Coat of Arms

A coat of arms was granted to individuals, not to everyone of one particular surname. In English heraldry, the arms belongs only to that individual and his direct male descendants.

Ref: http://www.genealogymagazine.com/arms.html "My So-Called Family Coat of Arms: A Case study" By James Pylant 

 
So here are some FAQ's about Coat of Arms.
Q. What is a 'coat of arms'?

A. The term 'coat of arms' signifies an armorial achievement which consists of a shield with helm, crest and mantling. It is derived from the surcoat of a knight (worn over his armour), on which the charges of his shield were repeated. The word crest designates the figure which is placed on the helm.  The devices painted on the shields were also used as banners. They had to be simple and very clearly visible to be seen from at least 250 meters. The shield is the only indispensable part of the armorial achievement. It can be used by itself without helm, crest or any other accessory.

Q. Do coats of arms belong to surnames?

A. No. There is no such thing as a 'coat of arms for a surname'. Many people of the same surname will often be entitled to completely different coats of arms, and many of that surname will be entitled to no coat of arms. Coats of arms belong to individuals. For any person to have a right to a coat of arms they must either have had it granted to them or be descended in the legitimate male line from a person to whom arms were granted or confirmed in the past.

Q. What are the colours used in heraldry?

A. There are fixed colours or shades for heraldic colours. If the official description of a coat of arms gives its tinctures as Gules (red), Azure (blue), black, green, purple and Argent (white or silver) then, as long as the blue is not too light and the red not too orange, or pink, it is up to the artist to decide which particular shades and colours they think are appropriate. To place colour on colour on metal is not good heraldry  (with some exceptions to the rule).

Q. What is a crest?

A. It is a popular misconception that the word 'crest' describes a whole coat of arms or any heraldic device. It does not. A crest is a specific part of a full achievement of arms: the three-dimensional object placed on top of the helm or helmets. (The arms holding hexagon).

Q. Can the College of Arms (UK) tell me what my clan badge is?

A. No. The first point to note is that the apparently quite widespread, but new, belief that everyone has a clan, and can wear some specific tartan or display a clan badge, is quite erroneous. Only those of Scottish descent can be associated with a clan in any way. The clan system is an entirely Scottish phenomenon, and consists of a few groups of families, centred on old and historically prominent families, with other associated families (some of the same name as the principal lineage, but many not). To count as a clan, with a chief, these groups need to be recognized as such by the chief Scottish herald, the Lord Lyon King of Arms.

Q. How does one know if a particular person was granted a coat of arms?

A. To find out if one has a coat of arms by descent is a matter of family history. It is necessary to trace one's family as far back in the male line as possible and then see if any one in the resulting family tree of the family was granted a coat of arms. To be certain one must approach the heraldic authority under whose jurisdiction that person fell. In most cases this would be decided by the country in which they were living.

Q. How do I get a coat of arms?

A. There are two ways of establishing a right to a coat of arms. The first is by descent in the male line from a person to whom arms have been granted or confirmed in the past. If you believe one of your ancestors may have been granted arms you should write to the heraldic authority under whose jurisdiction he would have fallen, sending a sketch pedigree showing your descent from him, and enquire whether any such grant or confirmation was made.

Q. Who and what are heralds?

A. 'Herald' is the middle rank of Officer of Arms, and is also used more loosely to describe all Officers of Arms, whether kings of arms, heralds of arms, or pursuivants of arms. They have responsibilities for the overseeing of heraldry, the granting of new coats of arms, genealogical research, and state ceremonial. Several countries number one or more heralds among their officials, including, Sweden, South Africa, Scotland, and Canada.

Q. How can a company know my coat of arms simply from my last name?

A. They cannot. Any company which purports to supply you with a 'coat of arms for your surname' is misleading you. Coats of arms do not belong to surnames. They belong to individuals, and are either granted to a particular person, or inherited by descent from someone to whom arms have been granted in the past.

Heraldic language

Heraldry has its own terminology. Some of the most commonly used words are:
 

Argent

Azure

Bend

Chevron

Chief

Dexter

Ermine

  

Silver (most often shown as white)

Blue

A broad diagonal strip running from the top left to bottom right of a shield

An inverted V

A broad strip running across the uppermost part of a shield

Right-hand side of the shield (but the user's right, not the viewer's)

A fur made from the white pelt of the ermine on which the black tips of the creature's tail appear

Fess

Griffin

Gules

Mantling

A broad strip running horizontally across the centre of the shield

A monster, part eagle and part lion

Red

A small cloak hanging from the back of the helm, usually shown as shredded and in an updraught

Or

Pale

Passant

Purpure

Rampant

Gold (often shown as yellow)

A broad vertical strip running down the centre of a shield

Position of an animal which is walking with one fore leg raised

Purple

Position of an animal which is standing up on one hind leg and pawing the air with the other three

Sable

Sinister

Vert

Wreath

Black

Left-hand side of the shield (but the viewer's right-hand side)

Green

A cord of twisted silk which holds the mantling to the top of the helm and forms the base of most crests
Wyvern A two-legged dragon
 

Coat of Arms
(http://www.archives.com/genealogy/family-history-coat-of-arms.html)

The coat of arms, which originated in Europe, is also often referred to as armorial bearings, armorial devices or heraldic devices. The coat of arms, which was utilized initially by knights as a way of identifying themselves and setting themselves apart from soldier-enemies, could belong to a group of people or even a specific person.

Also referred to as a family crest, a family coat of arms is essentially a graphic display of your family's name. This tradition, which goes back nearly 800 years, symbolizes the history of a family name. A family coat of arms may be unique to not only a family, but a person, corporation or state as well.

The coat of arms has evolved over time, and many people and institutions use them today. In particular, universities use coats of arms, and they have very careful guidelines about how they may be used and who may use them. Coats of arms belong to the tradition of heraldry, which refers to the design and display of the arms. When towns, countries or villages use coats of arms, it is called civic heraldry.

A traditional coat of arms usually includes a patterned shield that is decorated with a crest, a helmet, a motto, a crown, a wreath and a mantling. A coat of arms may be used by a school, college, church, guild, corporation or families to reflect their origins.

Historic Coats of Arms

Dating back to the twelfth century, a family coat of arms or a coat of arms has been used to identify a warrior dressed in armor. Knights would use a coat of arms, worn as a tunic over their armor, to identify one another. By the mid-thirteenth century, coats of arms were adopted by priests, cities, town, commoners, peasants and burghers, who often used them as seals or other insignia. Family coats of arms, although originally used for battle, have been passed down through the generations and are now a great way to connect with our past.

The coat of arms was considered extremely important, and the use of a coat of arms was strictly regulated, as they were used for identification purposes and were used on items such as seals and legal documents. Although few countries in the world still continue the use of arms for identification, the study of the coat of arms (also called heraldry) is still quite popular today.

Throughout history in England and Scotland, a coat of arms signified an individual, and not a family. A traditional coat of arms, during this time, was considered legal property and was passed down from father to son. Descendants of a coat of arms would typically be differentiated through a color change or with the addition of a distinguishable charge, such as the coat of arms' label. The images are the same whether on a crest or a coat of arms, but the place where they are displayed distinguishes them.

The original coat of arms was designed for medieval battle purposes and has evolved over time to indicate the identity of a person or an institution. In current times, the closest thing to a coat of arms is the modern corporate logo.

Symbolic Meaning in Coats of Arms

There are various symbols and colors used in coats of arms, and they all have different meanings. Some of these include:

Colors
  • Gold: generosity
  • Silver: peace or sincerity
  • Red: warrior or martyr
  • Green: hope, joy and loyalty
Symbols
  • Anchor: hope, religious, steadfastness
  • Angels: dignity, glory
  • Baton: token of authority
  • Bear: strength, cunning, ferocity
(Reference Source: Fleur-de-lis Designs)

Great Histories and Coats of Arms

Some of the best ancestral histories are formed with the details gleaned from the coat of arms. By uncovering the social circumstances and the geographic locations of your ancestors, you can begin to get a sense of where you come from and who you are. You also begin to understand how you are connected to those who began your family line. Often times, the process of locating and understanding your family coat of arms can be quite fulfilling. If you want to find a coat of arms for your family, you may be quite surprised to learn about the origins of your family line.


 


The Myth of Family Coats of Arms
(http://blog.eogn.com/eastmans_online_genealogy/2009/11/the-myth-of-family-coats-of-arms.html)
posted by Dick Eastman

 

The holiday gift giving season will be here soon and what better personal gift to give than something with the recipient's family coat of arms? I'd suggest that isn't such a great gift. You'd be lying.

Lots of gullible people purchase various trinkets that display the "family coat of arms" without realizing there is no such thing. Coats of arms? Yes. But "family?" No. There is no such thing as a family coat of arms.
NOTE: I do have to point out two exceptions. Several hundred years ago, merchants in Belgium did adopt coats of arms that were similar to the coats of arms displayed by nobility, but with some differences. Those Belgian coats of arms, or family crests, displayed by merchants are assigned to families and are inherited. However, coats of arms displayed by nobility in Belgium are not inherited.

In addition, Samurai soldiers in Japan also have family "insignia" that are assigned to families and are passed down from generation to generation. The Japanese symbols do not look like European coats of arms with shields and helmets, adorned with lions and dragons and birds and such things, however.

If your male line descends from a few families in Belgium or from the Samurai class in Japan, you can ignore the rest of this article. However, if your family comes from the British Isles or any place in Europe, other than a few families in Belgium, this applies to you.
The truth is, except for the exceptions listed, families do not have family crests, correctly known as "coats of arms." The crest is only a small section of the entire design and was usually depicted above the helmet.

Coats of arms were designed for use in battle. If you can imagine wearing a full suit of armor, complete with a helmet with tiny eye slits for vision, the combatants had a difficult time differentiating friend from foe. It was bad form to stick a broadsword into your friend's midsection, although that did happen occasionally in the heat of battle. As a visual aid, the knights and a few other combatants started wearing brightly painted designs on their shields and elsewhere, designs that were known to their fellow combatants. The intent was to help their fellow combatants distinguish friends from foe. The brightly colored insignia was used on shields, on clothing, and on horse dressings.

Occasionally, a knight might have an attendant or two, such as a groomsman who tended the horse or even multiple horses. The attendant also might be a “squire;” a young apprentice who hoped to become a knight on his 21st birthday. The attendant might wear clothing with the same colors as his master, signifying that he was a part of "the team." However, such attendants normally did not wear armor.

If the knight had a close relative in battle as a combatant, such as his son, a brother, a nephew, or other relative, that relative never wore the same insignia as the first knight. In battle, sons never wore the same insignia as their fathers. Each had his own insignia and colors. 

Off the battlefield, coats of arms were also used during tournaments to distinguish competitors. Knights, royalty, and a few wealthy individuals displayed their colorful crests and coats of arms as a symbol of themselves. In effect, the coat of arms said, "This is me." Coats of arms were never used to declare, "This is my family."

In fact, the only time that the same coat of arms can be used by more than one person is when the eldest is dead. At that point, the direct heir (typically his oldest son) can petition for the right to bear the same arms that were used by the deceased.

In the case of multiple sons, or when the father was still alive, all the sons could use SIMILAR coats of arms as their father but always added their own variations to the design. Each son created his own variations. These variations are called "cadency" and the son's insignia is referred to as "cadet coat of arms." When the father died, the oldest son removed his personal cadency, reverting the coat of arms back to his father's original design. The other sons kept their cadet coat of arms; they never used the father's original design.

Daughters can also inherit the coat of arms if no sons are living.

In olden times and today, not every coat of arms can be used by everyone with that surname. First of all, not everyone with the same surname is related. I suspect there was more than one knight named Smith, and they certainly didn't want to wear the same coats of arms in battle!

Despite what the man at the pushcart told you at the local shopping mall, the rules always required that a coat of arms was for use by a single living individual, not a family. A coat of arms is similar to an individual's signature and was used as seals on official documents.

Another requirement has been in effect since the 15th century and still applies today: the person who wishes to display a coat of arms must first register the design in a central clearinghouse and obtain permission to display it. Registration was required in the 15th century, and it is still expected today. If you are displaying a coat of arms without written permission, you are guilty of an impolite form of forgery. In the U.S., you won't get arrested for doing so because the U.S. has no laws concerning display of forged coats of arms. Such laws do exist on the books in England and in many other countries, but they are rarely enforced.


The official office regulating coats of arms and the granting of new arms for England, Wales, and Northern Ireland is the College of Arms (http://www.college-of-arms.gov.uk/). It was founded by King Richard III in 1484. If you would like to display your own personally designed coat of arms, and if your male ancestry is from England, you start at the College of Arms. That would be true even if you now live in the United States. You cannot apply online but you can do so by mail.

To learn more about coat of arms granted in Scotland, visit the Court of the Lord Lyon (http://www.lyon-court.com/lordlyon/CCC_FirstPage.jsp). Scottish descendants would apply to the Court of the Lord Lyon. 

Canada has its own heraldic office, the Canadian Heraldic Authority (http://www.gg.ca/document.aspx?id=81). The rules for applying for a coat of arms are slightly different in Canada. Contact the Canadian Heraldic Authority for details.

 

 
Another pointer worth mentioning; Most coat of arms were considered too elaborate by the Knights, the French and the British. The British only used one colour for landed gentry, two colour for a high rank in the army, and the full colour ones were only allowed to be used by CERTAIN nobles and the Royalty. Some Nobles could not use more than 4 colours on their shield and even the full colour ones had to be approved and voted upon. The eagle was used by certain Germanic countries and usually Italian titles were brought in from neighbouring countries because the King of Italy was very jealous of his title and who to pass it onto. But when they kicked him out, all hell broke loose, if you were married to a Noble girl even if not the eldest you could take her name and title, divorce her and pass the title and name on to your new bride and so on, hence this is how many Italian titles got lost in time.