Author Topic: Sixpence  (Read 2356 times)

Online BumbleB

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Re: Sixpence
« Reply #27 on: Sunday 23 May 21 18:37 BST (UK) »
It was but many uninformed people assumed it was referring to the American dollar, whereas it was referring to the Spanish Dollar. This goes way back in history to the Napoleonic Wars when Britain was short of gold & silver coins and imported Spanish dollars to make up the shortfall, even though they contained less silver.
Cheers
Guy

Very interesting - thank you, once again, Guy.
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Offline suey

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Re: Sixpence
« Reply #28 on: Sunday 23 May 21 18:38 BST (UK) »
Ref from Suey:
Half a dollar - 2/6d
Dollar 5/-

Surely 2/- was a "florin" and 2/6 was "half a crown" ??

Suey gave a list of slang words for money. My elder brothers (teenagers) called a half-a-crown a dollar. £1 must have been worth 4 dollars once.
It was but many uninformed people assumed it was referring to the American dollar, whereas it was referring to the "Spanish Dollar". This goes way back in history to the Napoleonic Wars when Britain was short of gold & silver coins and imported Spanish dollars to make up the shortfall, even though they contained less silver.
Cheers
Guy

Well, I never knew that !  You learn something new every day  :D
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Offline Mowsehowse

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Re: Sixpence
« Reply #29 on: Sunday 23 May 21 20:13 BST (UK) »
As Suey says;
"Well, I never knew that !  You learn something new every day."

Indeed I do. :D 
Thanks Guy.   
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Offline Maiden Stone

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Re: Sixpence
« Reply #30 on: Monday 24 May 21 13:19 BST (UK) »
It was but many uninformed people assumed it was referring to the American dollar, whereas it was referring to the "Spanish Dollar".

If we were uninformed before, we're informed now about it.  :)
Added. Spanish dollar aka pieces of eight. I've been well-informed today. My understanding of pirate and parrot lingo has expanded.  ;D
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Offline Maiden Stone

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Re: Sixpence
« Reply #31 on: Monday 24 May 21 14:35 BST (UK) »
I found that an ancestor was fined 6d in 1758,

   seems a small penalty for taking part in the Manchester food riot

Historical background in an article "How much was a loaf of bread?" by John Hearfield.
https://www.johnhearfield.com/History/Breadt.htm
Tables include:
Annual incomes for different classes 1688;
Estimated annual amount spent on various types of food 1688;
Prices of wheat and bread 1575-1825.

British Government introduced a bread Act in 1757 to get people to eat a less high quality bread. A new category of loaf, "Household Bread" was introduced. The Assize of Bread 14th March 1758 set weights and prices of loaf categories; facsimile of table from "London Evening Post" same date.
There were riots again caused by price of bread in 1790's.

Other topics under "History" tab include 18thC roads; Stroud trade directories + a diary 18th & 19th centuries; Yorkshire - Nidderdale, Otley, Swaledale; urban cow-keepers.   

 
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Offline Maiden Stone

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Re: Sixpence
« Reply #32 on: Monday 24 May 21 16:27 BST (UK) »
Food riots in Manchester in 1750s. Price of oatmeal, staple food of labourers, doubled during the decade. 1756, 1757 and 1758 were years of high food prices and food riots in Manchester. There food riots again in 1762. Source: "Manchester in the Latter Half of the Eighteenth Century" by W. H. Chaloner
There was more variety in food supplies to Manchester by the end of the century. Source:  "A Description of the Country 30 to 40 miles Round Manchester" by John Aiken 1795.
Shudehill Fight 14th-15th Nov. 1757. Four dead, 15 injured. Blue plaque at site.
John Bradshaw of Bradshaw Hall, Shudehill, magistrate and High Sheriff of Lancashire, quelled 1757 riot.
 
There were major food riots in England 1756-7. Food riots again in 1760's. Chapter 4  "The Politics of Provisions: Food Riots, Moral Economy and Market Transition in England 1550-1850" by John Bohstedt.
Cowban

Offline collin

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Re: Sixpence
« Reply #33 on: Monday 24 May 21 19:09 BST (UK) »
That is very interesting, our ancestor was fined in January 1758 for riotously assembling with others with offensive weapons at Manchester to the great terror of his Majestys subjects on 12 November 1757
Thank you
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Offline Maiden Stone

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Re: Sixpence
« Reply #34 on: Tuesday 25 May 21 14:03 BST (UK) »
Do you know what sentences were passed on others in the mob?

A bit of history about Shudehill where the violence happened in 1757.
Furness Vale History Society
https://furnesshistory.blogspot.com/2020/04/shudehill.html
It was the site of a market named Smithfield in 1822. The name Shude may derive from a word meaning oat husks.
Studehll Conservation Area on Manchester City Council website
https://secure.manchester.gov.uk/info/511/conservation_areas
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Offline collin

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Re: Sixpence
« Reply #35 on: Tuesday 25 May 21 14:37 BST (UK) »
 Sorry I dont know about the others as they would each have a separate Indictment, our man was Joseph Collins Hatter of Hollinwood, so he had travelled from Oldham to protest. I think that 6d seems lenient for those times.  Thank you for the information on Manchester
Collin Oldham Lancs   Rogers Dudley  Abbott  Ripley Derbys    Hartley Outwood Yorks