White linen seal, James Henderson, Co. Down

Linen bleachers and drapers (who dealt in cloth) were expected to be responsible for the quality of the cloth they were bleaching, finishing and selling on, and were required to lap their cloth and stamp it in ink with an official seal bearing their name, county and the government’s crown and harp insignia. James Henderson was a linen draper and probably a bleacher who owned Ravernet House, outside Lisburn, and this seal is of a design dating from 1750-80.