William Barton (heraldist)
Encyclopedia
William Barton was a Pennsylvania
lawyer, scholar, and the designer (with Charles Thomson
) of the Great Seal of the United States
.
. His father, Rev. Thomas Barton was an Irish immigrant from Carrickmacross
who had opened a school near Norristown, Pennsylvania
in 1751. His mother was Esther Rittenhouse, sister of astronomer David Rittenhouse
, for whom William would later write a biography. William's brother, Benjamin Smith Barton, would later become known for his work as a botanist.
William grew up in Lancaster, Pennsylvania
. In 1775, with the American War of Independence under way, he went to England
, where he studied heraldry
. During his time in Europe, he also met some of his maternal relatives in the Netherlands
.
He returned to Pennsylvania in 1779 and was admitted to the bar of the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania
, setting up a practice in Philadelphia. In 1781, he married Elizabeth Rhea, niece of Continental Congressman Jonathan Bayard Smith
. They had five daughters and four sons, including botanist William P.C. Barton
.
It was also in 1781 that Barton published Observations on the Nature and Use of Paper Credit. The same year, the University of Pennsylvania
awarded him an honorary Master of Arts
degree, and in 1785, the College of New Jersey (later known as Princeton University
) followed suit. In 1786, Barton published The True Interests of the United States and particularly of Pennsylvania considered with Respect to the Advantages Resulting from a State Paper Money.
. He drafted what he called Device for an Armorial Atchievement for the United States of North America, blazoned agreeably to the Laws of Heraldry.
He introduced an eagle
with wings "displayed", an element that Secretary of the Continental Congress
Charles Thomson greatly emphasized in the final proposal. The new design for the reverse of the seal incorporated the Eye of Providence
atop a pyramid of thirteen steps. This combined the influence of Pierre Eugene du Simitiere
, who had included the Eye of Providence in his designs for the First Great Seal Committee, with that of Francis Hopkinson
, who had consulted for the Second Great Seal Committee, and who had included a similar pyramid in his 1778 design for the Continental Currency. On June 20, the design, as amended and expanded by Thomson, was adopted by the Continental Congress.
On the subject of heraldry, Barton wrote a 1788 letter to General George Washington
:
In 1789, Washington (who had since been elected President
) nominated Barton as a Judge of the Western Territory. Barton declined the appointment.
's American Philosophical Society
. In 1791, his uncle, David Rittenhouse, became the Society's second president, after Franklin's death in 1790.
By 1800, William moved back to Lancaster. In 1802, he published a lengthy treatise entitled 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. He dedicated this work to Thomas Jefferson
, who was the President of the United States at the time, as well as the president of the American Philosophical Society.
In 1813, he published Memoirs of the life of David Rittenhouse. Jefferson had already subscribed for six copies. Former President John Adams
, who received a copy of the book from Barton, wrote in an 1814 letter to Jefferson:
Barton proposed an ambitious series of biographies, to be published in three volumes a year under the title, 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. He described his intention for this project:
He died in Lancaster on October 21, 1817 before the project could be realized.
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
lawyer, scholar, and the designer (with Charles Thomson
Charles Thomson
Charles Thomson was a Patriot leader in Philadelphia during the American Revolution and the secretary of the Continental Congress throughout its existence.-Biography:...
) of the Great Seal of the United States
Great Seal of the United States
The Great Seal of the United States is used to authenticate certain documents issued by the United States federal government. The phrase is used both for the physical seal itself , and more generally for the design impressed upon it...
.
Family and Education
William Barton was born April 11, 1754 in Philadelphia, PennsylvaniaPhiladelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Philadelphia County, with which it is coterminous. The city is located in the Northeastern United States along the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers. It is the fifth-most-populous city in the United States,...
. His father, Rev. Thomas Barton was an Irish immigrant from Carrickmacross
Carrickmacross
Carrickmacross or Carrickmacros is a town in County Monaghan, Ireland. The town and environs had a population of 4,387 according to the 2006 census, making it the second largest town in the county. The town won the prestigious European Entente Florale Silver Medal Award. It is a market town which...
who had opened a school near Norristown, Pennsylvania
Norristown, Pennsylvania
Norristown is a municipality in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, northwest of the city limits of Philadelphia, on the Schuylkill River. The population was 34,324 as of the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Montgomery County...
in 1751. His mother was Esther Rittenhouse, sister of astronomer David Rittenhouse
David Rittenhouse
David Rittenhouse was a renowned American astronomer, inventor, clockmaker, mathematician, surveyor, scientific instrument craftsman and public official...
, for whom William would later write a biography. William's brother, Benjamin Smith Barton, would later become known for his work as a botanist.
William grew up in Lancaster, Pennsylvania
Lancaster, Pennsylvania
Lancaster is a city in the south-central part of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. It is the county seat of Lancaster County and one of the older inland cities in the United States, . With a population of 59,322, it ranks eighth in population among Pennsylvania's cities...
. In 1775, with the American War of Independence under way, he went to England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, where he studied heraldry
Heraldry
Heraldry is the profession, study, or art of creating, granting, and blazoning arms and ruling on questions of rank or protocol, as exercised by an officer of arms. Heraldry comes from Anglo-Norman herald, from the Germanic compound harja-waldaz, "army commander"...
. During his time in Europe, he also met some of his maternal relatives in the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
.
He returned to Pennsylvania in 1779 and was admitted to the bar of the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania
Supreme Court of Pennsylvania
The Supreme Court of Pennsylvania is the court of last resort for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. It meets in Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, and Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.-History:...
, setting up a practice in Philadelphia. In 1781, he married Elizabeth Rhea, niece of Continental Congressman Jonathan Bayard Smith
Jonathan Bayard Smith
Jonathan Bayard Smith was an American merchant from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He served as a delegate for Pennsylvania to the Continental Congress in 1777 and 1778...
. They had five daughters and four sons, including botanist William P.C. Barton
William P.C. Barton
William Paul Crillon Barton , was a medical botanist, physician, professor, naval surgeon, and botanical illustrator.-History:...
.
It was also in 1781 that Barton published Observations on the Nature and Use of Paper Credit. The same year, the University of Pennsylvania
University of Pennsylvania
The University of Pennsylvania is a private, Ivy League university located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Penn is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States,Penn is the fourth-oldest using the founding dates claimed by each institution...
awarded him an honorary Master of Arts
Master of Arts (postgraduate)
A Master of Arts from the Latin Magister Artium, is a type of Master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The M.A. is usually contrasted with the M.S. or M.Sc. degrees...
degree, and in 1785, the College of New Jersey (later known as Princeton University
Princeton University
Princeton University is a private research university located in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. The school is one of the eight universities of the Ivy League, and is one of the nine Colonial Colleges founded before the American Revolution....
) followed suit. In 1786, Barton published The True Interests of the United States and particularly of Pennsylvania considered with Respect to the Advantages Resulting from a State Paper Money.
The Great Seal
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 coat-of-arms for the United StatesUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. He drafted what he called Device for an Armorial Atchievement for the United States of North America, blazoned agreeably to the Laws of Heraldry.
He introduced an eagle
Eagle
Eagles are members of the bird family Accipitridae, and belong to several genera which are not necessarily closely related to each other. Most of the more than 60 species occur in Eurasia and Africa. Outside this area, just two species can be found in the United States and Canada, nine more in...
with wings "displayed", an element that Secretary of the Continental Congress
Continental Congress
The Continental Congress was a convention of delegates called together from the Thirteen Colonies that became the governing body of the United States during the American Revolution....
Charles Thomson greatly emphasized in the final proposal. The new design for the reverse of the seal incorporated the Eye of Providence
Eye of Providence
The Eye of Providence is a symbol showing an eye often surrounded by rays of light or a glory and usually enclosed by a triangle...
atop a pyramid of thirteen steps. This combined the influence of Pierre Eugene du Simitiere
Pierre Eugene du Simitiere
Pierre Eugene du Simitiere , born Pierre-Eugène Ducimetière , was a philosopher, member of the American Philosophical Society, naturalist, American patriot, and portrait painter...
, who had included the Eye of Providence in his designs for the First Great Seal Committee, with that of Francis Hopkinson
Francis Hopkinson
Francis Hopkinson , an American author, was one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence as a delegate from New Jersey. He later served as a federal judge in Pennsylvania...
, who had consulted for the Second Great Seal Committee, and who had included a similar pyramid in his 1778 design for the Continental Currency. On June 20, the design, as amended and expanded by Thomson, was adopted by the Continental Congress.
On the subject of heraldry, Barton wrote a 1788 letter to General George Washington
George Washington
George Washington was the dominant military and political leader of the new United States of America from 1775 to 1799. He led the American victory over Great Britain in the American Revolutionary War as commander-in-chief of the Continental Army from 1775 to 1783, and presided over the writing of...
:
- I am likewise persuaded, Sir, that Blazonry not only merits the notice of an inquisitive mind, viewed merely as an affectative science; but that Coat-Armour, the Object of it, may be rendered conducive to both public and private uses, of considerable importance, in this infant nation, now rising into greatness;
In 1789, Washington (who had since been elected President
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
) nominated Barton as a Judge of the Western Territory. Barton declined the appointment.
Later publications
In 1787, Barton was elected to Benjamin FranklinBenjamin Franklin
Dr. Benjamin Franklin was one of the Founding Fathers of the United States. A noted polymath, Franklin was a leading author, printer, political theorist, politician, postmaster, scientist, musician, inventor, satirist, civic activist, statesman, and diplomat...
's American Philosophical Society
American Philosophical Society
The American Philosophical Society, founded in 1743, and located in Philadelphia, Pa., is an eminent scholarly organization of international reputation, that promotes useful knowledge in the sciences and humanities through excellence in scholarly research, professional meetings, publications,...
. In 1791, his uncle, David Rittenhouse, became the Society's second president, after Franklin's death in 1790.
By 1800, William moved back to Lancaster. In 1802, he published a lengthy treatise entitled 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. He dedicated this work to Thomas Jefferson
Thomas Jefferson
Thomas Jefferson was the principal author of the United States Declaration of Independence and the Statute of Virginia for Religious Freedom , the third President of the United States and founder of the University of Virginia...
, who was the President of the United States at the time, as well as the president of the American Philosophical Society.
In 1813, he published Memoirs of the life of David Rittenhouse. Jefferson had already subscribed for six copies. Former President John Adams
John Adams
John Adams was an American lawyer, statesman, diplomat and political theorist. A leading champion of independence in 1776, he was the second President of the United States...
, who received a copy of the book from Barton, wrote in an 1814 letter to Jefferson:
- 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.
Barton proposed an ambitious series of biographies, to be published in three volumes a year under the title, 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. He described his intention for this project:
- 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.
He died in Lancaster on October 21, 1817 before the project could be realized.