Knowledge (XXG)

William Barton (heraldist)

Source 📝

446: 167: 31: 424:"I am likewise persuaded, Sir, that Blazonry not only merits the notice of an inquisitive Mind, viewed merely as a speculative science; but, that Coat-Armour, the Object of it, maybe rendered conducive to both public and private cases, of considerable importance, in this infant nation, now rising into greatness:" 591:"not only to concentrate in one point of view the lives of men distinguished in the New World, of whom some notices are already published; but also to rescue from oblivion the merits of many characters of worth, related in various ways to this country, of whom no public record has yet appeared." 585:
Select American Biography, Or, An Account of the Lives of Persons, Connected by Nativity, or Otherwise With the History of North America, Since the First Discovery of that Country
692: 374:
In May 1782, Barton, who had a reputation for his knowledge of heraldry, was consulted by the Third Great Seal Committee to contribute to the design of a national
667: 463: 188: 576:"Mrs. Adams reads it with great delight and reads to me what she finds interesting, and that is, indeed, the whole book. I have not time to hear it all." 677: 358:
The True Interests of the United States and particularly of Pennsylvania Considered with Respect to the Advantages Resulting from a State Paper Money
555:
A Dissertation on the Freedom of Navigation and Maritime Commerce, and such Rights of States Relative Thereto, as are founded on the Law of Nations
697: 510: 239: 672: 482: 211: 529: 258: 489: 218: 369: 150: 547: 467: 429: 192: 409:, who had consulted for the Second Great Seal Committee, and who had included a similar pyramid in his 1778 design for the 662: 561:, who was the President of the United States at the time, as well as the president of the American Philosophical Society. 496: 322: 225: 657: 303: 397:
Charles Thomson greatly emphasized in the final proposal. The new design for the reverse of the seal incorporated the
478: 384:
Device for an Armorial Achievement for the United States of North America, blazoned agreeably to the Laws of Heraldry
207: 177: 402: 341: 456: 196: 181: 550:. In 1791, his uncle, David Rittenhouse, became the Society's second president, after Franklin's death in 1790. 284: 276: 62: 325:, setting up a practice in Philadelphia. In 1781, he married Elizabeth Rhea, niece of Continental Congressman 583:
Barton proposed an ambitious series of biographies, to be published in three volumes a year under the title,
299: 80: 405:, who had included the Eye of Providence in his designs for the First Great Seal Committee, with that of 326: 292: 36: 413:. On June 20, the design, as amended and expanded by Thomson, was adopted by the Continental Congress. 503: 232: 687: 682: 410: 394: 353: 349: 611: 330: 642: 543: 417: 406: 398: 288: 558: 553:
By 1800, William moved back to Lancaster. In 1802, he published a lengthy treatise entitled
146: 432:) nominated Barton as a Judge of the Western Territory. Barton declined the appointment. 637: 345: 280: 651: 572:, who received a copy of the book from Barton, wrote in an 1814 letter to Jefferson: 379: 375: 272: 142: 58: 622: 595:
He died in Lancaster on October 21, 1817, before the project could be realized.
445: 315: 166: 314:. During his time in Europe, he also met some of his maternal relatives in the 569: 612:
National Archives: To George Washington from William Barton, 28 August 1788
30: 580:
Barton was elected a member of the American Antiquarian Society in 1814.
311: 470: in this section. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. 321:
He returned to Pennsylvania in 1779 and was admitted to the bar of the
307: 291:, for whom William would later write a biography. William's brother, 568:. Jefferson had already subscribed for six copies. Former President 108:
Designing the Great Seal of the United States (with Charles Thomson)
416:
On the subject of heraldry, Barton wrote a 1788 letter to General
390: 401:
atop a pyramid of thirteen steps. This combined the influence of
287:
in 1751. His mother was Esther Rittenhouse, sister of astronomer
439: 279:. His father, Rev. Thomas Barton, was an Irish immigrant from 160: 329:. They had five daughters and four sons, including botanist 393:
with wings "displayed," an element that Secretary of the
295:, would later become known for his work as a botanist. 428:
In 1789, Washington (who had meanwhile been elected
128: 120: 112: 104: 96: 88: 69: 44: 21: 338:Observations on the Nature and Use of Paper Credit 643:Barton's report on his design for the Great Seal 587:. He described his intention for this project: 623:American Antiquarian Society Members Directory 8: 638:A Memoir of the Life of William Barton, A.M. 693:Members of the American Antiquarian Society 356:) followed suit. In 1786, Barton published 195:. Unsourced material may be challenged and 336:It was also in 1781 that Barton published 141:(April 11, 1754 – October 21, 1817) was a 29: 18: 530:Learn how and when to remove this message 259:Learn how and when to remove this message 566:Memoirs of the Life of David Rittenhouse 145:lawyer, scholar, and the designer (with 604: 7: 668:Writers from Lancaster, Pennsylvania 468:adding citations to reliable sources 193:adding citations to reliable sources 271:Barton was born April 11, 1754, in 14: 124:9 (including William P.C. Barton) 678:American people of Irish descent 444: 165: 542:In 1787, Barton was elected to 479:"William Barton" heraldist 455:needs additional citations for 370:Great Seal of the United States 208:"William Barton" heraldist 151:Great Seal of the United States 548:American Philosophical Society 1: 698:19th-century American lawyers 323:Supreme Court of Pennsylvania 283:who had opened a school near 557:. He dedicated this work to 382:. He drafted what he called 304:American War of Independence 16:American lawyer and scholar 714: 403:Pierre Eugene du Simitiere 367: 342:University of Pennsylvania 673:Writers from Philadelphia 348:degree, and in 1785, the 132:David Rittenhouse (uncle) 28: 344:awarded him an honorary 285:Norristown, Pennsylvania 277:Province of Pennsylvania 63:Province of Pennsylvania 300:Lancaster, Pennsylvania 81:Lancaster, Pennsylvania 35:William Barton, from a 564:In 1813, he published 350:College of New Jersey 340:. The same year, the 327:Jonathan Bayard Smith 306:underway, he went to 37:Charles Willson Peale 663:Pennsylvania lawyers 464:improve this article 411:Continental Currency 395:Continental Congress 354:Princeton University 302:. In 1775, with the 189:improve this section 658:American heraldists 331:William P.C. Barton 310:, where he studied 298:William grew up in 436:Later publications 544:Benjamin Franklin 540: 539: 532: 514: 418:George Washington 407:Francis Hopkinson 399:Eye of Providence 389:He introduced an 289:David Rittenhouse 269: 268: 261: 243: 136: 135: 705: 625: 620: 614: 609: 559:Thomas Jefferson 535: 528: 524: 521: 515: 513: 472: 448: 440: 352:(later known as 264: 257: 253: 250: 244: 242: 201: 169: 161: 76: 73:October 21, 1817 54: 52: 33: 19: 713: 712: 708: 707: 706: 704: 703: 702: 648: 647: 634: 629: 628: 621: 617: 610: 606: 601: 536: 525: 519: 516: 473: 471: 461: 449: 438: 372: 366: 265: 254: 248: 245: 202: 200: 186: 170: 159: 147:Charles Thomson 100:Lawyer, Scholar 84: 83:, United States 78: 74: 65: 56: 50: 48: 40: 24: 17: 12: 11: 5: 711: 709: 701: 700: 695: 690: 685: 680: 675: 670: 665: 660: 650: 649: 646: 645: 640: 633: 630: 627: 626: 615: 603: 602: 600: 597: 593: 592: 578: 577: 538: 537: 452: 450: 443: 437: 434: 426: 425: 368:Main article: 365: 364:The Great Seal 362: 346:Master of Arts 281:Carrickmacross 267: 266: 173: 171: 164: 158: 155: 139:William Barton 134: 133: 130: 126: 125: 122: 118: 117: 116:Elizabeth Rhea 114: 110: 109: 106: 105:Known for 102: 101: 98: 94: 93: 90: 86: 85: 79: 77:(aged 63) 71: 67: 66: 57: 55:April 11, 1754 46: 42: 41: 34: 26: 25: 23:William Barton 22: 15: 13: 10: 9: 6: 4: 3: 2: 710: 699: 696: 694: 691: 689: 686: 684: 681: 679: 676: 674: 671: 669: 666: 664: 661: 659: 656: 655: 653: 644: 641: 639: 636: 635: 631: 624: 619: 616: 613: 608: 605: 598: 596: 590: 589: 588: 586: 581: 575: 574: 573: 571: 567: 562: 560: 556: 551: 549: 545: 534: 531: 523: 520:November 2022 512: 509: 505: 502: 498: 495: 491: 488: 484: 481: –  480: 476: 475:Find sources: 469: 465: 459: 458: 453:This section 451: 447: 442: 441: 435: 433: 431: 423: 422: 421: 419: 414: 412: 408: 404: 400: 396: 392: 387: 385: 381: 380:United States 377: 371: 363: 361: 359: 355: 351: 347: 343: 339: 334: 332: 328: 324: 319: 317: 313: 309: 305: 301: 296: 294: 290: 286: 282: 278: 274: 263: 260: 252: 249:November 2022 241: 238: 234: 231: 227: 224: 220: 217: 213: 210: –  209: 205: 204:Find sources: 198: 194: 190: 184: 183: 179: 174:This section 172: 168: 163: 162: 156: 154: 152: 148: 144: 140: 131: 127: 123: 119: 115: 111: 107: 103: 99: 97:Occupation(s) 95: 91: 87: 82: 72: 68: 64: 60: 47: 43: 38: 32: 27: 20: 618: 607: 594: 584: 582: 579: 565: 563: 554: 552: 541: 526: 517: 507: 500: 493: 486: 474: 462:Please help 457:verification 454: 427: 415: 388: 383: 376:coat-of-arms 373: 357: 337: 335: 320: 297: 273:Philadelphia 270: 255: 246: 236: 229: 222: 215: 203: 187:Please help 175: 143:Pennsylvania 138: 137: 75:(1817-10-21) 59:Philadelphia 688:1817 deaths 683:1754 births 316:Netherlands 157:Early years 89:Nationality 652:Categories 599:References 570:John Adams 490:newspapers 219:newspapers 51:1754-04-11 430:President 275:, in the 176:does not 149:) of the 129:Relatives 378:for the 312:heraldry 293:Benjamin 121:Children 92:American 39:painting 632:Sources 504:scholar 308:England 233:scholar 197:removed 182:sources 506:  499:  492:  485:  477:  235:  228:  221:  214:  206:  113:Spouse 511:JSTOR 497:books 391:eagle 240:JSTOR 226:books 483:news 212:news 180:any 178:cite 70:Died 45:Born 546:'s 466:by 191:by 654:: 420:: 386:. 360:. 333:. 318:. 153:. 61:, 533:) 527:( 522:) 518:( 508:· 501:· 494:· 487:· 460:. 262:) 256:( 251:) 247:( 237:· 230:· 223:· 216:· 199:. 185:. 53:) 49:(

Index


Charles Willson Peale
Philadelphia
Province of Pennsylvania
Lancaster, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
Charles Thomson
Great Seal of the United States

cite
sources
improve this section
adding citations to reliable sources
removed
"William Barton" heraldist
news
newspapers
books
scholar
JSTOR
Learn how and when to remove this message
Philadelphia
Province of Pennsylvania
Carrickmacross
Norristown, Pennsylvania
David Rittenhouse
Benjamin
Lancaster, Pennsylvania
American War of Independence
England

Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.