4, Birchin Lane,
February 7th, 1852.
SIR,--In answer to a letter in your "Price Current" for January 25th,
(p. 7), addressed to you, and signed "A. K." I beg to inform your
correspondent that "Robert Hoblyn," published the following works:--
"Bibliotheca Hoblyniana," 8vo. London, 1767.
"The First Book of the Georgics of Virgil, Lat. and Eng. with
Translation in blank verse, and notes, 8vo. London, 1825."
It is worthy to notice that "M. A." is affixed to his name in the last
named work.
I am not aware that he published any other works; but a perusal of the
Catalogue of Printed Books in the British Museum would satisfactorily
decide this point.
Perhaps your correspondent means "Richard Hoblyn," whose publications
are very numerous.
Your obedient servant,
S. I. TUCKER.
LAVERS, _the Bookseller_.
Overseal, Ashby de la Zouch.
SIR,--I should be very much obliged to any of your correspondents who
will give me information respecting Mr. Lavers, a bookseller in London,
who flourished about the third quarter of the last century; especially
any thing relating to his wife and descendants.
Very faithfully yours,
J. M. GRESLEY.
13th Feb. a.d. 1852.
TRADESMEN'S TOKENS.--Can any of your readers inform me if there are any
Tradesmen's Tokens of Scotland, issued during the 17th century; and if
not, can any cause be assigned for it. I have a very large collection of
tokens of the 17th century, of England, Wales, and Ireland, but not one
of Scotland, which is very singular, as the towns of Edinburgh, Glasgow,
Aberdeen, Sterling, Perth, &c. must have had as great need of a small
currency, as many small villages in England, of which there are many
specimens.
By far the most numerous of the English tokens belong to the Southern
and Midland districts: of the city of Oxford alone I have 62 varieties.
The Northern Counties are much fewer in number: of Cumberland I have
only tokens of two towns, Carlisle and Cockermouth; of Northumberland,
the town of Newcastle only; of Westmoreland, Appleby, Kendal, and Kirby
Steven.
The ordinary value is the halfpenny for the Southern Counties, having
usually the Arms of some Company of the City of London, and the initials
of the issuer, his wife and family name, with the name, trade and
business at full length. The great bulk of these tokens are of a
monotonous character, with a few curious exceptions.
One of square shape, issued by Thomas Dedicot, in Bewdley, has the
legend, "SQUARE DEALING." A copper token of Worcester, has a brass
plug in the centre. A facetious Boniface of Leeds gives us the
double-entendre, "BEWARE THE BEARE," with his sign of the Bear. To make
the catch better, it should be known that in Yorkshire, BEER and BEAR,
are pronounced alike. The device and motto of the Baron Bradwardine is
consequently older than the time of the author of Waverley. Roger
Dickinson, of Robin Hood's Bay, affects a heart-shaped token, on which
are represented the popular heroes, Robin Hood and Little John: Little
John is represented half the size of Robin Hood, instead of being
considerably taller, not knowing he was so nick-named from his gigantic
stature. There are other tokens of octagon and diamond shape.
The Welsh tokens are generally of very good execution: the halfpenny of
Edward Lloyd, of Kidwelly, is very neat; a few of Carnarvon are small,
and issued at one penny, of a similar character to those of Ireland,
which I have next to mention.
The Irish tokens are of a different character to those of England and
Wales, being generally small, issued at one penny, and the issuer
styling himself Marchant. The penny token of John Whittle, of Kilkenny,
1656, has the Arms of the Commonwealth on it; the only instance that I
know of: the King's Arms are plentiful enough.
[Illustration]
Besides the list of towns given by Lindsay in his "View of the Coinage
of Ireland, 1839," I can add from my collection, Ballinasloe,
Downpatrick, Loughrea, Mount-Mellick, Navan and Roscommon, besides many
varieties of the towns Mr. Lindsay has published.
The circulation of these tokens was forbidden under severe penalties in
1673, but in Ireland they were continued partially to near the close of
the 18th century, when another general issue of tokens throughout Great
Britain was allowed by Government, owing to the great scarcity of small
money. The tokens of this period are of an entirely different size and
character to those of the preceding century.
WM. BOYNE.
Leeds, Feb. 1852.
LITHOGRAPHY.--Some years ago, letters and papers of William Combe, the
well known author of "Dr. Syntax," came into my possession, and with
them a paper, of which the following is a copy:--
"_I have been told of one
Who being ask'd for bread,
In its stead
Returned a stone._
_But here we manage better.
The Stone we ask
To do its task,
And it returns us every letter._
_Wm. Combe, January 23, 1817._"
"_This is the first impression of Ackermann's Lithographic
press._"
Combe was so intimately connected with Ackermann's establishment, that
there can be no doubt of the fact that the paper I have, was truly the
very _first_ impression in Lithography in England. The poetic scrap was
no doubt Combe's own, and the facsimile shews that it was in Combe's
writing.
ROBT. COLE.
52, Upper Norton Street.
STERNE'S AUTOGRAPH.--As mentioned by A. C. K. in "Current Notes" for
January, p. 2, as _occurring on the title page_[2] of his "Tristram
Shandy," is not I believe often met with, but I doubt much its having
been written for the gratification of particular friends, to whom copies
of the work were presented.