Ticket, toll ticket

This clearing ticket or receipt was issued for cash paid at the Stratford toll-gate for access to a number of roads in east London operated by Middlesex and Essex Turnpike Roads. The numbered ticket, dated 13 November 1865, notes that the toll paid also authorised the holder to clear a number of other gates and roads in east London from Mile End Gate to Romford and Putwell Bridge.

Toll and turnpike fees were first introduced when the large-scale building and repair of roads began in the early 19th century. Acts of Parliament permitted private firms to maintain specific roads and impose charges for access. The system flourished until the 1860s when unpopularity together with the trend to centralise control over roads made it no longer tenable.