Kent Apothecaries and Barber-Surgeons' Tokens and Their Issues

KENT APOTHECARIES' AND BARBERSURGEONS' TOKENS AND THEIR ISSUERS Dr T. DOUGLAS WHITTET Tradesmen's tokens formed an illegal but tolerated money of necessity issued privately by merchants between 1648 and 1679 when regal small change was scarce or non-existent. The standard work on the subject is Trade tokens issued in the seventeenth century, originally published by William Boyne 1 in 1858, revised by George C. Williamson2 in two volumes, 1889-91, and reprinted in three volumes in 1967. This work is now popularly called Williamson and will be referred to as such in this paper. Williamson2 did not refer to any Kent tokens as having been issued by apothecaries or barber-surgeons, but Tilley3 found that John May of Gravesend,3 who issued a token in 1661, was called by both titles whilst Edward Pashlowe, who issued one in 1656, was a surgeon. 4 Two other tokens were probably issued by apothecaries and others by barber-surgeons. APOTHECARY-BARBER-SURGEON'S TOKEN 0. IOHN . MAY . 1666 - St. Christopher with the Christ child. R. IN . GRAVESEND - I . A . M. (¼d.) Fig. (1, 1.) Williamson2 gave no occupation for the issuer and he called the device on the obverse 'A man with a staff carrying another man (Friar 1 W. Boyne, Tokens issued in the sevemeenth Century, (1858). i G.C. Williamson, Trade tokens issued in the seventeemh Century, (revision of Boyne), two volumes (1889--97), reprinted in three volumes (1967). Kent tokens 345-92. 3 E.W. Tilley, Arch. Cant. lxxxv, (1970), 161. 4 E.W. Tilley, ibid., 154. 69 T. DOUGLAS WHITTET Tuck and Little John?).' Tilley3 wrote 'John May lived in quite a large house on the South side of West Street. His token shows a man with a staff carrying another on his shoulder. This picture is connected with the legend of St. Christo• pher, the patron saint of travellers. It was also associated with the calling of the apothecary, and as such John May is described in the case of the bowling green land in April 1663. In the apprenticeship registers for the years 1654 and 1658 May's occupation is noted as that of "Chirurgeon". He was made a freeman in 1651 and elected to the Corporation shortly afterwards, remaining a Common Councillor until 1659 when he was appointed Chamberlain. He is recorded as being Jurat in 1661 and Mayor in 1662, becoming a Justice of the Peace in the following year. He does not appear in the Minute Book after 1669 having died in late November of that year. When the altered Cromwellian Mace was paid for in 1663 May, as a Common Councillor, paid his 10s.' Tilley's surmise about the device seems likely to be correct as it was used by apothecaries and appears on one of the Flags of the Society of Apothecaries' barge, now in Apothecaries Hall. Mr Tilley has given me the following additional information: May paid 3s. 4d. for his freedom on May 21, 1651, became Collector for the Market in 1654 and Chamberlain in 1655 as well as 1659. John Wood was apprenticed to him in 1654 and Abraham Mason in 1658. On both occasions he was called a Chir•Jrgeon. The returns of 1664 show that he paid tax for six hearths for his house on the 'South side of West Streete'. He obviously had a large establishment. In April 1663, a lease of land 'at the North West part of the Parish & formerly was a Bowling Green' included a reference to May as mayor and apothecary, the only occasion on which he was called such. The May family was frequently mentioned in the town records. George May, surgeon, probably John's brother, was on the Corporation in 1655. The following were sworn as freemen: January 4, 1670/1. George, eldest son and apprentice of John May, Chirurgeon. January 20, 1674/5. John May, Chirurgeon. December 14, 1675. William May, Apothecary. John May, Jr. was definitely a son of the token issuer and William probably so. There were also many entries for the family in the Gravesend and Milton parish registers. John May, Sr., was buried a t Gravesend on December 1, 1669. His son John was a signatory of the Renunciation of the Solemn League and Covenant on July 23, 1680, and was buried at Milton on October 26, 1703. I have been unable to trace their wills. 70 APOTHECARIES' AND BARBER-SURGEONS' TOKENS PROBABLE APOTHECARIES' TOKENS Thomas Burden of Canterbury. Obv. THOMAS . BURDEN . OF- A vase of flowers. Rev. CANTERBVRY . 1667 - HIS HALF PENNY. T􀁺V. (½d.) (Fig. 1, 2.) Williamson2 gave no information about the issuer. The device of a vase of flowers is virtually indistinguishable from the pot of lilies, one of the devices frequently found on apothecaries' tokens. The issue was probably Thomas Burden, grocer, apprentice of John Sympson, who became a freeman of Canterbury in 1644.5 In the registers of St. George's, Canterbury, are records of several children of Thomas and Suzana (Sewzana) Burden between 1653 and 1658 including Mickall (sic) baptised on August 14, 1658.6 On January 26, 1664/5 the burial of the wife of Thomas Burden was recorded, but her Christian name was not mentioned.6 If Thomas were the token issuer and Suzana the person buried in 1664/5, he must have married again as the V on the reverse of the token probably represented the initial of the Christian name of the issuer's wife. Thomas Burden was churchwarden in 1664/56 and was buried on November 21, 1675.6 On April 7, 1677, Thomas Burden of St. George's, grocer, bachelor 27, was granted a licence to marry Hannah Chandler at St. Mildred's. 7 Thomas was probably a son of the token issuer and Hannah a relation of Benjamin Chandler, apothecary, to whom John Burden was apprenticed on June 6, 1755. 8 The latter may have been a grandson of the token issuer. In 1679, Michael Burden, grocer, son of Thomas, grocer, became a freeman of Canterbury by birth.9 Thomas Sr., although called a grocer, was probably an apothecary as he used a device so popular with apothecaries. He may have been the founder of a dynasty of apothecaries. The apothecaries and grocers of Canterbury were in the same guild, the Company of Apothecaries, Grocers, Chandlers and Fishmongers, whose deeds of incorporation, dated 1568/9 and 1575/6, are in the Cathedral archives. 10 5 J.M. Cowper, Freemen of Cat11erbury, (1903), 178. 6 J.M. Cowper, Register of St. George's, Canterbury, 1538-1802. 1883, 39, 191, 194. 7 J.M. Cowper, Canterbury Marriage Licences, 4th series, 1677-1700, (1898), 92. 8 P.J. and R.V. Wallis and T.D. Whittet, Eighteenth Century Medics, (1985}, 166. 9 Cowper, op. cit. in note 5, 15. 1° Canterbury Cathedral Archives and Library. Deeds of incorporation of the Scyence and Mistery of the Apothecaries, Grocers, Chandlers and Fishmongers of the City of Canterbury. 1568/9 and 1575/6. 71 T. DOUGLAS WHITTET Thomas Jr. was buried on December 3, 1689.11 I have been unable to trace the wills of either of the Thomases. Henry Gippes of Greenwich. Obv. HENRY . GIPPES - A pot of lilies. Rev. AT . GRINWICH . 1668 - His HALFE PENNY. (½d.). (Fig. 1, 3.) Williamson2 gave no information about the issuer who was probably Henry Gipps of Greenwich, bachelor aged about 24, who on May 8, 1663, was granted a licence to marry Mary Alder of the same at Trinity, Minories, London. 12 The registers of East Greenwich record the births of Sarah (December 23, 1668) and Mary (July 18, 1671), daughters of Henry Gibbs (sic), who may well have been their children.13 No occupation was given for the father. There were many apothecaries, etc., called Gipps in the county and, as the device on the token was one of the most popular with apothecaries, the issuer was probably an apothecary. The device closely resembles that of Thomas Burden. On April 14, 1672, Simon Gipps, bachelor c. 24, physician of Sittingbourne, was granted a licence to marry Elizabeth Goulding14 and on February 1, 1675/6, Simon Gipps, widower of Charing, surgeon, one to marry Ann Lauman of Deal. 14 In 1680, Simon Gipps, surgeon, husband of Ann, daughter of Henry Landman (sic{, innholder, was admitted as a freeman of Canterbury marriage. 5 It is highly probable that these three Simons were the same person. Sittingbourne and Charing are about 10 miles (6.7 km.) apart. Henry Gipps, apothecary, apprentice of Charles Knowler, became a freeman of Canterbury in 1741.16 He was probably the person of that name of Hythe who was called surgeon, etc., when John Fuller was bound to him in 1747, and apothecary when William Hague was bound in 1753, 17 and with Henry Gipps of Saltwood, about 2 miles (3 km.) from Hythe, called apothecary when Thomas Dray was bound in 1757 and surgeon when William Rolfe was bound in 1769.17 On April 28, 1756, Henry Gipps, bachelor of Saltwood was granted a licence to marry Ann Andrews. 18 11 Cowper, op. cit. in note 6, 198. 12 G.J. Armytage, Marriage Allegations. Vicar General, Canterbury, 33, (1892), 134. 13 Society of Genealogists. Registers of East Greenwich. (1976), KEIR 115, anonymous and unpaginated. 14 J.M. Cowper, Canterbury Marriage Licences, 3rd. series, 1661-76, (1896), 183. 15 Cowper, op. cit. in note 5, 123. 16 Cowper, op. cit. in note 5, 194. 17 Wallisses and Whittet, op. cit. in note 8, 424. 18 A.J. Willis, Canterbury Marriage Licences, 1751-1780, (1967), 67. 72 APOTHECARIES' AND BARBER-SURGEONS' TOKENS /if;& WJ 1. Token of John May. Actual size 1.5 cm. diameter. 2. Token of Thomas Burden. Actual size 2 cm. diameter. 3. Token of Henry Gippes. Actual size 2 cm. diameter. 4. Token of Edward Pashlowe. Actual size c. 1.5 cm. diameter. 5. token of W.F. Actual size c. 1.5 cm. diameter. 6. Barber's pole with bleeding bason. 7. Token of Richard White. Actual size c. 1.5 cm. diameter. 8. Token of John Cleare. Actual size 2.5 cm. diameter. George Gipps, son of Henry, who was bound to Thomas Knowles (sic) on October 1, 1745,17 was presumably the brother of Henry Jr. and their father may well have been an apothecary. George became a freeman of Canterbury in 1751 16 when the name of his master was spelled Knowler. In 1756, he was granted a licence to marry Elizabeth Joanna Roberts of St. Margaret-in-Canterbury. 19 He was then a bachelor, aged 24. The marriage took place at St. Alphege on 19 Willis, op. cit. in note 19, 60. 73 T. DOUGLAS WHITTET August 2, 1756. 20 He also seems certain to have been George Gipps, M.P., apothecary of Canterbury who subscribed to numerous medical and other books between 1753 and 1797.17 All of these persons may have been descendants of the token issuer as it is frequently found that the occupation of apothecary, etc., was followed by several generations. John Gipps, who had been apprenticed to his father Christopher of Billericay, Essex, and admitted to the London Society by redemption in 1764,21 was probably of the same family. It is possible that the following were also relatives as the names Gibbs and Gipps were often confused: Robert Gibbs of Ashford, who was granted an episcopal licence to practise surgery in 1705; Thomas Gibbs, son of Susan, widow of Canterbury, who was bound to Stephen Durant, apothecary of that city in 1714, may have been the person of that name who was called surgeon when Obediah Hughes Worsley was bound to him in 1711 and physician when he subscribed to a book in 1719.22 A POSSIBLE APOTHECARY'S TOKEN John Hall of Dover, who issued in 1666 a token without an occupation or device, may have been an apothecary and ancestor of John Hall, apothecary of that town who was listed in the Medical Directory of 1779. 23 TOKENS BEARING DEVICES OFTEN USED BY APOTHECARIES Cross pattee. John Hall, of Milton-near-Gravesend, whose token bears that device, was an innkeeper. Gerves Maplisden, mercer of Maidstone, issued a token bearing a cross pattee fitchee which is part of the family arms. Francis and Walter Maplisden of Canterbury also issued tokens. The former was an innkeeper and the latter's occupation is unknown. Although several members of the family were physicians and barber-surgeons, it is doubtful if any of the above were of those occupations or apothecaries. Unicorn. The following Kent tokens bear the device of a unicorn: I.B. of 'The Skotch Arms', Dover; John Shallcross and Thomas 20 J.M. Cowper, Register of St. Alphege, CanJerbury, (1889), 177. 21 Society of Apothecaries. Court minute books. Guildhall Library Ms. 8200/7, 190. 22 Wallisses and Whittet, op. cit. in note 8, 417. 23 Medical Directory, (1779), 91/5. 74 APOTHECARIES' AND BARBER-SURGEONS' TOKENS Tudor of Greenwich, occupation unknown, and Thomas Soane, mercer of Speldhurst. The 'Skotch Arms' are obviously derived from the Royal Arms of Scotland which have two unicorns as supporters. It may have been an inn sign. BARBER-SURGEONS' TOKENS Edward Pashlowe of Milton-next-Gravesend. Obv. EDWARD . P ASHLOWE - a full blown rose. Rev. IN . MILLTON . 1656- E . P. (¼d.). (Fig. 1,4.) Williamson:.i stated that Pashlowe was Mayor of Gravesend and Milton in 1653 but gave no occupation for him. Ti!ley4 wrote that he was prominent in the affairs of the town, being responsible for its fortification during the Civil War and involved in the reorganisation of the marriage customs during the Commonwealth. He was elected to the Council in 1640 and became assistant to the Clerks of the market, auditor and Jurat. During his mayoralty, Cromwell, the 'Lord Protector', was offered and accepted the High Stewardship of the town and Pashlowe was asked to convey the thanks of the Corporation to him. Tilley4 concluded 'Pashlowe is not mentioned in the records after the Restoration in 1660 although no entry of his death in either of the two parishes can be found. His token shows a full-blown rose, but there seems to be no connection with this emblem and his occupation which is noted in the apprentice-register as that of "Barber-Chirurgeon" .' The Tudor rose, however, appears on the barber-surgeons' arms. Mr Tilley has given me the following additional information: In 1641, Joseph Dennis of Stansted was apprenticed to Pashlowe who, in 1645 was paid £3 8s. 2d. which he had 'laid out for the fortification of the town' and he was appointed a collector for Milton and an assessor for the re-edification of the town. When the mace was altered in 1649 and paid for in 1653 'Mr Edward Pashlowe, gent', as a Jurat, paid £1. He was churchwarden in 1647 and in 1651 he illegally purchased six barrels of powder from the State's ship 'Success'. Both he and the seller had to appear before the Council of State on October 28, 1651, on an order issued from Whitehall. His last duty for the town was to audit the accounts in 1658, but he was not called deceased on July 13, 1669, when his apprentice William Musgrove was sworn as a freeman. It is probable that, as a supporter of Cromwell, he fell from favour at the Restoration. Although there are numerous entries in the Milton registers of the baptisms and burials of his children between 1637 and 1666 and the 75 T. DOUGLAS WHITTET baptism of a son is recorded in the Gravesend register, Pashlowe's burial does not appear in either. A burial of Mary Parsloe (sic) in the Milton register of 1700 may have been that of his wife. I have been unable to trace his will. His name was spelled in various ways. W.F. of Woolwich. Obv. AT . THE . BARBERS . POLE- A pair of scales. Rev. IN . WOOLLEDGE . 1656 - W􀁰I. (¼d.). (Fig. 1, 5.) Williamson2 gave no information about the issuer, and I have been unable to find anything about him. Lillywhite24 wrote of the barber's pole 'This well-known sign is a pole with stripes of white and red, said to be a relic of the day when the callings of barbers and surgeons were combined'. Meadows25 commented 'The signs today are generally red, white and blue, but the original poles were painted red. The early Barber was a Surgeon as well and when the pole was hanging outside it had a gallipot or a bleeding dish hanging at the end. [Fig. l, 6] Ancient manuscripts show the pole in use by the Barber with the patient grasping it firmly while the blood-letting was in progress, and as the pole was liable to be spattered with blood, it was painted red. The twisting of white linen bandages around it when not in use gave rise to the striped pole of the present time'. The issuer's use of the scales as well as the barber's pole suggests that he may also have had an apothecary's shop. Richard White of Canterbury. Obv. RICHARD . WHITE . BARBER - A comb. Rev. IN . CANTERBVRY. 1656 - R WA. (¼d.). (Fig. 1, 7.) Williamson2 gave no information about the issuer who was probably Richard White, barber, apprentice of Thomas Wyniattes, who became a freeman of the city in 1621. 26 He was called a barbersurgeon when Nicholas Sudell, barber-surgeon, the husband of his daughter Anne, was freed in 165527 and barber when his apprentice John Willes was freed in 1637.28 George White, apprentice of William Symmons, freed 1731 and Richard White, apprentice of Thomas Botting, freed in 1746, both barbers, were probably his descendants. 27 24 B. Lillywhite, London Signs, (1972), 23. 25 C.A. Meadows, Trade Signs and their Origin, (1957), 13-17. 26 Cowper, op. cit. in note 5, 240. 27 Cowper, op. cit. in note 5, 156. 28 Cowper, op. cit. in note 5, 242. 76 APOTHECARIES' AND BARBER-SURGEONS' TOKENS The physicians, barbers and surgeons of Canterbury were incorporated in the same company in deeds of 1497/8 and 1543.29 A PROBABLE BARBER-SURGEON'S TOKEN Obv. IOHN . CLEARE . 1666 - A crown. Rev. OF . FEAVERSHAM-HIS HALFPENY (½d.) (Fig. 1, 8.) Williamson:.i gave no information about the issuer who seems likely to have been the customer of that name of a London firm of wholesale apothecaries and druggists, Eastwick and Conyngsby, from about 1667 to 1683.30 John Clare, son of William, joiner of Faversham, was bound on July 1, 1730, to William Day, chirurgeon,31 of that town and was probably the surgeon of that name and town who subscribed in 1742 to J. Smith's Hygiasticon, 31 a treatise on health. He seems certain to have been a descendant of the token issuer who was probably also a surgeon or barber-surgeon. A crown is part of the barber-surgeon's arms. There were many apothecaries and barber-surgeons of Kent called Cleare, Cleere or Clare. On April 5, 1634, Tobias Cleer(e} of Sandwich was granted an episcopal licence to practise surgery. 3 He was called a drug§ist when his son was admitted to Cambridge University in 1648. 3 On August 8, 1676, Claude Cleare (also called Clare) was granted by the Archbishop of Canterbury a licence to practise surgery. 34 He was probably Claudius Clare, late of Hythe, chirurgeon, whose son Thomas was bound to Oliver Gaines of the Society of Apothecaries on June 6, 1693. 35 These persons may well have been relatives of the token issuer. There were numerous persons called Cleare or one of its variants in the London Barber-Surgeons' Company. On February 1, 1643/4, Henry Cleare, chirurgeon, apprentice of Richard Heath, was admitted. 36 He was clothed with the livery on April 6, 1647, paying a fine of £10. 37 On the same day 'Henry, son of Henry Cleare, a 29 Canterbury Cathedral Archives and Library. Deed of incorporation of all the Physicians, Barbers and Surgeons in the city and suburbs. 1543. 30 Public Record Office. Chancery Master's exhibits, MSS, C. 104/130 and 131. 31 Wallisses and Whittet, op. cit. in note 8, 213-4. 32 Wallisses and Whittet, op. cit. in note 8, 220. 33 J. and J.A. Venn, Alumni Cantabrigienses, Part 1, (1922), 352. 34 Wallisses and Whittet, op. cit., in note 8, 220. 35 Apothecaries minutes. note 22, Ms. 8200/3, 376. 36 Barber-Surgeons' Company. Lists of admissions. MS. 5265/1, 99. 37 Barber-Surgeons' Company. Court minute books MS. 5257/5, 391-2. 77 T. DOUGLAS WHITTET ffreeman of this Company, but born before his father's admission into this ffreedom was this day admitted a foreign brother, paying 31b. to the house and 40s. towards a dinner'.37 Henry Cleare (probably senior) was in a list of 1650 of members of the Company as 'a commander in the army in ye North'.38 On November 27, 1655, Thomas Cleare, apprentice of Edward Drue and Henry Cleare was admitted to the Company as were Robert Clare, apprentice of Richard Wye, Chirurgeon, on March 5 1660/1 and James Cleare, apprentice of Edmund Johnson and Henry Cleare on March 26 1661/2. 39 Richard Wye was called 'State Chirurgeon of Chatham' in 1650. 38 On April 7, 1674, Mr Cleare (presumably Henry Jr.) was confirmed in the livery and was 'to be placed in the first of those that have bin or shalbe chosen into the Livery this year in respect of his antiquity and readiness to have formerly taken the clothing upon him but for his attendance in the army' .37 It seems that he followed his father as an army surgeon. On November 11, 1692, it was 'ordered that Charles Cleare bee Chirurgeon of the Burford' (a naval ship).40 I have searched, without success, the Company's records for the places of origin of these persons, but it seems likely that they were related to the Kent family. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Much of the research in this paper was carried out with the aid of a grant from the Wellcome Trust and I express my gratitude to the Trustees. I am grateful to Mr E.W. Tilley for information about John May and Edward Pashlowe and for supplying the drawings of their tokens, and to my wife Doreen M. Whittet for drawing nos. 2, 3, 5, 6 and 7. Fig. 1, nos. 2, 7 and 8 were drawn from photographs of specimens in the Norweb collection kindly supplied by Mr R.H. Thompson. Fig. 1, nos. 3 and 5 were drawn from photographs kindly supplied by A.H. Baldwin Ltd. Fig. 1, no. 6 was drawn from a diagram in Meadows' book (note 25). 38 Barber-Surgeons' Company. MS. 1108. 39 Barber-Surgeons' Company. MS. 5265/1,114 and 123. 40 Barber-Surgeons' Company. MS. 5257/6, unpaginated appendix. 78