tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-58886325738579231712024-03-13T05:16:26.840-07:00Maine HeraldryJeremyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14317329031513410342noreply@blogger.comBlogger12125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5888632573857923171.post-92107531054968425152013-07-01T23:45:00.000-07:002013-07-02T11:48:54.992-07:00This blog is relocatingIn a lot of ways, web design is not unlike heraldry. Shields and websites are graphical representations of individuals and organizations. Both have a unique code or language (HTML/CSS and Blazon) which, when interpreted either by a machine (internet browser) or a heraldic artist, renders a visual design. And both require a strong eye for aesthetics as well as a technical expertise to successfully develop.<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
In addition to my heraldry hobby I do graphic and web design. Because of the similarities, I've decided to conjoin my two extra-vocational identities on one website. From now on, the Maine Heraldry blog can be found at my domain, <a href="http://www.jeremyhammond.net/">www.jeremyhammond.net</a>.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
The direct link for the blog is <a href="http://www.jeremyhammond.net/maineheraldryblog">www.jeremyhammond.net/maineheraldryblog</a>.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I hope you'll follow me at the new location!</div>
Jeremyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14317329031513410342noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5888632573857923171.post-65455175184418276802013-07-01T08:18:00.001-07:002013-07-01T08:18:21.702-07:00Rowing Club Colors<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
While not strictly heraldry, I did find a recent Wooden Boat Magazine (based out of Maine) posting on Facebook pretty interesting.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4Zuq1R0whf2BgQwrBLmfucohbyG2ieDRguTJ1W9J4Cb_iQq62GyRy84bqDN61KstZQqjwad9uOfN40tsVzhSjhdCS4dlLKzUKKjYXIuJB1K-4jKXZamS1Ymu_RDexBalGPtwr_4r-j69s/s960/boats.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="281" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4Zuq1R0whf2BgQwrBLmfucohbyG2ieDRguTJ1W9J4Cb_iQq62GyRy84bqDN61KstZQqjwad9uOfN40tsVzhSjhdCS4dlLKzUKKjYXIuJB1K-4jKXZamS1Ymu_RDexBalGPtwr_4r-j69s/s400/boats.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
These are the vessels which will be competing in the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/StAylesSkiffWorldChampionshipUllapool2013" target="_blank">St. Ayles Skiff World Championship Ullapool</a>, a wooden boat race in Scotland. I appreciate the simplistic use of color for identification and of course see a resemblance to heraldry in terms of using vibrant visual markers to identify individuals or groups - or in this case rowing clubs.<br />
<br />
It also reminds me of the use of lobster buoys here in Maine. Every lobster-fisherman has a buoy to mark each trap left behind which is identifiable by unique color and stripe patterns. I believe the patterns are even registered with the State. (Below are the buoys of my grandfather hanging from my deck railing, white with crossing green and orange stripes.)<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDl7xx5Fd59_pfqJl4Qx7KXeVOOoQP5OCzPkM8PBkwrAh7n-8zC4YHKXOGd79enyr2WBwqL6ywt86ZO8vyg09foNQiqbrFa5_4cERoP5-lZLOMiFllUq_g1DpncxOwvx32F0rimJThZ9Ay/s428/buoys.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="219" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDl7xx5Fd59_pfqJl4Qx7KXeVOOoQP5OCzPkM8PBkwrAh7n-8zC4YHKXOGd79enyr2WBwqL6ywt86ZO8vyg09foNQiqbrFa5_4cERoP5-lZLOMiFllUq_g1DpncxOwvx32F0rimJThZ9Ay/s320/buoys.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
I even devised arms which I attributed to my grandfather based on the buoy design. My grandfather did not live long enough to see these arms, and they aren't in use by my family. They exist mostly in my imagination, but I'm proud of the design nonetheless. Lobster-fisherman even post the same buoy on their boat, flying it as sort of a flag.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_tkbJbHAA_eH601Aen03GPNkiq7_eGvGAJV7AXlxw_Sz2nbHwjprViTauA-901IcurbKgAizhV-4zRo-2GwWB1B8tHFaRceMJx2iv_joE7l-ZNs7TCupXiRG8pUGHm68a8aJyCRNdMfdQ/s611/george_hammond.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_tkbJbHAA_eH601Aen03GPNkiq7_eGvGAJV7AXlxw_Sz2nbHwjprViTauA-901IcurbKgAizhV-4zRo-2GwWB1B8tHFaRceMJx2iv_joE7l-ZNs7TCupXiRG8pUGHm68a8aJyCRNdMfdQ/s320/george_hammond.gif" width="149" /></a></div>
<br />Jeremyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14317329031513410342noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5888632573857923171.post-32283526806697536172013-06-29T08:28:00.000-07:002013-07-01T08:30:27.703-07:00Proposed Bath City Flag<div class="separator tr_bq" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.theforecaster.net/files/imagecache/large/2013/06/26/m-bath-city-flag.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img height="240" src="http://www.theforecaster.net/files/imagecache/large/2013/06/26/m-bath-city-flag.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
I'm very pleased to share the results of my work with the City of Bath's "Flag Committee." Much of the design rationale was <a href="http://www.theforecaster.net/news/print/2013/06/26/proposed-bath-city-flag-reflects-seafaring-traditi/165224" target="_blank">recently published in The Forecaster</a>, a local paper.<br />
<br /><blockquote>
<i>[Jeremy Hammond] looked for sources of heraldry and flags from early Bath history, he said, noting that much of the design is based on the coat of arms of the city of Bath in Somerset, England. The image was also inspired by the coat of arms of George Popham, the namesake of the colony where the first European ship built in New England, the Virginia, was constructed not far from Bath in 1607-1608. </i></blockquote>
<blockquote>
<i>The two blue stripes in the design allude to Merrymeeting Bay and the Kennebec River, the two major bodies of water around Bath, Hammond said. </i></blockquote>
<blockquote>
<i>A square-rigged ship appears on the Bath Police Department patch, the weathervane of City Hall, the city seal and the Morse High School logo, he said, explaining the rationale behind the vessel he incorporated into the design.</i></blockquote>
The City Council is expected to vote on a resolution to adopt the flag this Wednesday, July 3.Jeremyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14317329031513410342noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5888632573857923171.post-19222703890748650592013-06-18T08:54:00.001-07:002013-06-18T09:09:16.958-07:00The evolution of the arms of Morse High School (Bath)<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i119.photobucket.com/albums/o158/jeremy6857/GraduationProgram1966.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://i119.photobucket.com/albums/o158/jeremy6857/GraduationProgram1966.jpg" width="192" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Morse High School <br />
Graduation Program, 1966</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
This blog began as a thread I started in the <span id="goog_1176471626"></span><span id="goog_1176471630"></span><a href="http://www.americanheraldry.org/forums/index.php" target="_blank">American Heraldry Society forum</a><span id="goog_1176471631"></span><span id="goog_1176471627"></span>. In it, I began researching the coat of arms featured on the graduation program of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Morse_High_School_(Maine)" target="_blank">Morse High School</a> which features a coat of arms.<br />
<br />
I had originally assumed that - like much of modern heraldry, especially in America - it was an arbitrary design by non-heraldry experts with little history. However, the design features a crest which isn't aligned with the nautical themes of the school: two battle axes in saltire, behind a wreath of some sort. This prompted me to dig deeper into the design rationale.<br />
<br />
I reached out to the Alumni Association, which is incidentally one of the oldest and the largest association of its kind in the country, and made contact with Troy Cunningham, who has served as president of the association and is a Morse High history enthusiast. He shared with me these scanned images of graduation programs. The earliest use of the arms featuring a ship appeared in 1966. Another program from 1963 bears a very different coat of arms.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i119.photobucket.com/albums/o158/jeremy6857/GraduationProgram1963.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://i119.photobucket.com/albums/o158/jeremy6857/GraduationProgram1963.jpg" width="192" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Morse High School<br />
Graduation program, 1963</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
After a little more digging, it appears the school used the arms of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_W._Morse" target="_blank">Charles W. Morse</a>, a notorious businessman in the early 20th century who gifted the original school building (which later burned down). The blazon of those arms are: <i>Argent a battle axe palewise Gules between three pellets</i>.<br />
<br />
Cunningham also shared with me a seal for the <a href="http://www.morsesociety.org/" target="_blank">Morse Society</a>, a genealogical group begun in the 19th century, which features the same crest.<br />
<br />
After some brief genealogical research - mostly just a flurry of emails - I've yet to determine if Charles W. Morse was a descendant of the original armiger, but it's clear he used the coat of arms whether entitled to or not.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/22086031/MorseSocietySeal.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="193" src="https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/22086031/MorseSocietySeal.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
When presenting my findings with the American Heraldry Society, I went ahead and illustrated the coat of arms of Morse High School in a manner consistent with heraldic norms (omitting the clouds on the Argent background, and using blue as the ships tincture).</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://i119.photobucket.com/albums/o158/jeremy6857/MORSE.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://i119.photobucket.com/albums/o158/jeremy6857/MORSE.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<br />Jeremyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14317329031513410342noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5888632573857923171.post-21260741182399965262013-06-18T08:09:00.001-07:002013-06-18T09:08:46.600-07:00Religious Heraldry in Maine<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.saintspeterandpaul.us/Pictures/Coat%20of%20Arms.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://www.saintspeterandpaul.us/Pictures/Coat%20of%20Arms.jpg" width="173" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Arms of the Minor Basilica of <br />
Saints Peter and Paul</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I've been distracted by life in general, but also some other heraldry projects including <a href="http://www.heraldryday.com/" target="_blank">International Heraldry Day</a> and a Facebook page dedicated to <a href="https://www.facebook.com/usheraldry" target="_blank">American Heraldry</a>. I haven't forgotten about this small side project, though. For the sake of posting something, here are a couple examples of arms of religious institutions in Maine.<br />
<br />
From the Basilica's website:<br />
<br />
<i>This ancient papal insignia shows the crossed keys of Saint Peter and the pilgrim's canopy - theombrellino. For the new Lewiston Basilica, green was selected to represent both Saint Peter and the State of Maine. On this field appears the crook of a crozier ( a pastoral staff; a processional staff with the head in the form of a shepherd's crook) representing Saint Peter, The first Bishop of Rome. </i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/95/Roman_Catholic_Diocese_of_Portland.svg/175px-Roman_Catholic_Diocese_of_Portland.svg.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/95/Roman_Catholic_Diocese_of_Portland.svg/175px-Roman_Catholic_Diocese_of_Portland.svg.png" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Arms of the Diocese of Portland</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<i> The blue field on the right is in honor of Saint Paul - Apostle to the Gentiles and inspired writer and teacher. The deep blue represents the Blessed Virgin Mary, Patroness of the Diocese of Portland under her title of the Immaculate Conception. Blue is also a symbol of the truth of the Gospel that Saint Paul taught in his Letters. The book represents the Latin version of the Bible opened to Saint Paul's letter to the Romans which begins with the words: Ad Romanos Caput Primum (" To the Romans, First Chapter.") At the base is a smaller gold field. Gold is a symbol of wisdom and truth. On it appears the Fleur-de-Lys - the oldest image for Mary, Mother of the Church. Known as the Lily of Mary, It was selected for two other reasons: the great French Canadian heritage of the people who built the Church of Saints Peter and Paul and, when depicted half silver and half black, is also one of the most important emblems of the Order of the Preachers of Saint Dominic.</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i><br /></i>Jeremyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14317329031513410342noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5888632573857923171.post-32361266969585081672012-08-08T21:29:00.000-07:002013-06-18T09:08:19.099-07:00Gentlemen of the Road Tour<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.jambands.com/images/2012/08/06/37636/portland-353x.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://www.jambands.com/images/2012/08/06/37636/portland-353x.png" width="250" /></a></div>
This past Saturday British folk rock band, Mumford and Sons held their "Gentlemen of the Road" stopover music festival in Portland. With 16,000 people in attendance, it was one of the largest concerts Maine has seen. It might have been the biggest one in Portland ever, as I don't think they have any larger venues than Eastern Prom.<br />
<br />
At any rate, the stopover tour branding features 19th and early 20th century themes, with the primary logo being a mustached man in a top hat above two pistols in saltire. Hung around the park were several shield style logos, including the one on the left for the Portland stopover. On the <a href="http://gentlemenoftheroad.com/" target="_blank">Gentlemen of the Road website</a>, they have a shield-style logo for every city they're stopping at.<br />
<br />
It's obviously not the best heraldry - if heraldry at all. But they are attractive logos and it was an amazing show worthy of note.<br />
<br />
Also to their credit, there was one shield that I neglected to get a photo of which was simply <i>Gules, two pistols </i><i>in saltire </i><i>Or.</i> Below is photo of a banner that was draped behind the band, but above that and out of the picture was the shield featuring the same arms.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<img border="0" src="http://photos.mycapture.com/MATD/1513849/43132643E.jpg" /></div>
<br />Jeremyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14317329031513410342noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5888632573857923171.post-56403556112065769952012-08-07T05:41:00.001-07:002012-08-07T05:44:35.808-07:00Maine's Arms<div class="separator" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;">
<img border="0" height="196" src="http://www.midcoast.com/~martucci/flags/maine/flags/mearmslgl.gif" width="200" /></div>
I was told recently that an obvious first step for this blog would have been writing about the arms of the State of Maine. That would make sense, except that I don't believe I could do any better than the <a href="http://www.americanheraldry.org/pages/index.php?n=State.Maine" target="_blank">article published by Joseph McMillan</a>, current President of the American Heraldry Society. In fact, AHS has quite a lot of wonderful articles on historical heraldry in the United States, including the <a href="http://www.americanheraldry.org/pages/index.php?n=Main.Official" target="_blank">arms of several states</a> and <a href="http://www.americanheraldry.org/pages/index.php?n=Main.Notable" target="_blank">Presidents</a>.
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>The coat of arms of Maine was adopted by a law of June 9, 1820, three months after Maine's admission to statehood. The law described the arms as "A Shield, argent, charged with a Pine Tree, a Moose-Deer, at the foot of it, recumbent. Supporters; on dexter side, an Husbandman, resting on a scythe; on sinister side, a Seaman, resting on an anchor. In the foreground, representing sea & land, & under the Shield, the name of the State, in large Roman capitals, to wit MAINE. The whole surmounted by a Crest, the North Star. The Motto, in small Roman capitals, in a label interposed between the Shield & Crest, viz. DIRIGO."</i></blockquote>
It's worth noting that the flag of the state of Maine and all modern renditions of the arms fixed by the legislature in 1919 are not accurately emblazoned. The field should be Argent, not a landscape.Jeremyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14317329031513410342noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5888632573857923171.post-43501255957931017262012-07-17T19:12:00.000-07:002012-07-18T07:26:06.641-07:00Two birds with one ... pellet (George Popham and Maine Historical Society)<div class="separator" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;">
<img border="0" height="200" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-a2P-QBJ-cSI/UAWNYed6W6I/AAAAAAAAB3s/2E5w3MfaL40/w497-h373/2012-07-17" width="198" /></div>
The <a href="http://www.mainehistory.org/" target="_blank">Maine Historical Society</a> has been a natural staging point for my search for heraldry in Maine. In a visit to their website I happened to notice in the header a partial watermark of what appears to be a coat of arms of the society itself.<br />
<br />
I quickly emailed the society to see if I could get a better image of the symbol and any explanation of its origins or design. Technical glitches got in the way, and I didn't receive their response till just a week ago after I visited the MHS Brown Library in person.<br />
<br />
I was surprised and very pleased to see familiar arms in the second quarter. A white field. Gules chief. Two stags heads... this must be related to a Popham of some sort, quite possibly the settler George Popham himself.<br />
<br />
In a summer newsletter of 1986 (the year I was born, by the way) the society published the history of the armorial design:<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>At the heart is a shield, divided into four sections. At the upper left is a chevron taken from the seal used by Sir Ferdinando Gorges, first proprietor of Maine. <b>Across are two stags' heads separated by a crescent, from the seal used by Sir George Popham, early promoter of colonization.</b> Below is the emblem of crosses borne by Edward Godfrey, first Governor of Maine. At lower left is the fleur-de-lis, signifying French attempts to colonize Maine.<span style="background-color: white;"> </span></i></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>Above is a scroll with four important dates: 1605, the first voyage to Maine; 1649, the first election of a governor by the people; 1678, usurpation of the Territory of Maine by the Government of Massachusetts; and 1820, Maine statehood. The pen behind the scroll indicates that the work of the historian is never completed.</i></blockquote>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-HtAXKcR16VE/T_hnSOdgK4I/AAAAAAAAB4M/Q2v-4LYiEu0/s1600/IMG_20120707_124325.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-HtAXKcR16VE/T_hnSOdgK4I/AAAAAAAAB4M/Q2v-4LYiEu0/s320/IMG_20120707_124325.jpg" width="315" /></a></div>
In my explorations of the Brown Library, I found a rendition of the MHS coat of arms on a bookplate that places the dates on an escutcheon of pretense instead of the scroll. I actually prefer this, despite most heraldry enthusiasts' preferences to avoid text on shields.<br />
<br />
Nonetheless, it was exciting to find an authoritative use of the arms of George Popham. I was safe assuming before that Popham differenced his arms in some way, but I was never sure exactly how.<br />
<br />
To further back this up, I found an interesting book titled, "Memorial Volume of the Popham Celebration" published in 1862 commemorating the "planting of the Popham Colony on the peninsula of Sabino." Amongst other documents and narratives is a collection of letters regarding the planning of the celebration. In one letter, a Rev. Dr. Jenks writes about his research and confirmation that Sir George Popham would have borne the arms of his uncle, the notable and then head of the family, Sir John Popham but "differenced by a crescent."<br />
<br />
That's sufficient evidence for my own hobby research. However if anyone has found examples of contemporary uses of these arms by George Popham, I would very much like to see them. The MHS newsletter cited above refers to a "seal used by Sir George Popham." Perhaps a later trip to the Brown Library will reveal it.Jeremyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14317329031513410342noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5888632573857923171.post-69134134338464970002012-07-06T12:25:00.000-07:002012-07-06T12:29:35.820-07:00Early Explorers of Maine<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/2d/JohnCabotPainting.jpg/445px-JohnCabotPainting.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="148" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:JohnCabotPainting.jpg" target="_blank">Giovanni Caboto</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Europeans began exploring Maine over one hundred years before <a href="http://maineheraldry.blogspot.com/2012/07/george-popham.html" target="_blank">George Popham</a> settled and died in what is today Phippsburg. Many of the leaders of these expeditions were men from wealthy families of high standing. It's likely many or all of them were armigerous.<br />
<br />
Below is a list of gentlemen who are either soundly confirmed to have explored Maine or may have based on cursory references to the area in contemporary documents.<br />
<br />
<b>John Cabot</b>, or rather Giovanni Caboto, was a Venetian and is believed to have explored Maine during his second voyage to the new world in 1497 - though this is not confirmed. Like Columbus, he sailed for a sponsor nation, in this case England.<br />
<br />
<b>Giovanni da Verrazzano</b> is considered to be the first European explorer of North America since the Norse expeditions, though his trip was in 1524, 27 years after John Cabots alleged visit. Verrazzano sailed on behalf of the French crown.<br />
<br />
<b>Don Estaban Gomez</b>, was a Portugese cartographer. In 1524 or 1525, he explored Nova Scotia and the Maine coast and mistook the Penobscot river for the fabled Northwest Passage. According to one theory, Gomez is also responsible for naming Saco and Casco Bay.<br />
<br />
<b>David Ingram</b>, an English explorer has an interesting story I'm going to have to read into more. In 1568 he was found on the coast of Nova Scotia by a French fishing vessel. Before that, his last known location was near what is today the Mexican and Texas border. According to his own accounts, he traversed the interior of North America over an 11 month period.<br />
<br />
<b>John Walker</b> from England bombarded a native village in Penobscot in the year 1580.<br />
<br />
<b>Samuel de Champlain</b> of France, is second to only John Smith on this list in terms of fame. He was an incredibly accomplished explorer, considered the "Father of New France" or more importantly to this blog, "The Father of Acadia." He is responsible for naming Mount Desert Island (Isles des Monts Desert) and Isle au Haut in Maine.<br />
<br />
<b>George Weymouth</b> of England can partially <span style="background-color: white;">be</span><span style="background-color: white;"> </span><span style="background-color: white;">blamed for the lack of success at </span><a href="http://maineheraldry.blogspot.com/2012/07/george-popham.html" style="background-color: white;" target="_blank">Popham Colony</a><span style="background-color: white;">. In 1604 he explored the area of Monhegan and Sagadahoc and kidnapped several natives which tarnished future settler-indian relations.</span><br />
<br />
<b>Henry Hudson</b> of England, who has all sorts of places named after him is believed to have passed through Maine in 1609 while captaining the Dutch Half Moon.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="http://williamsburgprivatetours.com/SmithCoatArms.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://williamsburgprivatetours.com/CAPTAIN%20JOHN%20SMITH.htm" target="_blank">Source</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b>John Smith</b>, of Pocahontas fame explored Maine in 1614 and was responsible for renaming the whole region New England. According to wikipedia (which I will of course verify), before he explored the new world he defeated and beheaded three Ottoman commanders in duels and was awarded a coat of arms by a Transylvanian prince featuring three severed Turks' heads. <a href="http://williamsburgprivatetours.com/CAPTAIN%20JOHN%20SMITH.htm" target="_blank">Preliminary Googling yielded</a> an image of a Gules chevron between the three heads on an Argent field. Another illustration features a Vert field.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://www.reformation.org/en-smith-coat-of-arms.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="128" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.reformation.org/captain-john-smith.html" target="_blank">Source</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
I invite readers to share with me any leads you may have regarding these explorers and their potential use of arms. I'm going to start chronologically with the two Giovannis. I'm unaware of any contemporary records of Italian arms, especially any that have been digitized, but I'm in this for the long haul.Jeremyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14317329031513410342noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5888632573857923171.post-90050765700108251182012-07-05T18:33:00.000-07:002012-07-05T18:38:10.014-07:00Saco Celebrates 250 Years<br />
<div style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;">
<img border="0" height="200" src="http://www.americanheraldry.org/pages/uploads/Roll/pepperrell1.gif" style="background-color: white; text-align: center;" width="165" /></div>
<span style="background-color: white;">Last month, the city of </span><a href="http://www.sacomaine.org/saco250.shtml" style="background-color: white;">Saco reached it's 250th anniversary</a><span style="background-color: white;">. Celebrations have been ongoing for a few weeks and will end this Sunday, July 8. I don't get to the deep southern sections of the state as often as I'd like, but quite a while ago I was driving through a town that had a coat of arms on every street sign. I had always planned on going back to figure out which town it was and identify the arms, but I recently stumbled across the news of Saco's Sesquibicentennial and I have a hunch Saco was the armigerous city.</span><br />
<br />
Pictured on every street sign (if I'm right) are the arms of William Pepperrell. (The illustration on the left is from the American Heraldry Society <a href="http://www.americanheraldry.org/pages/index.php?n=Main.Roll">Roll of Early American Arms</a>.) The Municipal website of Saco does a fine job telling the <a href="http://www.sacomaine.org/saco250-history.shtml">tale of the city's formation</a>, but in short it used to be called Pepperrellborough in honor of the town's benefactor. The arms are blazoned: <i>Argent a chevron Gules between three pine-apples Vert.</i><br />
<br />
Unfortunately on the municipal website they've posted an image of the arms as produced by a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bucket_shop_(heraldry)">bucket-shop</a> which is erroneously emblazoned with the tropical fruit pineapple. At the time these arms were likely created, "pine-apples" were the English name for what we now call pine cones. I sincerely hope that when I visit Saco again, that all the street signs with Pepperrell's coat of arms depicts them as pine cones instead of pineapples.<br />
<a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/7/73/Seal_of_Saco,_Maine.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/7/73/Seal_of_Saco,_Maine.png" /></a><br />
Today, the City of Saco's official seal (right) incorporates heraldry. If you pretend the <i>bordure </i>is a decorative <i>border </i>and that the gradient background is in fact Argent, it's actually quite a nice derivative. My guess or recommendation would be: <i>Argent a chevron cottised Azure between three pine-apples Vert</i>. I suppose they could be pine trees, which would also be appropriate.<br />
<br />
Congratulations, Saco on your 250 years and your fine heraldic heritage.Jeremyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14317329031513410342noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5888632573857923171.post-14279350527570592562012-07-05T16:31:00.000-07:002012-07-05T19:14:09.592-07:00The Arms of George Popham<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://i119.photobucket.com/albums/o158/jeremy6857/popham.gif" width="120" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Possible arms of George </i><br />
<i>Popham.<br />Argent on a chief gules,<br />two bucks' heads<br />caboshed or</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I began researching Maine Heraldry twenty minutes down the road from my home town in the small village of Phippsburg, a heavily forested coastal hamlet which hasn’t changed much in the past two hundred years. There stands Fort Popham. It’s a stone fort built during the Civil War which is really fun to play on as a child who loves medieval themes of knights and castles. Just up a goat-path of a road is a small grass field overlooking the same body of water. There isn’t much there, just a plaque describing the field’s brief story. This is where the English built their first <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fort_St._George_(Popham_Colony)" target="_blank">New England colony, Popham</a>, also known as Sagadahoc Colony after the native name for the southern end of the Kennebec River on which it sits. It is also known as Fort St. George. It was settled in 1607, just months after Jamestown and more than a decade before Plymouth.<br />
<br />
The leaders of the expedition that founded Popham colony were George Popham (elected President) and Raleigh Gilbert (Admiral) who sailed to Maine and captained the Gift of God and Mary and John, respectively. Both gentlemen came from prestigious families. Popham’s uncle was Sir John Popham, an important lawyer who presided during the trials of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walter_Raleigh" target="_blank">Sir Walter Raleigh</a> and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guy_Fawkes" target="_blank">Guy Fawkes</a>. Gilbert’s father was <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Humphrey_Gilbert" target="_blank">Sir Humphrey Gilbert</a>, another explorer of the Americas and half brother to Sir Walter Raleigh.<br />
<br />
Despite being an important experience for English colonists, Popham colony is not very well known because it didn’t thrive and was abandoned. The colonists were unable to establish trade relations with the native Abenaki tribe. Aboriginals of the area had grown suspicious of Europeans who had, in the past, kidnapped natives to show at home. A late summer arrival meant no time for planting food. Winter was brutally cold. Diaries claimed that the Kennebec (salt water) River froze, which is a major feat. I grew up on the Kennebec and the coldest winter in my life didn’t come close to freezing that beast. Fires destroyed the storehouse. Popham died at the colony in 1608. It’s entirely possibly that he was the only person to die, unlike the Jamestown expedition which lost half its population at the same time.<br />
<br />
The rest of the colonists returned to England shortly after. Gilbert himself rushed back to claim an inheritance which included a title and estate after his brother John died. The colony only lasted just over a year. Diaries described the land as barren, and ill-suited for colonization. But more importantly it lacked gold. The colonists also built a ship which would be the first English vessel constructed on American soil, the <a href="http://www.mainesfirstship.org/">Virginia</a>. It was a very sturdy pinnace and continued to sail between the colonies for about twenty years.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=a79aQefT1wEC&lpg=PP1&pg=PP1#v=onepage&q&f=false">The Complete American Armoury and Blue Book</a> by John Matthews has the following on arms attributed to the name Popham.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiCX6oTstrPQdNYACBGMRgS47yTKcA_VpSCQXXjxCtlSQyIgAEcQh8FSV9qDDxU3fJ2_-mImiqHEXmtOo3LbJfs0uTGaLXkofDXDPd8pmy-OOAnwRf5FMexUR0Ss9Uitdpf7I5Q7BKqpS5/s1600/popham.bluebook.jpg" /></div>
<span style="background-color: white;">This is of course a different George Popham, but the George in question is from the Huntworth branch of Pophams in Somersetshire and was also John's nephew. It's possible these were the arms born by our President of Popham Colony and the first English arms born in Maine.</span>Jeremyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14317329031513410342noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5888632573857923171.post-25587005839464704782012-07-04T08:00:00.000-07:002012-07-05T16:39:51.553-07:00Hello world.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;">
<img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXdahwtRKX-83JRWZmmsr3o8kezCFSTUjvnccv8n25QLVEYU5lwBQLnHrjacQ3W0pspELBXmiPkJwlghAmgQ1e2c8nyDBwpAE4wco-3uRl_xCTxuK4oCGYixJ3dn8pRmdWJYmqvKtZ23h9/s1600/Maine2.jpg" />
</div>
<span style="background-color: white;">Heraldry is a subject matter that I've been fascinated with since I was a child. It's the marriage (marshaling?) of my interests in medieval history with art and design. There are few things more aesthetically pleasing to me than seeing several colorful flags flapping in the wind, or a kaleidoscope of knights' shields and banners charging forward.</span><br />
<br />
There's also something fascinating about the "science" side of heraldry. Yes, science. To newcomers of the subject, you'll be surprised to learn that behind those seemingly arbitrary designs, there is a world of traditions and archaic rules governing not only the design of shields and their accouterments, but also their uses. In fact in order to catalog them, there's even a unique language (called "blazon") devised to describe in text the designs.<br />
<br />
This is not my first blog. I've written quite a bit in the past. My first endeavor was to update family and friends while studying abroad in France. Since then, I've written extensively about politics. I'm less interested in that these days.<br />
<br />
With "Maine Heraldry" I plan to exhibit my minor research in historical and contemporary uses of arms in the state of Maine. Actually, I shouldn't even call it research. It degrades the years of tedious work completed <a href="http://blog.appletonstudios.com/">by scholars before me</a>. I'm mostly just exploring.<br />
<br />
I don't plan on writing much about the basics of heraldry. I don't think I could do any better than the countless efforts before me. There is lots of material out their for the nascent heraldry enthusiasts among you. If you're new to the subject, I recommend starting with <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heraldry">wikipedia</a>. Admittedly, it only glances over the subject, but it features an extensive References section for further study. For Americans, the next best place (actually, maybe the best starting point) would be visiting the <a href="http://www.americanheraldry.org/">American Heraldry Society</a> website.Jeremyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14317329031513410342noreply@blogger.com0