243 



" was more for reputation than use, as for want of workmen and 

 instruments they could not coin a thousand pounds a week. " ^ 



The Shrewsbury mint was discontinued before the close of 

 the year, and was soon afterwards transferred to Oxford, the 

 king and his court having then removed to that city. In the 

 months of January and February 164|, all the colleges of the 

 university, at the request of the king, delivered their plate to 

 Sir William Parkhurst and William Bushell Esquire, oflScers 

 of the mint at Oxford, to be there converted into money. ^ 



At the same time that the king was thus enabled to set up 

 a mint at Oxford, a similar establishment commenced its opera- 

 tions at York. " About the latter end of January, 164|, the 

 king's mint began to coin in Sir Henry Jenkins's house ^ in the 

 Minster Yard." This is the earliest, and indeed the only his- 

 torical notice I have discovered, of the existence of a mint at 

 York in this reign.* It is contained in a small chronological 

 work* published anonymously in the year 1664, the author of 

 which is known to have been Christopher Hildyard Esquire, 

 Recorder of Hedon and Steward of St. Mary's Court at York. 

 Mr. Hildyard was a resident in the city, and had arrived at 



» History of the Rebellion, Vol. II. p. 66. 



» Extracts from College Registers. Folkes, p. 87. Bushell was master of the 

 Aberystwith mint. 



' The same house in ■which King Charles had his printing press. It forms part 

 of the buildings originally belonging to St. "William's College in the street now 

 called College-street, near the East end of the Minster. 



* Mr. Drake mentions coins of Charles I. " minted at York," but he gives us no 

 information on the subject of the mint. Eboracum, Appx. p. cviii. 



* This is the title of the book, a copy of which, with MS, annotations, is in 

 the British Museum : "A List or Catalogue of all the Mayors and Bailiffs, 

 Lord Mayors and Sheriff of the most ancient honourable noble and loyal City 

 of York, from the time of King Edward the First imtil this present year, 1664, 

 being the 16th year of the most happy reign of our most gracious sovereign lord 

 King Charles the Second : together with many and sundry remarkable passages 

 which happened in these several years. Published by a true Lover of Antiquity 

 and a well-wisher to the prosperity of the City, together with his hearty desire of 

 the restoration of its former glory splendour and magnificence. York, printed by 

 Stephen Bulkley, 1664." Harl. MS., No. 6115. The littie work published at 

 York in 1711 under the title of " The Antiquities of York City, &c. by James Torr, 

 Gent." is chiefly a reprint of HUdyard's earlier compilation. 



