David Hartley was the son of William Hartley of Bell House, Erringden.
He worked as a metal-worker in the Birmingham area [1760-1765], where he probably encountered the practice of coining. It is said that he returned to Yorkshire in order to escape arrest.
He married Grace.
Children:
Known as King David, he was the leader of the 18th century gang of Cragg Vale coiners, along with his brothers Isaac and William.
On the evening of Saturday, 14th October 1769 – following information given by James Broadbent – he was arrested by William Deighton at the Old Cock Inn, Halifax.
Broadbent attempted to withdraw his statement and get Hartley released, but this failed and Hartley was subsequently sentenced at the York Spring Assizes.
3 local engravers were mentioned during the trial: Thomas Sunderland of Halifax, Joseph Shaw of Bradford, and a third man called Lightoulers.
On 6th April 1770, he was sentenced to death along with James Oldfield and William Varley.
Along with James Oldfield, he was hanged at the Tyburn, York, at 2:30 pm on Saturday, 28th April 1770 for
impairing, diminishing and lightening guineas
The records state that
They were detected at Halifax, and died penitent, acknowledging the justice of the sentence passed upon them
His wife asked that his body be brought back to Calderdale for burial.
Hartley was buried in the churchyard of the Parish Church of St Thomas à Becket, Heptonstall where – unusually for the 18th century – the burial details in the church register were recorded in Latin:
1770 May I. David Heartley de Bellhouse in Villa Erringdinensis suspensus in collo prope Eboracum ob nummos publicos illicite cudendos et accidentosDavid Hartley of Bell House in the town of Erringden was hanged near York for unlawfully stamping and clipping public coinage
After his death, his friends carved his name and date on a rock at Holder Stones, Stoodley
Page Ref: WW_24
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