Cloth Seal, Clothier's Seal, Tiverton, Martin Dunsford
Cloth Seal, Clothier's Seal, Tiverton, Martin Dunsford, Image & Found by Peter van Lierop.
Found in Oirschot, Holland, 26mm, 7.3g.
24 // (crown?) /scallop / WL, ...RTIN DUNS... around
A new Tiverton seal! 24 is the grade of the serge. The closest match is Jane Evans' Type 4.6.1. Crown over scallop - Fig.7. 65, p.407, Peter Maunder’s comprehensive history of the Tiverton cloth trade., "22 // MARTIN DUNSFORD TIVERTON Crown over scallop, WL to sides. The only example of this combination, the crown over the scallop is the usual stamp of Tho Enchmarch & Com who went bankrupt in 1761 so the stamp could then have become available for others to use. The WL with scallop alone is a stamp for the Lewis family. Martin Dunsford had no known connections with either of these firms. 1 seal found on a beach, presumed to be from 1775 shipwreck of the Anna Emerentia whose cargo included 40 bales consigned by Martin Dunsford."
From Peter Maunder, "As you say, it's a MARTIN DUNSFORD seal - I can read "TIN UNS". The Dunford's used the scallop and also the W L lettering (seal No. 65). Likewise, George Dunsford's (Martin's brother) seal No. 67 has the rare "24" which this seal also has. Seal No. 67 was of unknown provenance (found locally in Devon in the nineteenth century), so we were not sure the cloth was destined for the Dutch market - due to the unusual number 24 - but this new find in Holland confirms that it was indeed a Dutch seal."
The fullest collection of Tiverton cloth seals (about thirty) is on permanent display in Tiverton Museum.
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