Cumberland, MORESBY Colliery token c.1725, J. BROUGHAM

Description

Copper token of the Moresby Colliery, just north-east of Whitehaven in West Cumberland, issued in around 1725 by John Brougham of Scales.

Obverse : Ornamental shield of arms of a chevron and three pike.  Reverse : 'MOR RESBY'..  

In 1722 John Brougham of Scales purchased the manors of Moresby and Distington for £4,100. from Thomas Fletcher. Also at the end of December in 1725 he leased more land at Moresby from Henry Curwen

Brougham's tokens exist in brass and copper and were use as a form of tallies to do with the carting or pack-horsing the coal from the colliery to the colliers docked at Whitehaven.  They are very good quality and it is possible that they were made at the Royal Mint.

In 1726 in order to facilitate the export of his coal to Ireland  Brougham, in partnership with Lowther  invested £950. to restore the harbour at Parton which was slightly nearer than Whitehaven.  However, in spite of these improvements and more investments in his colliery his enterprise was not a great success and within a year he was  beginning to regret his venture into mining.  He carried on until 1737 when he sold to Lowther his two manors for £6,600 and his interest in Parton harbour for £2,040 and thus Lowther gained a dominance in mining in this area and total control of the harbour.   *

*   Michael Finlay : 'The Mining and Related Tokens of West Cumberland'

D&W 292/113           Fin. 31          25.5mm.             SCARCE especially in good condition

Good Very Fine to Extremely Fine, even dark tone.