New York Civic Procession, 1788

 
Joseph McMillan
 
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Joseph McMillan
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02 September 2006 20:30
 

Hi, all. A couple of weeks ago, while surfing, I came across an online copy of a history of New York City called The American Metropolis, from Knickerbocker Days to the Present Time, by Frank Moss, published in 1897. On pages 256 and following, Moss reprints an account written by Richard Platt, chairman of the committee for the procession, describing the "Federal Procession in Honor of the Constitution of the United States," held on 23 July 1788 in honor of the attainment of enough state ratifications for the Constitution to go into effect.

What is interesting heraldically is that most of the elements of the parade consisted were from the various trade organizations of the city, many of which carried flags or banners displaying the societies’ arms. Unfortunately, most of the descriptions are not specific enough to reconstruct the arms, although some of them are. But what I don’t think past heraldists have remarked is the very fact that these societies had arms at all. Before finding this, the only such arms I knew of were those of the Carpenter’s Company of Philadelphia, "Azure a carpenter’s square chevronwise between three pairs of dividers Or; crest a demi sun proper."

 

Anyway, here’s the heraldic content from Platt’s description of the procession of the trade societies of New York:

 

Brewers: barley sheaves and porter casks, encircled with hop vines; crest, an eagle with extended wings, holding a thermometer in his beak.

 

Coopers: [arms mentioned but not described.]

 

Butchers: three bullock’s heads, two axes crosswise, a boar’s head, and two garbs, supported by an ox and a lamb.

 

Tanners and Curriers: Azure a flesher and a currying knife; for crest, a bull’s head, horned; for supporters, on the dexter side, a tanner in his frock and trousers, holding in his dexter hand a tanner’s skimmer, proper; on the sinister, a currier in his working dress, apron turned up, holding in his sinister hand a currying-knife, proper, a sun rising from beneath the Union [i.e., US] flag.

 

Skinners, Breeches Makers and Glovers: A pair of breeches and three gloves, supported by two rampant bucks; crest, a buck’s head; a green field, with a ewe and two lambs, one lying down, the other standing.

 

Cordwainers: [mentioned but not described]

 

Peruke-Makers and Hairdressers (The Amicable Society of Peruke-Makers): A wig in quarters, and three razors on the top of the arms.

 

Whitesmiths: Vulcan’s arm and hand hammer.

 

Cutlers: [mentioned, not described]

 

Stone Masons: [mentioned, not described]

 

Bricklayers (Amicable Society of Bricklayers): [mentioned, not described]

 

Painters and Glaziers: Or three shields Gules, the first charged with a hammer proper, the second with a diamond, the third with a lederkin, in chief a rule, in fess point a paint-pot and brush; Crest, a glass cap; Supporters, dexter, a man holding a pillar and pencil; sinister, a man holding a sash frame.

 

Cabinet Makers: [mentioned, not described]

 

Windsor and Rush Chair Makers: A turning lathe and two Windsor chairs proper.

 

Drum Makers: A lamb, in chief a sheaf of flax between two drums; Supporters, dexter, an oak tree; sinister, a drum maker.

 

Blacksmiths and Nailors: Three hammers crowned, over which was seen an eagle.

 

Ship Joiners: in the field various instruments of the craft displayed, crested with a ship, and ornamented.

 

Printers, Bookbinders and Stationers: [mentioned, not described]

 

Cartmen: [mentioned, not described]

 

Carvers and Engravers: Per pale, dexter Argent a chevron Or between in chief two gravers and in base a copper-plate on a sand bag all proper (for Engravers); sinister Argent a mallet and gouge proper (for Carvers).

 

Coach and Coach-Harness Makers: Azure, three open coaches; Crest, an eagle soaring from a globe; Supporters, dexter Liberty holding in her sinister hand a cap of Liberty; sinister Peace holding in her right hand a cornucopia of plenty; above the crest, Fame, blowing her trumpet over their heads.

 

Pewterers (Society of Pewterers) Shield not described. Supporters, two miners holding burning lamps in their hands. Motto: Solid and pure

 

Gold and Silver Smiths: Quarterly, 1 and 4 Or two eagles heads cross’d azure; 2 and 3, two cups inverted between two gold buckles; Crest, Justice seated, holding in one hand a balance and in the other the touchstone; Supporters, two savages, resting on a globe.

 

Tobacconists: [mentioned, not described]

 

Dyers: Three madder bags.

 

Brushmakers: [mentioned, not described]

 

Tallow Chandlers: [mentioned, not described]

 

Philological Society : Argent, three tongues gules, in chief, ... Chevron, or, ... an eye ...over a pyramid, or rude monument, sculptured with Gothic, Hebrew, and Greek letters. The Gothic on the light side…the Hebrew and Greek upon the reverse, or shade of the monument….. The crest, a cluster of cohering magnets, attracted by a key in the center ...The shield, ornamented with a branch of oak… and a sprig of flax…; supported on the dexter side by Cadmus, in a robe of Tyrian purple, bearing in his right hand leaves of the rush, or flag papyrus, marked with Phoenician characters ... On the sinister side, by Hermes, or Taaus, the inventor of letters, and god of eloquence, grasping his caduceus or wand. Motto: "Concedat Laurea Litgue," expressive of the superiority of civil over military honors.

 
Edward Wenzl
 
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Edward Wenzl
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03 September 2006 01:20
 

A vertiable parade of craftsmen indeed!  I was particularly taken by the brewer’s insignia.  As I was browsing through the Library one day, I came across an old Anheuser-Bush insignia and it looked very much as described for the New York brewers.  I was curious about the Eagle.  I don’t know what brewers have to do with eagles, but there must be one. (Drink enough beer and you soar like an eagle?  Sounds like my college Days!)

Eberhard Anheuser, who arrived in the US in 1842, came from a long line of vitners. The Anheusers have been making wine in the Nahe region of Germany since 1627.  Interestingly enough the Anheuser CoA does not have an eagle.

 
Joseph McMillan
 
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Joseph McMillan
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06 September 2006 20:36
 

I just found this photograph of the flag carried by the Society of Pewterers in the 1788 procession, in the "eMuseum" of the NY Historical Society.  This is one that was not described in the verbal description I posted before, except for the supporters and motto.  Looks like it would be "Azure a coil of pewter (solder?) on a chevron enhanced Argent three lozenges Gules."  The crest is "on a wreath of the colors a pewter coffee pot proper." Quite nice, I think.

http://emuseum.nyhistory.org/media/full/1903_12.jpg

 
Nicolas Vernot
 
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Nicolas Vernot
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11 September 2006 15:50
 

I think this is very interesting material, and it would be worth completing the missing elements.

I think it would be interesting to publish the whole list in a true on-line article, with the shields (white when unknown, with black and white charges when colours are unknown, and in full colours when possible), hoping thus that readers could help with missing elements.

It is so rare to find on the Internet information about traditional US heraldry, especially during the 18th century !

Nicolas

 
Donnchadh
 
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Donnchadh
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11 September 2006 16:13
 

Sounds nice. It would be great to see something out there on it. GOod idea Nicolas.

 
Joseph McMillan
 
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Joseph McMillan
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11 September 2006 16:15
 

I agree completely.  I found out last night that there was another similar procession in New York in 1825 to celebrate the completion of the Erie Canal (between the Hudson River and Lake Erie), and the official account of that gives more information on some of the societies’ arms.  In addition, a number of other American cities had processions in 1788 similar to that in New York, the largest being on 4 July in Philadelphia.  Apparently Francis Hopkinson, who was the master of ceremonies for the Philadelphia event and who had been intimately involved in the design of the US flag in 1777, left a detailed account of the symbols, etc., carried by the trade guilds/companies in Philadelphia, so I plan to look into that as well.

I also have found that a number of the New York societies used arms that were lifted almost "verbatim", so to speak, from those of the London livery companies of the same occupations.  (Although, to avoid the blame Americans for bad heraldry reflex, it should be pointed out that the Glasgow Journeymen Bakers also seem to have usurped the arms of the London company to a considerable extent.)  Some of them are adaptations, however, and others (including the pewterers arms shown above) bear almost no resemblance to the arms of their London counterparts.

 

Lots more work and digging…I agree this seems to be an almost untouched field of inquiry.

 
Jeremy K. Hammond
 
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Jeremy K. Hammond
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12 September 2006 11:27
 

Nicolas Vernot wrote:

I think this is very interesting material, and it would be worth completing the missing elements.

I think it would be interesting to publish the whole list in a true on-line article, with the shields (white when unknown, with black and white charges when colours are unknown, and in full colours when possible), hoping thus that readers could help with missing elements.

It is so rare to find on the Internet information about traditional US heraldry, especially during the 18th century !

Nicolas


That’s a great idea!  I know that Joe is busy with many other articles.  Nicolas, do you want to take a stab at starting the article?  I know any help we get is greatly appreciated.

 
Joseph McMillan
 
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Joseph McMillan
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12 September 2006 11:56
 

If folks don’t mind, I would rather do this myself.  It’s not a matter of such earth-shaking urgency that it can’t all be done in the fullness of time.

 
Nicolas Vernot
 
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Nicolas Vernot
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12 September 2006 15:28
 

While I am slowly recovering from a terribly busy summer, I agree that Joe should be the one who makes the article. He is the one who found the nugget, after all !

I am not competent to discuss on American heraldry, even if I have been studying craftsmen heraldry in France.

I will add that I am really looking forward to knowing more about this craftsmen heraldry. It is very interesting from a historical point of view, and it would be very useful to help people willing to allude to a specific craft in their coat of arms.

Nicolas

 
Donnchadh
 
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Donnchadh
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12 September 2006 15:43
 

So this was common in France as well? I wonder how common this was? I believe Neubecker touches on this a bit, but I wonder how widespread this was.

 
Jeremy K. Hammond
 
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Jeremy K. Hammond
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12 September 2006 15:53
 

Joseph McMillan wrote:

If folks don’t mind, I would rather do this myself. It’s not a matter of such earth-shaking urgency that it can’t all be done in the fullness of time.


It’s your call Joe.  I just don’t want you to get spread to thin or feel that you have to do it alone.  Plus I’m sure it would be nice to have others contribute to the cause.

 
Nicolas Vernot
 
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Nicolas Vernot
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13 September 2006 09:52
 

To answer Donnchadh’s message :

In every french city, craftmens guilds had their own banner and coat of arms. They differed from one city to another, but usually shared the same charges : saint patron, tools, or both ! Sometimes, the product made was shown (for example a shoe for shoemakers), but it is not so common.

I can give some more precise information about some specific crafts.

 

Nicolas