S the quaint art of Heraldry has given to us many, if not a majority, of our most interesting signs, it is only reasonable that signs of this class should be treated first.
In all respects the most purely heraldic sign we have in Essex is the Fleur-de-Lys, which occurs at Widdington. As a sign, this was formerly much more common than at present. Eight of the Essex tokens are described as having borne it. Two of these were issued in Colchester, two in Billericay, and one each in Chelmsford, Coggeshall, Stock, and Witham, the issuer at the latter place being John Jackson, clothier, in 1669. There was formerly a house of this name at Waltham Abbey. In the parish register the burial of a landlord, on May 8, 1684, is recorded as follows:—“Edward Clarke, att ye flower de luis.” Mr. H. W. King, too, finds mention in ancient deeds of a “Flower de Luce” at Maldon in 1658, and again in 1690, but whether an inn, shop, or dwelling-house, there is, as usual, no evidence to show. As it is sometimes varied into the Three Fleurs de Lys, the most reasonable conclusion is that it is taken from the arms of France, as formerly quartered with those of England, but a fleur-de-lys was also used as a badge by Edward III. In former times, too, it was an emblem of the Virgin Mary. In London at the present day the sign occurs once only, namely, in Fleur-de-Lys Street, E. Below are depicted four of the many forms taken by this device on early shields of arms.
No less than 116 of our present public-houses (or 8·5 per cent.) are named after the arms of some family, place, city, country, or trade. Those obviously named after some place within the county will be first noticed. To commence with, however, we will mention the Royal Arms at Silvertown.[12] The same device appears on a token inscribed “Theophilus Harvey, in Manitree, 1669.” Next we have the Essex Arms.[13] There are now four examples, though forty years ago there were five. At Springfield, too, there is a beer-house of this name. Then we have a *Colchester Arms,[14] which is, of course, situated at Colchester. It is at least forty years old. The Colchester Arms also appear on the halfpenny token of Alexander Satterthwaite, of Colchester, dated 1668. The Borough Arms at Maldon are, of course, the arms of that town.[15] The Abbey Arms at Plaistow doubtless represent the arms of the neighbouring Abbey of Barking.[16] Sixty years ago there was a Harwich Arms[17] at *Harwich. Then we have the Hutton Arms at Hutton, the Chadwell Arms at Chadwell Heath, the Berechurch Arms at Lexden, the Romford Arms (beer-house) at Romford, the Colne Valley Arms at Birdbrook, and the Royal Essex Arms at Braintree, all of which coats the heralds would probably be unable to find entered at Heralds’ College. The last-named is an especially strange device. It is probably an impaled sign, due to a combination of the Royal Arms and the Essex Arms.
Many other of our “arms” are named after places outside the county. Probably in many cases a new landlord has named his house after the place he came from. Such are the Cambridge Arms, the Cuckfield Arms, the Dartmouth Arms, the Denmark Arms, the Dorset Arms, 2 Durham Arms, the Falmouth Arms, the Ipswich Arms, the Liverpool Arms, the Northumberland Arms, the Odessa Arms, the Lilliput Arms (in the Lilliput Road, Stratford), the Tower Hamlets Arms (at Forest Gate), and the Kent Arms at North Woolwich, a parish belonging to Kent, though situated on the north side of the river. Twenty years ago there was also a Sussex Arms in existence. The City Arms at Canning Town presumably represent the arms of the City of London.[18] The dagger in the City arms commemorates the slaying of Wat Tyler by Sir William Walworth, in 1381. The weapon used is still in the possession of the Fishmongers’ Company. The Sutherland Arms at Wakes Colne seems from the printed list to have been corrupted from the Sunderland Arms within the last twenty years. An example of both forms occurs in London at the present time. It is most probable that some of these signs have not taken their names direct from the counties or towns mentioned, but from the titles of noblemen who have become prominent for political or other reasons. This has been almost certainly the case with the Cambridge Arms, the Durham Arms, and the Liverpool Arms.
The following signs are, with equal clearness, derived from trades or employments pursued within the county. Many of them are, doubtless, derived directly from the arms of the London Trade Companies. Of the Blacksmiths’ Arms[19] we have examples situated respectively at Little Clacton and at North Weald. The Blacksmiths’ Arms also appear on the halfpenny tokens of “Will Todd, Blacksmith of Epping,” 1668, and of William Thompson of South Benfleet (no date). The Blacksmiths’ Arms, at Little Clacton, appears to have existed since 1786 at least, as it is referred to in an advertisement in the Chelmsford Chronicle for March 17th in that year. Not improbably the Hammer and Pincers crossed, which appeared on the halfpenny of Will Willis of Romford, in 1667, constituted a blacksmith’s sign. The Brewers’ Arms[20] occur as a sign at Woodham Ferris and *Colchester. The Three Tuns, of which we have examples at Newport, *Dunmow, and Waltham Abbey, all of them being at least forty years old, are certainly derived from the arms either of the Brewers’ Company or the Vintners’ Company.[21] Three Tuns are depicted on the token issued by William Harman, of Chelmsford, in 1657. The Three Tuns which formerly existed at *Chelmsford was long a well-known inn. The Rev. R. E. Bartlett finds it mentioned in the parish registers in 1619, when “a chrisome son of Robt. Ogden of Chelmsford, Vintner, at the 3 Tunnes, and of Susan his wife, was buried the XXX day of December, being Thursday.” Taylor also mentions it in his Catalogue of Tavernes, published in 1636. Sixty years ago there was a house of this name at *Braintree, and in 1789 that at Waltham Abbey was spelled Three Tons. The Bakers’ Arms[22] occur on the tokens some thirteen times, either as the Bakers’ Arms, a Hand and Scales, a Pair of Scales, or a Pair of Scales and a Wheatsheaf. The Bakers’ Arms now only appears as an inn-sign at Leyton, but there are beer-houses of this name at Buttsbury and Waltham Abbey. Our common modern sign of the Wheatsheaf is also probably derived from the arms of this Company. There are seven examples in the county, situated respectively at Wrabness, *Chelmsford, Tolleshunt D’Arcy, Braintree, Stow Maries, High Ongar, and Ardleigh. There are also beer-houses of this name at Loughton, Theydon Bois, Waltham Abbey, Hatfield Peverell, Kelvedon, Rettendon, Writtle, Hornchurch, &c. A house at Castle Hedingham, known as the Wheatsheaf, though now a beer-shop merely, appears once to have been a very good private residence. The Wheatsheaf at *Chelmsford seems to have been in existence since 1786 at least, as it is mentioned in the Chelmsford Chronicle on January 13th in that year. Likewise the still-extant sign of the Maid’s Head (to be noticed hereafter) is probably derived from the arms of the Mercers’ Company,[23] which appear on the undated farthings of “Thomas Bvrges, Est Street, Covlchester,” and “Clement Pask of Castell Heninhame.” The Masons’ Arms[24] occur at *Moulsham. The Gardeners’ Arms[25] appear at Wakes Colne and Loughton (beer-house). The Wheelers’ Arms[26] (? Wheelwrights’ Arms) appear at
