What is swan upping

A cygneture event: what is swan upping?

Ceremony dating back to the 12th century counts and examines unmarked mute swans owned by the Queen in bid to ensure they are better protected

David Barber, the Queens swan marker, lifts a swan ashore during the annual census. Photograph: Peter Nicholls/Reuters

David Barber, the Queens swan marker, lifts a swan ashore during the annual census. Photograph: Peter Nicholls/Reuters

Swan upping is not the art of swan impersonation, nor has it anything to do with modifying the birds with a stereo, stencilled paint-job and lowered suspension. But it is no less exciting, at least to ornithologists and lovers of the British royal family.

An ancient ceremony that takes place every year, in the third week of July, swan upping is a census of the swan population on the Thames, where the river winds through Middlesex, Surrey, Buckinghamshire, Berkshire and Oxfordshire.

Getting your swans in a row: birds lined up next to river. Photograph: Justin Tallis/AFP/Getty Images

These are the areas where the Queen exercises her right to ownership over all unmarked mute swans, a claim dating back to her predecessors in the 12th century. Then the birds were seen as a tasty delicacy.

No one eats swans now, but the ceremony persists. It began again on Monday, with the Sovereign Swan Marker, David Barber, leading his team of royal swan uppers on a five-day mission to count and assess the birds.

Dressed in scarlet uniforms, the team take to the Thames on rowing skiffs, flying the flags and pennants of the Crown as well as the Vintners’ Livery Company and the Worshipful Company of Dyers, which have shared ownership of swans since the 15th century.

Swans are captured before being measured and checked on the Thames. Photograph: Justin Tallis/AFP/Getty Images

With a cry of “All up!” when they sight a brood of cygnets, the boats get into position to herd the swans. The birds are plucked from the waters, weighed, measured and examined for signs of disease or injury. They are also ringed with ID numbers by the the Queen’s swan warden, a professor of ornithology at the University of Oxford’s department of zoology, before being released.

The data helps conservationists devise the best strategies for protecting the swans.

12 Amazing Facts About the Swan Upping

Did you know the Queen of England owns all the unclaimed mute swans in all of Britain? Well, she does, and she makes sure to count them every year in the third week of July. It’s called the Swan Upping, and it’s just as amazing as you might think.

1. IT STARTED BECAUSE SWANS WERE FOOD.

The ceremony likely began in the 12th century, when the Crown claimed all unclaimed mute swans. At that time, the birds were considered a delicacy reserved for the banquets and feasts of the wealthy; today, the birds aren’t on the plate, but the ceremony continues.

2. NOT ALL SWANS ARE OWNED BY THE CROWN.

In the 15th century, the Crown split ownership of the birds with the Worshipful Company of Vintners and the Worshipful Company of Dyers (both livery companies). To differentiate, Vintners Uppers wear white and black, and the Dyers Uppers wear dark blue during the census. The Queen’s Swan Uppers wear traditional scarlet uniforms.

3. THE CEREMONY LASTS FIVE DAYS.

Six rowing skiffs—two each for the Crown, the Dyers, and the Vintners—start at Sunbury and head upstream to Abingdon in a 79-mile, 5-day journey. Each boat flies a flag or pennant that indicates which group of Swan Uppers is on board.

4. SWAN UPPERS ONLY CARE ABOUT THE MUTE SWANS.

Mute swans are the birds with white feathers and an orange bill, bordered with black (as juveniles, they have gray feathers). They are less vocal that other swans but are known to hiss at predators entering their territory. Good luck, Swan Uppers!

5. IT TAKES PLACE IN LATE JULY FOR A REASON.

According to the Vintners [PDF], that’s when «the parent birds were in moult and the cygnets were too small to fly.»

6. THE ORGANIZER OF THE SWAN UPPING IS CALLED THE QUEEN’S SWAN MARKER.

The role dates back to the 12th century ceremonies and was previously known as Master or Keeper. At that time, the person’s main job was to find the best swans for eating. In 1993, the role was split into the Swan Warden and the Swan Marker. The Swan Warden is Christopher Perrins, an ornithologist at the University of Oxford, who monitors the health of the swans during the ceremony. The Swan Marker is responsible not just for organizing the event but also keeping tabs on swan welfare across the country, a role David Barber has been performing since 1993.

7. THE SWAN UPPERS HAVE A RALLYING CRY.

When they spot a brood of swans, the Uppers yell «All up!» It indicates they need to get into position and get ready to grab. The birds are then taken to the shore, where they’re examined and marked. In the old days, the birds’ beaks were nicked—one for a Dyers’ bird, two for a Vintners’ bird—but today, they snap bands around the birds’ legs. The Crown’s swans aren’t marked at all. Swans that are injured are either treated on the riverbank or taken to facilities to recuperate.

8. THE QUEEN ISN’T THERE.

Only once in her 63-year reign—in 2009—has Queen Elizabeth II participated. But the Uppers find a way to honor her: According to USA Today, «Before the boats push off, the uppers pour themselves a glass of port and raise it toward the castle, in honor of the absent monarch.» Still, because she’s owner of all the swans, she gets a name befitting her station: Seigneur of the Swans.

9. ONLY ONE SWAN UPPING IN RECENT MEMORY HAS EVER BEEN CANCELED.

In 2012, the ceremony was canceled due to flooding for possibly the first time in 900 years.

10. NOT ALL OF THE THAMES’ SWANS ARE PART OF THE UPPING.

The Swan Upping only occurs on select parts of the River Thames and in certain tributaries. Good thing, or the Swan Upping would last more than 5 days.

11. THIS OLD TRADITION SERVES A MODERN PURPOSE.

Since the royal family isn’t dining on these birds anymore, the survey is more about analyzing the health of the swan population and the effects of their various predators.

The census has actually led to the discovery of environmental trends. After swan numbers decreased in the 1980s, lead fishing weights, which the swans were eating, were banned, and the population rebounded. This year, it appears that the serious threat against swans is cygnets being shot by air guns.

12. YOU CAN’T EAT THE SWANS NOW.

Unless you’re the Queen, one of her guests, or a fellow of St. John’s College Cambridge, eating a swan in Britain these days is a crime: Offenders must pay a serious fine or serve time in prison. Not only are mute swans a protected species—you’re stealing from the Queen! Though the ban might be for the best: According to the Vintners, swan meat has «not lived up to its medieval reputation—the muscly legs and wings are very tough.»

All photos courtesy of Getty Images.

A London Inheritance

A Private History of a Public City

Swan Upping

Swan Upping is an event which takes place in the third week of July each year. Dating back many centuries, the event has roots in the Crown’s ownership of all Mute Swans (which dates back to the 12th century), ownership which is shared with two of London’s livery companies, the Worshipful Company of Vintners and the Worshipful Company of Dyers who were granted rights of ownership in the 15th century.

Swan Upping is the annual search of the Thames for all Mute Swans, originally to ensure their ownership is marked, but today more for conservation purposes (counting the number of swans and cygnets, checking their health, taking measurements etc.), although the year’s new cygnets are still marked.

Six traditional Thames rowing skiffs are used to travel the river. Two for the Queen’s Swan Marker and Royal Swan Uppers and two each for the Vintners and Dyers.

Originally starting in the City of London and running to Henley, Swan Upping now starts in Sunbury and travels the Thames over a 5 day period to finish in Abingdon. The move out of central London was due to the lack of breeding Mute Swans, with the main area for breeding now being further upstream. The Swan Uppers search the river for Mute Swans and their cygnets and on sighting fence the swans in with their boats, then record, mark the cygnets, measure and check their health before moving on.

Swan Upping takes place in the third week of July as by this time cygnets are reasonably well grown but have not yet reached the stage when they can fly.

My father took photos of the event when it still had a City of London start, on Swan Wharf at the end of Swan Lane, near London Bridge. He did not date the photos, but from checking photos on the same strips of negatives, I am reasonably certain that the year was 1953.

This year, in amongst work and other commitments I was able to fit in a visit to Goring in South Oxfordshire to see the Swan Uppers pass through the lock on their way along the Thames.

This is my father’s photo of Mr Richard Turk who was the Vintners Swan Marker and Barge Master. He held this position from 1904 to 1960. A remarkable period of time to hold the role and the changes he must have seen along the Thames as Swan Upping was performed each year must have been fascinating.

And today’s Vintners Swan Marker and Barge Master at Goring lock.

The cap badge of the Vinters Swan Marker and Barge Master is taken from the armorial bearings of the Vintners Company with the chevron and three wine barrels being used. The swans on either side refer to the ancient rights of the Vinters to own swans on the Thames.

Another photo of Mr Richard Turk:

One of the 1953 Swan Uppers. The flags of the Vinters and Dyers are very similar. The flag on the right is the Dyers flag and on the left is the Vinters.

The first skiff from the Dyers arriving at Goring:

The Dyers flag contains the Dyers armorial bearings which are shown below, and are very similar to that of the Vinters, however barrels are replaced by three bags of madder. (Madder are plants from the genus Rubia and their roots produce a red dye which was used in the dyeing process)

Swan Uppers from the Vinters Company. On the back of this photo my father had written that on the right is Mr E. Lefever and in the centre is Mr G. Cole.

Three more boats arriving at Goring lock. The two Vinters boats at the back with one of the Queen’s boats at the front:

Another view taken by my father of one of the Vinters boats. The flags are the same today.

Vinters boat on the left with a Dyers boat on the right. In 1953 Dyers wore caps with the Vinters wearing what looks like some form of woollen conical hats, continuing the same stripes as on the jumpers.

Today, headgear and striped jumpers have been replaced by less colourful attire, however the shirts still bear the badge of the relevant livery company. The Swan Uppers waiting for the lock gates to open on their way further up the Thames.

The Swan Marker and Barge Master of the Dyers Company:

In the following 1953 photo one of the Vinters boats passes one of the barges that lined the banks of the Thames. The reason for Swan Upping now starting in Sunbury was the lack of breeding Mute Swans in central London, however I was surprised that this was only a relatively recent change which implies there were breeding Mute Swans on the river in central London in the post war period. A time when there was far more industry along the banks of the Thames and it was a much dirtier river. I suspect the difference being that the Thames did have many wharfs and gradual foreshore leading up the bank and plenty of inlets whereas the river today through central London now runs through a channel with vertical embankments on either side.

Waiting for the Goring lock gates to open with a cluster of flags:

A Vinters boat with an empty Queen’s boat ready to leave Swan Wharf in 1953:

When swans are caught, the cygnets are marked according to the ownership of their parent birds. Cygnets allocated to the Livery Companies will have rings placed on their legs by the Livery Company swan marker. Swans owned by the Queen are left unmarked. When the parents have different owners, the Cygnets are split between the owners of the parent birds and when there is an odd number, the remaining cygnet will be allocated to the owner of the male bird.

The Queen’s Swan Marker and Barge Master is responsible for establishing ownership of the parent birds.

David Barber, the current Queen’s Swan Marker and Barge Master:

The two Vinters boats having left Goring lock make their way up river:

As do the two Dyers boats:

Swans are having a challenging time on the river. On the original route between London and Henley, numbers were low at the start of the last century, but grew steadily till the start of the 2nd World War, when numbers fell, but then rising again to reach more than 1300 birds by the mid 1960s.

Numbers then dropped dramatically, down to only 7 pairs in 1985. The significant reduction attributed to the use of lead weights in fishing, these have now been banned.

Numbers are still low. On the route from Sunbury to Abingdon in 2014 there were 34 broods with 120 cygnets, numbers at the low-end of the past 12 years. This year’s results will be released in the coming week.

It was fascinating to watch this event at Goring. Although Swan Upping has now moved out of central London, the Livery Companies maintain the link with the City and Swan Upping now performs the very important task of monitoring the health and numbers of Mute Swans on the Thames.

What Is Swan Upping?

Swans on the River Thames.

Swan upping is a swan ceremony celebrated each July in England during which mute swans on the River Thames are captured, marked, and then released. Prior to the 16th century, the ownership of swans in any body of water was granted to landowners along the water bodies. Thereafter, the ownership of the swans was taken over by the Crown. The main practical reason for conducting swan upping is for Swan Uppers to count, measure and weigh swans and cygnets, as well as to check for injuries commonly caused by fishing hooks and lines. The young cygnets are marked with unique identification numbers to designate their ownership.

History of Swan Upping

The tradition of swan upping dates back to the 12th century when the ownership of all unmarked mute swans on along River Thames and its tributaries was brought under the control of the Crown to ensure a plentiful supply of meat for royal feasts and ceremonies. In the early days, swans were a delicious source of food for the Royal family. King Henry III placed high importance on the regal bird by establishing a mandate that prohibited the ownership of a brood of swans to the owners of water bodies, which had previously been the custom. In 1483, several Acts of Parliament were passed restricting the ownership of swans to owners of freehold property for five years. Other people who wanted to own swans had to purchase a swan mark at an expensive cost of six shillings to nick into the beak of their swan. Any unmarked swans were considered property of the Crown.

By the 18th century, swan rights along the Thames were limited by parliament to only three groups: the English Crown, Worshipful Companies of Dyers, and Vintners. The five-day swan upping ceremony commences in the third week of July. Royal Swan Uppers dress in the red uniform of the Royal Queen and navigate through the waters of the Thames in traditional paddling skiffs accompanied by Swan Uppers from the Vintners and Dyer’s livery companies, capturing and ringing swans and cygnets. The Dyers Company nicks their swans on the left side of the upper mandible, while the Vintners Company nicks two marks on either side of the bill. Swans belonging to the Crown have two diamond-shaped marks on the bill. All unmarked mute swans are also considered Crown property.

Importance of Swan Upping

Swan upping plays a crucial role in the conservation of mute swans along the River Thames. It provides an opportunity to check adult swans and cygnets for injuries that occur in the early stages of development. The involvement of schools in the swan upping exercise instills a culture of conservation among children since they view the exercise up close and ask all necessary questions regarding swans. Collaborations between schools, the Rowing Museum, and Henley on Thames projects has expanded the school curriculum to include learning the biology of mute swans, the connection of swans with the Crown, and river navigation during swan upping.

What is swan upping

The ceremony of Swan Upping dates from the 12th Century when the ownership of all unmarked mute swans on certain stretches of the river Thames and its surrounding tributaries was claimed by the Crown in order to ensure an ample supply of meat for royal banquets and feasts. Swans used to be a luxury food. Today, Swan Uppers are concerned about conservation rather than the kitchen.

The swans face a variety of perils such as being shot, attacked by dogs or getting caught up in fishing tackle.

Royal ownership is shared with the Vintners’ and Dyers’ Companies, who were granted rights of ownership by the Crown in the 15th century. These companies were trade groups of wine merchants and cloth dyers. By being granted shared ownership it meant that a certain number of swans could be culled for the Company’s feasts as well as the royal feasts.

The Swan Upping ceremony developed as the means by which the Crown, the Vintners and the Dyers identified their particular swans. They record the number of birds on the River and mark the new cygnets (baby swans) to show who owns them.

Swans are no longer eaten but the practice of counting and marking the swans on the River Thames still takes place in the third week of July every year.

© Copyright 2013 Mandy Barrow

I teach computers at The Granville School and St. John’s Primary School in Sevenoaks Kent.