John Waple Armorial Plaque (1621)

John Waple armorial plaque (1621)

John Waple was a merchant in Jacobean Athlone. This plaque bears a coat of arms and the inscription 1621 ERECTED BY JOHN WAPLE MARCHANT. The implication was that Waple had been granted arms as a testament to his status and wealth. This would have helped to underpin his commercial reliability. This plaque was recovered from an external wall in Custume Place, the probable location of his business.