (in the introduction to vol. i. of his history), gives one of William Lodge, of Beare. This is, however, a mistake for Bedale, co. Yorks; and the token is correctly given as a Yorkshire one by Boyne (ed. 1858), p. 498, No. 13.
W9: Dorsetshire, Blandford (Farthing): (1669)
O
Legend across the field in six lines
THE / BVRROVGH / OF BLAND / FORD THEI / RE CORPO / RATION
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Legend across the field in six lines
FAR / THING / FOR THE / VSE OF YE / POORE / 1669
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I have thought it advisable to show the ending of each line by vertical columns, which I have also adopted in describing the town-pieces of Sherborne, Weymouth, and Wimborne. [Rendered here as slashes.]
The parish registers do not date further back than 1735, having, no doubt, perished in the great fire that devastated Blandford on 4th June, 1731, by which nearly the whole of the town was burnt to the ground. (For a detailed account of this fire see the Rev. Malachi Blake's "Account of Blandford Fire," published in 1735.
The present register begins with the entry of the names of those who were burned in the fire, and only twelve individuals are named, reckoning a woman (who, I should imagine, from the manner of the entry, to have been in child-bed) and her daughter as separate individuals. (See note to Hutchins, i. 217.)
In Mrs. Farquharson's MS. Memorana quoted by Hutchins (i. 221) I find an entry alluding to the town farthings:
"1623. This year the corporation accounted for farthings belonging to the town."
If the date is correctly given, and, coming between an entry in 1617 and another in 1625, there seems no reason to doubt it, this entry must refer to the farthings issued under the patent granted by King James I. to John Stanhope, Baron Harrington, whereby he delegated to him his prerogative of striking copper money for a money consideration, the patent being granted for farthings only.
Again, in 1673, the following entry:
"The corporation farthings was returned in to the value of £2 18s., and placed in the council-house."
This, no doubt, was the result of the royal proclamation issued in 1672, whereby the further circulation of these tokens was put an end to.
In Hutchins's list is given one similar to the last, spelt MUNCK, and dated 1664, but this is, doubtless, only a misreading from the plate.
William Munch was Bailiff of the borough of Blandford in the year 1657. (See list of Bailiffs given in Hutchins, i. 218.) In the parish register of Bridport, on 20th July, 1654, occurs the marriage of "William Minck, of Blandford, and Elizabeth Bull, Wo, of Bridport."
