First of all, thank you so much for coming in Triari!!! We have always hoped that others with interests and knowledge in this remarkably esoteric subject matter would join these discussions.
Keith, these geographic names it seems were pretty subjective in earlier times before the incorporation of established cities and borders. It is rather like the myriad of suburbs around Los Angeles, which when noted outside the local scope, are often collectively/colloquially referred to as Los Angeles rather than the true city name.
The Munsten's, with the grandfather for example added zu Elberfeld to his name which referred to a subordinate area of Solingen on the Wupper river nearby which flows into the Rhine through Solingen. The term 'zu' liguistically seems to be applied to a name in German implying nobility also, so these linguistic and geographic devices complicate matters a lot.
In geneology, by another analogy, it is often essential to have a Gazetteer, which is a geographic dictionary of places, names and counties. Legal records are by county, so when checking for records in one place you must know which county it was officially in during which dates. Boundaries often changed.
It would seem to me that LONDON would be a larger and recognized place, where most of these smaller towns, cities would not be known outside local reference. Hounslow was a rural place, geographically as well as jurisdictionally outside the parameters of London and the Cutlers guild (as Triari has noted). Greenwich and Oxford same deal.
London in my opinion was collectively used for geographic expedience in reference, much in the manner of 'Los Angeles' in modern times.
It does seem at some point there was some weapon marked Greenwich, but cant say for sure. Possibly it was armor, as King Henry VIII was the forerunner in bringing German artisans to England.....Greenwich to be exact.
RE: TESCHE
The group of makers/family with this name seem to have had good connections with Toledo and Sweden, though it does not seem they worked in those locations as some Solingen smiths did on occasion.
In Mann, Wallace Coll. 1962, op. cit. p.295;
"..Wilhelm Tesche was probably not a member of the Wirsberg family. In this case it is thought that Wirsberg is the Solingen dialect form of Weyersberg which used to be an estate to the north of the wall encircling the town center , this is where Tesche lived. He added 'von Wirsberg' or 'am Wirsberg' to his signature to distinguish himself from another swordsmith of the same name?.
RE: Solingen, and place names
In early times, while Solingen made blades, these were sent to Koln (Cologne) to be mounted.....and were often termed KOLN SWORDS as such, as Solingen was simply the fabricator of blades. Koln was important as the Electorate of Cologne, a key center in the Holy Roman Empire. This was another factor in place name reference, by these factors or Diocese, which became the determining factor in place reference.
HOUNSLOW:
While Hounslow became well known in its time for the swords produced, the style of these became established long after the mills had closed as a standing form or design. This carried well into the next century as 'of the Hounslow school'.
I agree, when Cromwell took over Hounslow it would have been ridiculous to entirely eliminate sword production, and while many of the Germans left there following the King....a number remained. The manufacture of powder was key by these times, but secondary arms such as swords remained essential.
The original intent of bringing the Germans into England was not simply to circumvent taxation on imports, but hopefully to learn their processes.
While there is the hyperbole of the'guarded secrets of forging etc.' there is also the question of just how many blades were actually forged there, or were they either finshed or brought in for grinding and finishing?
The assembly of swords is broadly cutlery, and cutlers were often even distinguished by long or short, the long obviously to sword blades. In Scotland they were termed 'sword slippers' and of course very few, if any blades, were ever formed in Scotland (regardless of ""The Highlander" films).
Much as noted, swords mounted in Koln, used Solingen blades...in Italy the blades made in Lucca, Ferara, and others typically went to Milan or Brescia for mounting ...in Hungary, it was said there could not have been 'Hungarian' swords as the blades were from many other places and none as far as known were in Hungary.
Well, as always...like to keep it brief
