Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1907-07-23
OLD TAVERN SIGNS.
The Bush, Which Served for Many
Centuries, Has Been Displaced.

For many centuries no other sign
than the bush a bunch of ivy or
evergreens-hung over the doorway OF
town and country inns alike. The
bush was very common in ancient
Rome. It's popularity seems to have
spread in all the provinces of the old
Roman empire, and it has remained a
distinctive inn sign in these islands
and on the continent ever since. But
while the roadside hOstelries were
content with bunch of foliage, more
distinctive signs became necessary in
towns and cities where taverns or inns
were often in close proximity. Arms.
badges, and crests of the noble lord
whose residence was near the inn
would usually be put up over the doc.
to attract his numerous retainers or
partisans. Thus at Lewes the Three
Pelicans took it's name from the fact
that these birds constituted the arms
of the Pelham family.
In many cases, however, the inn
keepers as well as travellers being I'M
acquainted with the mysteries of
heraldry, lion gu1es or lion azure went
by the name of Red Lion or Blue Lion,
while the two leOpards argent in the
arms of the Dorest family were
Familiarity called The Cats. The
numerous lions, bulls, and dragons Of
all shades, as well as magpie5 crosses.
and crescents which have survived to
the present day have all some heraldic
origin.
The Royal Arms We're, of course,
favorite sign then as they are now, and
the Crown is undoubtedly one of the
oldest of English signs. In 1897
certain Walter Walthers. who kept the
crown in Cheapside. lost his life for
having made the innocent cockney pun
that he would make his son heir to the
Crown.
The different kings and queens
heads which have adorned English
inns for the last five centuries are too
numerous to record Henry VIII and
Queen Elijah beth have been by far the
most popular figures of all royal
modern signboards. the former being
usually represented as merry, bloated
Bacchus the personiflcation of jolGty
and good cheer.
After royal and heraldic signboards,
none We're more numerous in medieval
England than those-of a religious char
acter. Besides the numerous church.
Church gates. and church style inns
which are still to be met with in tho
country, there We're many dedicated to
the Virgin, the saints, and dignitaries
of the church.
The salutatiOn was a very popular
sign in pre- Reformation times. rep
resentng the annunciation Of the
Virgin Mary. Even now this sign is
still to be seen. one of the best hotels
in the lake district displaying it to this
day. But it was almost universally
changed soon after the Reformation
for the angel, the Virgin Mary being
painted over and the Angel Gabriel left
alone on the board.
Besides royal. heraldic, and religion
emblems. innkeepers adopted at very
early date as a sign the arms or badge
of the class of. customers they parti-
cularly wished to attract for their
house; thus he who wished for the
patronage of soldiers would hang two
crossed swords as a sign, while
another, whose tavern stood near the
wharf or quay, would attract sailors
by choosing a ship or the head of some
| famous naval hero.
AS the population increa scd so did
the number of inns and taverns. and
signs became more and more DIVERSE
fled. Reading being a scarce acquire
ment, the innkeeper always endeavored
to catch the eye Of the passersby with
an easily understood picture. and one,
at the same time, quite distinctive
from any of the surrounding houses
Some would put up their own name
in the shape Of a rebus picture, two
cocks standing for Cox. a hare and a
bottle for Harebottle. while many in
dividuals named Fox. Bell, Bull, &c,
would put up fox. one. two. or three
bells, or a bull of blue, pieI or red,
respectively, as sign.
Most of these names being common
some other sign had to be added to dis
tinguish the inn of John Fox from that
of Robert Fox or Thomas Fox. The
result was n great diversity of more or
less incomprehensible double signs,
such as the following: Fox and Cap,
Fox and Crane. Fox and Crown, Fox
and Duck, Fox and Goose. Fox and
Knot, Fox and Owl. Fox and Punch
bowl. &c, also the Bell and Candle
stick, Bell and Blackhorse, Bell and
Anchor, &c.
Later however the ever increasin
number of taverns forced the landlord
to adopt more original signs than those
derived from heraldry. the saints. or
dignitaries of the church. or his own
name. The animal kingdom was ram