In the mid-1800s, a nearly 30-year-old man named Samuel Plimsoll attempted to become a coal merchant in England.
Although he failed and was reduced to destitution, he learned to sympathize with the struggles of the poor.
When his good fortune returned, he focused his efforts on creating regulations for what were known at the time as “coffin ships.” The corrupt owners of these overloaded and often heavily-insured ships would risk the lives of the crew, knowing that they would benefit whether the ship sank or arrived at its destination.
After many years of fighting, Plimsoll, then a member of the British Parliament, championed a bill known as the Merchant Shipping Act. This new law forced ships to place a mark – known as a Plimsoll Mark – on the hull, indicating the safe limit to which a ship may be loaded, ie. the maximum draft (or how deep the ship sits in the water), saving countless lives in return.
In honor of Samuel Plimsoll, Escutcheon Brewing Co.’s logo is a Plimsoll Line, forever reminding you, our drinkers, to “Mind Your Draft!
