Shropshire's Punning Heraldry - Lethbridge

Lethbridge

Lethbridge, General, of Shrewsbury

Arms: Argent, on a base Vert a bridge embattled and thereon an eagle displayed [possibly Sable]… impaling Azure, a fess between three crescents 2 & 1 Argent.

The arms of General Lethbridge, of Shrewsbury.

The surname Lethbridge is of Anglo-Saxon origin and is primarily a locational name from the county of Devon in South West England. It typically refers to a person who lived near a specific bridge crossing, often interpreted as a "plank bridge" or an elevated waterway.Etymology and Meaning. 

The name is constructed from two Old English elements: Leth- / Lyd-: Derived from an old water-course element (like the river Lew in Devon) or Old English gelēat, which means an open water-course or canal. Bridge: Derived from the Old English brycg, meaning "bridge". Combined, it literally translates to "a bridge over an open water-course" or could poetically mean "ladder bridge" or "plank bridge" (from Old English læddre).

Unlike the arms of the Lethbridge Baronets, these arms have a base Vert rather than "over water"; ''Argent, over water proper, a bridge of five arches embattled gules and over the centre arch a turret in chief an eagle displayed sable charged on the breast with a bezant"

Shropshire's Punning Heraldry - Huntley

 Huntley

Rev. Webster Huntley, of Alberbury, Vicar.

Arms: Argent, on a chevron between three stag's heads couped Sable as many bugle horns stringed of the field.

Crest: A talbot statant Proper collared and line reflexed Or.

The arms of The Rev. Webster Huntley, of Alberbury, Vicar.

All of the charges in this achievement lend themselves to the recreational pastime of hunting, the stag is the quarry, the talbot is the hunter's aid and the bugle, or hunting horn, typically symbolises a connection to the royal forests, a legacy of noble pursuits, or a historical occupation as a huntsman, forester, or game warden.

The surname Huntley traces its roots to the Old English words hunta (meaning "hunter" or "huntsman") and lēah (meaning a woodland clearing, meadow, or glade). Because this translates literally to "hunter's meadow" or "hunting clearing," the surname was originally used to identify individuals who either lived near a clearing designated for hunting or worked in professions related to the hunt.

Shropshire's Punning Heraldry - Huxley

 Huxley

John Huxley, of Broseley.

Arms: Ermine, three bendlets Gules on the centre one three crescents Or.

If my theory is correct, this is quite a clever pun. 

The arms of John Huxley, of Broseley.

Local dialect refers to the Huxleys as the Huxlays. So, if we split the name up into Hux and Ley, or Lay, we then have Hucc (or Hoc), an Old English personal nickname or name. Linguistic experts suggest it translates to "insult" or "mockery" (hux), alternatively, it can mean "hook" or "bend in the land". 

Hux: If we take the "alternative" meaning of Hucc, we can stretch our imagination to bring in the three bendlets as a reference to the bend in the land. 

Ley: The French word for "the" (plural) is "les". In standard French pronunciation, "les" sounds identical to the English word "lay" / "ley". Because "les" requires a plural noun, it inherently represents a group of multiple items—the first true plural prime number being 3. There are three bendlets or three Huccs: HuxLey.

We can only guess at the meaning, if indeed there is one, behind the inclusion of three crescents. 

Shropshire's Punning Heraldry - Hussey

 Hussey.

Hussey, of Adbrighton*.

Arms: Quarterly: 1st and 4th, Barry of six Gules and Ermine, (In Richardson Ermine and Gules, another Ermine and Azure) (Hussey); 2nd, Argent, three boots 2 & 1 Sable spurred Or, topped Ermine (Hussey); 3rd, Argent, on a bend Azure three garbs Or (Oteley or Fitton).

Crest: A boot as in the arms.

The arms of Hussey, of Adbrighton.

The surname Hussey has three distinct origins, the norman one fits our purposes best. Norman (French): It derives from the Old French word hosed or housé, meaning "booted" or "gaitered," functioning as a nickname for someone who wore distinctive footwear. 

*The property was known as Adbrighton Hussey historically, but its current name is Albright Hussey. To avoid confusion with other local places named "Albrighton" (like the village near Telford), the estate officially changed its name to "Albright Hussey" in 1922, adopting the name of the ancient Hussey family who built and occupied it. Today, this 16th-century, moated manor house is a hotel and restaurant. 

Shropshire's Punning Heraldry - Hunt

Hunt

Hunt of Goulstone

Arms: Argent, a stag's head cabossed Sable.

Hunt of Boreatton

Arms: quarterly; 1st & 4th, Argent, a stag's head cabossed Sable; 2nd, Gules, a hind, or fawn, trippant Argent between 3 bugles stringed Or; 3rd, Argent, on a pale Sable a shark's, or lucy's, head couped Or.

Crest 1: A talbot sejant Sable collared Or lined Azure the line tied to a halbert in pale Or headed Azure.

Crest 2: A hind, or fawn's head and neck Argent.

Crest 3: A shark, or lucy's head erect Or langued Gules.

(Visitations) 

The arms of Hunt of Boreatton.

There is more than one heraldic pun (or "cant") at play in these quartered arms; the whole achievement lends the impression that the family married more than one heraldic heiress from a hunting family. We have a visual pun that references the name of the bearer through its imagery. In this case, a stag, a hind and a lucy (pike, a predatory fresh water fish) are all hunted creatures, and it perfectly puns on the surname Hunt. 

Shropshire's Punning Heraldry - Hord

 Hord

Hord, William, Bailiff 1411.

Arms: Gules, on a chief Argent a raven Proper

Hord, alias Hoord, Richard, Sheriff 4 Rich. II, 1381.

Arms: Argent, on a chief Or a raven Proper.

The arms of Hord, William, Bailiff 1411.

This one is nicely subtle. We can easily discern a heraldic pun (known as canting arms) from the raven in the arms of Hord; the surname "Hord" derives from the Old English word hord (meaning a treasure or a hidden hoard of valuables), thus making a raven (well-known for collecting and hiding shiny, bright objects) a brilliant, cheeky play on words.

Ravens and their corvid cousins (like crows and magpies) are famous in folklore for collecting shiny things. There are well-documented anecdotes of wild crows and ravens leaving small trinkets like buttons, beads, or shiny metal pieces for humans who regularly feed them. One of the most famous historic English anecdotes of a raven collecting shiny objects is the story of "The Bishop and the Jackdaw" from 1726. While it famously involves a jackdaw, similar tales of thievery are historically attributed to the famous ravens at the Tower of London (Historic Royal Palaces). However, this reputation is mostly a myth; scientific studies show they do not have a universal obsession with sparkly or metallic objects.  

Today, this historical fascination lives on with the ravens kept at the Tower of London. The birds are notorious kleptomaniacs known for making off with keys, trinkets, and metal objects, protected by a legend stating that if the ravens ever leave, the Crown and Britain will fall.

Shropshire's Punning Heraldry - Heiring

 Heiring.

William Heiring, of Oswestry.

Arms: Azure, semee of cross crosslets fitchee and six herrings naiant in pale Or.

(Visitations 1584)

Heiring, or Heringe, Wm, Bailiff of Shrewsbury, 1580.

Arms: Argent, semee of cross crosslets six herrings hauriant Or.

Heiring.

Arms: Azure, semee of cross crosslets six herrings naiant in pale Or. 

The arms of William Heiring, of Oswestry.

The surname Heiring has multiple distinct origins across Europe, primarily functioning as an occupational or topographic name. It is largely tied t0 the Fish Trade: A metonymic occupational name for a fisherman or a seller of herring (from Middle Dutch haring or Old English hǣring).

Never keen on arms that are either semee or a fur with a charge or charges of the same tincture placed upon the field, I have made the crosses a flat yellow Or and the herrings a metalic gold Or in an attempt to make them more visible. It is still not ideal.