The US NAVY’S Betsy Ross of Connecticut The Lady Patriot Lucretia Shaws-13 Star’s & Stripe’s Flag Capt. Gary Gianotti April 24, 2014 Gary Gianotti Report on Shaw Symbolism, Page 1 The US NAVY’S Betsy Ross of Connecticut Navy Agent’s Wife Pictured Above is the home of Capt. Nathaniel & Lucretia Shaw's home in New London, Connecticut. A Revolutionary War Patriot and wealthy merchant who owned a number of ships used for privateering, New London’s Nathaniel Shaw, Jr. was the naval agent for the both the Continental Congress and the State of Connecticut. His responsibilities included drawing up orders for privateers and handling the disbursement of the prizes taken. Shaw directed much of these activities from his own home. The Shaw Mansion served not only as his operational command post during the war but also, until 1907, as home to subsequent generations of the Shaw family. Today, the mansion serves as the headquarters for the New London County Historical Society. The Next several paragraphs are taken from the historical societies write up on the flag. Nathaniel Shaw 13-Star Flag – National Treasure | New ... Sometimes it just takes new eyes to help you “discover” treasure. We’ve written in the past about the 13-star flag in our collection that was restored, reframed and hung for the exhibit that marked the 225th anniversary of the Gary Gianotti Report on Shaw Symbolism, Page 2 The US NAVY’S Betsy Ross of Connecticut Burning of New London. Late in the summer 2007, a new member, Gary Gianotti, visited the Shaw Mansion to do some research on Norwalk privateers. Seeing the flag and hearing of its history he was very impressed because he was aware of just how rare that flag might be. In the following weeks he contacted national-level flag experts and became even more excited. When the historical society purchased the Shaw Mansion to be its headquarters in 1907, the 13-star flag was discovered in the attic of the house. Jane Perkins, who sold the house to us, was the great-great granddaughter of the original builder, Capt. Nathaniel Shaw. Miss Perkins told Mrs. Dudley Bramble, Regent of the Lucretia Shaw Chapter of the DAR, that the flag belonged to the Naval Agent, Nathaniel Shaw (Jane’s great-great uncle), and Mrs. Bramble documented the conversation. The flag was on exhibit for a long time on the landing to the second floor, framed and sandwiched between two panes of glass. At one point a visiting scholar, Dr. Henry Moeller, who was a vexillologist (a flag expert), urged the society to remove the flag from this poor environment and restore it before it was too late. In one letter he noted that our stewardship of this item was … well, not stewardship. The flag was eventually taken to the textile lab of the University of Rhode Island. When they removed the flag from the glass, pigment from the flag could be seen remaining on the glass. Repairs were made, and it was stitched between two layers of a scrim-like mesh which was mounted between two layers of archival matt board. It was framed with archival quality materials and installed as part of the exhibit last September. The flag is hand-stitched and apparently made of silk ribbons sewn together for the stripes. The stars on the field of blue (the canton) are in a very unusual pattern, a circle of ten with three in the middle. The claim has always been that this is a handmade American flag from the late 18th century – from the office of a person who would be very likely to have such a banner, bearing in mind that the purpose of the flag was to identify American ships. Below I added comments to the rest of the societies document, where it all can be better explained. So why haven’t we taken our flag to the Smithsonian to be authenticated?(GG-The Smithsonian Textile Academics in the early 1900’s falsified textile identification deliberately. Prior to the 1900’s, the few flag historians, such as Admiral Preeble, wrote flag a document that praised Gary Gianotti Report on Shaw Symbolism, Page 3 The US NAVY’S Betsy Ross of Connecticut three flags above the Smithsonian's Star Spangled Banner. This may have caused the Smithsonian to retaliate by falsifying the textile methods of identification. You should note that this problem of identification only exists with 18th century flags and the Smithsonian refuses to correct or address this destruction and devaluation they brought upon many important historical flags in the last 70 plus years. Why would this have been done on purpose and why would they allow incorrect identification methods in this science continue? There are several reasons to explain why? God forbid if the Smithsonian is ever wrong, if these textile dating methods were corrected, the institute would be responsible for the restoration of debunking many historical flags that are now nearly worthless in historical value and monetary value. The past owners could bring on law suites that they could never pay back. Another reason for why this happened, is the academic enemy with in our society. The best way to ruin a nation or a county is by destroying its symbolism. What is a person with no identity and what is a country with no identity? Another fact in the historical flag world, by not correcting these identification methods. Many priceless flags have become devalued so greatly that historical flags collectors can acquire these very rare flags for next to nothing!) So why correct it the problem? Who cares today? Well, the Smithsonian, can’t really do that.(GG-Today they can do silk weave dating and origin identification in England) They can examine the stitching, take samples of the material and perhaps rule out an 18th-century existence – for example they could identify a dye in the fabric which wasn’t available at the time.(GG-The Dyes used are period) However, even if the materials proved to be authentic to the 18th century by scientific examination, it is the provenance of an object such as this, that is, the physical history of where the object came from, which can best provide authentication. The provenance of this flag is impeccable; however, we will admit that it is not unassailable. Visiting vexillologists have vetted our flag and agree that we have every reason to believe this is the real deal — exactly what it appears to be, one of the rare examples of an American flag that can be documented back to the American Revolution. Gary Gianotti Report on Shaw Symbolism, Page 4 The US NAVY’S Betsy Ross of Connecticut On one of my visits to the Shaw mansion, I saw the needle art work that Shaws wife Lucretia had done. Showing the Shaw Family coat of arms that has three five- pointed stars across the center of a shield, I suggested that the arrangement of three stars surrounded by a circle of ten stars may have been an attempt to personalize the flag. Also, another coat of arms of the Shaw family showed the same pattern of the Stars arrangement, showing drinking cups that represents the true ancient Shaw coat of arms design in the same star pattern arrangement. Before I get into the symbolism meaning, allow me to address details on the flag itself and the Background of Lucretia Shaw Lucretia Shaw was the beautiful wife of Nathaniel Shaw, a prominent New London merchant and agent of the colony for naval supplies. On her husband's behalf, Lucretia entertained the most noted men of her day at their mansion, which stands to this day. Her pity and compassion for American prisoners of war led her to selflessly step aside from her luxurious home and minister to these strangers personally. As a direct result, she contracted "gaol fever" and died, thus sacrificing her own life for the Revolution. The Dust of Nathaniel Shaw Esqr., who died 15th April, A.D. 1782, aged 47 years. And of his Wife Lucretia that died 11 Decemr. A.D. 1781, aged 44 years. In 1938, The Lucretia Shaw Chapter erected an iron fence around the entire burial ground. Very important evidence was overlooked that proves our Heroine made the flag for her husbands office. Lucretia died in 1781, page one shows that the flag itself was never finished because she died in the process of making the flag! The top tassel strip was never attached and the hoist leading edge of the flag Gary Gianotti Report on Shaw Symbolism, Page 5 The US NAVY’S Betsy Ross of Connecticut was never finished. Why would this flag have never been completed and the answer is that she died in the process of making the flag. This forgotten Heroine deserves higher honors than any famous flag maker in United States history. Today, not one flag period to the Revolution has ever been found or proven to have been made by Ross herself. Except I can say I advanced her history, where I would bet any dollar that I have found two or three surviving examples that were made by Betsey. Few people have ever seen an original image of Ross and this painting of her was done late in life by one of students of Benjamin West. Nathaniel Waldo, the famous artist painted this painting of Ross. Waldo was a native, born and raised, who began his painting career in New London Country, right down the road from Lucretias home, where she made her flag. Vexillologists today are a group of people who I have studied in depth.