French Trade Axe markings and identification (page 1)

Markings and identification (Page 1)

Carl P. Russell states:"... not all historic axes were marked, but more than a few bear names, symbols, and signs, as well as a variety of decorations. Sometimes it is difficult to identify the smith's "touch marks" or trade symbols among the miscellany of decorative filed lines, cusps, and notches; the mixtures of scratch work, scrollwork, and floral engravings; the stamped diamonds, hearts, crescents, crosses, stars, and chevrons; and the variety of inlays-silver, brass, pewter, and copper-featuring round or oval - discs, crescents, bands, circles, triangles, diamonds, and hearts. In a very few instances the inlays are gold."²

Occasionally the workmanship on these decorations bespeak the skill of master crafts men; more often they are crude and tell of the enthusiasm of smiths who were capable in forging but unpracticed in engraving. The dies and punches used by many blacksmiths gave fairly uniform results, however, and some axe makers attained pleasing results through simple stamping of designs on their products. A few of these artificers adopted a given pattern of ornamentation and repeated it on axe after axe, thereby establishing something of a trade- mark; the greater number, however, seem to have regarded each axe to be an entity in itself, and there is little rhyme or reason to their ornamentation. "Touch marks," on the other hand, were punched into the axe with steel dies adopted by the smiths somewhat as personal signatures. No one has devised a key yet for the identification of the blacksmiths who made these marks.

Most trade axes found on archaeological sites were manufactured in France. The sites where trade axes were found coincides exactly with the areas where French influence was felt : Saint-Lawrence valley, the Richelieu and the Lac Champlain region, the Great-Lakes region, south of the Mississippi, etc. In isolated cases, a few were found on the east coast of the United States: the simplest explanation would be that there must of been in those areas provisional or secondary trade routes for the French trade.

Studying "Touch marks" or "stamps" on trade axes shows us that there are variances in the detail. From this, we can deduce that European blacksmiths each had their own stamp and it is possible that each stamp would undergo a control process by the corporation. In New-France, this was quite different in that the corporation guidelines or rules controlling "les arts et métiers" weren't applied as such with the exception of surgeons.

As Kenneth Kidd reported in the excavation of Ste. Marie (Archeological French site dating from 1639-1649):

The marks themselves appeared to have been made with a punch die; consequently the impressions vary a good deal in depth and in clarity, depending upon the condition of the die and the force of the blow struck. A study of the marks reveals that they varied in detail; the inference being that each maker had his own mark. It may be, however, that the individual maker used a mark con- trolled by the guild to which he belonged. At any rate the axes from Ste Marie bore eight, or possibly nine, distinct marks (See Fig. 1)

(These Marks were stamped on trade axe found on the Ste. Marie site dating from 1639 to 1649 )

For isolating these, there are but two criteria, design and diameter. The designs may, of course, vary considerably or may approximate each other so closely as to be almost indistinguishable. In such a case, they may sometimes be isolated on the basis of diameter of punch marks, since it would almost be beyond the bounds of probability that two punches used by the same smith would be identical. These axes were indubitably of French manufacture, and the marks they bore were those of French artisans or guilds, as the case may be, of the seventeenth century. They conformed in shape to one general pattern, from which variations were insignificant and few. Size was more variable than shape, for the smallest in the collection was 6 3/4 inches long by 3 inches wide and the largest 8 5/8 inches long by 3 5/8 inches wide. Length-width ratios were not constant however; one specimen, only 7 5/8 inches long, had a maximum width of 4 1/4 inches.

Compared with our modern axes in form, they differed in several important respects.

Most important perhaps was the angle at which the handle was set. Whereas modern axes have curved handles and bits almost parallel to the back of the head, the product of France, and of Europe, in the seventeenth century, had a bit which curved upward and inward towards the handle, which in addition was straight. The tool must have been decidedly unwieldy compared with modern axes.
Secondly, the socket in the trade axe was merely a thin loop of metal at the very top of the tool, providing no counterweight; the efficiency of modern axes is due, in no small measure, to the large and heavy head above the socket.
Finally, in the old axes the far side of the blade was straight and nearly at right angles to the line of the handle, as against the concave sides found on most axes in use at present. ⁴

When we look at the colonial production of trade axes, the "touch marks" or stamp identifies the blacksmith, the trading post, the Fort or the company. As we all know, French Canadians were very catholic and devoted people to the church and so their daily life was surrounded with with religious symbols such as the cross. This might explain in part the large number of trade axes that have a cross like symbol as a "touch mark" or stamp. Another theory would be that stamping religious symbols on Indian trade items would help in the effort of the French in converting Indians to Christianity. The blacksmith at this site in 1645 was Brother Louis Gaubert, although it would be highly presumptuous to assume that all these marks belong to this particular blacksmith. Then the question arises whether they were marked in France by guilds or companies, etc."

All these marks were found on a site dating from 1637 to 1650.

Charles Garrad, founder-member of the Archaeological Society of Western Ontario goes on to state :

"All thirteen iron trade axes bear visible forge marks added during manufacture. The intent, meaning and purpose of the marks is not known They have been described above, and are reproduced as Fig 6. Forge marks, also variously called armourer's, axe, guild, impressed, maker's, punch, stamp, and trade marks on axes elsewhere, have been studied and illustrated by a number of scholars. In recent years some general correlation of mark types and numbers with time has been achieved. At Plater-Martin a number of marks are unique. Arthur Woodward states that there are four marks which occur the most frequently on 17th and 18th century iron axes (Woodward 1946:29) The first of these is the simple two-bar cross In Ontario the two-bar cross mark is reported in a variety of sizes, orientations and numbers and at Ste. Marie. In the Petun Archaeological Zone the simple two-bar cross has been found both singly and in clusters of three within circles of 6, 8, 9, 10 11, 12, 13 and 14 mm. diameter The highest occurrence is a cluster of three 9 mm. crosses, which appears on 20% of the known Petun area axes... (Axe #88. q. Y., is an anomaly if the supposition is correct that the mark is later than the axe)." ⁵

Often, the top of poll pushed in a number of axes Kenyon (1992) has recorded are like this. "Speculations : the axe started to come loose from the haft a hefty blow or so on the top of the poll should make it secure."⁵

Here is a great illustration by Thomas Kenyon of all the recorded armourer's marks on 17th century French trade axes found in Ontario.

Types of trade axes

There are generally two types of early French trade axes to be found in museums or in private collections in and around North America.

Russel Bouchard states in his book that the first type of trade axe, type "A", was made in France and then brought over on ships to the colonies to be trade with the Indians or to be used as a tool by the French.
The second type of axe, type "B", was most likely made by local blacksmiths in the colonies (Acadia, Montréal, Québec, Trois-Rivières, Detroit, Michilimakinac etc.)

*Russel Bouchard, 1976, Les armes de traite. Sillery (Québec), Boréal Express, 118p. (with permisson to publish by Russel Bouchard, 2004)

Here is a typical example of a "Type A" trade axe.

"Touch marks" or stamps	Examples
Touchmark of the "Anciens Jésuites". Collected in the Saguenay region of Québec, Canada. ¹	Musée du Saguenay Collection, Chicoutimi, Québec, Canada.
Axe recovered in 1962 at the bottom of the Richelieu River adjacent to Ft. Lennox carried a Fleur-de-lys stamp. (Québec, Canada)	Private Collection, Canada.
Touchmarks of this type were found on axes collected in the Saguenay region of Québec, Canada and on the Ste.Marie site in Ontario, Canada. ¹ Marks were stamped on trade axe found on the Ste. Marie site dating from 1639 to 1649 (Midland, Ontario) This encircled double cross appears on a large trade ax exhumed in the Border Lakes country and now preserved in the Paipoonge Museum, Slate River Valley, Ontario, north of Grand Portage (Elt Davis, National Park Service) .² Iron Axe Mark from Protohistoric and Early Historic Onondaga Sites (1500-1655)⁶ Iron Axe Mark from Protohistoric and Early Historic Onondaga Sites (1500-1655)⁶ Touch marks on trade axes from the vicinity of Hamilton at the head of Lake Ontario. John C. Bonham Collection, Walkerville, Ontario.² Iron Axe Mark from Protohistoric and Early Historic Onondaga Sites (1500-1655)⁶ Double-cross-in-circle mark appears as multiple stamping on New Hampshire specimens, New Hampshire Historical Society, Con- cord, and on several axes recovered at Nelson, New York (Beau- champ: Metallic Implements, p. 65).²	Musée du Saguenay Collection, Chicoutimi, Québec, Canada. French trade axe Near Craigleith, southern Georgian Bay, Ontario 17th century length: 16 cm (Gift of Rev. J. M. Goodwillie, Metcalfe, Ontario, 1908) Axe found on Petun Indian site near Collingwood, Ontario (1637-1650)⁵ Private collection Private collection
This touchmark can be found with or without a cross over it. The older axes bear the cross over the cross in a circle. Touchmark found on axes collected in the Saguenay region of Québec, Canada and on the Ste.Marie site in Ontario, Canada. ¹ Marks were stamped on trade axe found on the Ste. Marie site dating from 1639 to 1649 (Midland, Ontario) Marks were stamped on trade axe found on the Ste. Marie site dating from 1639 to 1649 (Midland, Ontario) Marks were stamped on trade axe found on the Ste. Marie site dating from 1639 to 1649 (Midland, Ontario) Marks were stamped on trade axe found on the Ste. Marie site dating from 1639 to 1649 (Midland, Ontario) (4 marks above) Iron Axe Marks from Protohistoric and Early Historic Onondaga Sites (1500-1655)⁶ A four-lobed single punch mark on an axe collected at Grand Marais, Minnesota.² Axe of Sioux provenance found on the Cook Ranch, Agate, Nebraska. Captain Cook Collection, Agate.² Extra-large cross-in-circle found on an axe recovered on the Kirkpatrick farm, Livingston County, New York. The specimen is of Iroquois provenance. No.23885, New York State Museum, Albany.² Cross-in-circle mark similar to the New York specimen shown in d, but smaller and in multiple stampings. Numbers of trade axes bearing these marks have been recovered along the Fox and Wolf rivers, Wisconsin, on sites known to have been occupied by Fox Indians during the late seventeenth and early eighteenth centuries. P . V. Lawson asserts that this cross-in-circle is the mark of Utrecht exports-an assertion not supported by known documentary sources (G. A. West: "Aboriginal Pipes," pp. 54-5).² Cross-in-circle. A single stamp appears on a small "French" trade ax and on another larger trade ax stamped three times on each side of the blade; both are from the Buffalo area ( Buffalo Museum) . Curators state: "This symbol indicates Belgian origin." This is not substantiated in known records. The same mark appears on a large ~ "French" ax taken from a burial at Georgian Bay-Wabashee-and on another from Coinsville, Ontario ( Ralph Lewis) . A number of specimens from several New York sites have it.² Four-lobed touch marks on trade ax in the New Hampshire Historical Society, Concord. It is one of the more common symbols; it appears on an ax plowed up on the shore of Chesuncook Lake near Moosehead, Maine (Abbey Museum, Acadia National Park); on a large ax found at Nelson Flats, Madison County, New York (Beau- champ: Metallic Implements, PI. 23) ; on a small trade ax from Livingston County, New York (New York State Museum); and on a number of axes from Hamilton, Ontario ( J. C. Bonham) .² Illustration of an axe found in Collingwood Ontario (1637-1650). Permission to reproduce these illustrations from author. ⁵ Illustration of an axe found in Collingwood Ontario (1637-1650). Permission to reproduce these illustrations from author. ⁵ Illustration of an axe found in Collingwood Ontario (1637-1650). Permission to reproduce these illustrations from author. ⁵ Illustration of an axe found in Collingwood Ontario (1637-1650). Permission to reproduce these illustrations from author. ⁵ Illustration of an axe found in Collingwood Ontario (1637-1650). Permission to reproduce these illustrations from author. ⁵	Collection J.-Henri Fortin, Québec, Canada. Musée du Saguenay Collection, Chicoutimi, Québec, Canada. These commonly found symbols have been associated with the French Jesuits, particularly in Canada. The center “+” (or cross) is usually raised in relief and in some cases is extra thick. It is often found punched in sets of two or three. The wide cross mark measures 3/8” to 11/16” in diameter in most cases which indicates a single standard size stamp may have been used for it, at least for a time. There is some minor variation due to the depth and position of the stamp. One example of this wide mark cross on a trade axe comes from Newton County, Arkansas from a historic Indian site. It measured 3 ¼” wide and 6 7/8” long. Another example of this same mark in the same size on a trade axe was excavated from Canandaigua Lake area, New York on the Allen Site (1650A.D.). This axe measured 4” wide and 7 7/8” long. ^{34,1, 26}(William Basco collection) Private collection, Canada Trade hatchet, 17th century Forged iron Found at the site of the second Quebec settlement Ministère de la Culture et des Communications du Québec, Archaeological Collection Closeup of the markings on the axe below. Collection Simon Gilbert Private collection Private collection Private collection The shape of this axe head and its asterisk marks were typical of French trade axes of the 17th century. The two marks on the axe suggest that it is of medium size. Axes with three marks were usually larger; those with one mark were smaller. A study of trade axes from southeastern Ontario and northwestern New York Iroquoian archaeological sites dating between 1550 and 1650 determined that of nearly a dozen marks recorded, the asterisk mark was overwhelmingly the most common for the period 1600-1650. It was found on 56% of the axes from sites dating between 1630 and 1650, and was probably also common in the last half of the 17th century. This example was recovered from the vicinity of Seneca Iroquois sites (now Lima, Livingston County, New York) occupied during the early 1600s. Date: circa 1600 - 1700 Topic: Tools Materials: Iron Dimensions: H: 3.25 in.(8.3 cm.), L: 6.25 in.(16.0 cm) Accession #: NYSM #A-28817 Private collection
Five-fingered mark on an axe recovered in the vicinity of the Ackia Battleground, Mississippi. During the late seventeenth and early eighteenth centuries, Indians here were in contact with both English and French traders. Museum of Science and Art, Memphis, Tennessee.²	no example
Touchmark found on axes collected in the Saguenay region of Québec, Canada. ¹ Authors collection	Trade ax of 1615, Mile Strip, town of Fenner. Peculiar trademark. (William M. Beauchamp, Metallic Implements of the New York Indians, New York State Museum, 1902) Illustration from the book « Les haches » of Daniel Boucard. These tow tools were manufactured in France.
Touchmark found on axes collected in the Saguenay region of Québec, Canada. ¹ Marks were stamped on trade axe found on the Ste. Marie site dating from 1639 to 1649 (Midland, Ontario)	Collection Russel Bouchard, Chicoutimi, Québec, Canada. Private collection, Canada
Touchmark found on axes collected in the Saguenay region of Québec, Canada. ¹	This is a common mark found among trade axes of French Jesuit origin. It is usually stamped two or three times. The lines are usually raised and the spaces depressed. (William Basco collection)³ MMM These three letters are incised to the left of a circle divided into a pie with six pieces as shown. This circle with the crosses inside is generally thought to be French in origin. It was found on a trade axe discovered in Putnam County, Ohio. ³
Touchmark found on axes collected in the Saguenay region of Québec, Canada. ¹ Iron Axe Mark from Protohistoric and Early Historic Onondaga Sites (1500-1655)⁶ Marks were stamped on trade axe found on the Ste. Marie site dating from 1639 to 1649 (Midland, Ontario) Marks were stamped on trade axe found on the Ste. Marie site dating from 1639 to 1649 (Midland, Ontario)	Private collection, Canada Simon Gilbert collection, Canada Musée du Saguenay Collection, Chicoutimi, Québec, Canada.
Touchmark found on axes collected in the Saguenay region of Québec, Canada. ¹	Musée du Saguenay Collection, Chicoutimi, Québec, Canada.
Touchmark found on axes collected in the Saguenay region of Québec, Canada. ¹	Musée du Saguenay Collection, Chicoutimi, Québec, Canada.
Touchmark found on axes collected in the Saguenay region of Québec, Canada. ¹	Musée du Saguenay Collection, Chicoutimi, Québec, Canada. Collection Russel Bouchard, Chicoutimi, Québec, Canada.
Touchmark found on axes collected in the Saguenay region of Québec, Canada. ¹	no example
Touchmark of François-Étienne Cugnet (farmer in the domain du Roi from 1719 to 1737) Touchmark found on axes collected in the Saguenay region of Québec, Canada. ¹	Collection J.-Henri Fortin, Québec, Canada.
Touchmark found on axes collected in the Saguenay region of Québec, Canada. ¹	Private collection
Touchmark found on axes collected in the Saguenay region of Québec, Canada. ¹	Collection J.-Henri Fortin, Québec, Canada.