Stock No. 2300	George I King's Private Road Pass
The King's Private Road Pass. Cast brass medal. Pierced slightly off-centre at bottom. Royal cypher for George I below royal crown. A line of beading just within the edge of the medal. Reverse: "FOR THE KINGS PRIVATE ROADS". Line of beading just within the edge of the medal.

Condition :-Very fine. Slightly flattened on high points.
Circa :- 1722	.	.
Size :- 33 mm
The King's Private Road was the route from St. James's Palace to Hampton Court. It dates back to the third decade of the seventeenth century. In the reign of Charles II, the route was shortened and followed the current line of the King's Road to Fulham, running through fields and market gardens. At this time there was at least one gate across the King's Road and this was shut after the seeds had been sown on the surrounding land and was not reopened until after the harvest. By 1711, there were six gates across the road. However, by then the road was in such poor condition as a result of the wagons of market gardeners taking their produce to London that it was closed and the gates were locked for the next three years. By 1719, the road was in use again but the locals had difficulty acquiring passage and petitioned the Commissioners of His Majesty's Treasury to recover "their immemorial custom, use and possession (for we were never denied a passage till late)". This led to an edict "to permit the tennants of the lands adjoining to the King's Road, through Chelsea, to have free passage through the same, with their carts and horses, in the manner which they have been accustomed to;..." The six gatekeepers also petitioned for payment for three years work on the road and on 22 February 1722/3 it was agreed that they would be paid œ5 per annum. The King's Road remained the King's Private Road until Christmas 1829 when it became a public road. The first passes (of which this is one) were probably introduced in 1722/3 in order to recoup the œ30 per annum paid to the six gatekeepers and possibly to pay for road repairs. The passes were probably issued to local landlords and tenants for a modest fee and others who used the road and did not have a pass would have to pay more. A more detailed description of these passes is available to anyone who buys this pass.

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