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

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.

Table of Contents

Introduction to Cloth Seals: Aim

Sources

Introduction

Basic Identification of Cloth Seal Type

Component Parts of a Cloth Seal

The Use of Lead Cloth Seals

Alnage & Subsidy

Cloth Seal Matrices

Lead v Wax Seals

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

Dating of Cloth Seals

Ordering of Presentation

Images

List and Description of Seals: Seals of Known Locations

Seals of Known Monarch

Seals with Type of Cloth Named

Seals for Faulty Cloth

Seals of Guilds and Companies

Broad Arrow Seals

Alnage Seals

Searchers’ Seals

Clothworkers’ Personal Seals

Other Seals Conventionally Grouped with Cloth Seals

Continental Seals

Cloth Seal Identification Resources

Handling, Cleaning and Obtaining Images of Lead Seals

Bibliography

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

Appendix 2: Types of Cloth

Appendix 3: List of Known Alnagers and Their Agents

Appendix 4: Known 16th & 17th Century Clothworkers’ Privy Marks

Appendix 5: Distinctive Identification Features on Cloth Seals

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

Index

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.