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From: "Antony Barber" <>
Subject: Re: FAMILY CREST SEARCH
Date: Sat, 5 Sep 1998 12:30:11 +0100


Hello Colleen

The correct titles (or rather the titles by which they are usually known )
are:

Burke's General Armory
Papworth's Ordinary of Arms
Elvin's "A Dictionary of Heraldry"

Burke's and Papworth go together. Papworth is a comprehensive listing of
the arms of many families with a description of each in heraldic language;
Burke's is the reverse of that in that if you can describe the arms (once
again in heraldic language), the family can be found. Neither have much by
way of illustrations, so if you are a novice they would be of little use.
You would need to learn the language first.

Elvin does have many illustrations. Another alternative is "An encyclopaedic
dictionary of heraldry" by Franklin and Tanner pubd by Pergamon and may
still be in print.

If you are looking for the arms of a particular family, Burke's Peerage,
Debrett's Peerage or Burke's Landed Gentry contain many illustrations and
would be the place to start. However these are massive volumes and you may
find that that the library loan system may not look favourably on your
request.

If you can let me know what family or families you are interested in I could
send a photocopy of their arms if I can find them.

Antony Barber

>I am looking for enough information on the following books so that I
>can order them through library loan programs. I only have titles and
>I'm not sure they are complete titles . Burk's General Armory of England
>Elwin Dictionary of Heraldry and Popworth Brisih Amarels. I'm told
>that they would have info regarding family crests and insignias. Can
>anyone suggest a more appropriate info source? Thank you. Coleen
>
>______________________________

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