Cloth Seal, Clothier's Seal, Exeter, John Creswell

Cloth Seal, Clothier's Seal, Exeter, John Creswell, Image by José de Sousa.
Found in Portugal, in Alentejo, near the city of Évora; 34 x 26mm and 15.8g.

EXON (laurel leaves above and below) / DIOGO CRESWELL & Co. around // blank

The oval crack on the stamped side of this seal marks the rivet stub mark of a two-disc seal.

From Michael Patrick, "In 1809, James Creswell having served seven years apprenticeship with his brother, John Bowden Creswell, was admitted Freeman of the Incorporation of Weavers, Tuckers and Shearmen, Exeter, as a Fuller. The subsequent Spring, he was married to Anne, only daughter of John Bawden, Esq., of Southmolton. Since Anne was sister to John Bowden’s former apprentice Humphry Bawden, this further strengthened family links in the Creswells’ business empire. James Creswell’s rise to power and influence was even more meteoric than that of his older brother. On 30 Aug 1810, Mr James Creswell was elected Warden of Tuckers Hall. At the Hall meeting of Aug 27 1812, he was elected Master of Tuckers Hall & sworn accordingly. James was to be elected for two further terms of office as Master in 1825 and 1835, being one of the very few members of the Incorporation to serve three terms. The fore-name “Diego,” used on the seal, is the Portuguese equivalent of “James”, which suggests that this particular design of cloth seal was produced preferentially for the Portuguese market."

See BSG.CS.01673 for another example of a Creswell family cloth seal but the lack of any rivet stub on the reverse of this single disc remnant indicates it is very likely to be from a four-disc seal, with the rivet and rove disc missing.