Cloth Seal, Clothier's Seal, Tiverton, George Davey, Diamond
Cloth Seal, Clothier's Seal, Tiverton, George Davey, Diamond, Image & Held by Michel Royer.
From Amsterdam, 20mm.
22 // edge missing, rivet stub shows star diamond with G? D above (H & R)? below
From Michel Royer, "here's a new lead that our friends at Tiverton's Leads might be interested in (I think it's from Tiverton). Obverse: in a corded circle, inscription "G. D / diamond star (in gold indicated) star / Probable H. R or B (the bottom of the two letters not printed due to the presence of the rivet) .
Reverse: in a circle number "22".
Origin: Amsterdam.
Not in our friend Peter's book. GD -GEORGE DUNSFORD ? ...
Star diamond (in gold indicated) star / Probable H. R or B (the bottom of the two letters not printed due to the presence of the rivet)"
From Peter Maunder, "It does indeed look like a Tiverton seal (it could be G.D or C.D over H.B, H.R or H.P.), and given that is the case then we can confirm it is G.D. which stands for George Davey (there are no Tiverton merchants with the initials C.D.)
There were two George Daveys, father and son, and the port books have them as exporters throughout the period 1678 to 1725 when the son died.
H.P can be discounted because there are no candidates.
H.B could be Henry Blagdon (1680 - 1715) or Humphrey Bidgood, the latter a little known merchant (dates unknown but read on).
H.R. could stand for Henry Rich (died 1747) who is an enigmatic figure and although documents describe him as a merchant, his name does not appear separately in the port books.
Jane points out that the early seals tend to have initials only, which fits with the dates for George Davey.
Henry Rich was the brother-in-law of George Osmond (Tiverton's leading merchant from 1734 to 1744), whose sister Agnes he married in 1733. In George Osmond's will of 1744 he was described as a "malster" not a merchant. In 1734 he was described as a merchant, but as I said his name does not appear in the (surviving) port books.
It seems to me that there is little or no overlap between George Davey and Henry Rich. I have checked Davey's will and Henry Rich is not mentioned, and I can find no connection between the two in the documents I have. I think therefore Henry Rich can be discounted as a candidate.
Henry Blagdon is recorded as exporting between 1708 and 1715 only. There is therefore an overlap with George Davey. However, we already have examples of Blagdon seals, and this is not like those. Surviving wills for Henry Blagdon and the two George Daveys have been checked and neither is mentioned in the other's wills, and like Henry Rich I can find no documentary link between the two men, and suggest he is also discounted.
Several port book entries in the 1680s give George Davey & Co, implying that there was a partner involved, although the & Co may relate to the son, because George Davey senior died in 1690.
Humphry Bidgood married George Davey's daughter Elizabeth on 26 June 1680. I have checked the port books and there are only 4 entries for Humphry Bidgood. He loaded 3 consignments of serge aboard the Flanders Merchant on 29 Nov 1680 and 20 and 21 Jan 1681, bound for Bruges. Then he loaded serge on the Willing Mind on 9 Dec 1690, for Rotterdam.
George Davey also loaded serge aboard the Flanders Merchant on 12 Jan 1681.
The first port book entry for George Davey & Co is 1 July 1681, and the last 8 Aug 1683. (I said that the last port book entry for George Davey & Co is 8 August 1683. On re-checking, I see that there are some entries in 1690. The last entry for George Davey & Co is on 27 Feb 1690, which fits in much better with the dates of the partnership between G.D and H.B.)
George Davey senior died 9 Nov 1690. In his will he left the residue of his estate to be shared between his son Thomas Davey and son-in-law Humphrey Bidgood. It is notable that Humphrey Bidgood's consignment of serge on the Willing Mind is just one month after the death of his father-in-law.
Digging in my documents, I can pin down Humphrey Bidgood's baptism at St Peter's church in Tiverton on 3 Sep 1654, son of Humphry Bidgood of Fulford. He married Elizabeth Davey (daughter of George Davey and Margaret his wife) at Calverleigh on 21 June 1680. The Calverleigh parish register is very full of information.
George Davey left the residue of his estate to his son Thomas together with Humphry Bidgood.
After much searching for a burial, I discovered that Humphrey Bidgood moved to Rockbeare, Devon, and died there at some time between 22 April 1691 (the date he made his will) and 1 December 1691 (the date probate was granted). I can't find the Rockbeare burial register online, so can't check the date.
His will (National Archives PROB 11/407/186) makes it clear that this is our man for he says "I have a stock of moneys and goods, rights and creditts now currant in trade togeather with my brother in law Thomas Davey of Tiverton in the county of Devon, merchant ..."
It is therefore clear that George Davey senior took his son in law Humphrey Bidgood into partnership shortly after he married his daughter Elizabeth. That partnership ended on the death of George Davey senior in 1690 after which the business was carried out in partnership with Thomas Davey, George's son, until Bidgood's death in 1691.
The G.D / H.B seal can safely be dated to between 1681 and 1690.
There is a lot in Humphrey Bidgood's will and I have not had a chance to read it through in detail yet."