Why “Libertate Quietem”?
Ever wonder about the club motto? You’ll have a little more information, but might still be wondering after you read this backgrounder.
It seems to be a shortened version of the longer motto still used, but under reconsideration for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
Here’s what the 1988 club history says:
“Hanging prominently on one wall of the dining hall is a colorful adaption of the Woodford family coat of arms. A framed copy of the original family design was presented to the club by the wife of one of its early presidents, William B. Hay. It since has become the Woodfords Club’s unofficial symbol. “Perhaps every member who has been has been free to choose his own preferences from what the club offers has experienced the truth of the motto inscribed beneath the shield on the Woodford coat of arms: “Libertate Quietem”
“Translated: “Peace Through Freedom”
It’s also the Massachusetts state motto for the last 250 years. From Wikepedia:
Ense petit placidam sub libertate quietem is a Latin passage and the official motto of the U.S. Commonwealth of Massachusetts … The phrase is often loosely translated into English as "By the sword we seek peace, but peace only under liberty." The literal translation, however, is "she seeks with the sword peaceful repose under liberty." The "she" in question refers to the word manus from the …(Latin) …, which means "this hand, an enemy to tyrants, seeks with the sword peaceful repose under liberty."
It was written c. 1660 by the English soldier-statesman Algernon Sidney, who was an opponent of Charles II and who was later executed for treason. The motto was first adopted in 1775 by the Massachusetts General Court (the state legislature) (The old seal depicts a native American.)
“In late 2023, after the Special Commission on Official Seal and Motto of the Commonwealth issued a final report calling for a new seal and motto, the Senate and House of the Commonwealth issued a bill that called for the Secretary of the Commonwealth to create an Acting Commission that will issue a request for proposals for a new seal based on the symbols and terms proposed by the Special Commission. From: America Explained at https://www.americaexplained.org/what-is-the-state-motto-of-massachusetts.htm
A puzzle for another day is why the street, the neighborhood, the club, and so many others are called “Woodfords,” when the family name was “Woodford.”