A Victorian unofficial farthing issued by Lawson & Waby of Grimsby 1880s.

This unofficial farthing has the highest rarity rating, RRR, in the book of Unofficial Farthings 1820-1891 by Withers.

‘Lawson & Waby’ were advertising for staff in the early 1880s. They ran shops located at 101 Cleethorpe Road and 1 Riby Street. The 1890 street directory shows ‘Lawson & Waby’, drapers and clothiers, at 101 Cleethorpe Road and also ‘Waby & Company’, drapers, at 101 Cleethorpe Road and 1 Riby Street which were essentially the same address, the Riby Square corner. It looks like the partners went out on their own soon after 1890. George Lawson died in 1907.

By 1897, another Lawson alliance appeared in Grimsby when Charles Lawson and Arthur Stockdale set up as ‘Lawson & Stockdale’, initially as woollen merchants then tailors and outfitters, in Victoria Street, Grimsby. The ‘Lawson & Stockdale’ department store was very well known in Grimsby until 1983 when the store closed. The position in Victoria Street is now occupied by Marks & Spencer.

Note: George Lawson of ‘Lawson & Waby’ was born in c1829 in Sutton in Ashfield. Nottinghamshire. His father was a publican, born in Sutton on Trent in 1976. Charles Lawson was born in Aylesby, Lincolnshire in c1868. His father, George, was a joiner, born in Hessle, Yorkshire in c1826. There doesn’t appear to be any family link between the two Lawson families even though they shared similar professions.

Note: Many people are still familiar with the name ‘Waby’ because of the ‘ghost sign’ on the building next to Weatherspoons, Cleethorpes.