.e. if you used the HelloWorld sketch from the LiquidCrystal library "as shipped" it will not work with that shield as it uses different pins to control the LCD than the shield uses.
you are correct I was using the library "as shipped" so your code fixed that problem. I would have never figured this out unless I would have dragged out a logic analyzer and captured the data and then studied the controller spec etc. or I suppose followed all those circuit traces. No way would I have spent that much effort.
Who figured out that the pin assignments were wrong? Was that in the Shield information from these different suppliers?