London Coal and Wine Duty Boundary Post

Summary

A Coal and Wine Duty Marker dating to 1862. It is a white painted post formed of a cast iron square column with chamfered corners and a pyramidal top.

Reasons for Designation

This cast iron Coal and Wine Duty Boundary Post erected 1862, is listed at Grade II for the following principal reasons:

Architectural interest:
* as a distinctive marker, which retains its form and paintwork, cast by Henry Grissell of the Regents Canal Ironworks.

Historic interest:
* as a tangible reminder of the tax on coal imported into London as well as the position of the Metropolitan Police District boundary in 1862.

Group value:
* for its historical functional relationship with other listed London Coal and Wine Duty Boundary Posts.

History

This City of London Coal Duty Marker is one of a remaining ring of posts which surrounded London. They were used to demarcate the boundary where duty was to be paid as per the London Coal and Wine Duties Continuance Act 1861. They are often located on roads, but also railways and canals.

The Act has its origins in the 1667 First Rebuilding Act which raised a duty of one shilling per chaldron of coal to help fund the rebuilding of London after the Great Fire of 1666. This was collected via the Port of London as coal came by sea and the Thames to London from Newcastle. Further financial difficulties caused by Charles II's borrowing of money from the Corporation of London led to the passing of the Act for the Relief of Orphans and of the Creditors of the City of London in 1694. This authorised a duty of 4 shillings per tun on wine brought into the Port of London as well as further fees and duties on coal. These duties were used to pay for improvement works such as the construction of Holborn Viaduct and Blackfriars Bridge.

By the mid C19 coal began to be brought into London by road, canal and rail as well as by sea. To continue to collect duties posts were erected around London in an irregular circle indicating where these were due. In 1861 the London Coal and Wine Duties Continuance Act was passed, at which point the boundaries were brought in line with the boundaries of the Metropolitan Police District, and in 1862 the duties were transferred to the Metropolitan Board of Works. This change in area required the erection of new boundary markers. Those on roads and paths were cast by Henry Grissell of the Regents Canal Ironworks between approximately 1859 and 1864 and mostly bear the inscription '24 & 25 VICT/CAP 42'. Some of the posts have lost the initial '2' or 'T'. It has been suggested that these were removed to enable correcting plates to be fitted in 1866. The tax continued until 1891 when the Corporation of London relinquished its rights to collected tolls on wine and coal.

Details

A Coal and Wine Duty Marker dating to 1862 cast by Henry Grissell.

MATERIALS & DESCRIPTION: a white painted post formed of a cast iron square column with chamfered corners and a pyramidal top. Below the pyramidal top on the necking there is a shield divided into quarters by a red raised cross with a red dagger in the top left quarter, forming the City of London crest. The raised inscription on the column states ‘4 & 25 VICT CAP 42’ which refers to the 1861 London Coal and Wine Duties Continuance Act. On the rear of the post at ground level is the maker's mark which reads 'Regents Canal Iron Works London / Henry Grissell / 1862'.

Sources

Books and journals
Bawtree, M, The City of London coal duties and their boundary marks in The London Archaeologist, Vol. 1(2), (1969), 27-30

Websites
Coal Duty Posts, accessed 17 May 2019 from http://www.coaldutyposts.org.uk/types/type2.html

End of official list entry

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