William Henry Bellot F.R.C.S.E. Surgeon Royal Cheshire Militia

This is the bookplate (in my personal collection) of William Henry Bellot F.R.C.S.E. Surgeon Royal Cheshire Militia. William was gazetted 5^th October 1852 as receiving a commission signed by the Lord Lieutenant of the County palatine of Chester; William Henry Bellot, gent, to be surgeon.

This bookplate is incorrectly described in the Rylands collection as being parted per fess Gules and Argent.

“Description: The Bellot Family coat of arms. The blazoning is as follows: The shield is parted per fess, the upper armorial is red and the lower silver. Three cinquefoil flowers appear in chief across the upper armorial. Underneath appears the motto 'Spes Me Sustentat'.

The Visitations of 1663 describe this coat as being Argent, on a chief Gules three cinquefoils of the field [Bellot] and Daniel King, in his Kinderton Roll tricks them as Bellot (Bellet) Argent, on a chief Gules three cinquefoils pierced of the field.

Here he is using the motto Spes Me Sustenat (Hope Sustains Me) and this motto is also used in the bookplate of a number of books in the Rylands Library “Bellot Collection” where other bookplates bearing an alternative motto ‘Toujours Bellot’ (Always Pretty) can be found.

Image from the Rylands Library “Bellot Collection” where other bookplates bearing an alternative motto ‘Toujours Bellot’ (Always Pretty) can be found.