Hi Cru
I’ve never seen a similar button but I agree it doesn’t look to be livery… or at least not family livery (for which the Pocock and the Simpson families would have been among the possibilities). One thing for sure is that it’s a Union flag including the saltire of St Patrick (for Ireland), so it has to be 1801 or later and the motto is generically patriotic to the extent it may not have any specific heritage.
Good point about the 1801 date didn't think of that but didn't think it was pre-1800 either.
I have three thoughts.
1. It may be a patriotic pro-Royal button produced in celebration of the Act of Union that created the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland (1st January 1801).
May be
2. It may be a privately-issued Local Volunteer/Militia button, in which case it would most likely be between 1801 and about 1815 at the latest. In general, the raising and funding of local volunteers by landed gentry and other wealthy individuals was an overt act of patriotic loyalty to King and Country. It also wasn’t unusual for those who raised such units to transfer elements of their family heraldy or mottoes to the ‘insignia’ of the unit (so that still leaves the possibility of a family heraldry connection).
This is my best guess.
For example there’s a silver presentation teapot relating to the Westmorland East and West Wards Local Militia at the link below which has the same motto (
presumed by Christies to have been the motto of the Regiment at the time) but with other heraldic elements.
https://www.christies.com/en/lot/lot-4836377 -
Yes saw that, pity it didn't tie up with my button. The Westmoreland Militias didn't have time type, as far as I'm aware.
3. Although unlikely to be a family livery button, I wouldn’t rule our company livery. There is for example a very tenuous connection to the Mercer’s Livery Company that began life as a benevolent association for cloth merchants in London, also later having a church and a school. In 1890 the Company sought to expand the school and, the following year, acquired the premises of Barnard’s Inn in Holborn. It was also known as Mackworth's Inn since it had formerly been a Chancery, belonging (in the time of Henry VI) to Dr. John Mackworth, Dean of Lincoln. The arms of the inn, seen both inside and outside the building were those of Mackworth: party per pale, indented ermine and sable, a chevron gules fretted or with the motto “Regi Regnoque Fidelis”. I doubt the button is as late as 1891 though, there’s no heraldic similarity, and I can find no evidence for the school using the motto. I don’t think there’s much mileage in that suggestion, but more an indication that the motto has a long history of usage.
Maybe link with a company, but doesn't feel right.
If I were a betting person, my money would be on #1… a patriotic button likely produced around 1801 or soon after.
I'm going with No.2 at this point.
