Company Treasures

Printed in colour on paper, with the Shipwrights’ Arms with fancifal embellishments,  and the following differences from the original grant:

Shield – colours of cross of St. George reversed,  a crown on lion,  the ship an 18^th century warship with four flags flying, facing bow to the right.

Crest – a lion or holding a banner of the arms of the East India Company.

Supporters – eagles holding in their beaks strings of shipwright’ tools.

Motto – Without Parade We Flourish.

Below the Shipwrights’ Arms is another, smaller, shield, apparently silver (white) with a blue chevron on which are five draughtsmen’s compasses,  above an Arkand an 18^th century warship, below a thirty two point navigational compass.  The origin of these arms, if they are real, has not yet been determined.

Beneath the arms are three pictures (only i. included):

(i)            the Shipwrights’ Almshouses, with the title

 PROTECT AND HONOUR OLD AGE

 (ii)           the death of a shipwright in a shipyard, with the title

 IN THE MIDST OF LIFE WE ARE IN DEATH

 and  (iii) a shipbuilder presenting a bag of £20 to a bereaved family,  with the title:

ASSIST THE WIDOW AND FATHERLESS 

 Below the pictures are the words:

 To the

RESPECTABLE the PRINCIPAL SHIPBUILDERS

upon the River Thames,  and the

SHIPWRIGHTS throughout ENGLAND,

This Plate is most humbly Inscribed by their Humble Servant Wm. Gregory.

London, Published as the Act Directs 26. Apri  (tear)  Wm. Gregory, No.68, Ropemakers Fields, Liimehouse.

Unfortunately the tear in the sheet occurs exactly at the date, which has not been determined but appears to be about 1780 to 1800.

 Purchased 1923.

(428/1923)

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