English Sign Names from 1636
by Juliana de Luna, Siren Herald (Julia Smith)
In the 1630s, John Taylor, the "Water Poet," created two documents that described taverns: the
first listed 367 taverns in London and Westminster (the text says "more than thirty times
twelve"), the second listed 283 named taverns (and many more taverns with other identifications)
in the shires surrounding London. Between the two, 650 inn-signs are named. This section
analyzes the distribution of those signs. It does not include all spelling variants (in part because
it's a piece of a longer work that includes spelling variants elsewhere).
Distribution of Names By Type of Name
Single Charge (unmodified)
Monarch's Head (king, queen, king of Sweden)
Color+charge (colors are: white, red, black, green, blue)
Royal Arms (king, queen, prince)
Number+charge (numbers found are: three, two, seven)
Saints images
Biblical Figures
Pope's/Bishop's Head
Two charges (joined by and)
Other: Arms of the East India Company, Cross Keys, Two Necked Swan,
Spread Eagle, Maydenhead and George, Man in the Moon
424
47
43
34
31
27
12
6
4
10
Distribution of Names by Frequency:
Kings Head
Lyon
Ship
Sun
Rose
George
Mermayd
Three Tuns
Bell
Swan
Prince Arms
Angell
Kings Armes
Crown
33
30
25
21
20
19
18
18
17
17
16
14
14
13
Hart
Bull
Nags head
Queenes head
Castle
White Hart
Greyhound
Dog
Globe
Miter
Dragon
three Cranes
Cock
Salutation
13
12
12
12
11
11
10
9
9
9
8
8
7
7
Star
Beare
Bush
Bull head
Fountaine
Katherine Wheele
Maidenhead
Anker
Bores head
Chequer
Popes head
Red Lyon
Saracens head
Antelop
Christopher
Cross Keyes
Garter
Harrow
Moone
Queenes Armes
White Lyon
Cat
Cross
Falcon
Fleece
Golden Lyon
Hoope
Horse
White Horse
Black Lyon
Blew Boare
Black Bull
Red Bull
Cardinalls Hatt
Crane
Dolphin
Elephant
Bell
Flower de Lice
7
6
6
6
6
6
6
5
5
5
5
5
5
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
Fortune
Goat
Green Dragon
Halfe Moone
Horne
Iohns Head
Man in the Moone
Mouth
Peacocke
Tun
White Hart
Adam and Eve
Andrewes Crosse
Anker and Ship
Antwerp
Archer
Arms of the East India
Company
Beare and Dolphin
Bell Savadge
Biʃhops-head
Black boy
Bull or Buffles Head
Coopers hoope
Griphon
Red Cross
White Cross
Dragon and Mermayde
Eagle
Ostrich
Ship
Glove
Goat or Antelop
Golden field-Gate
Golden fleece
Grashopper
Grave Maurice
Gunne
Hand in hand
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
Miter
Huntʃman
King of Swedens head
King, or Princes Armes
Lamb
Maydenhead and
George
Miter and Castle
Paul head
Pellican
Phoenix
Plough
Popinjay
Pye
Queene Elinor's head
Raine-Deere
Ram
Rams head
Saint Iohns Head
Saint Iohns of Ierusalem
Seven Stars
Shepherd
Spred Eagle
St. Dunstane
Stilliyard
Saint Martin
three Cups
three Kings
Three Pidgeons
Three Squirrels
Turnstile
two Lyons
two neck'ed Swan
two Wrastlers
Venice
Vine
Vineyard
Vintage
Wheat-sheafe
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
Windmill
1
Adam and Eve
Andrewes Crosse
Angell
Anker
Anker and Ship
Antelop
Antwerp
Archer
Arms of the East India
Company
Beare
Beare and Dolphin
Bell
Bell Savadge
Biʃhops-head
Black boy
Black Lyon
Blew Boare
Bores head
Bush
Bull
Bull head
Bull or Buffles Head
Black Bull
Red Bull
Cardinalls Hatt
Castle
Cat
Chequer
Christopher
Cock
Coopers hoope
Crane
Griphon
Cross
Cross Keyes
Red Cross
Distribution of Names Alphabetically:
1
White Cross
1
Crown
14
Dog
5
Dolphin
1
Dragon
4
Dragon and Mermayde
1
Eagle
1
Elephant
1
Bell
Ostrich
6
Falcon
1
Ship
17
Fleece
1
Flower de Lice
1
Fortune
1
Fountaine
2
Garter
2
George
5
Globe
6
Glove
12
Goat
6
Goat or Antelop
1
Golden field-Gate
2
Golden fleece
2
Golden Lyon
2
Grashopper
11
Grave Maurice
3
Green Dragon
5
Greyhound
4
Gunne
7
Halfe Moone
1
Hand in hand
2
Harrow
1
Hart
3
Miter
4
Hoope
1
Horse
1
13
9
2
8
1
1
2
2
1
3
1
3
2
2
6
4
19
9
1
2
1
1
1
3
1
1
2
10
1
2
1
4
13
1
3
3
Horne
Huntʃman
Iohns Head
Katherine Wheele
King of Swedens head
King, or Princes Armes
Kings Armes
Kings Head
Lamb
Lyon
Maidenhead
Man in the Moone
Maydenhead and
George
Mermayd
Miter
Miter and Castle
Moone
Mouth
Nags head
Paul head
Peacocke
Pellican
Phoenix
Plough
Popes head
Popinjay
Prince Arms
Pye
Queene Elinor's head
Queenes Armes
Queenes head
Raine-Deere
Ram
Rams head
Red Lyon
Rose
Saint Iohns Head
Saint Iohns of Ierusalem
2
1
2
6
1
1
14
33
1
30
6
2
1
18
9
1
4
2
12
1
2
1
1
1
5
1
16
1
1
4
12
1
1
1
5
20
1
1
Salutation
Saracens head
Seven Stars
Shepherd
Ship
Spred Eagle
St. Dunstane
Star
Stilliyard
Sun
Swan
Saint Martin
three Cranes
three Cups
three Kings
Three Pidgeons
Three Squirrels
Three Tuns
Tun
Turnstile
two Lyons
two neck'ed Swan
two Wrastlers
Venice
Vine
Vineyard
Vintage
Wheat-sheafe
White Hart
White Horse
White Lyon
White Hart
Windmill
7
5
1
1
25
1
1
7
1
21
17
1
8
1
1
1
1
18
2
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
11
3
4
2
1
Sources:
Taylor, John, (Ten Shires) The Honorable, and Memorable Foundations, Erections, Raiʃings and
Ruines, of divers Cities, Townes, Caʃtles, and other Piecies of Antiquitie, within ten Shires and
Counties of this Kingdome; Namely, Kent, Suʃʃex, Hampʃhire, Surrey, Barkʃire, Eʃʃex,
Middleʃex, Hartfordʃhire, Buckinghamʃhire, and Oxfordʃhire: With the Deʃcirption of many
famous Accidents that have happened, in divers places in the faid Counties. Also a Relation of
the Wine Tavernes either by their fignes, or names of the perfsons that allow, or keepe them in,
and throughout the faid feverall Shires. By John Taylor, London, printed by A.M. 1636.
Taylor, John, (Travels) Travels and Circvlar Perambvlation, through and by more than thirty
times twelve Signes of the Zodiack, of the Faous Cities of London and Weʃtminʃter. With the
Honour and Worthineʃʃe of the Vine, the Vintage, the Wine, and the Vintoner; with an
Alphabeticall Deʃcription, of all the Taverne Signes in the Cities, Suburbs, and Liberties
aforeʃaid, and ʃignificant Epigrams upon the ʃaid ʃseverall Signes., Written by John Taylor.
London, Printed by A.M. 1636