Coiners Committed to York Castle
Arrest of and search for coiners and clippers in Wadsworth, Erringden, Midgley and Halifax.
Author: Unknown
Date: 16 September 1769
Location: York
Format: Handbill
Document ID: 100433
Library ID: P343 R566
When Excise officer, William Deighton, was sent to investigate the fraudulent behaviour of the people in the Calderdale area in 1760s. "King"David Hartley and his associates clipped gold coins and moulded the gold into counterfeit coins, often French, Spanish or Portuguese, which were accepted currency.
On hearing of the Excise officer's investigation, the gang took fright and shot him on 9th November 1769. A successful Halifax solicitor, Robert Parker, then took up the case for the prosecution and the criminals were arrested. Robert Thomas and Matthew Normington were executed for the murder, and David Hartley and James Oldfield received the death penalty for clipping and diminishing the gold coins of the realm.
