Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania (U.S.) Colonel John Proctor’s 1st Battalion Flag 1791-1793

 Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania (U.S.) Colonel John Proctor’s 1st Battalion Flag (Don’t Tread Upon Me-Rattlesnake)

Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania (U.S.)
Colonel John Proctor’s 1st Battalion

Tradition holds that the flag was made in 1775 at Hanna’s Town from a pre-existing British standard which is incorrect. The flag was made in Philadelphia engravers, under the guild umbrella of Robert Scot, who was born in Edinburgh Scotland. Robert is the son of George Scot who founded the “Scot’s Freemasons Lodge” known also as the artists Lodge in Cannongate, Edinburgh Scotland. The flag measures seventy-six inches by seventy inches. The field of the flag is red silk that the artist Robert Scot, pressed cyphered symbolism into the textile, using engraved metal plates(Hundreds of Symbols). The canton in the upper right hand corner consists of individual pieces of red, white and blue silk and forms two crosses. The upper left square in the Union shows a clear example of an upside down number 5 on the white strip of silk.  The red on white represents the English cross of St. George; the white on blue the Scottish cross of St. Andrew.

In the center of the field is a rattlesnake coiled and ready to strike. The snake has been identified as having thirteen rattles that signify the American colonies is also incorrect, the button on the rattle makes 14 rattles sections that is period to the time of the 14th State inducted into the Union. The rattlesnake device is painted directly on the silk, as is the lettering and decorative scroll work that is a design which evolved from Robert Scot’s teacher, Sir Robert Strange. Robert Strange’s scroll design originated while he was the Royal Scottish engraver. Found on Jacobite money plates that Robert Strange engraved for the Jacobite Army during the 1745 up-rising.  This was an effort to place the exiled Scottish Prince Charlie back on the thrown to restore power back to the Jacobean’s. Strange was the most eminent 18th century engraver and was also documented as being the life guard of the Bonnie Prince. The royal body guard history holds long tradition with the association of the prestigious organization called the Royal Archers founded in Scotland. What is unique to the scroll design, are the end tips of the scroll. These depict ancient symbolism values of the Scottish. The ends show what look like sock puppets, which are designed to look like “worms” that represent Christian history with association to the words Jesus Christ replied on the cross “I am nothing but a worm”. These worms are seen on many surviving relics by Robert Scot, the student engraver, Robert Scot who made the flag. The JP monogram is Scots original style that evolved from the Scroll work design as I mentioned, where this can be seen on the monograms of the Lawrence Washington seal and monograms of the George Washington inaugural buttons that Scot made. Recently found on the Lawrence Washington seal monogram ends are the only known snakes to be seen on the tips. Which shows the highest quality snakes with the heads of vipers in 3-D. These are the only known hand pierced snakes known to exist, other then stamped buttons that show a couple of snakes. Basically, the most significant original historical snake art in in US history , not copies, prints or stamped copies are the Lawrence Washington seal and the Westmoreland flag and its sister rattlesnake flag at the Rhode Island Historical society. Which is also made by Robert Scot, Joseph wright, Francis Shallus, John Vallance, Jame Thanckera, James Trenchard and Samuel Allardice. All of these artist’s makers mark initials have been found in many location on these three three relics.

In addition, all of Scot’s works have his “ST” hidden or infused makers marks into the art designs that the trained eye can point. Aside of this often being his letter initials makers marks, found in the art designs. The “ST” is also a symbol even found on the Stuarts, Royal Gold crown and ancient Pictish stone crosses that date back to the 6th century and earlier. One explanation describing the meaning is that the “S” represents the Celt snake worship symbol and the “T” is the sign of the true Cross, called the Tau symbol. The theory is that this is symbolic to the time when the Pictish people of Scotland, who were converted and married into the church, back to the time of St. Columba of the Isle of Iona.

The gold banner is lettered in black, “DONT.TREAD.UPON.ME”;  letters of the word UPON have flaked away over the years. The snake on the Proctor flag faces right toward the symbol of the British empire. Above the snake is the monogram of John Proctor and the letters, “I.B.W.C.P.”, Independent Battalion, Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania or Provincials. Pennsylvania is a British Commonwealth and the term Provincials means an inhabitant of a province of a country or empire would be the correct term used to represent the “P”. The flag was not flown from a pole. The staff was inserted through the sleeve on the canton side of the flag and carried by the color bearer of the battalion.The JP monogram is Scots original style that evolved from the Scroll work designs of his teacher, again shows his distinct style. The guild would have seen this as counterfeiting if anyone was to use these designs with out the approval of the authority of the guild. Until recent, it is now believed that Scot was the Dean of the art guilds in America, till the day he died.

Webb Horn-Flag Origins-3 (OPEN LINK READ CRAIG CONNECTIONS pg 15-16)

 Samuel Craig, Sr., who with his three sons, John, Alexander and Samuel, Jr. served in the Revolution, was the original color bearer. Recently this researcher who is a genealogist, learned that the Craigs of Pennsylvania had no records of where the Craig lines originate. Attached below is my star & stripes origins document that shows a documented history of the Webb’s, Craigs and Holmes with direct association to Benjamin Franklin. Specifically the Rev. Craig and Rev. Holmes and their direct Jacobean association to the Scottish lords and their academic education in Edinburgh. From the recent short study of the Craig family, it may appear that Samuel Craig is of the direct line to these Craigs and the Stars and Stripes origins document! The Jacobean association explains the reason why Craig was the flag bearer and why the flag was trusted for long to the Craig family. Keep in mind that if this is true, then Westmoreland historians need learn about this ground breaking discovery that the Craigs are part of connection with Franklin, who was the first to use the rattlesnake design before the American Revolution. The Boston Craig’s were very close to the the Holmes families who’s bloodline is the same as George Washington’s, back to the Royal Kings of the House of Dunkeld. Washington’s is Wessington, Dunbar to the House of Dunkled and the line links to King Kenneth MacAlpin that is direct to the 50 plus Kings buried on the island of Iona. The Holms were part of the art guilds, linking the Craig’s, Holmes, Webb’s, Franklins and Scot direct to the Scottish Royal engraver and the Bonnie Prince.

The Proctor Battalion did not fight in the Revolution as an organization and it is not known if any flag design of such was carried into battle during the period of the Revolution. However the flag design is documented as far back as the American Revolution and the design would have existed back then, not this flag. On Colonel Proctor’s death, ca. 1810, the flag was sent to General Alexander Craig, the son of Samuel Craig, Sr. The flag remained in the Craig family until 1914 when Jane Maria Craig of New Alexandria, Pennsylvania, the great-granddaughter of Samuel Craig, Sr., donated the flag to the State Library at Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Later, it was transferred to the William Penn Memorial Museum and today it is located at Fort Pitt.

Markers marks have been found on a large scale, the evidence shows that the Snake was painted by Joseph Wright who left several “JJW” marks within the snakes scales. Wright died in 1793 when an epademic of yellow fever ravished Philadelphia, taking Wright and his young wife’s lives, leaving their three children fatherless and motherless. Wright was the the 1st, United States Chief Coiner and Chief Engraver at the newly establish US Mint. Very soon numismatists in several societies will be able to see the lost works of Wright working directly with Robert Scot and the Philadelphia engravers on numerous projects.

Scot, left his famous trade mark “ST” in the snakes eyeball, as he did on the great seal eagle flag he made for General Phillip Schuyler. Located in the collections of the National park Service in Philadelphia, where images were provided to me by the chief curator, who I am indebted too for her support in the study of that flag. Scots students have also worked on the flag and left their makers marks, such as Francis Shallus the Penman  of the Constitution’s son Colonel Jacob Shallus. Francis was Scot’s young apprentice who left his “FS” marks that I have pointed out on the document that is attached in the Westmoreland Rattlesnake Flag-Makers marks link above. Samuel Allardice, Scots students markers mark initials are also found. You will also find the other great seal engraver James Trenchard’s marks “JT” and his son in law James Thacker’s marks, who was one of the original founders of the Pennsylvania Art Academy. What is definitely known that dates the flag with 100% accuracy is the marks of John Vallance, who came to American from Scotland with Scot on his return secret Voyage that the Washington nephews documented. Vallance left two sets of marks that can be seen, this allows us to prove the flag was not made before 1791 and no later than the time that Joseph Wright died in 1793.

Six historical flags have been identified with all of these artists marks, not to mention the many other relics that include government seals and documented signed works that all show constancy in all of the marks and symbolism matching. The flags are the Arthur St. Clair flag, the Grand Lodge of PA. Flag, the Gen. Philip Schuyler flag, Westmoreland flag and the other sister Snake flag! Located at the Rhode Island Historical Society, the rattlesnake flag of the United Train of Artillery, the Providence, Rhode Island Militia. Both the Westmorland Proctors Militia and Train of Artillery of Rhode island, these reenactors today, keep the history of the history alive well! Both educational groups share a sacred bond between the history of their colors made by the Philadelphia engravers. Both Militias promote the preservation of history that bonds the American spirit of the sacrifices of our founding fathers of this nation, not just the educated elite back then! But the everyday men, who were in the trenches that are forgotten by mainstream society today. When seeing the images of these two flag together, I think of the heroes and not the false written records by Continental Congress, designed to deceive the uneducated of the time, where most American historians are clueless to the truth. If you take the time to read the Barnabas Webb horn document, you would understand why Charles Thomson the secretary to Continental Congress burned his vast private letters. You will learn the truth to who controlled the United States government, banking origins and economic infrastructure! If anyone reads my Robert Scot documents of Electric Scotland, you will lean that Scot’s families had been right alongside the Kings and Queens as direct family for nearly 600 years, until the end of the American Revolution.

(Scots, St. Clair Flag-Note: Wrights “JJW” marks are located on back of the birds neck and back, inverted in multiple marks)

The Flag Image is “Courtesy of the State Museum of Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission” used in the image study of one of only two known 18th century Rattlesnake flags from the 18th century. Identified surviving that can be documented as authentic Robert Scot, painted flags made from 1791-1793. Further reading will be provided on the subject, in the near future.