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Archiver > HEATH > 2002-03 > 1016746685


From: "Terence HEATH" <>
Subject: [HEATH] Re: HEATH-D Digest V02 #13
Date: Thu, 21 Mar 2002 21:42:25 -0000
References: <200203212102.g2LL2f506872@lists2.rootsweb.com>


You could look at
FAMILIA - the site which carries details of all
libraries and archives throughout the UK
It is simply www.familia.org.uk
But be fully aware that there is no such thing as a family
coat of arms.
These are only given to individuals and a lot of false
claims are made and charged for, about research and supply
of such non-existent awards.
For real information, the only place allowed to confirm any
individual's coat of arms is the College of Arms in
London. Arms can only be granted by Heralds.
First sons could inherit the same arms
after their fathers'
deaths, but there had to be a difference in arms granted to
any other
son, or to anyone else--no two alike.

The most anyone can say about any arms not granted to
themselves is that
they had an ancestor that bore them. Aside from the
erroneous thinking
about family arms, it now seems that many people think they
may have had
such ancestors because someone with the same name bore arms
in the past.
A problem, in some cases, is that people don't care whether
the arms
relate to their family or not. On a family link recently
arms were shown
that didn't quite match the description, called a blazon. I
checked
Burke's _General Armory_ to see whether the words or picture
were
correct (the picture was). But there were two other blazons
noted for
that family name, both of which described much simpler,
therefore
probably much older, arms.
most of the questioners don't even know the difference
between arms
and crest. What is usually thought of as a coat of arms is
just the
"shield of arms," a shield that has an heraldic design on
it. A full
"achievement of arms" has the shield as its centrepiece and
includes a
mantle, helmet and coronet (if appropriate), with the crest
on top. On
either side of the shield and mantle are supporters (for
higher ranks),
usually animals rampant, and beneath all, a scroll with
motto. The crest
is often used alone, often with the motto on a border around
it.

Surprisingly, it is not all this fancy illustration that
comprises a
person's arms. Rather, it is the written description, which
various
artists can then render in somewhat different ways. The
description,
called a blazon, is written in an heraldic language that
allows a very
specific description in a very few words.
Suggestion: if you want a copy of the arms, which they try
to describe
in English, paint them yourself.
Terry Heath
Cheltenham UK



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