Strange Crest - Scottish?

[bstaunto]

Hi everyone,

I got this little set of Provincial Scottish silver and am quite confused by the crest!

They were made in Aberdeen.

The Motto is Per Mere - By Sea. I can't seem to find a match, the closest is By Sea And By Land.

And the the inscription on the cross is intriguing too. On the tongs it is 'Lat-Lon' and then on the ladles 'Lat 15:22'.

I thought it must represent Latitude/Longitude and a location reference. But 15:22 seems to be in the middle of Africa?! But then I'm not 100% I'm reading them right.

Any thoughts??

Ben

[Francais]

I love a puzzle, but I am very busy at present, so I will just make a few suggestions. Latitude and longitude are not just numbers, you have to give 15 degrees North or South, and 22 degrees East or West. so there are a number of possible combinations. Scottish missions could be in Africa at this time, but exact dates would help. The other possibility I could come up with is a Biblical reference You notice the abbreviation is La. T.
not Lat in the LA.T. 15.22. Unfortunately I can't see how a religious person could be that far off, as there is not a Lamentations 15.22. I personally think Per Mare (not per Mere) is a reference to an overseas mission. The final thought, which I don't think fits here, is a reference to the King over the sea, something always in mind to a highland Scot.

[silverly]

I wouldn't read Lat 15:22 as lat and long, but simply as 15 degrees and 22 minutes latitude which leaves too many locations for me to consider. Hopefully, someone does have just the right insight for this riddle.

[Francais]

I think I mis-read it does say" LAT. " not "LA.T." and it doesn't say Lat Lon on that one. So presuming the 15.22 is a latitude not a mixture of Latitude and longitude, you would presume the longitude wasn't given since it would just be wherever the latitude touches the coast of Africa.
In the early 19th c. most missions would be on the coast. Since it doesn't say N or S either latitude might work. The North latitude 15:22 is in the current Senegal, part of the former French West Africa. Obviously the French would have their own missions, and there is the language barrier.
The Southern choice would be in Angola, near the current city of Namibe. This was part of Portuguese territory, but there were Scottish Missions near there, David Livingstone, while a bit later was somewhat farther south at a mission somewhere north of the Orange river. The name for Namibe was mossamedes at that time, I would try to find a mission there.
Maurice

[Francais]

I guess I should say that if Africa doesn't work, there are probably too many other places on that latitude. I ruled out the Americas. The first Scottish mission to India was 1830 and wrong latitude, and traveling east I see no good prospects.
It is a puzzlement.

Maurice

[dognose]

Hi Ben,

Can we see an image of the makers' marks?

Trev.

[nobilityhouse]

Burke's General Amory, Fairbairn's Book of Crests, and Robson's British Herald, all give this crest to ANDERSON of Aberdeen. It is blazoned: a cross-staff erect, marked with the degrees of latitude. Motto: Per Mare. None of the references say what the degrees should be. As far as latitude inaccuracies, I would say that the engraver stuck close to his desk and never went to sea. (Apologies to G&S).

[Francais]

Ha Ha. I was once going to start a company with the slogan "We guarantee to recognize the obvious". I thought someone would have checked Burke's, or that an engraver would not put Scotland on the same latitude as Africa.
As a famous person, Roseanne Rosanna Danna, would say: "Never mind"
Maurice

[Francais]

I guess that is not fair for those who don't watch American TV. Roseanne was a character who misunderstood a comment, would then go on with a long completely disconnected tirade, and then when finally was told of her error, would say: "Never mind".
Maurice

[bstaunto]

Thanks guys, from Africa and back to Scotland. :P

Here is a picture of the marks: