Washington Crossing The Delaware

By: Paul Gardener

Being a ‘collector’ of Staffordshire Pot Lids, which is clearly a malaise the long search for an American lid, ‘Washington Crossing the Delaware’ stems from the 1960’s and the Sister-in-law, the niece of Abe Ball, from Nuneaton, who was known to be the World’s top collector and expert of lids.

This monochrome version is relatively rare and quite valuable and just affordable at £100.

In the mid-1960s a visit to Abe at his pot lid be-walled house was made. Asking what was the most ‘rare’ he proudly revealed Washington Crossing the Delaware. Thus imprinted on the mind for future reference!

Over the past few years lids have become more affordable via eBay listings resulting in a personal collection of over 250.

Washington Crossing the Delaware records this ominous moment symbolising America’s predicament after a disastrous defeat in New York when His rag-tag army fled South.

The ‘Passage of the Delaware’ led to him taking Trenton, New Jersey, a supreme moment in the American Revolution.

Later to be American president George Washington is probably the most well-known freemason from history. He was initiated into freemasonry in Fredericksburg, Virginia in November 1752.

Born into a middle class, plantation-owning family in 1732, by the time he turned 20 Washington was beginning to climb the civic, landowning and military ranks.

He was made a mason in Fredericksburg lodge which had first met only a few weeks before his initiation.

It was not affiliated to any grand lodge at the time but in 1758 it was granted a charter by the Grand Lodge of Scotland.

Young Washington attended the lodge only twice after his initiation and no record of any masonic activity on his part until 1777 when he was asked to be the first Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Virginia.

He demonstrated his renowned humility by declining the offer, but it marked a renewal in his freemasonry about the time of the Revolutionary War when he joined a lodge at Alexandria, Virginia in 1782 and took part in masonic processions.

George Washington’s military exploits are legendary as the commander-in-chief of the Continental Army, including crossing of the Delaware River, which occurred on the night of December 25/26, 1776, during the American Revolutionary War.

This was the first move in a complex and surprise military manoeuvre organized by Washington, which culminated in their attack on Hessian forces garrisoned at Trenton.

Hessians being German mercenaries hired by the British.

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Artist Emanuel Leutze famous depiction of Washington Crossing the Delaware is the title of three 1851 oil-on-canvas paintings.

The paintings commemorate General George Washington’s crossing of the Delaware River with the Continental Army on the night of December 25–26, 1776, during the American Revolutionary War.

Washington and his troops successfully attacked the Hessian forces in the Battle of Trenton early on the morning of December 26, 1776.

The military campaign was organized in great secrecy by Washington, who led a column of Continental Army troops from Bucks County, Pennsylvania across the icy Delaware River, New Jersey in what was one of the War’s most logistically challenging and dangerous operations, muffling the oars of the boats to avoid detection.

Other planned crossings in support of the operation were either called off or ineffective, but this did not prevent Washington from surprising and defeating the Hessian troops encamped in Trenton under the command of Johann Rall.

After prevailing in the Battle of Trenton, Washington and his Continental Army troops crossed the Delaware River again, returning to Pennsylvania with Hessian prisoners and military stores taken in the battle.

The main force of British troops returned to New York for the winter season, and they left their allied Hessian troops in New Jersey under the command of Colonels Rall and Von Donop.

Both colonels were ordered to form small outposts in and around Trenton. The British general then sent troops under the command of Charles Cornwallis across the Hudson River, where they chased Washington and his troops across New Jersey.

By then Washington’s army was shrinking because of expiring enlistments and desertions. The remaining troops were suffering from poor morale because of the defeats in the New York area. Most of Washington’s army returned across the Delaware River into Pennsylvania north of Trenton, destroying all boats for miles in both directions.

General George Washington’s exploits gave rise to the ‘urban myth’ about him returning Masonic Regalia and a Book of Constitution to the British troops left in an encampment after a skirmish under a flag of truce accompanied by an escort and a guard of honour.

The connection to General the 1st Marquess Charles Cornwallis cannot be ignored as he surrendered to Washington’s forces at Yorktown having been overwhelmed.

This family gave Kent it’s PGM, the 2nd Baron Wykenham Cornwallis 1935-73, and until 1982 for East Kent Province on re-alignment. He was also an accomplished Kent County cricketer.

1st President of America 1788–1789 – The delegates to the Convention anticipated a Washington presidency and left it to him to define the office once elected.

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The state electors under the Constitution voted for the president on February 4, 1789, and Washington suspected that most Republicans had not voted for him.

The mandated March 4 date passed without a Congressional quorum to count the votes, but a quorum was reached on April 5.

The votes were tallied the next day, and Washington won the majority of every state’s electoral votes. He was informed of his election to president by Congressional Secretary Charles Thomson.

John Adams received the next highest number of votes and was elected vice president. Despite feeling “anxious and painful sensations” about leaving Mount Vernon, he departed for New York City on April 16 to be inaugurated.

[Ref: Wikipedia]

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Later a superlative 1797 Washington Masonic Medal was struck, very rare and worth thousands of dollars here the Long-Lost W.W.C. Wilson Specimen Perhaps Unique with Plain Edge depicting on reverse masonic symbols.

George Washington occupies a level all his own in the pantheon of great men in American history.

There is little of his public life that is not known to all citizens of the United States, and he is indeed revered as the “Father of Our Country”.

Freemasons are also able to refer to the first president as Brother Washington. Albeit many of the founding fathers were also Freemasons, along with many other great men down through the ages, Washington stands alone, not only to Freemasons, but to all freedom-loving people in the world.

IMAGE LINKED:  wikimedia Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

In the annuls of recorded history the American Revolutionary War, Washington Crossing the Delaware has other depictions, the relevant one being by Artist Edward Hicks (American, 1780-1849).  Medium Oil on canvas. Framed 34” x 41”.

The pot lid version being ‘H.P. & W.C. TAYLOR, PERFUMERS, PHILADELPHIA’ WASHINGTON CROSSING THE DELAWARE’

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Description: A highly impressive large (over 5″) and exceptionally rare coloured pot lid from this famous Philadelphia perfumer depicting George Washington crossing the Delaware River on horseback on December 26th 1776 during the American Revolutionary War. Superb print quality and excellent colours. Rarely offered for sale and rated as ‘RRRR’ in Mortimer’s Staffordshire pot lid book with a value £2000-£4500.

The epitaph to Abe and His lids being that on His death in the early 1990s he left instructions in his Will that each member of his Family could pick 2 lids as a remembrance of Him.

This offer extended to a few collector friends, one being the widow of a famous TV personality, and collector.

She made a bee-line for Washington displayed in the glass cabinet but later sold it. Years on it is now almost secured but the quest isn’t over! Failure with final auction outbid for the polychrome ‘Washington Crossing The Delaware’ lid.

[Ref: A A Auctions]

IMAGE LINKED:  wikimedia Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

There are no specific masonic lids probably reflecting Freemasonry it being more exclusive and secretive in times past. However, one or two have personages the Craft will recognise with scenes of historical moments, PoW visiting Washington’s tomb in 1860, Initiated 1868 and GM 1875-1901, Then Crowned Edward VII.

Rendered on Prattware pot lids, originally containing medicinal salves and edible pastes like Blancflower, a mason’s, Bloater Paste.

An early precursor to visual promotion and marketing for the discerning consumer.

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