Cloth Seals: An Illustrated Guide to the Identification of Lead Seals Attached to Cloth

by Stuart F Elton

Overview

We are very lucky to have small, contemporary records of history scattered throughout our soil in the form of lead seals. With a couple of notable exceptions, they have largely been ignored by archaeologists and historians, but the recent explosion in the numbers found and recorded has helped to bring their importance and potential to the attention of those interested in our heritage. This book is intended to be a repository of the salient information currently available on the identification of cloth seals, and a source of new material that extends our understanding of these important indicators of post medieval and early modern industry and trade. It is, primarily, a guide to help with the identification of cloth seals, both those found within and those originating from the United Kingdom. Most of the extra examples, referenced beneath the images, can be quickly located and viewed through access to the internet.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781784915483
Publisher:	Archaeopress Publishing
Publication date:	03/31/2017
Pages:	414
Product dimensions:	6.89(w) x 9.65(h) x (d)

About the Author

After thirty years as a Government scientist, early retirement allowed Stuart F. Elton to indulge in his hobby of metal detecting. This soon evolved into a passion for recording and researching the lead seals he and his fellow detectorists discovered. After setting up his own web site, which now contains thousands of such seals, he progressed to helping local museums and then the Museum of London with the re-cataloguing of their cloth seals. Over ten years of this experience and world-wide correspondence with other enthusiasts and experts has led to the production of this book.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgement iii

Introduction to Cloth Seals 1

Aim 3

Abbreviations 3

Terminology 3

Measurements 4

Sources 4

Introduction 4

Basic Identification of Cloth Seal Type 8

Component Parts of a Cloth Seal 15

The Use of Lead Cloth Seals 20

Alnage & Subsidy 22

Cloth Seal Matrices 27

Lead v Wax Seals 29

The Type of Seals Attached to a Cloth (and Woven Marks) 31

Dating of Cloth Seals 33

Ordering of Presentation 36

Images 37

List and Description of Seals 39

Seals of Known Locations 41

Seals of Known Monarch 152

Seals with Type of Cloth Named 179

Seals for Faulty Cloth 189

Seals of Guilds and Companies 193

Broad Arrow Seals 212

Alnage Seals 216

Searchers' Seals 236

Clothworkers' Personal Seals 248

Other Seals Conventionally Grouped with Cloth Seals 274

Continental Seals 278

Cloth Seal identification Resources 325

Handling, Cleaning and Obtaining images of Lead Seals 326

Bibliography 329

Appendices 335

Appendix 1 Time-line of Events & Legislation in the Textile Industry with Emphasis on the Use of Cloth Seals & the Information They Displayed 337

Appendix 2 Types of Cloth 347

Appendix 3 List of Known Alnagers and Their Agents 356

Appendix 4 Known 16th & 17th Century Clothworkers' Privy Marks 375

Appendix 5 Distinctive Identification Features on Cloth Seals 383

Appendix 6 Tubular Cloth Seals Employed by the Dutch Immigrant Cloth Makers in 16^th and 17^the Century England 386

Index 399

Editorial Reviews

"There are numerous photographs of examples, many of which depict both faces of the subject. This will be a great resource for collectors and metal detectorists."

Medieval Clothing & Textiles, Vol. 15 - Bob Charrette