David Cole
Inn signs
Monday 9th February
David Cole has a passion for his subject: Inn Signs
He will be addressing the main BFHG meeting on 9th February starting at 7pm.
The meeting will take place at our usual venue, Erasmus Darwin Academy, Pool Road, WS7 3QW
A Royal Act in 1393 made it compulsory for inns to have signs
In 1393, during the reign of King Richard II, an Act was passed which made it compulsory for pubs and inns to have a sign in order to identify them as official watering holes. Many adopted The White Hart as their sign as it was the personal badge of the King – today it is the fourth most popular pub name in the UK. The Crown was also a popular choice as it was an an easy way of pledging support to the reigning monarch without having to change with the occupant of the throne. Another popular name from that time is The Rose and Crown, which celebrates the end of the War of the Roses and the uniting of the red rose of Lancaster and the white rose of York when Henry Tudor married Elizabeth of York.
