posted 01-21-2009 08:48 PM            

In 1735 Ivory Lucas, SILVERSMITH of New London Ct., with his servant (Apprentice) Nicholas Ghanter, made 1,000 Pistoles in brass. These were sold to John Gardner, who was going to pass them off overseas. Ghanter kept one and gave it to Mary Tilden for safekeeping, she turned it over to the Justice of the Peace, John Richards. Lucas was arrested and found guilty and served 6 months and was fined £13/11/2.

Joseph Holmes passed off a counterfeit Spanish Milled Dollar to Thomas Danforth, PEWTERER, and others. Holmes was found guilty and was sentenced to have his right ear cut off, 25 lashes and pay costs of £14/9/9.

Abel Buel, SILVERSMITH, who had been apprenticed to Ebenezer Chittenden, GOLDSMITH, was arrested in 1763 and confessed that he had altered 4 Connecticut 2/6 bills to 30 shillings each. He had only passed one bill and that was to Zephaniah Clark and was caught. Abel was sentenced to have his ear cut off and be branded on the forehead and serve time in Gaol. Because of his young age, they only cropped a small part of his ear and branded him high up on the forehead so that his hair could cover up the brand and he stayed in Gaol from 4/6/1764 till 7/21/1764.

Caleb Turner passed a counterfeit Spanish coin to Caleb Bull (SILVERSMITH?) on 8/29/1765.

In 1683, Charles Pickering, GOLDSMITH, gave his servant Robert Felton (Fenton), DIE SINKER, 24 Lbs of Barred Silver to make coins for him. Pickering and Samuel Buckley, WATCHMAKER, helped Felton coin the bits and put extra copper in them. Pickering, Felton and Buckley were arrested for counterfeiting. Pickering Pled Guilty and was fined £40, towards building a new courthouse in Philadelphia. Buckley pled guilty and was fined £10, towards building a new courthouse. Felton pled guilty but since he was almost insolvent, he was sentenced to sit in the stocks for an hour. Felton later moved from Pennsylvania to Connecticut and was arrested on 1/13/1699 for making counterfeit Spanish and New England money. Felton confessed but his punishment is unknown.

On 10/17-19/1720, Edward Hunt, WHITESMITH, of Philadelphia and his wife Martha, were indicted for counterfeiting Spanish coins. Edward was found guilty of making the coins and Martha was found guilty of passing the coins. Edward was sentenced to death and hung, Martha was fined £500 and sentenced to life in prison.

Andrew Clark, SILVERSMITH, of Edinburgh, now living in Fredericksburg, Virginia, deserted from the Army in 1744. He had in his possession when he took off, several pieces of hammered copper and a phial of Quicksilver. He counterfeited Pistareens and a reward of 6 Guineas was posted in the Pennsylvania Gazette of 11/29/1744, to anyone that delivers him to the Gaoler in Philadelphia.

This topic continues in part II

posted 01-22-2009 12:58 PM            

For those interested in further pursuing the topic, recommended reading is: Counterfeiting in Colonial America by Kenneth Scott. Oxford University Press, New York, 1957. Many inexpensive copies are available through this link.

posted 02-04-2009 11:51 AM            

Connecticut Archives: Crimes And Misdemeanors, Second Series 1671-1820:

"Carter, John: petition with endorsement by friends showing that he was a silversmith & gave employment to Jonathan Jenks, a transient person, who absconded after 9 days’ work, carrying with him silver belonging to petitioner, & that after petitioner had pursued him to Waterbury said Jenks & 2 of his accomplices had petitioner arraigned on a false accusation of counterfeiting & although he was acquitted he was obliged to give his note to cover costs of £23 & praying for relief.
Resolve discharging petitioner from aforesaid note, Oct. 1791

I do not find Carter listed in any of the standard references; I think he is the son of William and Ann (Yale) Carter, born 13 March 1743 in Wallingford.

posted 02-04-2009 05:06 PM            

Warrant: 17 February 1772; Abel Meriman, Nathaniel Dwight, Soloman Boltwood, David Whipple, Benjamin Atwell (counterfeiting)

Atwell, Benjamin, otherwise known as Job Fox, prisoner at Windham county jail for counterfeiting, escape mentioned, 1774

posted 02-04-2009 06:51 PM            

In the fall of 1772, their was a search for a William Underwood for suspected counterfeiting. After 10 days of searching for him in vain, he went to Hartford and turned King's evidence against others in the Windham County Gang. Because of this evidence the gang was broken up. The members were David Denison,Rozel and Isaac Morgan, Job Fox, Tille Parkhurst,Benjamin Fuller and Nathan Dean,all of Plainfield; Noah and Simon Spaulding both of Scotland; Ebenezer and Job Talbot, both of Voluntown;James Flint Jr of Windham; Benjamin Hanks Jr of Mansfield.

Towards the end of October in 1772, Benjamin Cary a grand juror complained to Justice Elisha Paine that David Denison, Rozel Morgan, Isaac Morgan, Simon Spaulding and Job Fox had made dollars and Half Joe's.
On October 30th, 1772, Job Fox was arrested for counterfeiting dollars and half joe's and bound over to the Superior Court and his bond was set at £300 and was remanded to jail. Fox escaped and their was a 30 dollar reward for the capture of Job Fox alias Benjamin Allwell. He was described as about 23 years of age, well set fellow, about 5'8" or 5'9".

He was recaptured on May 11, 1773 by Ebenezer Gallup of Stonington. Before Gallup could return Fox to Gaol, some friends or associates, namely, Roger and David Fanning, Amos Stanton and John Cheesborough and freed Fox from Gallup and Fox escaped.

Nothing further about this case is known.

posted 02-04-2009 08:16 PM            

• David Denison
  
• Rozel (Roswell) and Isaac Morgan (brothers)
  
• Tille Parkhurst
  
• Ebenezer and Job Talbot (brothers)
  
• David Denison
  
• Roger and David Fanning (cousins)
  
• Amos Stanton
  
• John Cheesborough (David Fanning's brother-in-law)

posted 02-04-2009 11:01 PM            

Rozel Morgan was arrested in late October 1772 and was bound over in £250 to the March 1773, term of the Superior Court to be held in Windham. Bail was furnished by Rozel.He couldn't be tried in March of 1773 so he was bound over to the September term and his bond was reduced to £150 so he wouldn't have to stay in Gaol. The case was either dropped or he never showed up and the bond would have been forfeited.

Isaac Morgan was on December 4th,1772 and brought before Justice Isaac Coit of Plainfield. He was bound over to the next Superior Court held in Windham. He was released on a £200 bond furnished by himself and Samuel Wheeler of Plainfield.

Tille Parkhurst was complained on by Eli Chapman to Justice Coit,on December 28th, 1772.Eli stated that Tille had been counterfeiting dollars and half joe's, together with Nathan Dean. Tille was arrested and brought before Justice Coit. On March 11th, 1773, Tille was bound over in the amount of £150 to the next term of the Superior Court held in Windham. He was released on bail provided by himself, Abraham Shepard and Joseph Shepard. Apparently the case was continued to the January 1st, 1774 term because the King's attorney Elisha Paine, closed the case by refusing to prosecute further.

Ebenezer Talbot was complained on by Moses Barnet on February 15th 1773 for making and passing counterfeit dollars and half joe's. It is unrecorded what happened to him.

Job Talbot was also complained on by Moses Barnet on February 15th 1773 for making and passing counterfeit dollars and half joe's.
Job was arrested and bound over to the March 1773 Superior Court Term on a £50 bond. The Kings attorney refused to prosecute the case for lack of evidence.

Roger Fanning,David Fanning and Amos Cheesborough-Nothing is mentioned about them for helping Job Fox escape.

posted 02-04-2009 11:28 PM            

In October 1751, Lucy Leffingwell was passing notes for Willet Larabe, who was an associate of the famous counterfeiter Joseph Bill alias John Bill. Joseph Bill was her brother-in-law. She was to receive half of the good money she received by passing these notes. She passed one to the wife of Amos Cheesborough in Stonington and one to Captain John Dennison also of Stonington. She turned King's evidence on Larabe and was not prosecuted.