Barge Master & Swan Marker - Upper Thames Street, London, UK - Occupational Monuments on Waymarking.com

The bronze statue, sculpted by Vivien Mallock, is life-size and was commissioned by the Vintners' Company. The sculptor's website (visit link) tells us:

"Believed to be the first public sculpture in London ever to be commissioned by a Livery Company, this is installed at the southern end of Garlick Hill. The Vintners’ Company, which commissioned the piece, shares with the Dyers the duty of ‘swan marking’ on the Thames. The Vintners’ Barge Master is shown in his traditional costume with a swan at his feet."

The City of London website (visit link) adds more information:

"Photo opportunity of the new Master of the Vintners’ Company, Mr Anthony Edwards, unveiling a bronze statue of the Barge Master and Swan Marker.

The Vintners’ Company, together with the Crown and the Dyers’ Company, owns swans on the Thames and during July take part in ‘Swan Upping’, the ceremonial marking of cygnets between Sunbury and Abingdon.

After the unveiling, the Company will process from the church with their path being swept by the Company’s Wine Porter. The Vintners are the only Livery Company still to sweep the path of their procession.

Wardens and members of the Vintners’ will wear traditional uniforms and carry posies.

The Swan Marker is in charge of the Vintners’ Swan Uppers for the event, but also wears the uniform of Barge Master, dating back to the time when the Company owned a ceremonial barge on the Thames. For more information visit www.vintnershall.co.uk

The statue of ‘Swan Marker and Swan’ was created for the Vintners’ Company by the well known sculptor, Vivien Mallock. Some of Vivien’s best known works include several busts of members of the Royal Family, the Royal Tank Regiment Memorial in Whitehall, and Brian Clough."

The inscription, at the base of the statue, reads:

"The Barge Master
&
Swan Marker
of
The Vintners'
Company"

The British Monarchy website (visit link) tells more about swan marking (swan upping):

"This historic ceremony dates from the twelfth century, when the Crown claimed ownership of all mute swans.

At that time swans were regarded as a delicious dish at banquets and feasts.

Today, the Crown retains the right to ownership of all unmarked mute swans in open water, but The Queen only exercises her ownership on certain stretches of the Thames and its surrounding tributaries.

This ownership is shared with the Worshipful Company of Vintners and the Worshipful Company of Dyers, who were granted rights of ownership by the Crown in the fifteenth century. Nowadays, of course, the swans are no longer eaten.

In the Swan Upping ceremony, The Queen's Swan Marker, the Royal Swan Uppers and the Swan Uppers of the Vintners' and Dyers' livery companies use six traditional Thames rowing skiffs in their five-day journey up-river.

The Queen's Swan Uppers wear traditional scarlet uniforms and each boat flies appropriate flags and pennants.

When a brood of cygnets is sighted, a cry of "All up!" is given to signal that the boats should get into position. On passing Windsor Castle, the rowers stand to attention in their boat with oars raised and salute "Her Majesty The Queen, Seigneur of the Swans".

The cygnets are weighed and measured to obtain estimates of growth rates and the birds are examined for any sign of injury (commonly caused by fishing hooks and line).

The swans are also given a health check and ringed with individual identification numbers by The Queen's Swan Warden, a Professor of Ornithology at the University of Oxford's Department of Zoology. The swans are then set free again.

Children from local schools are invited every year to watch this.

At the completion of Swan Upping each year, The Queen's Swan Marker produces a report which provides data on the number of swans accounted for, including broods and cygnets.

This important data enables suitable conservation methods to be used to protect the swans.

A serious decline in the swan population in the mid-1980s was halted by the replacement of lead fishing weights with a non-toxic equivalent.

However, growing demands for recreational use of the river by anglers and boat users has resulted in an increasingly hazardous habitat.

Vandalism and the theft of cygnets also create threats to the swan population.

Apart from Swan Upping, The Queen's Swan Marker has other duties. He advises organisations throughout the country on swan welfare and incidents involving swans such as vandalism.

He also monitors the health of local swan populations, and briefs fishing and boating organisations on how to work with existing wildlife and maintain existing natural habitat.

He works closely with swan rescue organisations and carries out the rescue of sick and injured swans, and he co-ordinates the temporary removal of swans from stretches of the Thames used for summer rowing regattas.

Swan Upping takes place in the third week of July each year."

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