Title

Swan-uppers, Staines, Surrey, c1885

Caption

Swan-uppers, Staines, Surrey, c1885. Swan-uppers from the Dyers' Company pose around the London Stone, in Staines, which marks the limit on the River Thames of the jurisdiction of the City of London. All the swans on the Thames belong to the monarch, with the exception of birds granted to the Dyers' and the Vinters' Companys. Once a year the liveried swan-uppers inspect their adult birds and mark the year's cygnets for ownership. The Dyers' and the Vintners' Companies are now the only owners of private swans on the Thames, the Worshipful Company of Dyers marking theirs with a nick on one side of the beak, and the Worshipful Company of Vintners marking theirs with a nick on each side.

Date

1885

Credit line

Photo12/Heritage Images

Reference

HRM19A79_231

Model release

No

License type

Rights managed

Available size

56,8Mb (1,4Mb) / 17,0in x 12,9in / 5111 x 3883 (300dpi)

Keywords

river England River Thames Thames people male man men trade guy geography century guild Surrey B&W MONOCHROME 19th century black & white black and white B W nineteenth century English Heritage Dyers' Company geographical feature Livery Company London Stone Staines swan-upper swan-upping TGN Vintners' Company photograph Henry Taunt HW Taunt Taunt Henry photograph