Arrington Bridge, Henry Atkins (Tollgate Keeper, Old North Road), 'His Half Peny', undated (c....

Arrington Bridge, Henry Atkins (Tollgate Keeper, Old North Road), 'His Half Peny', undated (c. 1668), in copper alloy, 6h, m.m. spur rowel (m.m.) HENRY • ATKINS • AT • THE, turnpike, rev. (m.m.) • AT ARRINGTON • BRIDGE, HIS | HALF | PENNY in centre, rose above and below (Babington 1; Searle 1; Boyne & Williamson 7; SCBI Norweb I, 365; Dickinson, Cambs 7; Wratten [1996], pp. 252, and pp. 414; Plumb & Thompson [2012], pp. 227), some light corrosion across patinated surfaces, otherwise about very fine, rare

Provenance
Purchased Nigel Clark, August 1986 - £55 (with earlier Spink ticket)

The Highways (Hertford) Act of 1664 [16-17 Chas. II c.10] established the toll gate at Arrington Bridge, along the route of the Old North Road from London through Stilton. The previous siting for the toll had been at Caxton, but this was found to be easily bypassed by 1668. Ogilvy's 1675 map of the route of the Old North Road shows the 'Tole barr' [sic] slightly south of Arrington. Although not issued in the same year or with identical designs, 'Half Penny' toll tokens are also known for Edward Lawrence at Wadesmill, Herts (Norweb 2282) and William Flower at Stilton, Cambs (Norweb 2367). The toll charge varied by traffic, but Lawrence permitted a score of sheep or lambs at the halfpenny rate with a horses similarly rateable up to as much as twopence. Henry Atkins married Alice Dockrie, in the neighbouring parish of Harlton on 9 October 1660. Following Alice's death in July 1667, Henry was taxed for fourth hearths.

For further information, see: David F. Wratten, '17th Century Token Issuers of Cambridgeshire', Part II, Token Corresponding Society, Vol. 5, no. 7, January 1996, pp. 252-56, and Part III, Vol. 5, no. 11, pp. 414-21.

Additionally, Robert Thompson, 'Turnpike Tokens: Philip Plumb's Observations', Token Corresponding Society Bulletin, Vol. 10, no. 6, March 2012, pp. 224-28

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