What is my ancestor wearing and what date would this be please

[sefiona]

Hullo, I would suggest the tiepin is just that and might have no connection. The emblem above the LD is remarkably like the Prince of Wales Feathers emblem. I have just googled Prince of Wales feathers and that is definitely what the emblem is. My first thoughts on the LD was Londonderry but maybe not. The emblem below the LD is certainly a Maltese Cross but I would be sending this photo to the Freemasons and I am sure they will be able to pinpoint it and if you supply the surname Burt to them they should have records about him. Everything indicates Freemasonery to me. The modern shawls are triangular but this is of the style. The clothing style is of the late 1800s

[PaulStaffs]

Cockneygirl: what part of the country might he be from?

[sefiona]

Well, it appears to be Norman in origin but one site suggests Anglo-Saxon. Certainly today the name is concentrated in Norfolk, Kent Hampshire and Wiltshire and near Cambridge. I would check out if there is a butchers guild. I am sure they had to be registered and perhaps the records have survived both WWI and WWII bombing. He is quite well dressed so sure he must have done well in his business.

[Bilge]

The only place where they still have trade guilds is York as far as I am aware.

http://www.butchershall.com/guild/

I did find a person of the same name residing in SWANAGE.

[Cockneygirl]

Hi sefiona,
Thankyou for your suggestions. My Burts are mostly from London going back from me to my third great grandfather, I am not sure whether my fourth Great Grandfather Boheme or Bohemia Burt was born in London, cannot find his birth details anywhere, but he certainly married in St. John Horsleydowns, Bermondsey, London in 1801.  I will try what you suggest and send the details to the Freemasons with photo and see if they can help, thankyou for that idea. Kind regards, Cockneygirl

[PaulStaffs]

Bingo

I think your ancestor is actually one of the Knights Templar order - look at the central part of the cross and compare to this:

[PaulStaffs]

Direct compare

[Richard Knott]

I have just been looking through your other posts on the Burts. You may have the following, but I didn't see any of this in the posts:

Boheme/ia Burt is described as a mariner on the 1813 baptism - a slightly odd occupation for the father of a baker, but still possible.

Isabella Burt, the daughter of George married William George Burt (baker) son of John Burt in 1860.

What evidence do you have that the picture is of a Burt? In the class ridden Victorian society I am slightly surprised that a butcher was important in the masons, but I don't actually know anything about the masons (oddly there is a Henry Charles Burt c1829-1888 in Dorset who was a mason).

Richard

[sefiona]

Don't forget the Prince of Wales feathers on his left shoulder. They are of significance  and will tie in somehow.