I saw this unusual pub sign in Falmouth today. Apparently there was a prison called Pennycomequick in Plymouth. Pen y cwm coet means the head of a wooded valley in Cornish, and that would fit quite well with the pub’s location.
The unusual pub sign made me think about the history of pub signs. The romans hung vine leaves outside their taverns to indicate that they sold wine. As there weren’t any vine leaves in England, they hung bushes instead. This is the origin of pubs with bush in their name, such as The Old Bull and Bush. Richard II made it compulsory for taverns to exhibit a sign so that the official ale taster could find them.
We know from Pompei that most shops had signs to identify them. During the Crusades, taverns hung signs as a way to attract customers and communicate the services provided inside. These signs were typically made of wood and painted with symbols and images that were easily recognisable by the largely illiterate population. Some of the common signs included a flagon or goblet to represent the availability of beer or wine, a roasted pig or goose to indicate the availability of food, and a bed or a crescent moon to advertise lodging. Other signs featured religious symbols such as a cross or the image of a saint, which were meant to appeal to the Christian pilgrims who traveled to the Holy Land during the Crusades.
Although Sir Anthony Standen stayed and took refreshment in many taverns, I don’t think I have ever given a name to one in my books. I apologise for my oversight. Pub signs are an interesting area of research that I’m sure I will enjoy.
I’m still researching book 4. I’ve reached page 9949 of 15664 in the biography of Marie de Medici. There is so much useful material, but I’m still not sure of the inciting moment yet. I’m sure it will come to me eventually. I now know that it will include a few pub signs.