Cloth Seal, Norwich Weavers' Company Seal

Cloth Seal, Initialled, Image & Found by John GM.
Found on Thames foreshore, 20mm, 3.2g.

BH / CCMD / MDPH / AC // (NO) / (R)WI / (CH)

One side has a continuous raised circular line border in which are the following letters set in four straight lines:- BH CCMD MDPH AC The other side is the rivet side and has lost most of its outer. WI can be made out from NORWICH.

This seal is a Norwich Weavers' Company seal with the initials representing the twelve wardens of that year who were responsible for supervising the standard of the cloth produced. No records survive for these initials in the Mayor's Court Book in the Norwich Archives.

See No.85 Fig.22, Egan, Lead Seals and Related Items in the British Museum, which was also found on the Thames foreshore near London Bridge (north). It is a match for seals 1438,1597,1650 and 4154 in Provenanced Leaden Cloth Seals by Geoffrey Egan, Sub-Department of Medieval Archaeology, University College, University of London. submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy, 1987.

Also see the 'Worsted Reformed' seals that were attached to the other end of these cloths.