Cloth Seal, Clothier's Seal, Wakefield, Josh & Rich Burrell, Image & Found by Paul Hutchinson.
Found in Durham, 37mm.
1926 / line / 21 3/4 (all scratched) // radially symetrical design, JOSH & RICHD BURRELL around in annulus of pellets
A two disc Wakefield clothiers seal with order number and cloth dimensions (21 3/4 yards) scratched on the rivet disc.
A worn parallel was found in the same field with a scratched radial design on the rivet disc and the connecting strip torn off.
From Paul Cannon, "Amongst various thefts recorded in the following article is the following “also charged with stealing from off the tenters of Joseph Burrell and Richard Burrell of Wakefield, one piece of scarlet woollen cloth.” [Leeds Intelligencer 26 Sept 1786, p3]
Richard Burrell, Westgate, Wakefield, Cloth merchant [Baines Directory & Gazetteer of Wakefield 1822]
According to the Ancestry Website, Joseph Burrell the elder and Richard Burrell, both of Wakefield were brothers: Joseph Burrell (1743-1812) & Richard Burrell (c1751-1835). There was a further Richard Burrell who died in 1847 aged 63. He is described as ‘formerly a cloth merchant’. He would have only been aged 2 when the scarlet cloth was stolen. I would suggest that the seal probably relates to the period of the two brothers Joseph and Richard and probably before 1812."
