The King's Broad Arrow

[SteveA]

Time for something new here in the History section of Winni.com, I know History isn't everyone's cup of tea, but I find the history of the Lakes Region very interesting.

The pavillion at LSP has the most amazing 40+ ft. beams that are all each from a single White Pine that was growing on the property of LSP. Built in the late 1800's by the railroad, the work to mill these beams must have been a great deal of work. When I asked the manager of the park, Alan Kirkman, about the beams, he referred to them as the "King's Pines". Fascinated, I did a little research.

So with a "Tip of the Hat" to McDude,RG and Lake Lady.. here is something a little different.


A part of the history of New Hampshire, and of all of the early United States, was the interaction of the early settlers and the government of England.
Before the Boston Tea Party, there was a quiet revolution taking place in the forests of New England, including the lands around Winnipesaukee


“Acting as dominion over the forests of “New England”, the King assumed ownership of the best of the Eastern White Pine trees and appointed a legion of Surveyors of Pines and Timber to survey the forestland “within 10 miles of any navigable waterway” and mark all suitable trees with “The King’s Broad Arrow”, a series of three hatchet slashes. This was the symbol commonly used to signify ownership of property or goods by the Crown, in this case to be owned and used solely by the Royal Navy. Any tree of a diameter of twenty-four inches and greater at twelve inches from the ground, with “a yard of height for each inch of diameter at the butt” was blazed with the broad arrow. Violation by the colonists of this rule would be assessed a fine of £100. Persons appointed to the position of Surveyor-General of His Majesty’s Woods were responsible for selecting, marking and recording trees as well as policing and enforcing the unlicensed cutting of protected trees.
Use of the broad arrow mark commenced in earnest in 1691 when the revised Massachusetts Bay Charter included in its last paragraph a “Mast Preservation Clause” stating (original language):
“And lastly for the better provideing and furnishing of Masts for Our Royall Navy Wee doe hereby reserve to Vs Our Heires and Successors all Trees of the Diameter of Twenty Four Inches and upwards of Twelve Inches from the ground growing vpon any soyle or Tract of Land within Our said Province or Territory not heretofore granted to any private persons And Wee doe restrains and forbid all persons whatsoever from felling cutting or destroying any such Trees without the Royall Lycence of Vs Our Heires and Successors first had and obteyned vpon penalty of Forfeiting One Hundred Pounds sterling vnto Ous Our Heires and Successors for every such Tree soe felled cult or destroyed without such Lycence had and obteyned in that behalfe any thing in.”

More Here:
http://www.nelma.org/lagniappe/the-k...rn-white-pine/