Rochdale, James Hardman, Seal, Image & Found by Nasher.
Found in North Hertfordshire, 30mm, 13.3g.
Typical two disk rivet type cloth seal. Circular border of joined pellets, JAMES curving downwards inside the top of the border and (R)OCHDALE curving upwards inside the bottom of the border, in script straight across the middle Hardman / of , the top of the d and the tail of the f flourished.
From South Liverpool: Allerton. - "The Palladian Allerton Hall is the earliest of the merchant mansions in Allerton. It was probably begun by Rochdale merchant John Hardman and his brother James, who bought the estate in 1736."
From British History Online. - "John Hardman died in 1755 soon after his election to Parliament, his brother James having predeceased him in 1746. The former had no children, but the latter left three sons and a daughter, all of whom died young, and the widow continued to reside at Allerton till her death, 12 February 1795."
From Education in Rochdale- "By the 1800’s Rochdale had a number of well established charitable schools. The Moss School was founded by the mother of John Hardman in 1769. John Hardman was a woollen merchant and he left £500 which he directed his mother to invest, the interest from it being used to teach 'to read English, write and cast accounts for such and so many children residing within the town and parish of Rochdale.'"
Mentioned in a late eighteenth century record held at the Lancashire Record Office headed "Abstract of title of the executors of John Pilling, deceased, to the following messuages and tenements at Hogshead in the township of Spotland in the parish of Rochdale," it refers to "James Hardman of Royton, fustian weaver".
