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Published
by
William Francis Galvin
Secretary of the Commonwealth
Public Records Division
One Ashburton Place, Room 1719
Boston, Massachusetts 02108
Telephone: (617) 727-2832
Fax: (617) 727-5914
Updated
12/9/99 |
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The
first seal of the MA Bay Colony |
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Seals,
such as those that appear on documents certified by the Secretary
of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, have a long history and were
mentioned even in the Bible. They were widely used many centuries
ago because most persons, even of high rank and wealth, did not
read or write. Acceptance of a document was signified by making an
impression of one's coat of arms into a blob of soft wax, usually
with an engraved signet ring. There was a general reluctance to
affix seals to documents unless absolute certainty of the contents
could be confirmed. This eventually led to the idea that documents
of state and other important personal papers, such as deeds,
should contain a seal that bore witness to their authenticity.
In 1629, King Charles I granted a charter to the Massachusetts Bay
Colony, which included the authority to use a seal. It featured an
Indian holding an arrow pointed down in a gesture of peace, with
the words "Come over and help us," emphasizing the
missionary and commercial intentions of the original colonists.
This seal was used until 1686, shortly after the charter was
annulled, and again from 1689-1692.
From 1686 to 1689 Governor Edmund Andros used a seal with two
sides, one side showing King James II with an Englishman and
Indian kneeling in front of him, the other side showing the lion
and unicorn of the royal coat of arms. When the Province of
Massachusetts began in 1692, the royal coat of arms of England,
combined with a motto specific to the reigning monarch, became the
official seal. Royal governors affixed their personal seals to
commissions issued to officers in the military service.
When the conflict between the province and England began in 1775,
General Thomas Gage, the royal governor, had custody of the
province seal. As his authority was no longer recognized by the
province it became necessary to establish a new public seal. The
General Court passed an order on July 28, 1775, appointing a
committee to consider "what is necessary to be done relative
to a Colony Seal." The design adopted was that of an
English-American man holding the Magna Carta. The seal was
engraved by Paul Revere, whose original signed bill for the work
is located in the Massachusetts Archives. A motto in Latin was
also chosen - "Ense petit placidam sub libertate quietem"
- which remains the motto of the Commonwealth today. Freely
translated this means, "By the sword we seek peace, but peace
only under liberty." It was written about 1659 and is
attributed to the famous English patriot, Algernon Sydney.
Soon after its first meeting under the Massachusetts Constitution,
the state legislature appointed a committee "to consider
& determine upon a Seal for this Commonwealth." A month
later, on December 13, 1780, the Council and Governor John Hancock
accepted Nathan Cushing's design for a new seal. Paul Revere was
once again commissioned to engrave the seal, which returned to its
original design of a native American Indian. Revere presented his
bill on December 23, 1780 - the signed original is located at the
Massachusetts Archives. The Council provided only a casual
description of how the seal should look, so subsequent engravers
varied the appearance of the seal.
It was not until June 4, 1885, that the legislature prescribed the
seal in its present form. According to St.1885, c. 288:
The great seal of the Commonwealth shall be circular in form,
and shall bear upon its face a representation of the arms of the
Commonwealth, with an inscription round about such representation,
consisting of the words "Sigillum Reipublicae
Massachusettensis"; but the colors of such arms shall not be
an essential part of said seal, and an impression from a engraved
seal according to said design, on any commission, paper or
document of any kind, shall be valid to all intents and purposes
whether such colors, or the representation of such colors by the
customary heraldic lines or marks, be employed or not.
The arms, which form the central part of the Great Seal
...shall consist of a shield, whereof the field or surface is
blue, and thereon an Indian dressed in his shirt and moccasins,
holding in his right hand a bow, and in his left hand an arrow,
point downward, all of gold; and in the upper corner above his
right arm, a silver star with five points. The crest shall be a
wreath of blue and gold, whereon is a right arm, bent at the
elbow, and clothed and ruffled, the hand grasping a broadsword,
all of gold. The motto shall be "Ense petit placidam sub
libertate quietem."
Starting in 1894 there was an attempt to provide a more accurate
representation of the appearance of the Indian on the Great Seal.
Secretary of the Commonwealth William M. Olin consulted various
ethnologists, and the Indian was redesigned within the
restrictions of the 1780 and 1885 laws. In 1898, Edmund H.
Garrett's design was made the official representation of the coat
of arms for the state, according to St. 1898, c. 519:
The coat-of-arms as drawn and emblazoned under the direction of
the present secretary of the Commonwealth, and now deposited in
the office of said secretary, is hereby adopted and declared to be
the official representation of the coat-of-arms of the
Commonwealth of Massachusetts, and all designs of said
coat-of-arms for official use shall conform strictly to said
representation.
The Great Seal is in the custody of the Secretary of the
Commonwealth, who is required by the Constitution to affix an
impression of it to all commissions (official appointments) issued
in the name of the Commonwealth. The use of the coat of arms and
the Great Seal of the Commonwealth for advertising or commercial
purposes is prohibited by law. In addition to commissions, all
records certified by the Secretary must bear the Great Seal.
Permission to use the coat of arms and the Great Seal must be
obtained from the Secretary of the Commonwealth. Contact the
Public Records Division at 617-727-2832 with any questions
regarding appropriate uses. |
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Governor
Andros' seal
(sides 1 & 2)
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"By the sword we seek peace,
but peace only under liberty"
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Engravers'
variations on the Seal - 1870s
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Seal
used prior to 1898
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The Great
Seal today |
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