Printing Block - Holcroft.

I have just purchased a heraldic Printing Block on eBay for £23.00. It was described by the vendor as an original antique printing block with the Holcroft Coat of Arms in original condition, likely to have been made during the late Victorian period. There was no indication as to the exact date of manufacture or the artist who made it.



The block measures approx 3.75" x 3.25".

The plate is mounted on a wooden block and the face material is copper.

I would blazon the arms as quarterly of eight:
1 Argent, a cross and bordure both engrailed Sable [Holcroft]
2 Argent, an eagle Sable, preying on an infant [proper], swaddled [Gules, banded Or] [Culcheth]
3 Quarterly Argent and Gules, in first quarter a mullet Sable [Mascy]
4 Argent, on a bend Sable three covered cups Or [Argent] [Rixton]
5 Gules, a fess between three falcons Argent, an annulet for difference [Penington]
6 Argent, a squirrel sejant Gules [Horton]
7 Argent, on a fess Gules three bezants, a mullet for difference [Jennings]
8 Gules, a bull's head cabossed Argent, armed Or [Duston]

These arms use the same quarters as those recorded in the Visitations of Chester 1533 – 1580 as those of Holcroft of Vale Royal but the marshalling is not identical and there are what may be cadency marks added to the quarters representing Pennington and Jennings; I have taken these markings to be cadency marks  because, as yet, I have no contrary information.

I have emblazoned it in colour to illustrate the actual arms.



I shall use it as a paper weight.