The Trade Signs of Essex: A popular account of the origin and meanings of the public houses & other signs — John Stuart Mill — John Shaqi
The Trade Signs of Essex: A popular account of the origin and meanings of the public houses & other signs
John Stuart Mill · en
In addition to the foregoing signs connected with trades and
occupations, we have the following, though none of the employments named
ever bore coats of arms. Most of them are modern vulgarisms, and need no
further attention. There are CRICKETERS’ ARMS at Manningtree, Danbury,
and Rickling; MALTSTERS’ ARMS at Willingale Doe, Lambourne (beer-house),
and Colchester; FREEMASONS’ ARMS at Brightlingsea and Braintree
(beer-house); a DROVERS’ ARMS at Rayleigh; an ENGINEERS’ ARMS at
Stratford; THATCHERS’ ARMS at Mount Bures and Rettendon (beer-shop),
Tolleshunt D’Arcy, and Great Warley; a VOLUNTEERS’ ARMS at Maldon; a
YACHTSMAN’S ARMS at Brightlingsea; a SLATERS’ ARMS at Chadwell Heath; a
MOULDERS’ ARMS (beer-shop) at Great Wakering; a WOODCUTTERS’ ARMS
(beer-shop) at Eastwood; a FOUNDRY ARMS (beer-shop) at Hornchurch (of
course named after Messrs. Wedlake’s foundry there); LABOURERS’ ARMS at
Great Baddow and Woodham Ferris (beer-shops); and an ODD FELLOWS’ ARMS
at Springfield (beer-house). Mr. H. W. King finds mention in ancient
deeds of a house at Leigh, in 1682, with the sign of the HAMBRO’
MERCHANTS’ ARMS, but whether an inn, shop, or private residence does
not appear, nor is there any subsequent mention of it. The owner, George
King, is described as a mercer on some of his tokens, still extant, and
also on his tombstone, now destroyed. Most probably, therefore, it was a
shop-sign. It stood on the site of the present KING’S HEAD. At High
Ongar a beer-shop displays the sign of the FORESTERS’ ARMS. Sixty years
ago there was a NELSON’S ARMS at *Colchester. At the same time, the
WEAVERS’ ARMS[48] formed a very suitable sign at *Colchester, and there
were a *JOINERS’ ARMS, a *TAILORS’ ARMS, and a *SAWYERS’ ARMS at the
same place. Of the latter, there is still an example (beer-house) at
Magdalen Laver. In times past, probably, many other trades have had
their “Arms,” though only sign-board ones.