No. 1 - The Heraldry Society

The
Coat of
AN
No. 1
HERALDIC
Arms
QUARTERLY
MAGAZINE
JANUARY, 1950
Two Shillings
PRINCIPAL CONTENTS
page
How It All Began :
2
J. P. Brooke-Little
The Novice's Approach to Heraldry
3
Sir Christopher Lynch Robinson
Heraldic Quiz 5
Arms of the Duke of Norfolk 6
Official Rulings of the College of Arms
The Seize-Quartiers :
9
11
The Lord Lyon
MacBeth and the Early Scotch Succession: 15
Genealogical Table
School Heralds :
Adrian Turner
16
20
C. W . Scott-Giles
New Lights on Old Lights :
21
A. Colin Cole, M.A.
Competition
31
INTRODUCING
The Coat of Arms
MANY
are the Antiquarian Magazines which have been
produced, have run for a time, and then died. These have,
however, all been Specialist Magazines, and definitely
a n t i q u a r i a n . There is naturally not room for a great number
of such journals.
' T H E C O A T O F A R M S ' is different inasmuch as it
is not purely antiquarian, but deals with modern Heraldry
and Genealogy as well as the ancient and mediaeval. It is
not intended for the professional seeking a fund of technical
knowledge, but for those who indulge in the study of Heraldry
and Genealogy as a pleasurable hobby, and have neither the
time nor the inclination to delve too deeply into reams of
closely printed technical matter.
We aim to present Heraldry as a live and colourful
science — a science which really can be 'the study and delight
of every gentleman' — and gentlewoman !
This is y o u r magazine. What do you think of it ? Have
you any ideas or suggestions for its improvement ? If so
write to us about it. We invite our readers to send us their
opinions, criticisms, contributions. We shall publish each
quarter a selection of letters of particular interest sent in by
readers.
One last word, the ' C O A T O F A R M S ' is produced by
The Society of H e r a l d i c A n t i q u a r i e s and, as in that Society, all
work done on the Magazine is voluntary. We are not a profit
making enterprise. If we do make a small profit then we
shall be able to produce a larger and more profusely illustrated paper ; so please help us by telling your friends about
' T H E C O A T O F A R M S ' and getting us more and more
subscribers.
J. P. B R O O K E - L I T T L E ,
Hon. Editor-in-Chief.
A l l c o r r e s p o n d e n c e s h o u l d be addressed
to the H o n .
E d i t r e s s , M i s s C. M . E g a n , 21, East K n o y l e , W i l t s h i r e .
HERALDRY
by J. P. Brooke-Little, President of the S.H.A.
1. — H o w It A l l
HERALDRY
in its first analysis is no more than an elaborate form of personal and corporate
symbolism and as such it has had
a myriad different uses.
Began
hereditary and often the knight
would change his symbol several
times during his lifetime, if we
may
believe the evidence of
Bayeux tapestry, which while it
We know that military symbols shows rude devices painted on the
were used by the Greeks and shields of the warriors, never
Romans and it would seem that shows one warrior using the same
native tribes had a rudimentary device twice.
form of symbolism (a ring through
However heraldic or unheraldic
the noses of male members of the the Norman devices may be contribe, etc.) If we believe the Book sidered it is a fact that very soon
of Numbers all the tribes of the afterwards it became a general
Children of Israel had their sep- practice to paint some recogarate symbols on their standards nisable device on your shield and
and in later years the Roman to keep to it. After all, once you
Eagle is very well known.
have painted, say a fire screen,
you do not repaint it every few
Personal symbols were prob- years with a different design. In
ably used first on seals to authen- the same way, desiring to look
ticate documents rather than for well in their battle dress, our
warlike purposes, though the ancestors painted some peculiar
classic authors do mention the device on their shields and did
ancient Greeks as having devices not change it before every battle.
painted or embossed on their Now the pursuit of arms was a
shields. Here then, you may say, very honourable profession, made
is the real beginning of heraldry. the more honourable by the glory
But you would not be correct, it of the crusades and in conseis certainly a step in the evolution quence the implements of battle,
of personal symbolism but it the shield and spear, the sword
lacks one essential characteristic and helmet would be of great
of heraldry and that is the sentimental value to a knight's
h e r e d i t a r y character of heraldic son, just as the medals and forage
symbolism. A personal symbol cap of a dead soldier will be kept
which is the perquisite not merely by his family today. However, a
of an individual but of an indi- shield and sword had not only
vidual and his descendants for a sentimental value but also a
ever, that might be described as practical one and the son of a
having heraldic characteristics.
dead knight would be proud to
use his father's weapons, nor
It was the custom of the Norwould he change the device on the
man invaders who crossed the
shield — thus we see the heredichannel in 1066 to paint symbols tary character of heraldry develon their shields — lions, serpents oping fast.
and so on, but these were not
2
THE
NOVICE'S
TO
APPROACH
HERALDRY
by Sir Christopher Lynch-Robinson, Bt.,
Co-author of " I n t e l l i g i b l e
FEW
people realise what a
fascinating study heraldry
may well prove to be for almost
anybody. The general lack of
interest in the subject is due to
two popular fallacies, namely,
that it is un-democratic and
contrary to the spirit of the times
and that it is extremely complicated and difficult to understand.
Heraldry."
As regards the second objection,
heraldry is only complicated and
difficult to understand
when
approached from the wrong end.
It really consists of two different,
though closely allied subjects :
Ancient Heraldry which is, in
the main, a branch of history and
antiquarian study, and Modern
Heraldry which is simply an
extremely ingenious system of
record by means of special and
very simple symbols.
To plunge into a study of the
first is a course suitable only to
a very few special people.
To
take up modern heraldry, how
ever, need present no difficulty
to anyone who is not half-witted.
Its ingenuity and craftiness is
entrancing and the reader's interest is increasingly stimulated
as he reads on and on
When he has mastered — as he
will find no difficulty in doing —
modern heraldry, he will be left
panting for more. Then he may
well turn to ancient heraldry, for
not only will his appetite be
whetted for information on how
this amazing system was gradually built up, but he will be now
thoroughly equipped to receive it.
Quite a different vista of sheer
delight will then lie open before
him.
As regards the first objection, it
need only be said that the Continental conception of nobility
as a separate caste, aloof in
blood and tradition from the
ordinary citizen, has never been
accepted by the British people.
In England no one has ever been
so lowly in birth or station that
he might not aspire to found a
family which should eventually
take rank with the descendants of
the Knights of Battle Abbey or
the Barons of Runnymede. The
original aim of heraldry was
simply to distinguish mediaeval
warriors from one another when
closed in from head to foot in
armour.
Anyone in the 12th
century who had received by
mistake a few smacks on the head
with a battle-axe wielded by his
own side, became a passionate
advocate of heraldry.
Today,
heraldry is a method of record
and identification by means of a
beautiful symbolism.
3
But in following out this programme, there are certain snags
ahead of the novice of which
he must be forewarned. Firstly,
he will find that the whole subject
is violently controversial and that
the various learned writers hurl
abuse at each other in a way
compared
with
which
the
behaviour of a football crowd at
a cup tie, where the referee is
obviously biased would appear
positively ladylike. This is entirely due to the fact that practically all these great and good men
are fanatical disciples of ancient
heraldry, and any modern innovation which they think would
have offended John of Gaunt or
have sent Ingulph the Abbot
crying to bed, strangles them
with indignation. So the beginner
must confine himself to books
dealing only with modern heraldry.
this attitude — whether real or
imaginary — is that as custodians
of the traditions and dignity
of the science of Coat-armour,
they are naturally wedded to
the antiquarian approach to the
subject as may be inferred from
their readiness, on the other
hand, to help and encourage the
antiquarian-minded amateurs and
genealogists in their researches
into the past. But Fox-Davies,
whose work deals practically
exclusively with modern heraldry
and who has probably done mere
than any man, living or dead,
to arouse public interest in it, is
generally regarded by the College
much as Stalin is regarded by M r .
Churchill. But neither of these
little things need deter anyone
who is looking for a new hobby
from tackling modern heraldry.
He will find himself fully rewarded
at every turn.
Secondly, there is no " bible "
to which he can appeal for
authoritative rulings on doubtful
points.
The English, Scottish
and Irish Offices of Arms are the
only authorities competent to say
what is what in matters armorial.
With the exception of Scotland,
(Scottish heraldry differing considerably in practice from either
England or Ireland), they do not
publish any official textbook.
Furthermore, the English College
of Arms by no means do as
much as they might to encourage
the amateur. They often seem to
adopt much the same attitude
towards him as the doctor or
lawyer does towards laymen who
show an inclination to take an
unhealthy interest in their craft,
and, some uncharitable people
say, for much the same reason !
But I think the real reason for
There is a further aspect of
modern heraldry which adds considerably to its interest and
fascination, and that is the
designing and reproduction of
heraldic achievements and their
use in bookplates, and so forth.
This is a most attractive — but
by no means essential — part of
heraldry and is a recreation which
cannot be indulged in by anyone
who is not thoroughly conversant
with the system of modern
heraldry. Practically everybody
interested in the subject tries
their hand at designing arms and
practically everybody is able to
do so owing to the fact that the
greater proportion of arms are
composed of geometrical figures
which can easily be drawn by the
4
aid of a ruler and a compass.
Another very pleasant occupation
is to be found in putting the
correct colours, or tinctures as
they are called, with coloured
pastels, or paints, on untinctured
arms in peerages and similar
books of reference. In these, and
in many other ways, the student
of heraldry may find ample scope
for testing his knowledge and
gaining experience.
As I write these lines the long
winter evenings are already upon
us. F o r those of us who find the
end of the day tedious and
irksome, whose good natured
temperaments are getting more
and more sandpapered by the
programmes of the B . B . C . and
whose tendency is to fall asleep
over the fire and thus lamentably
fail to respond to the bright
observations of the feminine portion of their households, I
heartily recommend the purchase
or loan of a good and entertainingly written book on heraldry.
Q U I Z
D o y o u know
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
a l l t h e Answers
t o the Questions given below ?
If n o t y o u w i l l find them on P a g e 32
The name of the Duke of
Wellington's family has not
always been Wellesley, what
was it originally ?
When a roundel is vert what
is it called ?
Who is the Lord Chamberlain ?
One English Earldom is held
by virtue of owning a certain
castle, which earldom is this ?
O f what is the ' bar sinister '
a sign ?
What is the difference between indented and dancetté ?
How do women bear arms ?
What do the letters P . C . C .
stand for ?
Whose arms are supported
by a hippopotamus and a
crocodile ?
" A landskip with divers
Martyrs in several Manners
massacred." T o what town
does Guillim assign these
arms ?
Who instituted the Order
of
the
Companions of
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
5
Honour and when ?
What are canting arms ?
Which living Earl succeeded
to his title the moment he was
born?
What are the arms attributed
to Edward the Confessor ?
Does a woman confer any
precedence on her husband ?
" Sable, a naked man, arms
extended proper." To what
family do these arms belong ?
What family with a double
name bear the arms of the
first name in the first quarter
and the patronomial arms
in the 2nd and 3rd ?
The records of births, deaths
and marriages at Somerset
House started in what year ?
In the arms of Oxford
University there is a book to
which seals are appended,
how may seals are there ?
Who started the house of
Cecil on its road to fame ?
THE
ARMS OF T H E
DUKE
OF NORFOLK
In each issue o f the " Coat o f Arms " we shall give the
history
o f the arms o f some famous
person,
showing
how the
arms
were b u i l t up, by giving
a b r i e f history
o f the f a m i l y .
We
a r e starting
this series with the Arms o f the D u k e o f N o r f o l k ,
head o f the illustrious
House o f H o w a r d and premier
Dukeof
England
heir of Thomas of Brotherton.
Many
other
honours
were
showered upon John Howard
including the exalted post of
Earl Marshal.
A S F A R back as 1297 a Howard
is mentioned in a roll of arms
as bearing, " gules, crusilly and a
bend argent " and these arms soon
came to be the now famous coat
of Howard which is shown in the
first quartering in the illustration.
A l l this will explain the presence
of the arms of Thomas of Brotherton which occupy the second
quartering. They are the Royal
Arms of England with a label on
them to distinguish them from
those borne by the Monarch.
Anciently the Duke also quartered
the Arms of Mowbray in the
fourth quartering. These were,
" gules, a lion rampart argent."
The Howards did not really
achieve great fame until the
marriage of Sir Robert Howard
with Lady Margaret de Mowbray.
The eldest son of Edward I by
his second wife was a certain
Thomas of Brotherton.
This
Thomas had a daughter (and
eventually the sole heiress of her
father) called Margaret.
Margaret married Lord Segrave and
their only child, a girl, married
Lord Mowbray. Lord M o w bray's grandson
John
Lord
Mowbray
and
Segrave
was
created Duke of Norfolk in 1397.
His
eldest daughter was the
Margaret who married Sir Robert
Howard. The son of this marriage John Howard was created
Duke of Norfolk in 1483, as the
daughter and sole heiress of the
last Mowbray Duke of Norfolk
had died childless in 1481.
In 1513 Thomas Howard 2nd
Duke, son of the 1st Duke, led
the English army to victory over
the Scots at Flodden. For this
service K i n g Henry VIII granted
to the Duke ' an augmentation of
honour ' ; he let him place on the
silver bend in the Howard Arms, a
small shield emblazoned with the
Arms of Scotland, except that
the Scottish lion was cut in
half and only the top part shown
(this was symbolic of the defeat
the Scots had sustained) and it
was pierced through the mouth
with an arrow ; this was to
commemorate the fact that K i n g
James IV had been found dead
on the field, pierced through with
arrows.
In addition to being created
Duke of Norfolk John Howard
was granted the Baronies of
Mowbray and Segrave as he was
the eldest co-heir of John Mowbray who in his turn was sole
6
The next hundred and fifty
years were evil years for the
Howards. The
grandson of the
2nd. Duke was
executed, chiefly
on the grounds
that he bore the
arms of Edward
the Confessor
and also those of
E n g l a n d but
w i t h o u t the
Brotherton label.
Two of the granddaughters of the
same Duke, Anne
B o l e y n and
Catherine Howard married the
Monarch a n d
ended their lives
on the block.
The 4th. Duke
lost his head for
suspected liaison
with Mary Queen
of Scots and all
his honours were
forfeited.
This Duke had
married in 1556,
Mary, daughter
a n d eventually
heiress of Henry
Fitzalan, Earl of
Arundel. T h e
son of t h i s
marriage, Philip,
i n h e r i t e d the
Arundel t i t l e s
from his mother
and also Arundel
Castle, possession
of which makes
the possessor Earl
of Arundel. The
arms of Fitzalan, " gules, a lion
rampart o r " are shown in the
A R M S . Quarterly : 1st, gules, a bend between six cross
crosslets fitched argent, on the bend an escutcheon or,
charged with a demi-lion rampant pierced through the
mouth by an arrow within a double tressure flory
counterflory of the first : 2nd, gules, three lions passant
guardant in pale or, in chief a label of three points
argent: 3rd, chequy or and azure : 4th, gules, a lion
rampant or.
CRESTS. 1. Issuant from a ducal coronet or, a pair of
wings gules, each charged with a bend between six
cross crosslets fitched argent. 2. On a chapeau gules,
turnedup ermine, a lion statant guardant with tail extended or, gorged with a ducal coronet argent.
3. On a mount vert, a horse passant argent holding in
mouth a slip of oak fructed proper.
SUPPORTERS. Dexter, a lion, sinister a horse, both
argent, the latter holding in its mouth a slip of oak
vert, fructed proper.
M O T T O . Sola Virtus Invicta.
7
fourth
quartering.
As
the
Fizalans were also heirs of the
Warren family the Warren Arms
are shown in the third quartering.
(In point of fact the Howards
had quartered the Warren arms
for some years, as the heiress of
the 10th Earl of Arundel had
married Thomas de Mowbray,
thus giving the Mowbrays the
right to bear the arms of Warren
(and Fitzalan i f they wanted) as
heraldic heirs. The title did not
pass to the Mowbrays as there
was a cousin to inherit. A n d of
course all the arms the Mowbrays
were entitled to bear the Howards,
as their co-heirs were also allowed
to use). The sinister supporter
is that of Fitzalan, (formerly it
had been a lion as the dexter)
and the sinister crest is the Fitzalan Crest.
Philip, Earl of Arundel, was
attainted in 1590 and died a
prisoner in the Tower. Philip
died " a most humble and
obedient child of the Catholick
Roman
Church"
and
was
beatified in 1929 by Pope Pius
XI.
His son was restored to
the titles lost by his father as
soon as Queen Elizabeth was
dead, and in 1660, on the accession of Charles II the head of
the family was restored to the
Dukedom of Norfolk as 5th
Duke. In 1672 the 6th Duke
was created Earl Marshal of
England with remainder to a
vast number of his relations and
their descendants. The present
Duke is directly descended from
Blessed Philip Howard, Earl of
Arundel.
The centre crest is that granted
to Thomas Mowbray by Richard
II in virtue of his Royal Descent
and the dexter is the family
crest of Howard. The two gold
batons tipped with sable are the
insignia of the Earl Marshal and
as the present and 16th Duke is a
Knight
of the
Garter
the
escutcheon is surrounded with
the garter.
For any one interested the story
of the Howard family, their
great alliances, their loyalty to
the faith of Rome, their scandals
and intrigues, their mysteries and
their triumphs is perhaps the
most fascinating (and at times
baffling) of family histories.
Cadets of the House of Howard
include the Earls of Carlisle,
Suffolk
and
Berkshire, and
Effingham ; Viscount Fitzalan of
Derwent and Barons Howard of
Glossop and Howard of Penrith.
The present Garter K i n g of Arms,
Sir Algar Howard is third cousin
once removed to the Duke of
Norfolk.
In the illustration are shown the
arms as borne by His Grace
Bernard Marmaduke FitzalanHoward, Duke of Norfolk, Earl
of Arundel, Surrey and Norfolk,
Baron Fitz Alan, Clun Oswaldestre and Herries, Earl Marshal and Hereditary Marshal of
England, Premier Duke and Earl.
These arms were drawn from a
painting in the possession of the
Society of Heraldic Antiquaries,
painted by M r . P. H . Mason.
The next a r t i c l e i n t h i s
series
w i l l be t h e h i s t o r y of t h e a r m s of
Seymour,
Dukes of
Somerset.
(Official Rulings
of The
These
Notes a r e sent to us by Sir
A L G A R H O W A R D , K.C.V.O.,
C.B., M . C . , Garter Principal King
of
Arms.
College of Arms
Ladies who are Lord Mayors and
Mayors.
Designations such as " M y
Lady
Mayor,"
" Madam
Mayor," etc., are incorrect. In
Council a Mayor should be
addressed as " M r . Mayor," and
on an official letter as " The
Mayor of
" irrespective
of whether a man or a woman."
* * *
Quartering.
A woman who is an heiress of
her mother (e.g., a daughter or
co-heiress of a second marriage)
transmits as a first quartering to
her issue her mother's Arms
charged with a canton of her
father's Arms,
and transmits
also all her mother's quarterings.
(See pedigree overleaf).
Rise.
Take off your hats :
bow to the Chancellor.
Put on you hats : sit down.
Rise.
Take off your hats :
bow to the Chancellor."
The triple salutation is presumably either related to the
Holy Trinity or to the " Three
Estates" (Nobility, Clergy and
Commoners) its origin being lost
in the past.
Coronets.
The " pearls" on a baron's
coronet are of " silver."
In
heraldry the " pearls " are proper
(like pearls).
" Union Jack."
The Union Flag (the correct
name for it) is a Royal Flag.
Strictly speaking its use should
be confined (on land) only to
use
on
Royal
Government
property.
New Peers.
The words which Garter K i n g
K i n g of Arms pronounces in the
House of Lords when a new
peer (supported by two Peers of
equal rank) takes his seat, on
introduction, are as follows :—
" Sit down. Put on your hats.
Rise.
Take off your hats :
bow to the Chancellor.
Put on your hats : sit down.
Duke of Cornwall.
This title belongs only to the
King's eldest surviving son and it
is incorrect to include the title
amongst those belonging to the
King.
9
SIR J O H N F 1 T Z H U G H =
J O A N Da. of
SIR H E N R Y
GREEN
SONS
Who bear Father's
Arms
M A R Y Da of L O R D
WILLOUGHBY DE ERESBY
RICHARD
LORD N A U X
E L I Z A B E T H Da. and
Eventual Co-Heir
A N N E and other Das.
Coheirs to
their
Mother, are
entitled
to their Father's
Arms but
transmit these
Arms as
a Quartering to
their d e s c e n d a n t s
(their
husband's
would bear these
on an
Inescucheon
Though the names in this pedigree are fictitious, it is based on fact
and the arms are genuine.
MISS F R E D A P O D M O R E , B.A. (Cantab.)
Genealogical Research
Over ten year's specialisation in the Library and Collections of
the Society of Genealogists. Also experienced in editing MSS.
and seeing them through the press.
Preliminary enquiries should include full
d a t a and be addressed to :
2 Priory Walk, South Kensington, London, S.W. 10
10
THE
SEIZE-QUARTIERS
by
Sir Thomas Innes of Learney, K . C . V . O .
Lord Lyon K i n g of Arms.
E are two major forms
T HofE Rpedigree,
with which the
young enquirer into heraldic and
genealogical affairs will require to
make himself conversant. The
first, and that more usually
studied, is the lineal genealogy,
of which the primary purpose is
to deduce the history of this or
that family, in its successive
generations and in the ramifications of its branches. This
is essentially the family pedigree.
The other variety of genealogy
is the more personal form of
pedigree which investigates the
ancestral
make-up
of
the
individual, and it is this which
is
generally known as
the
" s e i z e - q u a r t i e r s " and which deals
with the sixteen great-greatgrandparents of the individual
under illustration, or should we
say examination. It is usually in
the form of an inverted tree and
shows not only the parents,
four grandparents, eight greatgrandparents and the said sixteen great-great-grandparents, but
also the armorial bearings and
other decorations, and usually
states in small scrolls under each
of the shields the honours, ranks
or
other important positions
held by each of the persons
involved.
In Germany and
normal proof was
sixteen quarterings
In France it was
purposes
eight
or eight branches
Austria the
one of the
or branches.
for many
quarterings
but for a
number of purposes each of
these eight had to be taken
back to
anterior
to
the
17th century. Four proofs of
eight and sixteen quarterings are
quite usual in the Scottish
Register of A l l Genealogies and
Birthbrieves in Scotland.
The
more normal proofs in
Spain and Scotland are of four
branches i.e., of the four grandparents of the person under
illustration, and whilst in many
cases it is difficult for the average
British person to establish a proof
of sixteen or even eight complete
quarterings, many people can
produce a proof of four branches.
In Scotland anciently, and upon
the Continent still, when two
persons were about to marry,
they are expected to produce
for examination one another's
family pedigrees including a p r e u v e
de noblesse
either of sixteen,
eight or four branches.
It is,
in fact, much the same sort of
investigation as when one buys
a cow or horse, but, unlike the
agricultural pedigree, the human
seize-quartiers
is
elaborately
decorated with armorial bearings
and
other
suitable
adjuncts
calculated to inspire romance
and enthusiasm, all of which is
very welcome and beneficial, but
we should not overlook the fact
that the whole thing is of a
scientific and practical character.
It is also of a valuable nature
since it ensures that certain important aspects will be carefully
11
considered by those about to
make an appointment or contract
a marriage, and aspects which in
many respects have a good deal
to do with whether the result is
likely to be happy and successful
or otherwise. It is important,
however, to realise that such a
pedigree is far more than a
picture, and that although a
seize-quartiers
is in itself a
beautiful object, there is a great
deal more to it than merely insisting that every one of somebody's great-great-grandparents or
great-grandparents should have
been equipped with a coat-ofarms. The underlying and vital
thing is that those concerned
should investigate what sort of
person each was, and what they
achieved during their lives.
From this source one gains a
practical knowledge of what are
likely to be the attributes and
qualifications of the individual at
the foot of the pedigree under
examination. Of course it can
only be an average and an
approximation, but nevertheless
it is likely on the whole to be a
true one, and a good estimate of
the individual, his antecedents,
surroundings
and
probable
potentialities.
Recently it was the habit of
pseudo-scientists to suggest that
this sort of thing was at the best
unscientific, and others to suggest
that no steps were eugenically
taken by the human race, whereas
in both respects we observe that
this sort of thing has been the
practice amongst the aristocracy
for centuries. The heraldic genealogy was the machinery which was
employed under the gay colours of
heraldry, for bringing these important matters under intelligent and
scientific examination.
It is
accordingly satisfactory to find
that in the latest examination of
the principles of scientific heredity,
scientists are realising that they
cannot get practical certainty
upon matters of this sort. But
after all, although they don't
just put it in those words, the
machinery that has come down
in the practice of the Kings
of Arms and Heraldry is the
best and most efficient that can
be obtained. A s an article in
the F a r m i n g News
put it, after
examining the whole question,
" in the meantime the younger
generation now knows that the
only proof of what an animal will
transmit is what it has already
transmitted and t h e o n l y f o r e c a s t
of t r a n s m i s s i o n w h i c h i s w o r t h
w h i l e i s based
o n what its near
ancestors
h a d transmitted."
In
that last sentence the modern
scientific
investigator
simply
admits that the best thing one
can do in the way of eugenics is
to examine the old aristocratic
s e i z e - q u a r t i e r s in the way in which
one has been accustomed to use
these documents, and we may
therefore say that our Courts of
Chivalry and Colleges of Arms
are, in regard to the human aspects
of these matters, in every respect
abreast of modern scientific inquiry,
as they have been for the past
eight hundred years.
12
HERALDIC NONSENSE RHYMES No. 1
T h e y ' r e o u t of gold
...
By C . W . S C O T T - G I L E S , M . A .
( W i t h apologies
THEY'RE
to all concerned)
out of gold at the College of A r m s .
Garter and Norroy are g o u t t e - d e s - l a r m e s .
Clarenceux's head is abaisse
w i t h grief,
York's rent his tabard from base-point to chief.
Windsor's bright sunburst is n e b u l e dimmed,
Bluemantle's a z u r e w i t h sable is trimmed.
Lancaster's rose is anaemic i n tint,
Richmond is talking of raiding the M i n t .
Rouge dragon, f l a m a n t and f u m a n t w i t h ire,
Keeps Chester coping w i t h outbreaks of fire.
Rouge croix's c r i n e d a r g e n t .
Dang!
Portcullis swears,
If he can't get some or he'll have somebody's sang.
Somerset, p u r p u r e of face, cries,"The phone !
Beg the Lord L y o n to send us a loan."
"Loan ?" says Lord Lyon, "For that ye maun
whistle !
Nemo lacesset.
Ye can't 'touch ' the Thistle."
13
Notes
on M e d i a e v a l H e r a l d r y by G E O R G E H . V I N E R ,
THE
F.S.A.
MAUNCH
WHO
would
guess what
this monstrosity,
however ancient
and
honourable
it may be, is
intended
to
represent ?
Of
numerous persons, non-armorial
of course, whose attention has
been drawn to it, not one has
succeeded in guessing aright.
How, in days gone by any lady
of taste and fashion came to
select so ungainly an object to
serve as a gage d ' a m o u r for her
chosen knight remains a mystery.
How, too, did he like to have it
flapping around his helm while
endeavouring
to unseat his
opponent ? It must have been
very disconcerting.
Guillim evidently considered
it necessary to enter into this
explanation, and Lower in his
Curiosities of Heraldry declares
that " This charge
represents an ancient fashion of sleeve
worn soon after the Conquest,
but of such an extravagant form
that Leigh (sic) blazons it a
' m a u n c h - m a l t a l e , ' a badly cut
sleeve." O f the four illustrations
Lower gives, two show an
emerging hand.
Planché's
' Cyclopaedia of
Costume ' is also worth consulting
for he is very outspoken and
does not hesitate to say, " Another
absurd
and
hideously-shaped
sleeve seems to have been worn
by women at the same time
(Norman period), and survived
it. It was something like a boat
and has evidently been the origin
of the heraldic maunch which the
French very aptly term " u n
maunch m a l tallie."
It is interesting to see what
Guillim and others have to say
about it. " This word Maunch "
Guillim says, " seemeth to be
derived from the Latin word
M a n i c a which signifieth the sleeve
of a Garment."
These words
accompany an illustration of the
arms of Mohun which have a
maunch, and emerging from it
a hand grasping a fleur-de-lis.
He goes on to say, " The coming
of the hand out in this manner
doth show the same to be a
sleeve.
For (if you observe)
you may discern the bough of the
A r m in the midst, as also the
elbow opposite thereto and the
widing thereof at the shoulder,
as if the same were enlarged with
a Gussett under the arm-pit."
Fox-Davies also is hardly
complimentary in declaring that
" a maunch as drawn is scarcely
recognisable as a sleeve."
One is inclined to fancy that
it will take an unusually talented
herald-painter to make of it a
thing of beauty and a joy for
ever.
In our next
issue M r . V i n e r writes
THE W A T E R
14
BOUGET.
on
MACBETH AND THE EARLY
SCOTTISH SUCCESSION
by Adrian Turner.
T
H E first K i n g of Scotland
was Kenneth I. MacAlpin,
but if we are to understand the
succession laws of his heirs, we
must first consider the customs
of the Picts and the Scots whose
two kingdoms Kenneth permanently united.
The Scots trace their kings
back to Erc (5th Century). The
kings were chosen from his male
descendants according to the laws
of " tanistry," that is, the heir
was not the son,* but a collateral
relative. This system lead to
feuds among contending collaterals, rivalries which produced
twenty kings between 650 and
750.
The Picts were no better off.
In their kingdom, a man was the
heir of his m o t h e r , and he was
himself succeeded, never by his
son, but by his brother or the
children of his sister.
Since
the names of females are not
recorded, Pictish genealogy is
extremely obscure except when
the throne is inherited by princes
of other royal families. The
kingdoms of Northumbria and
Strathclyde both acquired it, and
twice a scion of the house of
Erc ruled.
* Only two
among forty kings
directly succeeded their fathers.
Eochaid I, nominated by St. Columba
— himself no doubt influenced by his
Roman training— to succeed St. Aidan,
and Dungal, king for three years during
the life of Selbach who had retired.
The next step towards union
was taken by the house of Scone
who
apparently
introduced
hereditary succession in just sufficient measure to enable a man
to succeed as the heir of his
p a t e r n a l grandmother.
Further,
they subjugated the Scots, and
for sixty years nominated as their
kings their own sons, puppets, or
even themselves.
Finally, the
heiress of Scone transmitted
through her son Alpin, K i n g of
the Scots, that claim which
enabled Kenneth to unite Scotland.
For several years after the
accession of Kenneth I, it was
doubtful which method of succession would be followed, though
one thing was certain, that in no
case would a son succeed his
father. A n effort seems to have
been made to preserve
the
Pictish succession by Giric, who
killed Aed, and acted as regent
during the reign of Eochaid,
whose great-uncle he probably
was, but subsequently the succession reverted to the tanist
system.
Constantine II's long
reign brought sufficient stability
to allow him to retire to a monastery, but subsequently
the
country was reduced to chaos by
the internal feuds
of rival
" tanists" and the external invasion of the Danes.
The succession system was
obviously at fault, and efforts
were made to supersede it by a
better method. Kenneth II, who
15
KINGS
OF
SCOTLAND,
843—1153
Alpin
NOTES :
Kings of Scotland in
Mormaers
of Moray
CAPITALS
underlined.
A question mark placed in front
of a name, thus : ? D u n g a l
indicates that there is an
element of conjecture in
the parentage
given.
1.
KENNETH
Dunnagual, King of Strathclyde
I
2.
(843-858)
3. C O N S T A N T I N E I
4.
(862-877)
6.
DONALD II
MALCOLM I
9.
12.
KENNETH
II
EOCHAID
Donald
King of Strathclyde
InDULF
(954-962)
(971-995)
Aed, King
of Ireland
ob.879
Maelmuire
ob.913
(878-889)
( 9 0 0 - 9 4 3 abd.)
ob.952
(943-954)
10. D U B
(962-966)
5.
7. C O N S T A N T I N E I I
(GREGORY)
Regent ( 8 7 8 - 8 8 7 )
Run, King
of Strathclyde
(HUGH)
(877-878)
(889-900)
8.
AeD
? GIRIC
Arthgal, King
of
Strathclyde
DonALD I
(858-862)
Eochaid
ob.971
11. C U L E N
(966-971)
MORAY
14.
KENNETH
III
(997-1005)
GIRIC
(997-1003)
? Malcolm
Regulus of Cumbria
ob.990
1 3 . CONSTANTINE
? Boite
? Gillacoimgin
† 999
15. Malcolm I I
(1005-1034)
? Dungal
ob.999
Gruoch
(q.v.)
d Cathal of Leinster
ob.1035
ob.1035
Ruadri
III.
(995-997)
ATHOLL
Crinan
ob.1045
NORTHUMBRIA
Earl of
B e t Northumbria,
h o Siward,
c
ob.1005
DUNCAN I
(1034-1040)
Donald
ob.i085
21. DUNCAN II,
? Lodmund
ob.1116
(1094)
William
ob.1020
ORKNEYS
Sigurd, Jarl
of the Orkneys
MALCOLM
ob 1029
s, murdered
1033
16.
Ingibjorg, widow (2)
of Thorfinn (q.v.)
Maelbrigte
Findlaech
(1)19. MALCOLM
III
(2)
(1058-1093)
St. Margaret of
England, o b . 1 0 9 3
?Sibylla Waltheof I I Earl
of Northumbria
1072-1075
20. DONALD
17. M A C B E T H
BANE
( 1 0 9 3 - 1 0 9 4 dep., 1 0 9 4 - 1 0 9 7 dep.)
ob. c . 1 0 9 9
(1040-1057)
ob.s.p.
(2)Gruoch(l)
(q.v.)
Thorfinn, E a r l
of Caithness, ob.?1065
m. I n g i b j o r g
? Malcolm
Edward
ob.1093
Edmund
Æthelred
22.
EDGAR
(1097-1107)
Matilda
Mary m.
(1107-1124)
m. Henry I E u s t a c e of
ob.s.p.l. King of England Boulogne
23. A L E X A N D E R I
23. DAVID
(1124-1153)
Kings of Scotland
Gillacomgain
ob. 1032
18. L U L A C H
(1057-1058)
Maelsnechtai Heth
ob.1085
Angus
ob.1130
restored order at last, tried to
introduce primogeniture, but he
was murdered by a combination
of those tanists who felt themselves threatened with being
disinherited. Next, Kenneth III
associated his son Giric with
him as King, though this too
failed as he died before his father.
who aspired to the throne. Thorfinn was a viking, of the family
that produced the Dukes of
Normandy. In 1040, Duncan
created his own nephew Earl
of
Caithness, and
defeated
Thorfinn. Resting after the battle
near Elgin, he was surprised by
MacBeth, and slain probably in
battle.
Malcolm II was more successful. He had a relatively long
and bloody reign. His sister,
(possibly called Donada) was
married to the Mormaer of
Moray, a powerful noble who no
doubt secured the crown for his
brother-in-law.
When
the
Mormaer rebelled and claimed
Scotland for himself, Malcolm
conquered by dividing his family
against him so that he was
burnt to death by his own nephews.
Finally, when Killacomgain died in 1032, Moray was
split between his widow with her
infant son, and his young cousin
MacBeth.
MacBeth had been born in 1005,
his mother being Malcolm II's
sister, and his father claiming
descent from Erc, progenitor of
the Royal family.
In 1032,
his parents were dead, Moray was
divided, and two heirs of Kenneth
III stood between him and the
throne. Moray was re-united by
his marriage with the Royal
princess Gernoch (" Lady MacBeth "), making him step-father
and guardian to one heir while
the other was destroyed by the
cupidity of Malcolm II.
As soon as Duncan's death
became known, his sons, fearing
lest MacBeth should remember
how his nephew had been murdered to prepare for the accession
of their father, and should seek
to consolidate his own position
by emulating that example, fled
to England. Their grandfather
Crinan, Lay Abbott of Dunkeld
and ruler of Atholl, rebelled,
but was defeated and killed in
1045. For some years, there
was peace, and we next hear of
MacBeth in 1050 (but not in
Shakespeare !) as a pilgrim in
Rome distributing silver to the
poor. O n his return he had to
meet a fresh invasion, sponsored
by the other grandfather, Siward,
Earl of Northumbria, descendant
of the royal house of Sweden,
Malcolm II was no less ruthless
towards his own family,
He
had no sons, but he secured the
throne for his grandson by the
foul murder o f his own rightful
successor, an infant descended
from Kenneth III and the sole
remaining male representative
(apart from Malcolm himself) of
the house of Kenneth McAlpine.
The next year he died, and as he
had intended, Duncan I usurped
the throne.
Duncan's powerful connections
{see t a b l e ) ensured success. In
1034, he created his brother
Earl of Cumbria.
Later, war
developed
with
his
cousin
Thorfinn, Earl of Caithness and
Sutherland, Jarl of the Orkneys,
18
nephew of a future K i n g of Denmark, and cousin of Harald II
(ob. 1066). Siward defeated MacBeth in 1054, but his son Osbern
and his nephew Siward were slain.
He died himself the following year.
MacBeth's reign continued for
two more years, and he was only
killed finally because of the exceptional ability and persistence
of young Malcolm.
Even so,
he was succeeded by his step-son
Lulach, and the death of Lulach
is far more tainted with the suspicion of murder and the foul
abuse of hospitality, in the manner
of Shakespeare's play, than the
HERALDRY
death of Duncan.
The final vindication of MacBeth comes from the succession
of his enemies. If Duncan I was
the true heir of Malcolm II, then
the heir of Malcolm III was one
of his sons or grandsons, not
his brother who did succeed him.
Duncan IPs son was alive when
his brother Edgar became king.
A n d even when it did appear that
the whole succession question had
been settled, the extinction of the
senior line in 1290 raised the whole
question again, as over a dozen
different tanists all claimed the
throne.
FOR HALF-A-CROWN
Stukeley Street, Drury Lane,
INLondon
W.C.2, stands the City
be made to enable school boys
and girls to join this class.
The instructor is Julian Franklyn, who has recently become a
member of The Society of Heraldic Antiquaries, and who would
welcome fellow members among
his students.
His method of
lecturing and demonstrating is
graphic, simple and entertaining.
He believes that Heraldry should
be taught in isolation : that is to
say, as a brilliant art, self-contained in all its gleaming rules and
gold, rather than as the handmaiden of Mediaeval History, or
as the confirmation of dubious
genealogy.
Nevertheless, since
the subject is indivisible from its
origins, M r . Franklyn does not
neglect the antiquarian angle, nor
obscure the family associations.
Literary Institute. Here Evening
Classes in more than seven hundred subjects are held. Among
these subjects is Heraldry.
This class is the only nontechnical course in Heraldry open
to the general public in the whole
country. The students, of whom
there are about forty, are seriousminded people with no particular
attachment to Heraldry in their
daily life, hence they are studying
the fascinating subject just because it is fascinating, and with
no utilitarian end in view.
Since the City Literary Institute is a London County
Council establishment, and the
rules governing that Body's evening classes prevent the attendance
of persons of school age, none of
the students is juvenile, but as the
classes start and finish early,
namely, from 5.45 p.m. to 7.15
p.m. on Tuesdays, it would be a
good thing i f an exception could
The new term commences on
January 9th, 1950, and has not
yet progressed too far for new
members to enrol with advantage.
As the title above suggests, the
fee for the term's tuition is halfa-crown.
19
School
E m a n u e l School,
Heralds
Wandsworth is, perhaps, the only School in England
which has its own private
EMANUEL
School, Wandsworth, founded in 1594 by
Gregory Fiennes, L o r d Dacre of
the South, and Anne Sackville,
Lady Dacre, has a school herald.
He is known as " Dacre Herald
Extraordinary."
The appointment is, of course, a private one,
made by the Headmaster, and
" D a c r e " has no standing in
official heraldic circles.
*
*
*
The holder of the office has
a knowledge of armory, and
advises the School as to the use of
its insignia, which includes the
Founder's
shield
of
twelve
quarterings.
He is also the
author of the history of the
School.
Once in each year, " Dacre,"
or his deputy, the Sackville
Pursuivant, attends at the School
and leads a procession of past
and present members round its
extensive grounds, pausing here
and there to draw attention to
its boundaries and land marks,
and to expound the traditions
associated therewith.
The information he imparts is impressed
upon the memories of six
whipping-boys. For these pro-
Herald
ceedings, " Dacre " and " Sackville " wear tabards of the
Founders' arms over Elizabethan
dress. They are accompanied by
the Headmaster and visiting
Governors, and preceded by an
officer
bearing the
School's
hundred-year-old silver mace, embossed with the arms of Lord
Dacre and the City of London
(with which the School has an
historic connection).
While the proceedings have
their lighter side, they have also
their
dignified
and
serious
moments, and they serve a useful
purpose in bringing home to
each School generation the fact
that they are members of an
ancient foundation with a background of history and tradition.
Should others schools be interested in developing a similar
custom, " D a c r e " would be
pleased to give fuller information
regarding the event at Emanuel.
Who knows but that a Chapter
of School Heralds might result ?
C.W.S.-G.
GEORGE SHERWOOD,
48, B E E C R O F T R O A D ,
B R O C K LEY,
F.S.G.,
S.E.4 L O N D O N .
Given a fairly uncommon surname, I can usually say where people of that name
were living at any given period, and possibly having children. This may bridge a
gap in your line and supply just the evidence it needs. Fee is two guineas, prepaid.
Shots at " Seize Quartiers,' two guineas. A N C E S T O R S T R A C E D : descent and
kinship proved.
20
Compiled
Brasenose
for the " Brazen
Nose " by C O L I N C O L E o f
College
M . A . , and printed
here by k i n d
permission
o f the E d i t o r o f that M a g a z i n e .
New Lights on Old Lights
Notes on Ancient (c. 1500) stained glass in the north bay
window of Brasenose College Hall, establishing the identity
of the bearers of the arms there situated, from evidences
collected from numerous authorities.
D
U R I N G the Long Vacation William and Richard were equally
of 1948 the most ancient associated with Richard Sutton
examples of stained glass at in the foundation, the Fermor
Brasenose were restored to the lions' heads and anchors were
north bay window in Brasenose certainly set up for William
Hall, whence they had been Fermor, Clerk of the Crown in
removed for safety at the out- the King's Bench, and a fellow
lawyer with Richard Sutton,
break of war in 1939.
Governor of the Inner Temple ;
The glass consists for the most
and the pick-axes in the shield
part of three armorial shields,
of Pigot are those of Thomas
two of which hitherto have not
Pigot,
another
lawyer, and
been identified with any great
associate of Sutton, the lawyerparticularity.
Churton, in his
founder of Brasenose College.
Lives of Smith and Sutton,
mentions only the surname of
The first identification is proved
the bearer of one of them, Pigot, by the two coats impaled in the
and has nothing more to explain Fermor shield (Fig. 1.) These are
its presence than that one of that the chevron and ravens' heads
numerous
clan
of Ravenscroft
was
probably
assumed by John
concerned with
Norris of Bray
the business of
in Henry V's
the foundation of
reign
on
his
Brasenose as a
m a r r i a g e to
college. Of the
Millicent
the
other shield he
heiress daughter
tells us that it
of
Ravenscroft
belongs to the
of Cotton End,
Fermor family,
Northants ; and
but does not say
the Montfort or
which of
the
Merbroke coat,
two
brothers,
Gold
four bends
W i l l i a m and
Azure within a
Richard Fermor,
border G u l e s .
it represents.
Fig. 1 F E R M O R & N O R R I S These two coats
(Ravenscroft) per Fess with William Fermor
However,
acquired by his
although b o t h
Merbrook (Montfort)
21
marriage with
John Norris'
great - great - great - grand daughter Elizabeth, daughter of
Sir William Norris of Yattenden,
Berks., which property the latter's
mother, the heiress daughter of
Richard Merbroke, had brought
into the Norris family. There
yet remain in St. Ebbe's church
in Oxford two late mediaeval
shields of this Sir William Norris,
Sheriff of Oxfordshire in 1468,
1482, and 1486, and father-in-law
of our William Fermor. In each,
the black chevron with the ravens
heads, and the Merbroke bends
(but set the wrong way round)
there impale the famous de Vere
coat, quarterly red and gold
with a silver roundel (meant for
the crusading star, or comet,
as Drayton calls it in his
" P o l y o l b i o n " ) , Joan de Vere,
daughter of the 12th Earl of
Oxford, being the second wife
of the thrice married Sheriff.
A quartering for Vere, with the
star properly shown, can be seen
in the centre light of the south
window in Brasenose Hall, in
the shield of John, 2nd Baron
Mordaunt, representing his mother Elizabeth, the heiress daughter
of Sir Henry Vere, Knight, of
the same house as the earls of
Oxford. (Joan Fermor, a niece
of our William Fermor, became
the second wife of this Lord
Mordaunt, whose portrait hangs
in Brasenose Hall to-day). The
glass at St. Ebbe's is in fragamentary condition through neglect and
careless patching over the years,
and we are fortunate that the
Braseonse College version of the
Norris ravens' heads and Merbroke bends is in a far finer state
of preservation, the glass having
remained for 400 years much
22
as it was when first set up in the
hall in the 16th century.
These same Norris ravens'
heads and Merbroke bends appear again in a window in the
Master's lodging at Balliol, indicating the marriage of John
Cheyny with William Fermor's
sister-in-law Joan Norris, in glass
contemporary to that of Brasenose. For condition and craftsmanship this shield can be compared to its fellow in Brasenose
Hall, but not for accuracy or
propriety, for at Balliol the
natural order of things has been
reversed, and Norris impales instead of being impaled by Cheyny,
the glazier even in those days of
coverture having preferred to
make the wife the dominant
half of the alliance. A n d being
a sensitive soul he has omitted
the red border of illegitimacy in
the quartering of Montford (appropriately enough, once seated
at Beaudesert), but later assumed
border and all, by Merbroke.
Our William was a much-married man, Elizabeth Norris being
his fourth wife. His efforts to get
an heir by her were as barren as
his previous three wives, and he
died without issue, his nephew
Thomas
Fermor, Sheriff
of
Shropshire in 1559, inheriting his
estates at Somerton, Oxon., although William's will would not
seem to bear this out. There in
the church William was buried, as
he requested in his will "under
the newe Arche betwene the Ile
of the south side and the puewe
wherein I have used to knele."
His wife Elizabeth lies with him,
and on their altar their earthly
course is thus summarised :
" H e r e lyelh b u r i e d M r . W y i l l i a m
F e r m o u r Esquyer,
w h i c h was l o r d
of t h i s t o w n e a n d p a t r o n e of t h i s
c h u r c h , a n d a l s o d a r k of t h e
c r o w n i n t h e K i n g ' s bench bye
K y n g H e n r y the VII a n d K y n g
H e n r y VIII
days w h y c h d i e d ye
X X I X daye of September
i n ye
yere
of
our Lord
God a
MCCCCCLII.
A n d also here
lyeth mestres E l i s a b e t h F e r m o u r e
hys l a s t wyfe,
w h y c h e was t h e
d a u g h t e r of syre W i l l i a m N o r r y s s e
k n y g h t . Upon
whose
souls
Jesu
have
mercy."
those connected with the transaction, Bury, Fermor, Sutton and
Morley should be held in special
reverence by the present-day members of " the new seminary."
William Fermor's arms were
set up not only in Brasenose, but
were to be seen at Sarsdone
House, Oxon., and were noted
by Antony a Wood, the Oxford
antiquary, on his visit there in
February 1675.
They
also
appeared,
for
William's father Thomas Fermor,
alias Ricardes, in a window in
Witney church, where the latter
is buried, and where his wife
Emmot is " all full of crowns,"
presumably the celestial kind.
She was the wealthy widow of
Henry Wayneman, of Blewbery,
Today in the workshop of an
Oxford craftsman there are two
large quarries which are being
re-leaded. They bear the letters
W and E , linked by cords twined
in true-lovers knots. These indicate the union of William
Fermor and Elizabeth Norris
(as does the shield in Brasenose
Hall, albeit less passionately),
and this glass will be re-set when
ready in its old site, the window
of the Fermor chapel, which
William built on the north side
of the chancel in Somerton
church.
Written
Pedigrees
and
Painted
C o a t s of A r m s
William owned considerable
property in the neighbourhood,
and in 1512 he sold the manor
of Pinchepolles in Berkshire to
Richard
Sutton,
acting
for
Elizabeth Morley, whose memory
we commemorate by an annual
dinner. Pinchepolles Manor had
been previously sold to William
Fermor by Edmund Bury, who
was Bishop Smith's principal
confidant and agent in early
negotiations for the founding of
Brasenose as a college. The
conveyance of the manor resulted
in the " first permanent benefaction bestowed on the new
seminary," and the names of
M i s s Claire G . M . Evans,
105,
Dulwich
Village,
London, S. E . 21 is experienced in the writing of
pedigrees on vellum, and
competent i n rearranging
confused records. She also
writes pedigrees needed for
reproduction, and is an
expert calligrapher.
She
also specialises i n
the
painting of Coats of A r m s
on vellum or wood.
23
Berks., from which clothier and
common carrier descended the
Viscounts Wenman of Tuam in
Ireland (extinct 1800), and who in
allusion to his trade and punning
on the first syllable of his surname,
(which derived from the " wain "
or four-wheeled cart used to
carry his goods to London),
bore for his arms, "Sable, on a
fess Silver between three golden
a n c h o r s , three lions' heads erased
Gules." On marrying Waynemans
widow Thomas Fermor adopted
as
his arms
a
variation
of
this
coat,
transposing
the tinctures and placing the
golden anchors on a sable fess,
and the red lion's heads i n a
silver shield. (Fig. 1.) Though
it was not unusual for a man
on marrying an heiress or a
woman of higher rank than
himself, to take her arms (or
rather, her father's, for
example, Norris
took
Ravenscroft, and Merbroke
took
Montfort), or
a
differenced version of them
in lieu of his own, yet it is
most uncommonly complimentary (and surprising !)
that a husband should adopt
not his new wife's arms, but
her late husband's, as in
this instance.
Although there is some
evidence that these arms
were in use before 1509, in
that year Richard Wayneman,
grandson of Henry
Wayneman the clothier,
received a grant of the
anchors and lions' heads
coat. Thus it would seem
that the exchange of bearings
with the Fermors could not
have taken place until that
year at the earliest, some
twenty-five years after Thomas
Fermor's marriage to the widow
of Wayneman ; as Thomas died
in 1485 it was probably not
he, but his sons William and
Richard, who made the exchange,
not so much out of affection
for
their
nephew
of
the
half-blood, but in an attempt
retrospectively to establish their
father as armigerous. But whenever or by whomsoever the exchange was effected, in the result
the Fermor shield bears witness
to the alliance with the Wayneman
widow and its choice of charges
plays compliment not to Thomas
Fermor's new bride but to her
deceased husband — and so one
can still be surprised.
(To
be
continued)
ARMS & HERALDIC
EMBLEMS
C
REYNOLDS
E R D I N G T O N
24
71
G r a n g e
Rd.
B I R M I N G H A M
2 4
The Arms of the Kingdom
of Jerusalem
by The H o n . George Bellew, M . V . O . , F.S.A., Somerset
Herald of Arms.
I N 1099 the crusaders
entered Jerusalem
for the first time and,
in the following year,
they erected the "City
of Peace," together
with certain adjacent
provinces, into
a
Christian
kingdom.
On Christmas Day
in that same year,
1100, they crowned their first
king, Baldwin, son of Eustace
Count of Boulogne and brother
of the great warrior-pilgrim,
Godefroy Duke of Bouillon.
whether
they
were
a c t u a l , titular or
claimant, are credited
with having used the
Arms: "argent a cross
potent between four
plain
crosses or,"
alone, impaled by, or
quartered with their
own Arms.
The design of these
Arms is unusual. The golden
crosses placed on the silver field is
a violation of one of the first and
foremost rules of heraldry (that
metal may not be placed on
metal).
For this reason the
Arms are of peculiar interest.
This violation, which is almost
unique, may have been intentional. Perhaps it was thought
that, by deliberately using, as
most worthy for so sacred a
purpose, the two precious metals,
and thereby contravening the
rules which ordinarily govern
heraldry, special attention would
be drawn to the very distinguished
character of the Arms. It must,
however, be admitted that the
Arms are possibly of greater
antiquity than
the rules of
heraldry.
Although in fact the ill-fated
throne lasted only 87 years, the
title thereto continued through
the centuries.
It passed in
succession,
when
heirs-male
failed, from one family to another
in Europe, until eventually, owing
to
certain
circumstances,
it
became difficult to determine who
was the rightful titular king. A t
the present time there are several
claimants. Since the fourteenth
century the title has been little
more than a mere designation.
No territory went with it and, in
later times, there was little or no
hope of ever regaining the lost
Holy Land. But it was a romantic
designation if nothing else, for it
had about it the flavour of the
first crusade.
The reason why the large cross
in the Arms is " potent" is
obscure. Potent is derived from
the French, potence,
and mean?
crutch, gallows or bracket. The
cross is so called because the
A l l the kings of Jerusalem,
from the twelfth century onwards,
25
four arms terminate in the shape
of crutches.
There are those who see in the
cross potent an I and an H , placed
one upon the other, forming a
variation of the " Monogram of
C h r i s t " (the initial letters of the
name of Jesus in Greek) or perhaps the initial letters of the Latin
form of Jerusalem.
Others hold that the cross
represents the hilts and pommels
of four swords laid in the form
of the cross. In support of this
theory, is the fact that sometimes,
in very ancient paintings of the
Arms, the cross is shown as a
" cross pommel," that is with
the extremities, not in the shape of
crutches, but in the shape of the
pommels of swords. This would
seem to be rather appropriate
Arms for a crusader kingdom.
Again, it must be remembered
that long before the " L a t i n "
cross became the established form
of the Cross of Christ in the West,
other forms of the cross were
used, one of which was the cross
tau, shaped like a crutch, or like
the letter T.
N o definite conclusions can
be arrived at, however ; the
Arms appear out of the mists of
the twelfth century and their
origin can only be conjectured.
Of all the Arms known to
heraldry probably none have ever
been held in higher esteem or
regarded with more reverence
than these. They must have been
familiar to the eyes of every
crusader and to have symbolised
to him those lofty sentiments for
which he was prepared, or even
anxious, to lay down his life.
" LOOK IT UP AT SOMERSET HOUSE "
A S there is a popular idea that
Somerset House contains the
pedigree of every Englishman
from 1066 to the present day we
thought it would be as well to
show exactly what records it does
contain.
Firstly it contains copies of
birth, death and marriage certificates issued after 1837.
A birth certificate tells you the
date and place of birth, the name
of the infant, the father's name
and profession and the maiden
surname of the mother.
A marriage certificate gives the
date and place of marriage, the
names, ages, professions and residences of the parties concerned
together with their fathers' names
and professions.
On a death certificate will be
found the date and place of death,
the name, age and profession of
the deceased and the cause of
death.
Copies of all wills proved after
1858 are filed at Somerset House.
To obtain a certificate of birth,
death or marriage you pay 1s. to
look through the indexes (these
only give names and places) ; you
can obtain a certified copy (giving
all information) for 2s. 7d. To
search for a will also costs 1s., for
that you may read the will but not
copy it. A photostatic copy can
be obtained for a fee of 1s. 6d.
per page.
Also at Somerset House are
various wills and records previous
to the dates mentioned above.
26
Canting Charges and Mottoes
by H . H . Huxley,
M.A.
Lecturer in Latin Language and Literature at the University
of Leeds.
T H E canting or punning charge
is one of the most interesting
features of armorial bearings
and can often be recognised
easily even by those who claim
no skill in heraldry. The arms
of a great university city depict
quite clearly an ox at a ford, and
so provide an unerring means
of identification. Many Londoners must have noticed the
Paschal Lamb which is the crest
of the Metropolitan Borough
of Lambeth. To pass to personal
arms, the Baron Calverley has
for supporters on either side a
calf proper, while the zodiacal
sign of Taurus (the Bull) and a
bull's head caboshed sable are
among the devices of Sir George
Bull of Hammersmith.
But such examples could be
multiplied indefinitely and are
part of our common experience.
They appeal directly to the eye
and make words superfluous.
The canting motto, on the other
hand is generally more subtle
and its significance is therefore
more likely to be missed. It
appears, like Proteus, under a
thousand
disguises
and
to
enumerate them all would severely
test the patience of even the most
enthusiastic Heraldic Antiquary.
Such a catalogue would be as
tedious to compile as to read.
What I propose to do is to treat
in more detail six or seven
mottoes, most of which appear
on corporate arms. A convenient
summary of the more common
types of pun is given in a short
article of mine in " Notes
and
Q u e r i e s " (April 17th, 1948, pages
161-163).
A clever one-word motto is
that of Sir Alexander Korda— the
Latin word ' S U R S U M ' which
means ' o n h i g h : ' S U R S U M
CORDA' ('Hearts o n high')
is a versicle from the Roman
Missal, but it is not uncommonly
inscribed near the altar in churches
of the Anglican communion.
The Borough of Wood Green
has an interesting Latin Motto —
' N O S T R U M VIRET R O B U R '
— which could literally be translated ' O u r w o o d i s g r e e n : But
because two of the three words
are capable of a metaphorical
rendering it may also mean ' O u r
strength
flourishes:
A favourite trick is so to
divide the name of the grantee
that it forms part, or the whole,
of two or three separate words
in English or in another language.
In doing this one may have in
mind the spelling or the pronunciation of the original. Here
is an example of each from
Civic heraldry. ' B E A U D O N '
( ' F a i r G i f t ' ) is the motto of
Bowdon, Cheshire, while ' A D U C
HIC H E S T E R N A ' ( ' S t i l l h e r e
a r e t h e t h i n g s of
yesterday')
cunningly conceals the placename Chichester !
The family of Aikenhead has
a motto the canting nature of
which could only be detected by
27
one well-versed in the classics.
It is a phrase from a satire of the
Roman poet Juvenal ( R U P T O
R O B O R E N A T I ') and means
roughly ' sons of t h e s p l i t oak.'
The reference is to a fable of
antiquity which tells how a
sturdy race of men was born
from oak-trees.
' Aikenhead '
sounds very much like ' a c o r n head:
Hymers' College Hull, has a
much simpler canting motto
' H i g h M e r i t , H i g h R e w a r d . ' The
founder, D r . John Hymers, a
distant
relation
of
William
Wordsworth, was a Cambridge
mathematician of distinction and
a Fellow of St. John's College.
He is called ' D I R U S H Y M E R S '
(grim
H y m e r s ) in an amusing
skit on undergraduate life by that
prince of parodists,
Charles
Stuart Calverley. A more famous
institution in Hull, its University
College, bears
the
motto
' L A M P A D A FERENS' ('Carr y i n g t h e t o r c h ' ) . The shield
displays a torch, symbol of the
unbroken tradition of learning.
Ferens is, of course, the name
of the College's generous and
far-sighted founder.
The old
students are banded
together
into a Ferens Society.
' F O R T I T E R O C C U P A PORT A M ' (' B r a v e l y h o l d t h e g a t e ')
— motto of Barnsley Grammar
School in Yorkshire does not
strike the casual observer as a
punning motto. M y familiarity
with the Odes of Horace being
greater than my knowledge of
Yorkshire schools, I believed,
I must confess, that the last word
was a mistake for ' P O R T U M '
(' h a r b o u r '). How dangerous is
a little knowledge !
I was
politely put right by a former
master of the school (himself both
a classical scholar and
an
antiquarian) and told how much
the school owes to the great
Archbishop Holgate !
' MULTI
SOCIETATE
TUTIORES'
(motto
of the
Alliance Assurance Company,
Ltd.) is capable of bearing both
the general meaning ' M a n y men
increase
t h e i r safety
through
a l l i a n c e ' — a commonplace none
would dispute — and the special
meaning
' Many
men
attain
greater security through A l l i a n c e :
Similarly the motto of the Land
Agents' Society ' N O N N O B I S
S O L U M ' means ' N o t f o r o u r selves a l o n e ' i f the 'o' of 'solum'
is long; and ' The l a n d i s n o t f o r
us ' i f the 'o' is short.
The Perse School, Cambridge,
has a well-known punning motto
taken from the arms granted to
one of the founder's relations in
1560. It is ' Q U I F A C I T P E R
A L I U M , F A C I T P E R S E ' (' H e
w h o does s o m e t h i n g f o r a n o t h e r
does i t f o r h i m s e l f ' ) .
We are
bound to note in passing that,
for the sake of the pun, some
violence is done to the classical
tongue.
But as usual, purity
of language is left far behind in a
race with the pun.
I have already exceeded my
quota of examples and must draw
to a conclusion. M a y I end with
a practical suggestion ?
Civic
heraldry is rich in punning
mottoes and charges.
Most
councils and boroughs proud of
their arms devote a fair space to
the subject in their handbooks
and brochures, and the information therein given will settle
many a question and reveal much
of interest.
28
T h e writer
o f this a r t i c l e is a boy o f fourteen.
other y o u t h f u l enthusiasts
to send us contributions
interest.
My
W e invite
of
general
First Excavation
by D . J. Morgan.
myself walkON ingE dayup Ia found
leafy winding lane
After being introduced to the
Director of the excavations I
was given a trench on the NorthEast rampart and there, with
another school boy, I began
my first excavation.
towards three tents which stood
out on the skyline. M y companion led me over a barbed
wire fence and there we stood
gazing at the newly cut trenches,
and
the sun-burned enthusiasts
in them.
The surveying had
been carried out and the digging
had started ; already bones, a
bone needle and a spindle wheel
had been found.
Our first day proved fruitless
as far as finds were concerned,
but it fired my enthusiasm.
The following day we continued
in the same trench, the object
being to find out if there had
been a postern-gate there, or
whether it was just a modern
disturbance.
The trench was
three feet wide and six feet long,
and the bedrock of Limestone
proved to be three feet below
the surface. The procedure after
turfing this trench, which was
rather a deep one for the site,
was to use a pick carefully, and
then to shovel away the earth
even more carefully. We finished
after five days, having widened
the trench twice. A l l we found
was bone, but we provided the
useful evidence that the gap in
the rampart was a modern
disturbance and not a posterngate as no post holes were found.
By this time everybody was getting
rather tired of finding bone,
when suddenly pottery started
to turn up in all the trenches.
I looked around and found
that I was in an enclosure covering
about two-thirds of an acre,
bordered by banks about four
feet in height. To the south I
could see the rugged Somerset
coast, and to the north the
familiar Welsh mountains. Inside the enclosure were mysterious banks and mounds, one
of which made a complete circle.
In the south-west corner there
was a break in the rampart,
with mounds each side, suggesting
an entrance, and to the south
the ditch was marked plainly
below a rampart about six feet
high. This was the camp at
Mynydd Bycnan, in the beautiful Vale of Glamorgan, originally
thought to have been a fortified
homestead, but proved to have
been an Iron Age pocket hill-fort.
It stood on a ridge on the line
of the main Roman road through
South Wales, and commanded
all approaches from the south
and the sea.
I was camping now, and in the
evening when I did not go for
29
a walk I acted as guide to visitors.
There were three professional
labourers who did the heavy
work of cutting through the
ditches, and a varying number of
amateur workers who did the
lighter work.
For
the next four days I
worked on the remains of a
building built up against the east
rampart. It looked like an Iron
Age Hut Circle, but proved to
belong to the Mediaeval Occupation and was probably an
outhouse of some description.
A
bronze
ring
and
two
spindle wheels were found with
many mediaeval shards in the
interior ; outside the wall, which
had a good surface, I found
about a quarter of the rim of a
mediaeval bowl above an Iron
Age post hole. A t first it was
rather puzzling because mediaeval
buildings had been built above
the Iron Age occupation level.
South-west corner was exposed.
The
next task I undertook
single-handed and cut a trench
through the ditch. It took me
two days, the most fruitful of
my four weeks excavation. About
six inches below the surface,
and three feet from where a
human skeleton had previously
been found, I discovered another
human skeleton, and yet another
one when trying to find the first
skeleton's feet. This was work
for a trowel and a small brush,
and I watched the experienced
Director uncover the badly worn
bones. Unfortunately the bodies
were not complete, but fresh
interest was aroused when two
first century iron brooches were
found on the skeletons ; also
three other pieces of iron.
By this time we thought we
had discovered everything about
the site, when on the last day, a
string of post holes belonging
to an Iron Age Hut Circle, the
first to have been found, was
unearthed.
The
excavations were now
revealing the secrets of the site
and a very strong entrance in the
N E W S
F R O M
Under
A B R O A D
t h i s h e a d i n g we p u b l i s h items of i n t e r e s t sent t o us by o u r r e a d e r s
b e y o n d t h e seas.
La Société Heraldique Luxem- Les Lys et les Lions.
bourgeoise (S.H.L.)
This is a simple guide to French
This was formed about two Heraldry published in 1947 by L a
years ago and is now a flourish- Société Française d'Heraldique et
ing
Heraldic Society.
The de Sigillographie. It is rather
President is M . Louis Wirion and after the style of an American
the offices are at Grand-rue, 22, comic but in that lies its merit
Luxembourg. Besides publishing for it represents a big step forward
a very erudite and well set up in making heraldry popular. It
' Annuaire' they also publish a is a mass of colour — big pages
quarterly bulletin. The subscrip- full of pictures with the minimum
tion is roughly 14s. in British of explanation. If a copy comes
currency, and enquiries regarding your way buy it, for it is a most
membership should be addressed remarkable book.
to M . Wirion.
30
A
Prize
Competition
WANTED! AN ACHIEVEMENT
family had
THtheE Hart
little village of
lived in
Halford
Wells for about three hundred
years, and since 1832 they had
run the general store in the village.
They were of Yeoman stock and
before they entered commerce
they had been smallholders.
Joseph Hart was the son of
Isaac, who owned the store in
1889, the year that Joseph was
born. Joseph was a bright lad
and in the seventeenth year of his
age he won a good scholarship to
Merton College, Oxford.
At
Oxford he took a first in Mathematics and came down at the age
of twenty-one full of honours and
glory, the pride of Halford Wells.
But he had not been home two
weeks before his father died.
Joseph was left with one thousand pounds, a shop, a windowed
mother and a baby sister.
Despite his degree he set to
work in the shop. A t the end
of a year he spent all his savings
on buying the local public house
from his old friend Mary Munnings whom he installed as
manageress. Business improved,
Joseph enlarged the ' pub,' wrote
a book on mathematical calculations, bought up two more
village shops and within ten
years of coming down from
Oxford he was the owner of
two public houses and no less than
twenty general stores.
Joseph now turned his mind
to politics. He became a local
councillor, then a magistrate and
in 1929 he became a Socialist
M.P.
His commercial ability
won him many small but lucrative
posts and in 1945 he became a
junior minister and the owner of
one of the largest chain stores in
the Kingdom. Then in 1946 it
pleased His Majesty to bestow
upon Joseph Hart the dignity of
Baron Halford of Halford.
A peer ! Magnificent reward
for a life of continuous and
conscientious work, yet something
was missing and Joseph realised
that he had no coat of arms.
At once he sent a circular to all
his employees offering a reward
for the most suitable design for a
coat of arms.
Imagine that you are one of
Lord Halford's employees. What
arms would you design for your
boss, bearing in mind his history
and his work ?
Y o u can make a coloured
drawing or you can write out
a correct blazon with a rough
sketch to illustrate it.
Send
your entry to " C o m p e t i t i o n "
The
C o a t of A r m s , 21,
East
K n o y l e , W i l t s h i r e , not later than
M a r c h 1 s t , 1950.
Three prizes of 10/-, 5/-,and 2/6
will be given for the best entries.
N o entries can be acknowledged
but the names of the winners will
be given in the April issue.
31
ANSWERS TO QUIZ
on page 5
1
The name was Colley but
the 1st Lord Mornington
(an ancestor of the Duke)
changed it when he inherited
the estates of his cousin,
Garret Wesley (later Wellesley).
2 A pommeise.
3 Sir George Villiers, Earl of
Clarendon. His father held
the same office.
4 The premier Earldom, that
of Arundel. Possession of
Arundel Castle confers this
Earldom. The present Earl
is the Duke of Norfolk.
5 Nothing. There is no such
thing. A bar is horizontal,
if it were placed in such a
position that one end w a s
in sinister chief it would no
longer be a bar but a bendlet.
Novelists confuse it with the
baton sinister which has been
used by various monarchs to
distinguish the arms of their
illegitimate progeny.
6
12
13
14
15
16
17
The indentations in dancette
are much larger than in 18
indented.
7 In a lozenge, without helmet,
crest or mantling. If they
are entitled to supporters or
a coronet they may display
19
them.
8 Prerogative Court of Canterbury. A t this court many
wills were proved previous
20
to 1852. Many P . C . C , wills
will be found at Somerset
House.
9 The arms of Speke.
10 Lichfield in Staffordshire.
11 King George V in 1917.
32
Printed by A G
Gray
Arms which are a pun on the
name of the bearer, e.g.,
herrings are borne by the
family of Herring.
Sir John Pelham, 9th Earl
of Chichester. The 8th Earl
died in February, 1944, and
his son was born posthumously in A p r i l .
" Azure, a cross patonce between five martlets or."
None whatever, though this
is not so on the continent
where a husband often takes
his wife's title.
Dalzell. The Dalzells were
Earls of Carnwarth until the
title became extinct in 1941.
The daughter of the last
Earl married Lt. C o l . John
Taylor and they assumed the
name and arms of Dalzell
by Royal Licence.
The family of Ashley-Cooper,
Earls of Shaftesbury.
The
three sable bulls in the first
quartering belong to Ashley
and n o t to Cooper as many
people imagine.
1837.
Compulsory registration was enforced by the
Births and Deaths Registration Act of 6 and 7 W I L L .
IV.
Seven, sometimes said to
refer to the seven seals mentioned in the book of Revelations.
William Cecil, Lord Burgh
ley,
Queen
Elizabeth's
famous minister who died
in his 78th year in 1598
His
descendants
became
Marquises of Exeter (senior
line) and Salisbury.
& S o n , Shaftesbury
O S B O R N E
D e s i g n e r s a n d E n g r a v e r s of the
finest
line hand-engraved o n
copper
HERALDIC
BOOK PLATES
from ten
COLLECTORS'
SPECIMEN
117 Gower Street -
pounds
EXQUISITE
DOZEN
10/-
London, W . C . 1
The Society of Heraldic Antiquaries
The S.H.A. is a Society for uniting all those who are
interested in Heraldry and Genealogy. It caters especially
for beginners both young, and not so young.
The annual subscription is 5/- (4/= if under 21). The
advantages of membership include :
Notes of Special Interest four times a year
* The Coat of Arms' at reduced rates
S . H . A . Booklets at very reasonable prices
Prize Competitions
Tests in Heraldry for which Certificates are issued
Meetings in London twice a year
'The Escutcheon' (The Society's Yearly Bulletin) Free
Advice on Heraldic and Genealogical Matters
Use of The Society's Library (Postal Service)
Further particulars and Application for Membership Forms
obtainable from the Hon. Secretary :
S.H.A. 21,
EAST KNOYLE,
WILTSHIRE