The Flagon and Trencher:
Descendants of Colonial Tavern Keepers
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The Flagon and Trencher:
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To establish the good repute of colonial tavern keepers through:
Those persons, either male or female, who can prove direct descent from a person conducting a tavern, inn, ordinary, or other type of hostelry prior to 4 July 1776 (within the area which became the first 13 states). There is no age restriction for members. Please enroll your children and grandchildren!
In colonial times, taverns, ordinaries, pubs and other hostelries were usually kept in a person's home and no other building existed for this purpose. Therefore, the majority of the "taverns" as we think of them in that time probably did not have names. In smaller municipalities named taverns were probably not the rule. In larger ones the taverns had names to distinguish them apart.
The key to establishing membership is proving that your ancestor was licensed by the local authority to conduct the business of keeping an ordinary, hostelry, inn or hotel or licensed to sell spirituous liquors. The name of the establishment is not necessary. Brewers do not qualify. [top]
During a speech on "Genealogical Sources of the Philadelphia Area" delivered at the National Genealogical Society in March 1962, Walter Lee Sheppard, Jr., remarked parenthetically that there seemed to be lineage societies for all kinds of ancestors except tavern keepers. Suggested Kenn Stryker-Rodda from the audience, "let's found one." Enough persons heard of the idea to prompt Kenn's sending a letter dated 1 September 1963 suggesting "an annual dinner at an old inn, with colonial menu (solid and liquid) spiced with learned and witty addresses on suitable topics, as the focus for the Society." It was Lee who dubbed the organization "Flagon and Trencher."
Shepard and Stryker-Rodda were surprised by the response, but saw the feasibility of creating an organization that would not be bound by the usual rigid rules and regulations of other organizations, but would make it possible for interested persons to establish their ancestry from a tavern- inn- or ordinary-keeper who was in business during the colonial period.
The December 1963 issue of the National Genealogical Society Quarterly carried an announcement stating the requirements for membership. In the two years that followed, many applications were received. Although it was suspected by Shepard and Stryker-Rodda that membership would probably be small, by early 1965 it became evident to them that there was more interest in the Society than initially anticipated.
The first dinner meeting was held on 21 May 1965 at Frances Tavern in New York City . At that time there were twenty charter members and thirty-two other qualified members, whose applications had been carefully checked. More than half of the members attended the meeting. It was at this meeting that the name of the Society was formally chosen by its membership. It was also decided that a different host, with the title of "Mine Host," would be chosen for each future annual meeting. A constitution and by-laws were drafted soon thereafter, based on the many suggestions of the membership.
The second meeting was held 20 May 1967, at which time the constitution and bylaws were adopted and a design for the Society's insignia was chosen. The name of the Society is "FLAGON AND TRENCHER: Descendants of Colonial Tavern Keepers." The insignia is a tavern sign bearing the design of a flagon and a trencher with two wooden spoons and the name FLAGON and TRENCHER.
By 1973, there were more than 75 members, nearly half of whom attended the annual meeting at General Wayne Inn in Narbeth, PA. This meeting marked the beginning of an even greater interest in the Society, for in that year alone 35 new members were added. In 1974, the membership increased by 42 more, and in the year 2002, the Society reached a membership of more than 1,000. All told, the Society's members have numbered over 1,300; nearly 250 supplemental applications have been filed, and the membership thus far has honored more than 700 colonial tavernkeepers.
Throughout this growth the Society has been led by a remarkably small number of officers. You can see their names and a brief tribute in thanks for their contributions.
In the year 2002 James Raywalt, only the third person to hold the office of Keeper of Tavern Records in the Society's 40-year history, developed three special-recognition awards. The first, known as the Flagon Award, is an engraved pewter flagon, awarded to a member who has contributed substsantially to the growth and maintenance of the Society. The second, known as the Trencher Award, is a lapel clutch-pin in the design of a trencher, awarded to individuals who serve as Mine Host for an annual meeting, or who in some other way provide a valuable service to the Society. Both awards are accompanied by a certificate of appreciation. The third award is a carved wooden plaque bearing the Society's insignia, and is presented in gratitude to the Tavern or Inn that hosts an annual meeting of the Society. [top]
The annual meeting shall take place in the first half of the year at such time and place as shall be determined by the Keeper of the Tavern Records and the MineHost/Mine Hostess for the year.
Each year we meet for luncheon in a colonial tavern. We enjoy an authentic meal and entertainment worthy of our ancestors. Each meeting since 2003 has links to a slide show of photographs. [top]
We have published twelve small volumes of biographies of tavern keepers and are in the process of compiling Volume XIII. See their Tables of Contents. These are all available for purchase.
Reba Masterson Shepard's Index to Volumes I Through X, The Flagon and Trencher, Descendants of Colonial Tavern Keepers (Stuart, FL: the author, 1995), is accessible at the Family History Library in Salt Lake City or via microfilm loan through its regional Family History Centers. The film number is 2055233, item 6.
The list of the 633 established taverners of our members is still available. The date of the list is December 2000. It is by no means a complete list of all taverners, just those who have been named as qualifying ancestors for either primary or supplemental memberships in our Society.
To obtain this list please use our merchandise order form. Better yet, buy two and donate one to your local genealogical library. You might also want to join our record extraction project. [top]
You must fill out the application form with your lineage to a verified tavern-keeper. A copy of the documentation for each fact must be included. "Copy" means either certified copy of a record or photo copy of the original. Do not send original documents. If you are a close relative of a member, then there is a "short form" application.
There is a life membership fee of $75 which includes a nonrefundable examiner’s fee. There are no annual dues. After your membership based on a primary ancestor is established we welcome supplemental applications on other qualified ancestors. The current fee for supplementals is $25.
The first step is to print the application instructions. Then open the application form and save it on your computer. Saving or doing Save As to your computer is imperative! While it may look OK on your browser, you can not properly print it because it is a web page at this point, not a document page. The form is in the "rich text" format for Microsoft Word and many other word processing programs. Fill this out and mail it per the instructions.
When your application is approved you will be able to purchase a handsome membership certificate and the membership pin either with a clutch back or as a miniature medal. [top]